First up is a racetrack, the Wheeling Island Casino and Racetrack. This joint features live greyhound racing, which was outlawed in Massachusetts a couple of years ago. It was known as Wheeling Downs and opened in 1866. The grounds are on a small island on the Ohio River and is part of Wheeling WV.
Before we crossed the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge we scoffed up this mural. The National Road came thru Wheeling in 1818 which became a gateway to the West. The Wheeling Suspension Bridge was built in 1849 and was a model and learning tool for building the infamous Brooklyn Bridge.
In Wheeling INKED up at the WV Visitor Center for the National Park Tour. Wheeling is a really neat old town.
The Courthouse collar
Elks Memorial to Veterans of WWII
Another mural just is case
And this really COOL vintage movie theater. The Victoria is the oldest operating theater in WV, opening in 1904. It hosted the radio program Jamboree USA. Today it serves as a venue for live acts.
We could have jumped on I-70 but followed US40, the National Road for WV's Madonna of the Trail memorial.
Exiting West Virginia and coming into Pennsylvania finally found a Welcome to WV sign. Didn't need PA, since we picked that up on Day 2.
Centerville PA on US40 (where all of these are located) another Madonna of the Trail memorial.
As we traveled along US40 there seemed to be an awful lot of yard sales, also known as Tag Sales in Mass. At little research found this.
The Historic National Road Yard Sale Days are frequently referred to by several other names: the US 40 Yard Sale, Route 40 Yard Sale, and Route 40 Flea Market. No matter what you call it, the event features more than 800 miles of yard sales, vintage treasures, and antique booths.
The Historic National Road Yard Sale route spans from Baltimore to St. Louis. The event always takes place on an extended weekend that starts the Wednesday following Memorial Day.
Source: Fleamarket About.com
While it is not Memorial Day weekend yet, for a stretch of probably 40 miles or so, these folks decided to get a jump on the competition. Best sale was a guy had 3 Kubota like mini shovels in his front lawn.
In Jennerstown grabbed the pic of the Jennerstown Speedway. This race track got its start in 1920 as a flat half-mile dirt track, hosting to "big car" racing the forerunner to NASCAR sprint cars. Thru the years it changed hands, fell in and out of favor as a race track, closed in 2009 to be reopened in 2014.
We switched over from US40 to US30, which is the Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln Highway was dedicated October 31, 1913, ran coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City west to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California.
Passed this mural and had to turn around and go back for it.
Our next stop is the most important and significant stop of our whole tour. We have been here at least 5 times to see the change over time. Every time we have visited Flight 93 National Memorial, it has brought tears to my eyes. The new Visitor Center opened on September 11, 2015. If you get a chance take the time to visit this site, it will insure you Never Forget
New Visitor Center
The field looking down at the Memorial Wall with the names of the victims engraved into the wall. Where the sculpture ends there is a mowed section of grass heading straight out. There is a boulder marking where plane was brought down by the American victims, taking back control from the terrorists.
The new Memorial is very elegant, and a worthy dedication to the 40 victims of Flight 93. Our first visit to Flight 93 was before the park was under the direct control of the National Park Service and serviced by volunteers in the area.
This is the picture I took in 2009 and is one of my all time favorites photos. That is Crystal standing at the Memorial. Those hats, pins, badges, shirts, flags and other mementoes have been preserved by the NPS. I was hoping that the NPS would resurrect this memorial at the new VC. It really showed the outpouring of emotions by the American people. The Vietnam Memorial and Holocaust Museum in WDC have a similar effect.
In Chambersburg PA picked up a County Courthouse and Veteran Memorial.
Ended the days capture with this Giant Pretzel in Shillington. Almost time for a beer. Just another 40 miles to Allentown for our room at the Quality Inn. This one was a freebee since we hit the required number of nights on Hotels.com.
Our travel path for today, about 370 miles.
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