Bryan is where I am tonight, in a small motor court on US 127, halfway between the old US 6 that goes past the Williams County Courthouse, and the new US 6, that bypasses Bryan altogether by several miles. I specifically chose Bryan because it's one of several small towns in the country that I feel offer the truest sort of Americana that's available in the modern day. Bryan exhales America, and represents almost all of the elements that go along with that ideal: stately, well-kept homes sporting American flags; quiet neighborhood streets where people come out and walk on long summer evenings; a town square ringed with small shops, restaurants and a cinema... Are there any bad points about Bryan or these other communities? Of course. In fact, a lot of those points would contradict with that ideal Americana. Cynically, I've always looked at this ideal and have come to the conclusion that it never really existed. What it is selective nostalgia, where the positive experiences are remembered while the negative experiences are not recalled. It's human nature to do this, and I think those seeking that sort of "Mayberry" atmosphere in places are trying to re-create something that can never exist in reality. But I really like Bryan, and that's why I come back here. The people are nice, the town is pleasant, and there are things to do here.
However, Bryan is unfortunately on what I consider to be the most boring stretch of US 6 in the country, from Sandusky, Ohio to roughly Kendallville, Indiana. It's endless, flat cornfields, indistinguishable little towns, and a road that only has occasional, senseless curves. This is the flat but fertile Great Lakes plain. Bryan is not on US 6 anymore. US 6 runs 2.3 miles south of High & Main Streets, where US 6 was routed until after about 1957. The current US 6, at that time, was State Route 384, while the old US 6 into Bryan is now State Route 34. US 6 went out of the way a bit to reach Bryan, so this may have been just to straighten it out. That's actually kind of a theme for US 6 in Northwest Ohio. In the next town over, Napoleon, US 6 sits on a freeway bypass with US 24, in place since the 1970's. The next town after that, Bowling Green, has a slightly newer bypass which straightens US 6 out and avoids the town completely. In the case of Bowling Green, there is no sign to indicate the old route; it's not a signed business route, and there is no sign at the turn-off directing traffic to Bowling Green. |
| The exit for US 6 east off the Napoleon bypass has a control city of Chicago. Apparently this sign was changed within the last couple of years. |
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| Heinz has a factory in Fremont |
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| Entering Fremont, as US 6 turns off on to the bypass |
I was told while in Warren that trout season opened today, and it very clearly had in Fremont, where at least 20 men stood in waders in the middle of Sandusky River. The river is a concrete channel there, so it was interesting to see that in what looks like just a large drainage ditch.
Fremont also has a US 6 bypass (keep going with the theme), but I took the old route. Originally (I need to research the dates), US 6 run along Fifth Street to State Street, historically US 20, where it turned west to cross the Sandusky River. After going through Downtown Fremont, it took a left onto Napoleon Street, which becomes Napoleon Road west of town, and eventually dips south to join the modern US 6. Napoleon Street splits off at an interesting brick building, now housing a bar. It's one-way going west for a block, but was likely two-way when US 6 was routed there.
At some point later on, a new bridge was built, redirecting US 6 south past State Street to go over the Hayes Avenue Bridge. Westbound traffic was directed north two blocks onto the one-way Birchard Avenue, while eastbound traffic followed Hayes Avenue. After a few blocks, there's a clear point where US 6's westbound traffic likely went southwest on Buckland Avenue and rejoined Hayes Avenue, right in front of the Hayes Presidential Center. As you follow Hayes Avenue west out of town, you eventually intersect the bypass and rejoin modern US 6.
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| Hayes Avenue Bridge | State/Napoleon Street intersection | Front Street in Downtown Fremont |
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| Front Street in Downtown Fremont | Trout season in the Sandusky River | Birchard Avenue in Fremont |
My Cleveland morning started at one of my favorite coffee shops, Gypsy Beans & Bakery on Detroit Avenue (historic US 6, now signed as "Alternate" US 6) in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. The shop has large windows that face out onto the avenue, with a bar where you can sit and just watch life in the interesting neighborhood go by. The coffee is great and their house-made baked goods are excellent.
For lunch, I hit one of my standards: Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood. Close but not on US 6 (Madison Avenue), it's a brewpub that has an always excellent selection of guest taps, good and very cheap food, and a nice atmosphere. Plus, they'll do samples (for a price) of all the beer they have on tap, so you can try different ones without buying a full flight or only having some that they select. I had a meatloaf sandwich and a sample of a new Cleveland brewery, Portside, which apparently opened as a distillery in the East Side Flats, and has more recently started brewing their own beer. It was tasty, but it was no Great Lakes. I missed Great Lakes this time, but I picked a 4-pack of a specialty beer here in Bryan this evening to take back to California, since this may be the last time I see it. It's completely unavailable in Indiana, and is not very common in Illinois. I wish I had more time in Cleveland, but I'll be back soon. I always come back.
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| Cleveland Cultural Gardens This is one of the several things that initially got me in love with the city. | MLK Drive as it goes through the Cleveland Cultural Gardens | The Shoreway as it approaches Downtown Cleveland |
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| Lake Erie from the Shoreway (SR 2) Browns Stadium is on the right | The Shoreway passes within spitting distance of several Downtown office buildings | Lake Erie from the Shoreway |
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| US 6 & US 20 join State Route 2 in the Ohio City neighborhood at West 25th before reaching Clifton Boulevard and leaving the city. | Detroit Avenue, Alternate US 6 | Detroit Avenue, Alternate US 6 |
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| Merry-Go-Round Museum |
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| Road to Cedar Point |
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| There are a number of nature preserves on US 6 that offer light hiking | US 6 as it approaches Sandusky | US 6, routing from Warren Street on to Huron Avenue |
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| US 6 as it turns from Huron Avenue on to Washington Street | Washington Street in Sandusky | US 6 as it turns on to Tiffin Avenue |
Sandusky is a fairly tough blue-collar town, though its business district seems to be doing okay. Cedar Point likely keeps things somewhat prosperous, with its resulting motels, restaurants and tacky tourist shops on the outskirts of town. In fact, you're directed to leave State Route 2 on to US 6 in order to reach Cedar Point. However, it's probably a lot quicker to go to the next exit. It's likely that this routing has been kept by the local business interests, since the businesses servicing Cedar Point crowds were originally on US 6/Cleveland Road, and it would be detrimental to them if people no longer used this route. The Jet Express ferry service to Kelleys Island and Put-in-Bay, tourist-oriented islands in Lake Erie, likely also keeps people coming into Sandusky, as the landing is right in the center of town.
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| US 6 bridge over the Vermillion River | Vermillion, Ohio | The Patio Bar is what's left of "Midget City," which appears on the 1956 Shell map of Ohio. |
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| Huron, Ohio One of the last small lakeshore towns before Sandusky | Huron, Ohio. The Lake Erie Coastal Trail turns here to follow Cleveland Road. I didn't think about it, but US 6 probably also turned here at one time. Now it goes straight. | US 6, after Huron, joins SR 2 for about a mile before exiting again. |
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| Ice cream maker with a tasting room just west of Sandusky | US 6 as it turns on to Fremont Avenue |
Other random US 6 shots from today:
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