A Travel Experiment

Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018--San Antonio to Cincinnati

Today I leave on a trip that is a travel experiment.  I have always traveled lightly.  Even when taking a 10 week trip, I have taken only the smaller carry-on size suitcase and a student-type backpack.  And with just that amount of storage, I have always taken too much with me.

The experiment is about taking a shorter trip with even less baggage packed with nothing unneeded on a short trip for a cheap price.  Frontier Airlines, an ultra-low-cost airline now flies from San Antonio to about 27 cities.  Some of those are cities I have never visited before.  Frontier, however, is only really cheap if you travel lightly and are flexible to avoid fees.  I bought my round-trip ticket to Cincinnati for $99 roundtrip, including taxes.  But that only allows me to take one bag for free, and it MUST fit UNDER the seat in front of me.  If I want to put a bag overhead, there is an extra charge.  For a checked bag, there is another charge.  For a seat assignment, there is an extra charge.  For doing anything at the check-in counter, there is an extra charge.  For planning incorrectly and having to do any of the above, the charges get more expensive at the check-in desk and even more expensive at the boarding gate. 

I bought a special under-the-seat bag for making this and future trips at Costco for only $39--much cheaper than the linked website price.  It fits the maximum dimensions that Frontier allows.  In it, I have packed an extra pair of pants, 4 shirts, underwear, socks, minimum toiletries, camera, computer, and cords.  I will wear a pullover and jacket as clothing and have stuffed the jacket pockets with a thin book, two magazines, and a small umbrella.  I will only take the shoes I wear.  The bag does not bulge, and, therefore, should be within the Frontier guidelines.  If they say otherwise, then this will be the only trip I take with the airline.  Otherwise, there might be future trips to Charlotte, Jacksonville, Raleigh/Durham, and other cities I have not visited for years. 

This particular trip is for 1 1/2 weeks because I planned it to drive scenic roads in southern Ohio and to visit Columbus as well as Cincinnati.  I got my rental car from downtown Cincinnati instead of from the airport and saved approximately $140 for the week of rental.  (Airports now have extremely high fees for rental cars, taxis leaving the airport, restaurants operating within the airport, etc.)  So I will stay one night in an AIRBNB, then leave Cincinnati for my drive.  After I return my car, I will have 3 more nights in Cincinnati.

I don't know how often I will update the blog.  It will depend on how tired I am each evening and whether there is anything worth telling.  I had hoped to see fall foliage on this trip, since the last two weeks of October is usually the best time for it in southern Ohio, but maps and reports I have seen  online indicate that hardly anywhere in the US is having nice fall foliage this year due to rainfall and cold fronts coming at the wrong times.  But the scenic roads should still be scenic, and I will visit a number of quaint towns that are reported as being top places to visit.  Below is my itinerary:

Oct. 20--Fly to Cincinnati.  AIRBNB reserved in Covington across the river from Cincinnati
Oct. 21--Pick up rental car at 11:00 a.m. in downtown Cincinnati and start driving trip
Day 1 of Driving Trip
Spend the night in Huntington--Red Roof Inn
Oct. 22--Day 2 of Driving Trip
Spend the night in Top Town: Marietta-- Microtel
Oct. 23--Day 3 of Driving Trip ending in Columbus
Spend the night in Columbus.  AIRBNB reserved
Oct. 24--Columbus
Oct. 25--Columbus
Drive out to Top Town: Granville--New England charm, nice downtown & Denison University
Oct. 26--Columbus
Oct. 27--Day 4 of Driving Trip ending in Cincinnati
        Top Town:  Tip City just north of Dayton between Columbus and Cincinatti
        Top Town:  Yellow Springs (Antioch College) just east of Dayton
        Hotel in Cincinnati:  Days Inn Cincinnati North
Oct. 28--Return car in downtown Cincinnati-- Move into AIRBNB reserved in Covington
Oct. 29--Cincinnati--AIRBNB in Covington
Oct. 30--Cincinnati--AIRBNB in Covington
Oct. 31--Go to airport for return flight (9:01 bus at 5th and Philadelphia)

And here is the itinerary for my driving trip if anyone wants to search the roads on a map:

Leaving Cincinnati for Driving Trip
Take US 50 east.
Just before Stonelick--Turn right onto Hwy 222 toward Batavia
Just before Batavia--Turn left onto 32 (Appalachian Hwy)
At People, detour south (right turn) on Hwy 41 to Bentonville
At Bentonville, turn left onto Hwy 136 to Manchester.
At Manchester, turn left onto Hwy 52, the Ohio River Scenic Byway, to Hwy 100 (between Vanceberg and Portsmouth)
At Hwy 100 (Pond Run Rd) , turn left for the Shawnee Driving Tour Path
At Y, take State Forest Service Rd. 1 to the left through Pheasant Hollow and Gabe Run to Brushy Fork
At Brushy Fork, continue straight (to left) onto State Forest Service Rd. 7
At intersection with State Forest Service Rd. 5, turn left onto 5!
Follow State Forest Service Rd. 5 all the way back to SFSR 1 and turn right
At McBride Run, turn left on State Forest Service Rd. 13
Stay on SFSR 13 past SFSR 12 until you get to SFSR 2 and turn right
Turn left onto SFSR 8
Turn left on SFSR 9
Turn right onto SFSR 1
At Hwy 125 EITHER 1)Continue tour of area by going left and then immediately right onto Bridal Trail Rd (going until end of trees and then returning back to Hwy 125 to continue right, OR 2) turn right onto Hwy 125 and go to Friendship.
At Friendship turn left on Hwy 52 to Portsmouth (Shawnee State University)
Spend the night at Huntington
_____
Return to Portsmouth and turn right onto Hwy 23
Just before Piketon, turn left onto Hwys 124/32  (continuing on 32 when the highways separate) to Hwy 23 (Chenoweth Fork Rd.)
Turn Right on Hwy 23 and Hwy 302 (White Oak Hill Rd.) after Arkoe
Turn Right on Hwy 302
Drive Scenic Hwy 302 to Hwy 1 and then return back to Arkoe
At Arkoe, turn right on Golf Rd. , then turn left on Hwy 32 following it and  then Hwy 50 to Athens (Ohio University)
Continue on Hwy 50 to Top Town:  Marietta, OH --River town on West Virginia border
Spend the Night at Marietta
_____
Take Hwy 550 (upper route toward Athens)
Just before reaching Athens, turn right on Hwy 33 north to Nelsonville (Hocking College)
At Nelsonville, turn left onto Hwy 278 (Lake Hope Drive) to Zeleski
At Zeleski, get on Hwy 677 (Powder Plant Rd.), then just after Raccoon Creek, turn right onto Hwy 14 (Infirmery Rd.)
Continue on Hwy 14 to Hwy 93  and turn RIGHT
Turn left on Hwy 272 (A top scenic road in Ohio)
Turn right onto Hwy 374
Turn right onto Hwy 664 (but first make a short detour to the left to see **Hocking Hills State Park**:  Corkscrew Falls a top sight in Ohio)
Turn left onto Hwy 33 to Columbus
Spend 4 nights in Columbus
_____
Take IH 70 W. 
Exit 52 A. (US 68) Turn left to to Top Town: Yellow Springs
Go west on Dayton Rd. until intersection with OH 235 (North Xenia).  Turn Right
Turn left onto IH 675
Continue straight as it becomes Spangler Rd. and later Medlay/Carlisle Rd. (OH 571)
Turn right to continue on OH 571 at intersection with OH 328 to Top Town:  Tip City
Leaving Tip City, take IH 75 S to Cincinatti
Exit onto IH 275 W
Take Exit 41  Springfield Pike (OH 4)
Turn left onto Springfield Pike
On other side of interchange, turn right onto Greensprings Dr. for Days Inn and Suites North Cincinnati