Marietta and Family

We moved on to Marietta, Ohio to spend some time with family before heading to WashPA for two months.  We visited with Nanc's sister Judy, her husband Bill,and Judy's daughter Betsy's family.  We also explored a bit of this historic river town that is at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers.  Marietta was a territory claimed by France before the French and Indian War, was visited by Lewis and Clark on there way west and was a big ocean going ship building town in the 1800's so there is a lot of history. 

Here we are with Judy's granddaughters Jackie (left) and Emma.  They were very concerned that we were homeless since we did not have a house.  I think they understood how we live after seeing the rig but were still perplexed by the fact that we don't have any grandchildren.

Jackie and Emma with a friend were all very happy with the haul of Mardi Gras beads we gave them.

While we were there the American Queen made a stop.  This steam powered paddle wheeler is the last of the big river cruise boats on the Ohio and Mississippi.  We saw the American Queen in 08 on the Mississippi in Illinois.

We had a great dinner with Judy and Bill while getting caught up with all that has been happening with them since we last saw them in Florida a couple of years ago.

Emma feeding the geese.  She loves animals and is not into dolls and other more traditional girl things.  I think she is going to be a great scientist.

The Marietta College Boathouse was really interesting.  The bottom walls where constructed with huge old mill stones.  We also found a couple of geocaches in the area.

The historic Barber House was built in 1829.

An old lock house on the Muskingum River.  The Muskingum was the first river in the US to be canalized with locks and dams to make it more navigable.

Being a river town Marietta has had many floods over the years.  These five poles show the height of the worst floods.  Nanc is standing by the pole of the 1913 flood that reached over 60 feet.

The W. P. Snyder was the last of the steam powered stern-wheelers that push coal, iron ore and steel laden barges up and down the Ohio and Monongahela Rivers.   Marietta is an interesting river town with a lot of history and is well worth a visit.