On Sunday, July 25th, we took a side roads ride to Steubenville, Ohio, an old and historic town along the Ohio River and Ohio Route 7. It was the usual gang: Hammer & Chisel, Tiny & Goldilocks, Meanie & I, and our friends Booner & Sweet N Low who don't get to ride with us often, but luckily had the day off of work. We started with breakfast at Disilvio's bar in Hubbard.
Here's the route we (kind of) took: from our location we went through Struthers on OH-616 to OH-170 south. We took that to Western Reserve Road, then headed south on OH-164.
That route essentially leads to OH-43, and we were to take that east to Steubenville, but there was a detour due to a bridge being out, and boy that detour felt like a long ways out of the way - it headed north. Nice road though, but I cannot recall the route number. So I finally found a spot to pull over and discovered that we were not far from OH-43, only further west than planned.
Once on OH-43 east, it was also a nice ride. Soon the area became more condensed with traffic, and we entered what is simply the suburbs of Steubenville - you know, where all the big name stores live scattered amongst the people, while the downtown, aged and less glorious than in older days, beckons some sort of love from the residents, but most likely gets stood up most often.
And maybe it's the geological passion in me, combined with a new sight, a different view, of the strata of the low mountain cutaways across the Ohio on the West Virginia side, but damn! The high view of Steubenville with the rocky strata as a background send a thrill through me as we approached downtown from atop a high point in the road, leaving the hustle and bustle behind us. Here is a view of what I'm talking about, but from the street by the Fort Steuben visitor center and the bridge that crosses there.
OH-43 becomes Washington Street. Immediately one will find a huge mural of a city scene, so I immediately pulled us over into that parking lot. Then the photos began! Two of the murals right in that area were the kind where you can pretend to participate in the scene, so hey, why not?
I pulled us under a closed bank drive through to get out of the shade and to walk to see a few more murals.
There are many more murals around the town that we didn't get to see. The next place we went to was the
Fort Steuben Visitor Center. This is a really nice place to see! We parked on the street in front of the police station, and walked over to the fountain that greets you among the trees and the green areas. There are also tables and chairs and benches to sit and watch the fountain or just to relax. You can pick up a tour guide to the murals there.
Getting into the visitor center and museum is free. In there, you'll find the wife of the mayor running the place, and may even get to meet the mayor himself like we did. There is local artwork for sale, as well as a shop to find patches, pins, mugs, and other souvenirs. Past that is the museum with lots of information about the fort, the history of it and that leading to it's development after the Revolutionary War. It also houses artifacts from archaeological digs of the site. You'll learn how Fort Steuben was a site used in the expansion west and the settling of the area we call Ohio.
If you happen to have the time to go there any time, take a look at the schedule of events they host at Fort Steuben because they have a beautiful amphitheater built there on the hill with music and whatnot.
Now, y'all may be wonderin' what was going on up to this point with no mention of food. Well, we did the only thing that we could, and that was bidding ado to Steubenville, going south on OH-7, and making a B-line to - you guessed it - TILTONSVILLE FOR PEPPERONI ROLLS!!!
It's the first exit for Tiltonsville heading out on OH-7. Turn left under 7, over the tracks (carefully, their wonky), and then you'll see the Midei Marathon gas station. Turn right and find decent parking on the right by the building. Then race your motorcycle brothers and sisters to the hot foods thingy inside and be the first to get the world's best pepperoni roll ever! And it really doesn't matter if you believe me or not, because the pepperoni gods have spoken, the cheese has spoken (as cheese may be a god in itself), and the dough has risen to the occasion to create perfection! Ahhhh, now I need another one.
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| look at all that cheese!!! |
We bought three to eat there, and took ten home. We had this poor girls working their butts off to make more for us and for the regular crowd; I do still feel kind of guilty that a regular guy walked away without one because we at the ready ones before he had a chance. Nah, too bad sucka!
I had intended for us to take a ride to the
ABATE Memorial for Fallen Bikers, but we got a late start that day and had to start making the way home. That we did. Stopping a few times and finally making our way onto OH-170 north back to Poland and Struthers.
We made it back to Hubbard, and stopped to thank each other for a great ride. We parted ways, me with my usual dirty face, and everyone made it home safe.
Now, we'll soon be off on another adventure, and stories yet to be made and retold. It's good to have friends and motorcycles.
~ Holly, a.k.a. Stitchblade
