Day 1: April 30, 2010
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I settled on US-42 and US-68 as my route to Williamstown. This meant that the early going was over familiar territory. Besides being familiar, much of the Forty-Two I traveled was divided four-lane or city streets. The first thing that struck me as photo worthy (and not already posted here on some trip) this little gas station about halfway between Xenia and Yellow Springs. Tucked into the 'V' formed by US-68 and OH-235, it makes a nice setting for a produce stand. The Springs Motel is almost at the edge of Yellow Springs. I looked over the place last spring during the planning for a group cruise and it would have been perfect for an overnight stop had it been available. The entire motel was booked that weekend by a group of women who do that every year. With just twelve rooms, that happens fairly often.
That's not just any mushroom & cheese omelet. It's the Sunrise Omelet at the Sunrise Cafe and it's filled with "Sauteed organic mushrooms and Amish Cheddar cheese". It seemed just the right thing in a delightful restaurant with olive oil cans as lamp shades though I did have second thoughts when I heard the women in the next booth describing "the best pancakes ever!". But the omelet was delicious and I have no regrets but it may have to be pancakes next time. The Cafe is definitely the sort of place where you almost expect to see a Prius parked and the town is the sort of place where seeing a mirror image isn't a huge surprise.
As soon as I saw the red clad tree in the court yard, I remembered seeing this article though not its details. I know that the red sweater is the work of Nancy and Corrine and I imagine the tree with a face is too. At the end of the day, after I reread the article, I determined that I had definitely walked by the store it names. I did not see the original Knot Knot Tree so it is either retired or I was especially unobservant. I did find this nicely decorated bench. Did I (or do I even have to) mention that Yellow Springs is the home of Antioch University?
The statue is of George Bartholomew, the man responsible for the first concrete street in America. A readable versions of the plaque at his feet is here. The statue stands on a still used portion of that 1893 street in Bellefontaine, Ohio. The marker in the last picture was erected for the street's 75th anniversary and is itself more than forty years old.
I headed to the Hancock Historical Museum in Findlay to see one thing but found a lot more to look at. Among the several vehicles on display are a couple of Grants. The Grant Motor Company built cars in Findlay between 1913 and 1922. The cars pictures here are a 1914 and a 1916. The 1916 Indian Powerplus was not built in Findlay but is a great example of an unrestored nearly century old motorcycle. Information about the two Civil War era flags can be read here.

I was drawn to the museum by RoadsideAmerica's description of the USS Maine's bathtub. Thier report concludes that it is "the only one you're ever going to see, and you should" so I did. I regret that I was alone when I gazed upon the tub so there was no one to take my picture as suggested by the sign.

Findlay is the home of Marathon Oil Company. Their headquarters remains right down town and there is a large Marathon station just a block away.
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