In March of this year, my wife and I visited Kitty Hawk, the site of the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight in 1903. A few months later, we spent Memorial Day weekend in Dayton, Ohio, following the brothers’ footsteps as they developed human aviation. On that trip, we discovered the Aviation Trail, a tour of 17 historic sites in southwestern Ohio that were critical to the evolution of the airplane. Pick up a free passbook and get a stamp at each site – it’s a cool way to keep track of your progress! Visit 8 of the 17 locations on the trail and visitors can receive a special prize. Unfortunately, owing to circumstances beyond our control, we had to cut short our time on the Aviation Trail. With only 6 stamps in our passbook, we would not be able to bring home a very cool souvenir.
Fast forward a month, and my wife and I were returning to the East Coast after a wonderful visit to the Midwest. Usually it is my wife who suggests detours to unplanned adventures. After checking the map, it was my turn to ask, “Hey, so… how would you feel about a slight change of our route home?”
When we last left off, we had finished driving US Route 66. So join up now as we cross into Ohio to get two more stamps in our passbook and pick up our much-deserved prize. So let’s go… Wright back to Dayton!
The Return to New Jersey, by way of Southern Ohio
The final stretch of our road trip would take us from southeastern Illinois, through southern Ohio, Pennsylvania, and then back to New Jersey.
Day One – Danville, IL to Dayton OH
After picking up coffee in Danville, Illinois, we headed east and crossed into Ohio.The bugs in southern Indiana and Ohio are… intense. Upon arriving at our hotel in Dayton, I spent a good ten minutes cleaning off the carnage. Yuck. Fortunately, I always carry a bottle of window cleaner and a few microfiber towels with me. After checking into the hotel we unpacked, giving my appetite some time to return after my time with the bug guts.Our restaurant for dinner had one of the most colorful walls I have ever seen. Thai 9 is a restaurant serving sushi and Thai food in the Oregon District of Dayton.Thai 9 was… ok. The food was tasty – we ordered spring rolls as an appetizer, and then Thai fried rice and chicken Pad See Ew to share. Service, however, was abysmally slow. Friendly, but slow. Add to it that our table was right near the kitchen, and it was maybe the least pleasant dining experience of the trip.After dinner, we took a walk through the Oregon Historic District of Dayton. The neighborhood features some of the oldest buildings in the city, with the earliest ones dating to 1820 (via Wikipedia).The neighborhood is on the National Register of Historic Places. It reminded me quite a bit of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.At our hotel, we were treated to a water show! Every hour on the hour, massive fountains spray over the Miami River, celebrating the five major rivers in the area.
Day 2- Dayton, OH to Troy, OH to Bedford PA
For the second time in a month, we were at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Instead of a rental car, this time we were visiting in my trusty Acura.During our first visit, a fire alarm caused the evacuation of hangars 1 and 2. Hangar 1 is where the aviation trail stamps can be found. With almost no other visitors present, I was tempted to start exploring more of the museum… but rather than tempt fate again, I took my wife’s hand and immediately led her to get our two passbook stamps.You can get two passbook stamps at the Air Force Museum – one at the visitor center, and one in the Aviation Hall of Fame. The volunteers at the Hall of Fame even let us apply our last stamp ourselves. Woohoo!As we arrived when the museum opened at 9:00 (on a Monday morning), we had the WWII hangar almost completely to ourselves. It was a far cry from when I last visited, mid-afternoon on a Saturday. Pictured: the B-29 bomber “Bockscar,” which dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.With no crowds to fight and no one jostling me for a view, I was able to take my time and focus on aspects of the aircraft that I simply breezed past last time.The C-47 Skytrain was a World War II-era cargo plane most notably used for dropping paratroopers behind German lines before D-Day. Also, please note the glider hanging from the ceiling (above). We’ll come back to that in a bit.With no one to obstruct my view, I was able to spend quality time with Memphis Belle, a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber that remains my single favorite aircraft of all time.Memphis Belle was one of the first US aircraft to complete 25 missions during World War II – the magic number for a crew to be able to rotate back home. The plane was named after the pilot’s girlfriend (from Memphis, Tennessee). This B-17 took good care of her crew – despite the dangers involved with flying bombing missions over enemy territory, the plane recorded zero fatalities.The most dreaded position for any crew member on a B-17 was the ball turret. Designed to protect the plane from enemy attacks from below, the gunner sat in this rotating turret and fired at enemy fighters. After the war, statistical analysis offered a surprising result: the ball turret was actually the safest position on the plane, as it featured the heaviest armor protection.In one of the hallways between hangars the museum has a sobering exhibit about the Holocaust. When Robert Kahn’s family fled the horrors of Nazi Germany, he hid his prize violin in the walls of his apartment. While Robert survived, his father was killed in the Dachau concentration camp.Rather than trying to see the museum in its entirety again, I instead focused on seeing a few exhibits I had either missed or not been able to see in depth. For instance, this replica of a Wright Military Flyer was created in the 1950s by museum staff in honor of the Wright Brothers’ plane developed for the US Army.The first recorded airplane fatality occurred on September 17, 1908, when a Wright Flyer, piloted by Orville Wright, crashed with US Army Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge on board. Lt. Selfridge died from his injuries while Orville was hospitalized for months afterward. The accident was traced to a broken propeller shaft, which is on display in the museum.The pace of aviation development is staggering. In just ten years, we went from the the Wright Flyer to much more “modern” looking planes, such as this Avro 504K.Remove the paneling from a World War I-era aircraft, however, and you get a plane that, at its heart, really is not that different from what the Wright Brothers flew in Kitty Hawk and Dayton. This J-1 was the standard US Army trainer during WWI.Talk about things I missed during my first visit! Octave Chanute was an engineer whose work in aviation was critical to the Wright Brothers’ pioneering designs. This is a replica of Chanute’s glider, based on his drawings from 1896. After a fun visit to the museum (and an equally fun visit to the gift shop), we were on our way toward Troy, Ohio.Our final stop along the Aviation Trail would be to the WACO Education Center & Air Museum, where we would redeem our completed passbook for a prize. Not every stop along the trail has the prize, so we had to search for a spot that was open on a Monday morning.In the 1920s and 1930s WACO Aviation was the foremost manufacturer of civilian airplanes. The museum preserves that legacy.Perhaps the most famous aircraft on display is this 1934 WACO UMF-3, which was a mainstay at airshows for 45 years – it has logged over 14,000 hours in the air!WACO Aviation is most notable for designing the CG-4 glider, which would be towed behind planes like the C-47 Skytrain (as in the photo of the C-47 at the Air Force Museum), and then released to glide toward combat. Good in theory, less effective in practice, the glider had a high rate of casualties among crew and passengers, especially in the earliest days of its use during WWII.We got our prize! Wilbear Wright, a stuffed teddy bear equipped with a leather flight jacket, flight cap, and goggles, was our keepsake. Was it worth the many-hundreds-of-miles-detour for a stuffed animal? You better believe it!Before heading to our next stop, we made a quick visit to Purebred Coffee Co., an independent coffee shop in Troy.In addition to our beverages (and my iced oat milk latte – pictured – was divine), we also snagged a couple of gluten free cookies for the road. If you’re in Troy and looking for a good coffee, look no further than Purebred Coffee Co.!Our next stop was for gas, but not just at any gas station – we had entered the land of Buc-ee’s. The first thing you notice? Over one hundred gas pumps, divided between two enormous islands. If you squint at the left of this picture, you can just barely make out my TLX.Founded in Texas in 1982, Buc-ee’s takes the concept of a travel center to another level. In the same way that the late Anthony Bourdain, a world-class chef and travel show host, loved the Waffle House, I absolutely adore Buc-ee’s. I could (and do) wax poetically about it. I hope you enjoy this tour!In addition to the endless rows of gas pumps, the store has seemingly any item for sale that you might need. Snacks? of course. Apparel? Sure. Shoes? Yes. Cookware? I mean, who doesn’t need a cast iron skillet while they’re on the interstate?One of the hallmarks of any Buc-ee’s is the “wall of jerky.”How about an entire section devoted to freshly cut fudge? And if you don’t like what’s in the boxes, a staff member can cut fresh fudge for you on the spot.When we left New Jersey, we had planned to pick up a new road atlas during our drive. Despite countless gas stations, travel centers, and even stops at bookstores, we had zero success. Buc-ee’s to the rescue!Buc-ee’s prides itself on its large (i.e., enormous) bathrooms which are constantly cleaned.This is the snack section. Chances are, if you’re in the mood for it, Buc-ee’s has it. And if you don’t want pre-packaged snacks, you can get fresh sandwiches, fresh barbecue, and fresh baked goods as well.Buc-ee’s sells numerous food items with their own branding. As a hot sauce fan, I decided to try their Carolina Reaper hot sauce. (It’s actually quite good – hot, but with nice flavor).And, of course, part of Buc-ee’s appeal is the mascot! I saw numerous customers picking up one of the stuffed toys to take home. We ended up spending more on souvenirs and snacks than we did on gas, but it was a great stop!Storm clouds threatened but held off any major precipitation as we crossed into West Virginia.After a brief drive through a sliver of northwestern West Virginia, we entered Pennsylvania – our last state before returning to New Jersey!We made it as far as Bedford, Pennsylvania before deciding to stop for the night. Our dinner spot was Horn O’ Plenty, a farm-to-table restaurant.I hardly ever drink soda anymore, but I could not resist a homemade vanilla cream soda – it was absolutely amazing!We started with a delicious order of kimchi and pork wedge lettuce wraps. So good!My wife had the Chicken Bacon Ranch salad.Meanwhile, I treated myself to a cheeseburger with potato wedges and a homemade slaw. Our meal was fresh and tasty.After a jam-packed day of adventure, it was time to hit the hay. It was our last night on the road – the next day we would be back at home after nearly two weeks away.
Day Three – Bedford, PA to Home
“On our way out of town, do you want to see a big coffee pot? I mean, a really big coffee pot?” my wife asked. Longtime readers should instantly know my answer…“The Coffee Pot” was built in 1927 as a promotion for a local gas station. After falling into disrepair due to neglect, it was purchased in 2004, moved to its current location, and given a thorough overhaul (via Roadside America).Before leaving Bedford, we made a coffee-related stop of our own at HeBrews, an independent coffee shop. Fueled up with two iced lattes, we hit the road to begin the final push home.“How would you feel about one more detour?” my wife inquired. The Giant Quarter in Everett, PA was a project from local technical school students to celebrate the Lincoln Highway (via Roadside America).My wife took the wheel for the next stretch. Despite encountering dense fog, we motored through without incident, my wife expertly piloting the TLX.My favorite section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike are the tunnels under the mountains. It makes for a very cool driving experience.After nearly two weeks on the road, we were home! 78,000 miles is in the books, and the big 80,000 mile rollover is coming up. Onward!And last, but not least, Wilbear Wright is now settling into his new home in my wife’s office.
Wrapping Up
Trip Summary:
States visited: NJ, NY, MI, WI, MN, IL, IN, OH, WV, PA
Canada Provinces: OH
Total mileage: 3,077 miles
Overall fuel economy: 33.0 miles per gallon
Our summer road trip was absolutely amazing! From seeing all five Great Lakes, to standing in front of historic aircraft, to visiting the spot closest to one of the worst shipping tragedies in 20th century American history, to sampling all kinds of mustard, to bringing home Wilbear Wright, it was simply fantastic. Add in a wonderful week in the Twin Cities area with family and friends, and we could not have asked for anything more from this trip.
In addition, my Acura TLX continues to prove itself a capable road trip warrior, transporting us in comfort, offering sporty performance, and yet returning remarkable fuel economy. The quest for 100,000 miles continues – stay tuned!
And thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
