Day 5

Day 5 sees us again making our way up to East Liverpool.  When there, we cross the bridge into Newell, WV.  Be prepared for this bridge.  First, it is a toll bridge.  Second, it is a mesh metal floor bridge.  Third, they were doing work to it when we were there.  This is the only bridge we saw at that point to get across.  Why Newell?  The Homer Laughlin Co.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have an addiction to Fiestaware.  Thus, I had to go to the factory and shop at the factory store.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  When you walk in, you are in the Firsts room.  This is the pieces that are premium grade or firsts.  The next room is a seconds room.  The color may be off or there can be a run in the paint, etc.  Some of these pieces are just different enough that you would have a color that was never supposed to happen.  Unfortunately, they won't ship the seconds.  The firsts they will.  My new pieces should arrive in a few days.  I have got to go back there again with my truck and get in that seconds room!  Outside of the factory, there is a huge pile of broken pieces that have been discarded by the factory.  It is quite a site to see. 

At the beginning of our trip this day, the motorcycle was having a hard time starting and Chowder declared that he was afraid that it was about time for a new battery.  We made our way from West Liverpool to Caledonia, Ohio where Barb and Eddie, Chowder's aunt and uncle live.  We made it to Caledonia and tried to find their house.  We had been to the town before but not this house.  We stopped at the convenience store to grab something cold to drink and call for directions on in.  When we went out to leave, nothing...  We waited on Barb to come and give us a boost and went on to their house.  The battery got put on the charger and we rode with Barb to Upper Sandusky to Thiel's  Wheels for a new battery.  The motorcycle started with no issue.  We bedded down for the night and kicked back for some conversation over pizza. 

I was amazed to see the countryside across to Barb and Eddie's house.  I had been over a great part of Ohio but not this section.  There was huge, older farmhouses with barns and they were beautiful!  Just picturesque!  It made the farmer in me start rethinking life in the suburbs....