Day 1: May 24, 2008 Straight North

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This picture was actually taken on the way into town. It's the big circle where city hall once stood and which always looks nice lined with flags over Memorial Day.

My local stops were in cemeteries where ancestors lay. As usual, I photographed many tombstones but these two are all that seem "web worthy". The first marks the grave of my great-grandparents. It was their 1920 Florida trip I retraced in 2001 and a picture of the stone appeared in that trip report. The second stone, in a different cemetery, belongs to my great-great-grandparents. My forefathers do not lie in unmarked graves - just unidentified ones.

This full service station is in my home town of Ansonia and I try to give them a little business when I can. The prices are always in line with the rest of the nearby world but today I got a bargain. Regular gas was selling for $3.959 to $3.999 with premium ten to twenty cents higher. Although it handles regular grade gasoline, the Corvette likes at least 91 octane and reduced mileage offsets the cost difference. I was resigned to crossing the $4.00 barrier for the first time. But, Moody's had premium at $3.999 with regular just two cents below that. The insides of the diesel pump had been replaced to handle the $4.459 price although the "4" had to be taped on. The other pumps were not yet upgraded so I escaped $4 gas for another tank full and Jim Moody lost out on some income.

Here's a spot whose heyday came and went since I've frequented these parts. It appears to have once been quite an operation with a restaurant, comedy club, and more. I'm not sure what "Overdrive" is but a guess is some sort of teen club. You'll note that there is ample open space for expansion. Why the world's only (as far as I know) comedy calfé couldn't make it is a mystery to me.

I took the waterfront drive along Grand Lake where lots of folks were enjoying the weather. This was a reservoir for the Miami and Erie canal that, when completed in 1845, was the largest man made body of water in the world. This spillway was built in 1997 to replace the one built in 1914 to replace the one built in 1843. I had a cold beverage at Carter Villa then headed on through Celina.

This is the same route I followed on the first leg of last month's drive to the Lincoln Highway meeting and, on that drive, I mentioned passing a truck stop with real trucks where two-lane US-33 meets two-lane US-127. Here 'tis.

This well cared for octagon bar caught my eye. The equally attractive barn across the road says "Newcomer Homestead since 1867". I can't say if there is any connection between the two.

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