Serpent Mound

We left home around 8 am to pick up our friends, Tammy & Steve Minor, for a day outing to Serpent Mound near Peebles, Ohio. As we traveled west on US Rt. 60 near Cabell Midland High School, we saw a large grey fox crossing the highway with a young rabbit in its mouth.  We knew it would be an interesting day.
We always enjoy spending time with the Minors and when Tammy suggested the trip we jumped at the chance to hang out with them. We thought that making a day visit to Adams County, Ohio would be a great way to spend the Saturday of the three day Memorial Day weekend.

The trip along US Rt. 52 was uneventful taking us to the Ohio Historical Society's facility at Serpent Mound before 11 am. We walked through the small visitor center then ascended the viewing tower to see the earthworks from above. Afterward, we were able to walk around the snake-shaped mound from the gaping mouth to the spiral tail.

Mary, Steve & Tammy at Serpent Mound

Archaeologists believe that Serpent Mound was constructed by the Fort Ancient culture around 1000 years ago. At nearly 1400 foot long, Serpent Mound is the world's largest snake effigy. In the area surrounding Serpent Mound there are a number of conical burial mounds but Serpent Mound is not believed to contain any human remains. Rather than a burial mound as once thought, researchers believe that Serpent Mound was constructed as a calendar/observatory for the stone age people of the area. The snake-shaped mound appears to be swallowing an oval ring of mound that may symbolize the sun that might have been inspired by a solar eclipse. In the 1980's it was discovered that undulations in the body of the snake align to lunar events such as moonrise at solstices and equinoxes.

After walking around the mound and exploring the museum, we enjoyed a picnic lunch at the large shelter nearby. Steve & I examined the well designed picnic tables in which the benches can tilt up under the tables. As usual, we had packed way too much food but we enjoyed the break and conversation.

Rattlesnake Master

From Serpent Mound, we drove to Chaparral Prairie State Nature Preserve near West Union. This 70 acre area is believed to be one of many remnants of tallgrass prairie ecosystems that were left behind then the glaciers retreated from the area over 200,000 years ago. 
Most of the small prairies in the glacial fringe areas have since been accessed for agricultural purposes, a few areas like Chaparral Prairie have been preserved for hikers and nature lovers. The 0.75 mile trail around the area took us through stands of plants that are uncommon in most of the Eastern US. We walked through the area's largest population of rattlesnake-master, lots of prairie dock, blue false indigo, and laitris. It was a pleasant walk and a very unique area.

Steve & Tammy at Chaparral Prairie

From Chaparral Prairie, we drove to Miller's Furniture, Bakery & Bulk Foods in an Amish community at Wheat Ridge. We love the cheddar cheese curd there as well as the jellies and jams in the store. We were all impressed with the beauty and quality of the furniture in the furniture store. The kitchen cabinets with beautiful inlays were quite striking but at a price nearly $40,000 it was out of reach for all but the most high budget homes. We all liked the pieces made from quarter sawn oak that were beautifully finished and carefully crafted. The construction of the furniture was high quality and everything was built from solid native hardwoods like oak, cherry and maple. We had a snack of kettle popcorn and looked at the pigs in the pens nearby before driving the short distance to the town of West Union, Ohio.

The courthouse at West Union has a historical marker to native son, Cowboy Copas. Lloyd Estil Copas was born in Blue Creek, Ohio near West Union on Moon Hollow Road. Copas was born on July 15, 1913 and became a popular Grand Old Opry star with his “Honky Tonk” sound and hits like Filipino Baby, Signed, Sealed and Delivered and his biggest hit, Tennessee Waltz. He was known as the Oklahoma Cowboy and Cowboy Copas before perishing in a plane crash on March 3, 1963 in Camden, Tennessee along with Patsy Cline and Huntington's Hawkshaw Hawkins.   

Amish pigs at Miller's Farm near Peebles, Ohio

We left West Union and drove toward US Rt. 52 and stopped in Portsmouth, Ohio to view the beautiful murals on the floodwall in the historic Boneyfiddle district of the city. We were amazed by the quality and quantity of the murals stretching along the floodwall. Scenes depicted historical events in the area from prehistoric natives that populated the region through early settlements and growth of the city and industries. Disasters such as floods and fires are also shown in the detailed art. Panels are dedicated to well known residents of the area like baseball's Branch Rickey who broke the color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson in 1947. A panel of Roy Rogers and Trigger honors the star of B Westerns and the early days of television who was raised in the Portsmouth area and went on to become a cultural icon for children in the 1950s and 1960s. Anyone who grew up in that time can recall Roy and his wife, Dale Evans, signing Happy Trails at the end of their popular television show.

Car show at Wheelersburg, Ohio

We stopped for dinner at Bob Evans in East Portsmouth then drove the short distance to Wheelersburg, Ohio to walk around the car show sponsored by the Ohio River Street Rodders. Their car show on the last Saturday of each month attracts owners of vintage and modified cars as well as interested spectators from a wide area. Although we all had different automotive interests, there was something there that each of us enjoyed seeing. We stayed at the car show for about 90 minutes, leaving at 8 pm and headed for home. We dropped Minors off along the way and arrived home around 9:30 tired but pleased to have enjoyed such a nice day with great friends in interesting places.

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