Day 040 - Alton to London OH

The day started with a thin overcast temps in the 50's and a 15 mph head wind. The overcast became much heavier as the temps went into the 60's and the winds increased to a constant 25 mph headwind with light rain the last 30 minutes.

Due to the forecast of possible thunder storms we took the two US 40 pictures prior to walking. The Red Brick Tavern building still looks the same. The large sign hanging out front was different in 1953, 1983 and 2013. I found a fourth different large sign leaning against the back of the building that appeared like it may have been older than the sign in the 1953 picture. In 1953 there was a well maintained white wooden fence. In 1983 a few scraps of fence remained. At first glance the fence today looked identical to 1953 but it was a composite material. The Inn had a sign offering all you can eat fried chicken tomorrow.

With a tip from Theresa Olson's husband we were able to locate the site of the second picture which had been a large sycamore tree " protected by a neat rock wall that arched out over the pavement". In 1983 "the stone wall protecting the tree was masked by a fronting growth of plants". Today there is no trace of the tree or the stones at that location. I did find a much smaller stone wall around some small yews a distance down the road that could have been a reuse of some of the same stones. There was a single story house with white aluminum siding and a five foot high red brick facia on one side that cofirmed I was in the right location.

My sister walked with me the first two miles then returned to her car. I walked under a large high tension line and there was a constant loud crackling sound. A couple dozen ovarian cancer symptom cards got away from me in the wind. Fortunately it was one of the few times there was no traffic and I was able to gather them up from the highway and the median.

Tracy Lawson recently published the book "Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More - Exploration of Henry Rogers' 1838 Journal of Travel from Southwestern Ohio to New York City. " When she heard that I was walking down the National Road she decided that she would track me down and give me an autographed copy. The book is really interesting.

It is funny how many people have recognized me from the media coverage. Yesterday when I asked a nice couple if I could leave my car in there driveway the wife said she had seen my picture in the newspaper and the husband came around the corner and said he'd just seen me on TV. When I showed a couple what their house looked like in the 1983 US 40 picture they had seen me in a Madison County paper. I'n both McDonald's where I'd filled my water bottles the last two days persons came up to me and asked if I was the walker.

Susan Schneider lost her twin sister Robin to ovarian cancer. Since her sisters passing she has dedicated her life to raising awareness for ovarian cancer. She has been a dynamo contacting media and cancer organizations to make them aware of my walk. Robin will not be forgotten.