Day 1 – Columbus, OH to Clarksville, IN

The first days of our trips always seem to have surprises, uncertainty and some nervousness.  It takes a while to work through the feelings and to adjust to a new way of living.  Sunny days usually help the transition.

The Route

We took Roberts Road to I-270, then I-270S to I-71S, I-71S to I-275W at Cincinnati, !-275W to I-71S, I-71S to I-265N, I-265N to I-65S, and I-65S to Exit 1 in Clarksville.  We travelled 241 miles.

About the Day

Heavy clouds and light rain greeted us when we woke. Thankfully, the rain became intermittent as we finished loading.  We pulled out at 12:30pm.

It rained off and on until mid-afternoon.  The sun finally broke through and gave us a very nice evening.  The temperature reached the mid-70s.

The highways were in pretty good shape, in spite of lots of orange barrels.  We had to take a detour (I-275) around Cincinnati because Brent Spence Bridge construction blocked I-71 traffic from crossing the river.

Other Stuff

The route was much more than following asphalt.  We crossed into Indiana twice and into Kentucky once.  We went through a tunnel and over the Lewis and Clark Bridge just east of Louisville.

I-275 heading north to Ohio River

Lewis and Clark Bridge

The Campground

We’re staying at Louisville North Campground. We picked it out of the Good Sam Campground Directory sight unseen. It’s OK, but it came with some surprises.  

It was advertised as the Louisville Metro KOA.  The address and phone number were as advertised, the name on the sign out front was different. 

It's not in Louisville.  It’s located across the Ohio River from Louisville, in Clarksville.  

It's not a KOA campground.  We learned that ownership had dropped their KOA affiliation and changed the campground’s name early this year.

It’s located next to a train track (an amenity never mentioned in the directory).

It’s much like a parking lot.  It has narrow spaces, few trees, no grass or shrubs.

It's quiet.  The staff is friendly and the camp store is nicely stocked.  It works just fine for us.

Tomorrow

We’re heading for Nashville and maybe onto the Natchez Trace Parkway.