ITINERARY
We have included this itinerary so that others who are contemplating a trip over the Old National Road to the East may in some measure find it helpful in planning a journey.
Without undue haste we have gone over the route herein designated, and have a world of delightful recollections of those forever memorable excursions.
FIRST DAY—Richmond, Ind., via Greenville, O., through the fine agricultural region of Darke County, passing through Xenia, which deserves more than passing notice, for, on the outskirts of the town William Dean Howells lived in a log cabin with his father, Wm. D. Gallagher and Coates Kinney, two poets of note, lived here; and here, too, is the birthplace of Whitelaw Reid. If the traveler wishes to spend a day in Dayton he will find a visit to the National Cash Register plant full of interest.
SECOND DAY—Dayton to Hillsborough, via Germantown and Farmersville, across the great conservancy dam on Twin creek, through Middletown and Lebanon, crossing the Miami valley, famed for its richness of natural beauty and thrifty towns and cities.
THIRD DAY—Hillsborough to Portsmouth, Ohio, via the caves and
Bainbridge.
FOURTH DAY—Portsmouth to Columbus, over the Scioto trail, passing through the beautiful hill country via Waverly, Chillicothe and Circleville.
FIFTH DAY—Columbus to Wheeling, via Zanesville and Cambridge. At Zanesville we crossed the bridge over the Muskingum river. There are only one or two other examples of this type of bridge in the world; one being in Germany. Stopped at the Windsor hotel, which is recommended not only for its surrounding scenery, but is of special interest to the tourist because of its location on the banks of the Ohio river. A breakfast on the terrace overlooking this beautiful river will be a never-to-be- forgotten experience. We passed McCullough's Leap on the national road at the crest of Fulton Hill, at Wheeling. A monument marks the spot where the famous Indian fighter escaped his pursuers by going over a precipice one hundred and fifty feet in height.
SIXTH DAY—From Wheeling to Cumberland, Md., passing Washington, Pa., which was the first city in the United States to be named for its first president. Here is still standing the house of Thomas Braddock, leader of the Whiskey Rebellion. At this place the first community building in the United States was erected. You will pass Braddock's grave, where a fine monument marks the spot along the old national highway. It leads through the great meadows of history, near where Ft. Necessity was built and which marks the site of the first and only surrender Washington ever made. Two centuries ago an Indian trail led through the Allegheny mountains. Here may still be seen the place where Washington crossed the road and tried to make his way to Pittsburg, then called Ft. Duquesne. The mountain scenery here is superb. Travelers will find a delightful place to rest in the Ft. Cumberland Hotel.
SEVENTH DAY—Cumberland via Hagerstown across Massanutten mountain to Luray Caverns, staying overnight at the Lawrence Hotel.
EIGHTH DAY—Luray Caverns via Harpers Ferry to Frederick, Md.
Spent the night at the delightful Wayside Inn.
NINTH DAY—Frederick to Washington, D. C.
TENTH, ELEVENTH, TWELFTH DAYS—Washington and vicinity.
THIRTEENTH DAY—Washington to Wt. Vernon, and Alexandria. The Metropolitan hotel while in Washington will be found a most pleasant stopping place.
FOURTEENTH DAY—Washington to Gettysburg via Baltimore. While here pay a visit to Ft. McHenry, Poe's tomb, and Druid Hill Park, which is one of the most beautiful of America's fine parks.
FIFTEENTH DAY—Gettysburg to Lancaster via Harrisburg. Travelers should not miss the wonderful drive along the Susquehanna river at Harrisburg, for few in the east are as beautiful. It might be well at this juncture to sound a note of warning in regard to the use of chains while crossing the mountains, as one cannot be too careful in using every safeguard.
SIXTEENTH DAY—Lancaster to Valley Forge to Philadelphia.
SEVENTEENTH DAY—Philadelphia. Visit historical places and lovely park.
EIGHTEENTH Day—Cross ferry over the Delaware at Philadelphia, through New Jersey to Atlantic City.
NINETEENTH DAY—Atlantic City.
TWENTIETH DAY—Atlantic City to Belmar.
TWENTY-FIRST DAY—Belmar via Asbury Park, Newark and Metuchen to
New York City.
TWENTY-SECOND, TWENTY-THIRD, TWENTY-FOURTH AND TWENTY-FIFTH DAYS- - New York City. Travelers will find a fine place to stop while here in the Hotel Theresa.
TWENTY-SIXTH DAY—New York City via Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie.
TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY—Poughkeepsie to Greenfield, Mass., through the Berkshire hills on the Mohawk trail.
TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY—Greenfield to Providence, Rhode Island, down the Connecticut river valley, which affords scenery as fine as any which New England has to offer. The fertile farm lands of the valley give beauty by way of contrast. The traveler will be interested in the fields of tobacco which are grown under canvas. Some of these fields contain thirty acres and others we were told were still larger.
A most delightful close to a perfect day is the hotel Weldon at this lovely town. The motorist will find here a quiet, restful charm that makes for the tired traveler a delightful halt and a tranquil stopping place for more permanent guests.
"One rarely finds in a rural town a hotel which affords all the essentials of a city hotel of the first class. The picturesque entrance with greenery and Italian stone settles, the handsome office and lounging hall of library effect, the broad passages and solid woodwork of each floor, the spacious glass-roofed sun parlor and outer porch, with plentiful vines and other verdure, and which in summer time are opened widely to the lawn, the lofty topmost floor recently built (for warm weather guests) of a semi- Spanish effect by way of broad screen doors on open air corridors, from airy suites overlooking the woody hill country— these items are likely to impress the guests with pleasant surprises."
Then, too, the Weldon is situated in the charming residential section of the town, of no small natural beauty. But of all pleasing memories of Greenfield, that of its beautiful tree- bordered streets will remain the longest.
In passing through the old town of Windsor you will think of
John Fitch whose birthplace was here. John Mason, leader of the
Colonists during the Pequot War, also had his home in Windsor.
Here, too, is the fine old home of Oliver Ellsworth, now kept as
a museum by the Daughters of The American Republic.
You will pass through Pomfert, the town whose special point of interest is Wolf Den, where Israel Putnam slew a sheep-killing wolf single handed. The story was geographically described in our school readers of two centuries ago.
At Willamantic is a monument to Nathan Hale, the martyr spy of the Revolution, who had his home here, as did also General Lyon, killed at Eastport in the Revolutionary War. Here, too, was the home of Jonathan Trumbull, one of the financiers of the Revolution, and Commodore Swift, U. S. N. This town is widely known as the home of Willamantic thread.
TWENTY-NINTH DAY—Providence to Newport.
THIRTIETH DAY—Newport to Plymouth via Fall River, Cape Cod and
Provincetown, staying at the Plymouth Rock Hotel.
THIRTY-SECOND, THIRTY-THIRD AND THIRTY-FOURTH DAYS—Plymouth to
Boston via the Shore Road.
THIRTY-FIFTH DAY—Boston to Portsmouth, N. H. Here was signed the treaty which closed the Russo-Japanese War.
THIRTY-SIXTH DAY—Portsmouth to Crawford's Notch, via Portland,
Maine.
THIRTY-SEVENTH DAY—Crawford's Notch through Green mountains to
Lake Champlain.
THIRTY-EIGHTH DAY—Lake Champlain through Adirondacks to Lake
George Village.
THIRTY-NINTH AND FORTIETH DAYS—Among mountains and lakes.
FORTY-FIRST DAY—Lake George to Albany.
FORTY-SECOND DAY—Albany through Catskills to Mt. Tremper, where we spent a most delightful evening at the Howland House.
FORTY-THIRD DAY—Mt. Tremper to Utica.
FORTY-FOURTH DAY—Utica and Trenton Falls to Syracuse. Spent the night at the Mizpah hotel. This hotel is unique in that it is run in connection with a Baptist church. The building is a beautiful specimen of Gothic architecture. The surplus money is used for the various church expenses. You may listen to the noted Belgian organist while resting in your own room. This undertaking has proven to be a success in numerous ways.
FORTY-FIFTH DAY—Syracuse to Lake Chautauqua via Jamestown.
FORTY-SIXTH DAY—Jamestown to Niagara Falls via Indian reservations.
FORTY-SEVENTH AND FORTY-EIGHTH DAYS—Niagara Falls, via Albion,
Pa., to Ashtabula, Ohio.
FORTY-NINTH DAY—Ashtabula to Richmond, Ind.
It is to be sincerely hoped that all the youth of our land may some day visit the nation's shrines and there drink deep from the fountains of truth and patriotism which our worthy forefathers have established. To follow the old Pilgrim trail, to climb Bunker Hill Monument, to reverently tread the halls of Mt. Vernon, to muse by the monuments at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, and Arlington; to be thrilled with the grandeur and power of our great nation while in Washington: and to behold the unsurpassed beauty of the countless places of natural grandeur our country affords would help to solve many of the serious problems confronting our nation today.