August 13 - 15, 2018
We cruised four hours from Franklin Furnace, OH to
Huntington, WV, to arrive still unsure of our overnight plans. Huntington was
purported to have a nice dock along a lengthy seawall in David Harris
Riverfront Park, but we were skittish of the water depth here; and, no
fisherman, city park employee nor city hall receptionist could answer our
query. The only tidbit to factor into our equation was that the riverboats dock
here—and that location was quite evident, with massive cleats spaced way too
far apart for our use. Poking and prodding his way along the stob-free sections
of shoreline waters, Clay, ever the risk taker, picked our spot in 10’ of depth
after rejecting the 2’s and 3’s and the like.
Had we done this ‘side trip’ prior to the Great Loop as was
Clay’s plan, I would have been hard-pressed to do the Loop. I hate to use the
word ‘boring,’ but I have described the experience ‘as exciting as watching
grass grow.’ I even catch Clay sitting in the helm chair ‘playing’ on his
phone—when we have cell reception. Our Huntington, WV, docking is anticipated
by Clay to be the norm for much of this trip, and I’m quite skeptical of
leaving our boat unattended where security is non-existent. David Harris Park
has its share of homeless people wandering about, and we’ve been told that
parks along the Ohio are notorious for drugs. We carry nothing of much value on
the boat, but I’d hate to lose my computer and even my junk jewelry. Our PVC
pipes, which we use to prop up ours beds to access storage areas, are our only
mode of protection outside of Clay’s bedside can of mace. Maybe that
speaks for a need for a self-defense class?
While Clay tended to a 4 p.m. conference call, I wandered a
few of the nearby downtown streets of Huntington and stuck my head in a
sporting goods store to find it brimming with green attire labeled Marshall
University . The Thundering Herd mascot was a buffalo-looking creature with
‘exhaust’ coming out of its nostrils. For you sports buffs, Marshall University
was the school that lost its football team in an airplane crash a number of
years ago. I returned to the boat to find Clay connecting with John Ganzer’s
brother Bob, taking his suggestion for a dinner spot called the Marshall Hall
of Fame Café. Had I turned right out of the floodwall opening on my walk
instead of left, I would have discovered the Marshall downtown campus alive
with the energy of students, with shops and restaurants, and a commons
gathering spot. The Marshall Hall of Fame Café was located nearby.
Our 80-minute roundtrip walk Tuesday morning took us to
Kroger for provisioning, toting along our backpacks and my West Marine wheelie
cart. I had thoughts of how much fun William would have riding in this little
collapsible cart that folds to the size of a briefcase. Missing my little man
about now! But Kristen keeps us peppered with frequent pictures, for which I am
thoroughly thankful! Next best thing to being there! Post-shopping, it took
considerable time to stow our purchases, mostly produce, so breakfast was late
and our exit from Huntington even later. Today our destination would be
determined, as it is most days, by time. Both Clay and I prefer to be located
by 5:30 or 6:00 p.m., regardless of the travel time or distance. On the
waterway today, Clay fought huge debris pools in trying to overtake a barge
nearing an upcoming lock (the lock being our excitement for the day); his
efforts were challenging but successful only to realize the Robert C. Byrd Lock
had two working chambers with us assigned to the little one; the barge, the big
one. We still had considerable, unexplained wait time. Clay assumed the
lockmaster’s Plan A became B then C until he finally settled on D.
Pomeroy, OH Riverfront Boat Dock with its ‘300’ of concrete
dock providing access to historic downtown’ became our home overnight; time
necessitated our stop here at 5:45 p.m. Missing cleats on the dock span of
choice had us taking a downriver position at the base of a very tall wall which
afforded welcomed shade. We were later told that the cleats had been removed by
someone seeking scrap metal income and had never been replaced. Further, as we
positioned, we were creeped out by a loner sitting on the nearby
amphitheater-style bleachers. Knowing what we know now (and having seen three
policemen in three different police vehicles approach a straggler in David
Harris Park at our departure there), we were justified in being cautious.
The highlight of our stay in Pomeroy was news of the birth
of our new great nephew, Jameison Ray Wessler, born to Bob and Kate this night.
What a bright spot in our day! Wednesday morning I was thankful for good cell
reception with Sus in hearing all the details of Tuesday’s big event as it
played out for the new mama and papa, grandma and grandpa, and big sis Ruby!
On that high, I will sign off as we prepare to exit Pomeroy
on our way to Pittsburgh. We’re now at MM 249.5 and acquainted with this spot’s
offerings should we stop this way again. We’ve located the beautiful churches,
the county courthouse and jail, the Rite Aid, Dollar General, and Food Fair
(bikeable, old Kroger which was converted when it moved out).
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