OH Highlights: Mounds & Sunken Lunken Part 4

Our trip to OH included spending a bit of time in and around Cincinnati. On the way, we went to some earthen mounds. This one, the serpent mound, has been groomed for ease of viewing. Really an awe inspiring spot.

We went to Lunken airport. I never knew why they called it "Sunken Lunken" until you stood outside the terminal. There was so little sky visible, it was a bit crazy. This shot of one of the airplanes in the terminal was crazy. There were only 2 wheels and no breaks. Our tour guide said that the pilot stopped the plane by putting his gloved hand on the wheel. Its a long stretch to do that in this plane.

This program is not allowing me to import photos right-side-up. Sorry. Here is our guide and the lobby of the airport. This was the start and home of American Airlines and also the company that serves airline food.

Looking back at the art deco terminal, it is pretty easy to see the historic features in the building: the clock, the symmetry, the entrances. I particularly loved the fonts. A few more posts from the trip to come.

Cincinnati Water & Iron Part 3

Ever been the Cincinnati Water Works? It contains an engineering marvel with 6 of the largest ever constructed steam pumps in the world. We got a tour of this facility during our Society for Industrial Archaeology (SIA) conference. The architecture was quite fantastic, but no idea what was in store inside.

You walked through the front door & were looking at the top 2 stories of these steam pumps. There was a ledge near the middle of the building that afforded a view all the way to the bottom: breath-taking! This photo really doesn't do it justice...you were looking into this well-lit abyss.

Luckily, we signed up early for the conference & got on the best tour. Not only did we see the pumps, but we also got to visit Vardin iron works. They cast bells and were gearing up for 7 on the day of our visit. All the large boxes are full of packed sand with a void the shape of a bell.

Molten brass has a different color than aluminum, bronze, or iron. The hue was much more orange. One guy controlled the turning of the large ladle (on the left) another steadied the whole venture (off the photo on the right) and a third operated the crane's location (green on the right). These guys have cast hundreds of bells in their decade-long careers.

The ones we saw poured were too hot to get out of the moulds right away. So we got to check out others laying about the place that had been cast the week before. Each bell is polished on the outside and then tuned by scraping away metal from its inside. A delicate process!

Cedar Point, OHIO!!! Part 2 in the USA

One of the perks of living in Ohio was the world famous CEDAR POINT amusement park. I took Cam for the first time to experience all the thrills & excitement. Of course, the more people you go with the less likely you will be pushed into going on something you don't want to ride. We went with Moc & Kevin. I've known Moc for over half my life & lucky for all of us, Kevin is one of Cedar Point's biggest fans.

The stupid blog won't publish this next photo up the right way, so you have to tilt your head to picture it. This is a crazy ride that took Cam & Kevin vertical in 17 seconds at 200 km or about 125 miles an hour! They then plunged back down. Jen & I were so happy to sit & watch rather than ride this one!

Of course, the cork screw is one of the classics and my favorites. I thought it would be fun to throw up our hats underneath the coaster. My hat went higher!

We rode the old time cars, which I love trying to crash. Cam was kind enough to let me drive. His attempt to capture my enthusiasm was well spent with this shot. Of course those two in the background were simply enjoying themselves, not laughing at me!

Finally the former "Blue Streaks" paused just long enough to remember the less-than-smooth ride of this old school coaster. We hit the blue streak and mean streak, whick reminded me of high school. By far, the best ride in the park is the Raptor. If anyone ever goes to Cedar Point, the Raptor is a must!

Back in the USA! Part 1

Cam & I were back in the states for about 2.5 weeks at the end of May/early June. Our trip to the US included a family stop in CA to see my cousins. We were only there for 10 hrs, but I feel like we did lots! Cam swam & went in the hot tub, we ate Mexican (real-to-goodness Mexican), and we watched a bit of ball.

Here is the whole gang minus my first cousins (all of these kids' parents) who took the photo. I recon we must be related, check out all the similar smiles. THANKS for the fun fam!

 

Cam & I were in Ohio for a bit and then went to MD to see Cam's Aunt, Gpa (grandfather) and cousins. We did a fantastic walk to Swallow Falls. Cam, Gpa, & I went on a day trip to Cumberland, MD too while others in the family went to a bluegrass festival. We all stayed at the lake house.

Here's Cam & his Nan close to those falls, but not quite to the point of fall'n in. It was great to catch up with Nan and spend some time with her & Ken.

 

We also got to hang out with Cam's cousins who had this fantastic log cabin. It smelled really fresh & was warm on the inside (I suppose it was May). Cam's uncle & cousin helped to build it. Their property stretches downhill to a stream that pretty much is bigger than most of Australia's rivers. So amazing, there even was a turkey hanging out in front of their house!