Our anniversary getaway started with a visit to our sons, Carl and Neil, who both live in Indiana. Our only plan in the trip was to see the out of the way places in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. We were not in a rush.

We visited the center of Indianapolis while the Indy 500 was in progress on the north side of the city. Near the newly renovated Indiana State Museum is a delightful canal which winds through the city. We discovered that the Canal has been there a long time. 

Now fancy apartments and hotels are nearby with many places to walk dogs and children, and for lovers (even middle-aged ones with grown children) out for a stroll. A memorial for Indiana Medal of Honor recipients is also on the canal edge.

Notice the skyline of Indianapolis with the checkered flag beneath the American Flag. The Indy 500 is a big thing on this day.

After we left Indianapolis we drove southeast to Cincinnati, OH. We drive to a hill above the city to see the skyline of the Queen City and a magnificent view of the Ohio River.

We camped at the large, but nearly deserted East Fork State Park just east of the city. After a brief thunderstorm the stars came out and we watched the International Space Station pass over just after the 9:30 PM sunset. The next day we drove to the Ohio River. We saw a little ferry boat and cruised ($5) to Augusta, Kentucky for lunch. 

After watching the large barges moved up and down the river, we visited a small but informative museum about slavery. This area in Kentucky is rich in history of the local abolitionists and the underground railroad. A sad, yet hopeful, time in our national history when some brave citizens took a stand for what they believed was right and moral in spite of the laws, courts, and many churches.

Our next stop was back in Portsmouth, OH. We discovered a floodwall about 20 feet high and 2100 feet long which has been covered with murals about the history of the surrounding area from the time before the Indians until the present. This was highlight of our entire trip.

In 1937 the Ohio River really flooded and this panel shows the water around the stores. There are  25 more panels of similar quality.

(Another panel, not shown here, surrounding the view above depicts the panic among the residents).