Pilgrimage

Destination of the month: Dayton, Ohio. Birthplace of aviation (sorry North Carolina, you're nothing more than a surrogate mother to this one) and me. Yep, I'm an Ohioan, a Daytonian, and darn proud of it. Ohio was a welcome refreshment. The foliage was greener, air was fresher, drivers were not idiots. Dayton in particular has a heritage with the bicycle and the airplane, so I spent some time doing some riding around the beautiful countryside. Cornfields and soybeans as far as you can see and the occasional fly-by from a WWII plane or fighter jet showing off for people in town for the International Air Show.

My wife and I have made this trip part of our annual plan for the past three years. Load up the household, escape the blast furnace that is South Carolina, and enjoy some controlled chaotic relaxation with our families. Part of the plan was for me to drive around the city and snap some photos of my favorite landmarks and visit some of the city's history (like the Wright Brothers Cycle shop). None of this came to fruition as we were both very busy and most of these landmarks now reside in the ghetto. What hath happened to my fair city?

Driving down two of the town's major arteries, Main St. (go figure) and Salem Ave., one is confronted with graffitied, abandoned buildings, vacant and overgrown lots, and people on street corners. The sprawl has even reached some of the countryside. Industrial parks and new buildings springing up next to empty ones. "It must be cheaper to build new than to renovate," I blurt out. "Why not just use existing buildings and shouldn't that be a requirement?" retorts my wife. Yup. If you're not going to reuse it, blow it up and make green space. This seems to have been the trend for some time now, but perhaps today's economy has been particularly cruel. Things appear to have taken a step-change for the worse.

Never one to look at the positives (though I'm trying to get better at this), I did find some solace during my travels (by bike and otherwise). I was encouraged by the quaint surrounding towns still untouched by Sprawlville; by the blue skies, green grass, and smell of Ohio sweet corn that permeates the air; by the culture of the people (some of whom still give a crap about their city). Whatever happens, I will always have a special place for my hometown. My love for family and Ohio will always bring me back.