Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

The Franklin Park Victorian style conservatory, built in 1895, was under construction during our visit so we didn't get to see it. The newer section has a narrow path climbs through the different levels, up to the tree tops, and back down again. Wheelchair users may need assistance. 

The garden itself has just two sections, a large children's area and a plaza with sculptures and an outdoor model railway.  There's also a hot shop with glassblowing demonstrations. Since we visited in the fall there weren't many flowers but we did enjoy the Halloween decorations. 

The gardens are a bit underwhelming and expensive (we used our pass so it was free for us) for the size. I recommend visiting the free 88 acre park that surround the gardens. Walking trails and closed off roads wind around under hundreds of trees. 

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle. Garden  39.96638, -82.95203

The Works

The Works has a little bit of everything - history, art, science, and nature. We didn't have time to see the whole museum so we headed for the history section. But first we visited the art gallery which had an exhibit of photos and shared experiences from all kinds of people on what brought them joy. :)

The history section starts with fossils and Native Americans, before moving onto settlers and the growth of towns. The main exhibits showcase the many inventions and businesses founded in Licking County, Ohio. One of the exhibits tells the story of Jerrie Mock, an Ohio native, who in 1964, became the first woman to fly solo around the world.

The museum is accessible. 

RVs will fit in the lot if parked across the spaces. Museum   40.05715, -82.3989

Giant Longaberger Basket

We were driving down the road heading for a museum when this giant basket popped into view, and we had to stop and see it. :) I'd heard about Longaberger baskets but didn't know where they were located or that the original company was out of business. The baskets were sold through home parties, like Tupperware. They were popular in the 1980s and 90s but as decorating tastes changed sales dropped and the company filed for bankruptcy in 2018.  

The giant basket was the company headquarters for 19 years. It's been empty for 10 years. It's still in good shape so hopefully someone will find a use for it before it starts deteriorating.

It's a really big basket!  Basket    40.06376, -82.34666

Zanesville Museum of Art

In the 1920s abundant deposits of clay and silica along with a good transportation system of rivers and railroads transformed Zanesville into a nationally known manufacturer of all types of ceramics. More than a dozen potteries operated in the area. Along with the factories came wealth for a few people like Edward and Klara Ayers, local business owners, who founded the museum in 1936 and donated their own collections glass, ceramics paintings and sculptures. Today the museum galleries feature an eclectic collection of art including local glass and pottery, Asian, African, Persian and Indonesia art, decorative art, contemporary art, sculptures, and even an entire 17th century paneled room imported from England. 

    

          

The museum also hosts traveling exhibits. We were treated to a fantastic collection of Tiffay lamps and decorative pieces.

The museum is accessible.

The lot is large enough for most RVs.  Museum    39.9786, -82.00947

Art Museum Of WVU

The museum is small and features changing exhibits that showcase one artist or topic. When we visited the artwork included more than 80 woodblock color prints and abstract cubist painting by Blanche Lazzell, a native of West Virginia. 

The museum is accessible.

Since this is on the university campus, parking is limited to a few lots. The closest lots to the museum are Short Term Lot 1 and Short Tern Lot 9. These are designated 47 and 49 on Google Maps. Both are very sloped. We parked in the northwest corner of Lot 49 to be as level as possible. Museum  39.64973, -79.97288

Lake Fairfax Park Campground

The Water Mine Family Swimmin' Hole waterpark was closed for the season when we camped at Lake Fairfax but it looks like great fun. This park must be very busy during the summer! The campground is okay but the sites are close together with little privacy. We chose site #2 because it's level. We couldn't distinguish the boundary between it and site #4 which didn't matter as the campground wasn't busy.

Amenities besides the waterpark include tables, fire rings, restrooms, showers, dump station, and a skate park. 

None of the sites are designated as accessible but most of the RV sites are usable. Some of the tent sites are sloped.      Campground  38.96264, -77.32142

Visiting Washington D.C.

While visiting my sister and her family we took a quick trip into town to see all of the "improvements" 

The golden statues

The reflecting pond

The National Guard keeping us safe.

The closest we could get to the Whitehouse from south side.

We also stopped at the Museum of American History. Since we didn't have much time, we decided to just see a couple of small exhibits - Lowriding Culture and Entertainment Nation. The exhibits in Lowriding Culture include two very elaborately customized 1960s era cars and stories about the families who created them.   Museum

At first glance Entertainment Nation seems like a typical presentation of familiar objects from movies, television, sports, and other entertainment venues but a closer look reveals the conflicts and roadblocks that marginalized groups faced as they broke into the entertainment business.