You probably know too much American history if you know what town can claim one President was born there and one President is buried there.
That town is North Bend, Ohio, located a bit west of Cincinnati. The Presidents are the Harrisons.
Here's where Benjamin Harrison was born, at least in terms of location. At the time it was a farm house that was established by William Henry Harrison; now it's a private residence.
It's easy to wonder what it's like to have tourists stop on your peaceful street to take photos of the historical marker by the sidewalk. When we did it, no one came out of the house with a gun ... or brownies.
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William Henry Harrison probably wasn't planning on returning to North Bend, Ohio, so soon.
Harrison. the ninth U.S. President, is best remembered for his short tenure on the job. He gave the longest inaugural address in history, but couldn't be bothered to wear an overcoat. Thus, he caught a cold, which turned into pneumonia, which killed him. John Tyler took over.
At least Harrison had a prime spot of real estate for his burial site. He was placed on a hill that at the time overlooked the Ohio River. Harrison was eventually joined by several relatives. The area is quite ornate, although it doesn't lend itself to a classic photograph.
The location of the grave is just south of U.S. 30 in North Bend. For those traveling west on that route, you will need to go right at the marker in order to cross an overpass to get to the site. Here's the view from the road, although there is a parking lot around the corner for those who want to take a closer look.
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History has not been too kind to William Howard Taft.
By all accounts Taft was a very intelligent man and an excellent lawyer and administrator. He first achieved public notice for his good work in running the Philippines after the U.S. gained possession of it in the Spanish-American War.
That earned him high marks from his boss, Teddy Roosevelt. When Teddy decided not to run for re-election in 1908, Taft was a logical choice to replace him. But Roosevelt became disenchanted with Taft in the follow four years and ran against him in 1912. That led to the election of Woodrow Wilson as President. Taft eventually earned a job that he really wanted - Chief Justice of the United States. He is the only person to have both jobs, which you'd have to admit looks good on a resume.
Yet Taft basically is remember for one thing. He was fat. Big in the "got stuck in the White House bathtub" a few times sense. No one said fame is fair.
Taft grew up in this home in Cincinnati. His house has been preserved and is available for touring. The future President moved out of the place around the time of college, so the tour tells more about what the place was like during Taft's childhood. It would be better if Taft had been there for the latter stages of his life, but at least this covers a period of time in the life of this noteworthy American.
Here's more on the place:
The mansion is located up a hill from downtown Cincinnati, as Taft's parents wanted to get away from the industrial riverfront and take in the good air of the hills. The National Park Service has a small office across the street and leads guided tours of the building.
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Who knew that signs could be an attraction for a museum?
The people behind the American Sign Museum did. They have established a cute little niche with a part of Americana.
The facility is located in an industrial part of Cincinnati called Camp Washington. The parking lot has some signs of its own, which nicely serve the task of telling visitors they are in the right place.
Those visitors need only to walk in the front door and be charmed. The light show begins right away, and the path winds through all sorts of signs from the distant past to the present.
Most of the signs on display are relatively small, and offer a chronological history of the art. But a few are nice and big - like signs for McDonald's and Howard Johnson's. Baby boomers will love the place.
The best way to see it all is to take a guided tour; check the web site for dates and times. Our guide knew his stuff and was willing to poke a little fun at the museum and himself along the way. And at the end, you might be able to go inside "Neonworks of Cincinnati," which is located in a corner of the same building. There the staff will show you just how a neon sign is made these days, which is a rare treat.
Here are some more views of the place:
This is location No. 2 for the American Sign Museum, and apparently there are plans to double the size of the exhibit space in the near future. What they have now, though, is pretty interesting. I couldn't resist getting a t-shirt on my way out. This is definitely unique and worth a stop in your travels if you are in the area.
Interested in some ice cream as part of breaking up a summer drive?
This is the spot.
It is the home of Velvet Ice Cream, a product that is sold throughout Ohio. It's about an hour northeast of Columbus, and located in a pleasant country setting.
The big attraction is the chance to see ice cream made. They have factory tours from May to October; be sure to check the website for times and dates. About 150,000 people turn up here for an education in the making of this traditional summer treat,
The rest of the complex centers on this converted mill. There's a big ice cream parlor at the bottom, and it is next to a gift shop. Some old machinery is on display on the grounds, and a room is dedicated to telling the company's story through a video and displays. It's in a park-like setting, complete with a grove of trees and some birds. You can even take a walk on a nature trail.
Supposedly the facility does host weddings. You wonder if ice cream must be served with wedding cake at such functions.
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You can almost hear the ghosts of Ariel-Foundation Park while walking around the 250-acre.
Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) opened a factory on this site in 1907. It was one million square feet, and certainly many residents of Mount Vernon received a paycheck because of that plant - directly or indirectly.
But the factory close in 1976, and a number of companies tried to use parts of the facility - only to fall short of become a long-term resident. Finally, the buildings were gutted in 2012 and the city took over the area.
The land was given to a foundation, which has turned it into a park. The quarries have been filled with water to form lakes, and the land has some trees and trails for visitors. But it is the leftover material that still fascinates.
For example, there is "the River of Glass." It's something of a tribute to those who worked PPG Works No. 11, with chunks of glass and crushed glass on display in a art-like setting. The sheets produced here were called "ribbons of glass." it was an easy rhetorical jump to river. Then there's the Rastin Observation Tower, a converted smokestack that has an observation deck about 140 feet up - halfway to the top. The views of the rest of the park, and even the town itself, are quite nice. (Just look out for bees and wasps on the way.)
There's also a building that can be used for events, as well as a labyrinth that surrounds a half-circle pond. Other portions of the factory can be found on the grounds as well. It makes for some unusual photos.
Still, there's some sadness associated with the place. It's a throwback to the days when big industrial plants were the backbones of local economies, and they are obviously missed. If you'd like a clue as to why Donald Trump carried Ohio in 2016, well, this is one. But no matter what is said, the good old days aren't coming back in the near future.
Let's look around from above:
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