Day 039 - Columbus to Alton OH

The day was mostly sunny with temps in the 50's and 60's. There was a constant 15 mph head wind.

First up was a 7:40 live interview on WCMH-TV NBC 4 Columbus with Mindy Drayer who is my sisters favorite local media person. Gerry Ramspatcher from the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Ohio presented me with a check to OCRF for $500. Gerry lost his wife to ovarian cancer.

Next we passed Columbus Fire Station 17 on the way to the start point. They said I needed more carbs and gave me some leftover pizza from the last shift that they were sharing.

Today eight persons walked with me. Diane's daughter Tracy and her 11 month old son Jace, Diane's son Brian and his wife Becky all walked the first six miles to downtown Columbus.

My cousin Jim and his wife Karen completed their third complete day in a row tying Ava walker Anne Kat Dittrich for first place. Diane 's sister-in-law Mary Jo Factor also completed the entire walk. Diane did a personal best of 10.5 miles for a four day total of 37.5 miles.

Bob Gambert who transported me thru the mountains of western PA in an RV stopped by to say hi to us on his way home from an AVA walk in Xenia Ohio which is the only year round walk in the country that starts with X for persons completing the Cities from A - Z book.

We walked past Franklin Park the site of AmeriFlora which was an international horticultural exhibition held in Columbus in 1992. My Mom took Joan and I to see the very impressive exhibition which cost $95 million to produce and attracted 5.5 million visitors.

We walked by the location of the first Wendy's Restraunt which opened in 1969. We passed a post that had a US 62 sign which goes to Utica where my dad was born, an Ohio 16 sign that goes to Newark where I was born and a US 40 sign. We then took a group photo at the state Capitol building.

Once the walk was completed Thersa Olson President of the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Ohio who lost her mother to ovarian cancer interviewed me for their newsletter.

Trivia Question:

When the first phase of the National Road was completed at Wheeling Virginia (now WestVirginia) in 1818 it was such a success that Congress ordered a continuation to extend into the next four states and their capitals.

What where the four states and their capitols?