Just wanted to say hello to all my OT friends, who I missed desperately while on my fabulous trip down the breathtakingly beautiful Ohio River. I definitely went through some major OT withdrawal during my two-week break, but as the weather was terrific, the company enjoyable, the accommodations excellent, and the river towns fascinating and friendly, I managed to survive. Tourist highlights were Covington, KY and Marietta, OH. The friendliest people (and that is saying something since I have never met such welcoming people as the boat/marina people all along the way) were in Huntington, WV. I'm tanned and rested, I probably need to go into rehab from all the beer I drank, and also go on a diet from all the great food. I'd recommend this type of trip to everyone. The Ohio River I thought I had known my entire life is now a completely different thing to me. It's gorgeous, industrious, friendly, mysterious, and wondrous. We saw swimming deer, bald eagles, egrets, and all manner of more common river wildlife. We saw towns famous for the Underground Railroad and abolitionism, we saw towns visited by Lafayette, we saw the birthplace of the founder of the Boy Scouts of the USA, we saw belly dancers, we saw stern wheelers. We met great natives of each town, we met people from Australia, Holland, Mexico, and Canada. We had an adventure every single day.

I'm so glad to be back, but I'm so sad it's over.

• RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,Glow, 09:50 AM, 07-06-04
• RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,greenmonstah, 09:56 AM, 07-06-04
  • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,geg6, 10:01 AM, 07-06-04
• RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,zombiebaby, 10:09 AM, 07-06-04
  • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,geg6, 10:13 AM, 07-06-04
    • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,Glow, 10:16 AM, 07-06-04
      • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,geg6, 10:20 AM, 07-06-04
        • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,zombiebaby, 10:39 AM, 07-06-04
          • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,geg6, 10:53 AM, 07-06-04
            • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,zombiebaby, 11:05 AM, 07-06-04
• RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,geg6, 11:57 AM, 07-06-04
• RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,deerhunter, 01:36 PM, 07-06-04
  • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,geg6, 02:49 PM, 07-06-04
    • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,deerhunter, 02:50 PM, 07-06-04
    • AHEM,emydi, 02:56 PM, 07-06-04
      • RE: AHEM,Glow, 03:02 PM, 07-06-04
      • RE: AHEM,geg6, 03:05 PM, 07-06-04
        • RE: AHEM,Glow, 03:22 PM, 07-06-04
          • RE: AHEM,geg6, 03:27 PM, 07-06-04
            • RE: AHEM,Glow, 03:29 PM, 07-06-04
              • RE: AHEM,emydi, 03:44 PM, 07-06-04
                • RE: AHEM,geg6, 03:46 PM, 07-06-04
                  • HA GLOW,emydi, 03:48 PM, 07-06-04
                    • *sigh*,Glow, 03:52 PM, 07-06-04
                      • RE: *sigh*,emydi, 04:18 PM, 07-06-04
                      • But,zombiebaby, 04:32 PM, 07-06-04
                        • RE: But,emydi, 04:41 PM, 07-06-04
                    • RE: HA GLOW,geg6, 04:40 PM, 07-06-04
• RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,frisky, 02:51 PM, 07-06-04
  • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,deerhunter, 02:52 PM, 07-06-04
    • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,frisky, 02:57 PM, 07-06-04
      • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,deerhunter, 03:00 PM, 07-06-04
  • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,geg6, 02:58 PM, 07-06-04
• RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,CantStandToLook, 02:55 PM, 07-06-04
  • RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,geg6, 02:59 PM, 07-06-04
• RE: The Intrepid Sailor Has Returned,Captain_Savem, 05:08 PM, 07-06-04
  • oh superhero!,zombiebaby, 05:21 PM, 07-06-04
    • RE: oh superhero!,Captain_Savem, 05:24 PM, 07-06-04

Welcome back, Geg! We missed you.

Slice & Dice Chop Shop 2004

Wow! Sounds like a great trip! I bet you had some great bbq as well as informed history lessons!

Kittyloaf Brand Sig. Action Figure Sold SeparatelyWelcome Back!

How weird is this? No BBQ at all!!!!

Some terrific Italian places (one in Covington and one in Marietta), a wonderful Mexican place in Covington, a delicious Cajun place in Huntington, and a micro-brewery in Marietta were the best places we went. But the food of choice everywhere was seafood and it was good everywhere.

I expected some great BBQ places, but never saw one anywhere!

Definately a cool trip! I never would have thought to do that! Where you on a private boat or was it a cruise type thing?

What was the furthest south you went?

One more of J Slice's Awesome Creations!

Welcome back! Aren't vacations the bestest!

Friends from our boat club bought a 44 foot motor yacht this spring and asked us to join them on this trip. We left from our club, which is mile 25 of the Ohio (as you probably know, it begins in downtown Pittsburgh). The furthest south we went was Covington, KY which is directly across the river from Cincinnati. The round trip mileage was 1044 miles.

Wow. I didn't realize you were going so far.

I know, seems weird when you can drive to Cincinnati in 4 or 5 hours. But, first, you can't go as fast by boat as by car (the yacht usually averages about 20 to 30 MPH) and there are locks and dams all along the way that give priority to commercial vessels. We lowly pleasure vessels sometimes had to wait an hour or two to get through. And, second, the river twists and turns like you can't believe. That's part of what makes it so mysterious (you never know what's around that river bend) and beautiful. But it sure adds a lot of miles.

Did you have good weather the whole time? Was the river calm or rough? Are there "tolls" or something when you go through a lock?

I'm sorry if I am being nosy but this really interests me!

How did you know when to stop? On a whim, kind of like "that looks like a cute town", or is it planned out before?

One more of J Slice's Awesome Creations!

The order of Banana delivery should be organized by location to save on shipping costs

The weather cooperated beautifully. We were nervous because of the exceptionally wet weather we had before we left, but things were good the whole way. In fifteen days, we had a couple of quick showers during the day on two days after which the sun came back out, one big downpour at night, and a couple of cloudy days.

For the most part, the river was like glass unless there was a lot of other river traffic (barges mostly, we went for miles and miles without seeing another pleasure craft).

There are no fees to use the locks. In pretty much every state, there is a boat registration fee which helps cover state costs of maintaining the rivers or lakes, but the locks and dams are under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Our federal tax dollars help cover those costs. That is why the commercial craft get priority--they are delivering essential goods like coal, petroleum, and chemicals.

You absolutely must plan a trip like this. Most of the marinas require you to have reservations. You can also only go so far every day, so you have to plan out where you can stay for the night (it's much too dangerous to anchor in the river with all of the barges) and where gas will be available. We had our charts of the Ohio River (also courtesy of the Corps of Engineers, but you do have to pay for them) to help with that and also to know when we'd get to a lock and where there are shoals and sand bars. There is also another river travel manual called the Quimby's which is updated every year and gives information like which marinas take in transient boaters, if they have electric and water available, if they have a restaurant and/or bar, who to contact, the phone number and the marine radio channel they monitor. We planned this trip since before Thanksgiving last year. It took quite a bit of planning.

Thanks! It really is cool. I would love to try it sometime!

One more of J Slice's Awesome Creations!

The order of Banana delivery should be organized by location to save on shipping costs

By the way, I have to send a special thank-you out to Grendel's Mom for all his help in getting information about the Cincinnati area. He was tremendously helpful and informative. We watched a Pirates vs. Reds game right from the river.

Welcome Back!

Slice n' Dice's Sigpic Chop Shop 2004

I missed you.

DH, we sure could have used a cabana boy on the trip. You'd have loved all the nature and stuff.

Sounds like you had a great time!

Slice n' Dice's Sigpic Chop Shop 2004

I'm sure I would have loved it!

Me and Glow were waiting on the side of the Ohio River for you to pick us up in the yacht but you gilted us, US, your homegirls!!! You will pay...

Courtesy of the Amazing Slice & Dice Chop Shop 2004
you need to be cast in the OT movie/soap opera.... oh and the banana is coming soon...we still need to plan the PNC thing...oh and you need to buy milk...

Yes, you did, geg. *sigh* We had ice cream smooches without you.

I looked and looked and even used the binoculars. I think that you and Glow were off stocking up on the ice cream smooches that you obviously didn't want to share with me.

Seriously, we do NEED to set something up for local OTers for PNC Park. Should I look up some dates?

Yes, look up dates.

You don't eat mint ice cream, do you?

I will do that. Will post something tomorrow regarding dates and teams and we can make some decisions.

I eat all ice cream.

Sounds good.

If you're eating mint ice cream, I don't think mine can smooch your's. Monsty brought up a good point yesterday.

right, no mint ic smooches...and no MAYO

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where is our candidate bacon? is he having a get together with his running mate cq??? hmmmmm????

I can swear off the mint as long as no one makes me swear off the chocolate. And mayo? is generally just plain gross. I only keep it in the fridge because DBF insists. Yuck!

--is a mustard girl herself.

another anti-mayoite!!!! WOOHOO

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Welcome to the club GEG, monsty will be so happy!! oh, its Heinz mustard, right?

I love mayo. I love ketchup. As long as it's Heinz. I do not like mint ice cream. I do NOT like mustard. At all.

I'll be packing my own tailgating food.

ok but don't get your ucky mayo next to my mustard

Do you like green eggs and ham?

One more of J Slice's Awesome Creations!

The order of Banana delivery should be organized by location to save on shipping costs

stay out of this u NYer...

Courtesy of the Amazing Slice & Dice Chop Shop 2004
but...when will u be in Hershey--i think you need a nite to yourself--drive to pgh to meet us peeps!!!

Is there another condiment maker other than Heinz?

Oh, geg, that sounds so nice and it sounds like you'll have memories of this trip for the rest of your life. THAT is what going on vacation is all about.

I have one question. WTF is an "egret?" Sounds like something that could eat a cat. I'm scared.

Card-carrying RBBRTFHLA/Sugar Ho Division
Non-Embezzling GAWKUR Treasurer

I'm pretty sure an egret is something like a stork.

Slice n' Dice's Sigpic Chop Shop 2004

And I think they do eat cats.

You'll protect me, won't you dear?

Oh, wait. You hate cats, too.

And you carry a gun.

Card-carrying RBBRTFHLA/Sugar Ho Division
Non-Embezzling GAWKUR Treasurer

It's OK Frisky! I'll protect you even though they don't eat cats.

Slice n' Dice's Sigpic Chop Shop 2004

*polishes gun* LOL!!!

They are huge birds that have their nests up in very high places. They are water birds and look hilarious on land because they have very long, skinny legs and long, skinny necks. But, oh, when they fly! They are endangered in this area and great care is taken to entice them to stick around, be comfortable, and procreate. Same thing with bald eagles. They actually set up tall, tall, tall poles in the river (they must go up at least 50 feet) so the egrets and eagles will build their nests at the top. Pretty cool.

Frisky, you have a lot in common with egrets. They love fish! Now, those bald eagles I won't vouch for.

A most hearty welcome back geg. We're dropping like flies here during the day...please tell us the internet is safe for posting at your workplace

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The Fellowship of the Banana has begun.