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Part 2 - My Fourth of July Vacation: A ride through the Midwest during that patriotic time of year.  (Jerome A. Holst © 2005)

Continued from page 4

The next morning I headed a few miles north of Lebanon, Ohio to the village of Waynesville, Ohio which is located at U. S. Route 42 and State Route 73. Waynesville is 10 miles from I-75 (to the west) and 10 miles from I-71 (to the east).

Touted as the Antique Capital of the Midwest, the village of Waynesville is basically a whole town of antique stores. Most of the buildings along the Main Street are filled with collectibles and memorabilia. Those not selling antiques are providing those visiting the town with either hotel accommodation or food.

Town sign on Main Street

One of the many antiques stores in town

Antique store with a giant Uncle Sam statue

Tea Room and restaurant on Main Street.

Concluding my visit in Waynesville, I proceeded northeast and passed thought the town of Wilmington, Ohio. When I glimpsed my last chance of having a coney dog with chili, (a specialty in these parts) I pulled into the Gold Star Chili restaurant and ordered three coneys (with cheese, onion and mustard) and a large glass of root beer. When the coneys arrived at the table they were decorated with tiny festive paper flags that sported the red, white, and blue of theme of the holiday season.

Gold Star Chili Restaurant on Route 22 in Wilmington, Ohio

With my Fourth of July vacation coming to an end, I continued up Route 22 through Zanesville, Concord and Cambridge Ohio and finally crossed back over into Pennsylvania. Making it safely home, I parked my car and set about to sleep an inordinate amount of hours to recover from the exhaustion of the trip. which had taken me through West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and back to the Keystone state.

The one surprise I had waiting for me when I got home was a large brown envelop in the mail which contained an offer of employment as a reference librarian at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio.

Soon, I would be back to work at a new job but I would have the fond memories of my tour through the Midwest during that patriotic time of year to keep me happy until my next vacation rolled around. 

Where will I go on my next road trip adventure? That is yet to be written in the stars, but I will surely be watching the skies for inspiration.

So ends "Part 2" and my Fourth of July weekend adventures. See also My Fourth of July Vacation (Part 1)

 

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