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Oh-oh! Time for a post about the Ohio River! And maybe another "O" river while we're at it...
Ohio River
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| Ohio River (Hertz) |
At almost a thousand miles long the Ohio River is one of the major rivers of America. Along its route the river passes by the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois until disgorging into the Mississippi River near Cairo Illinois, a town that I've written about a few times or so on this blog.
Since I was born in Ohio somehow the Ohio River resonates with me. After all the state is named after the river. "Ohio" comes from the Iroquois word for "great river" which is pretty much what the river is. The river has played a major role in shaping the United States and continues to be an important part of the economic system.
My hometown is Cleveland Ohio which is at the north of the state and about 200 miles from the Ohio River which forms the southern border with Kentucky. Over the years I've frequently crossed the Ohio River. And as I mentioned in earlier posts of this A to Z series, the Ohio River begins at the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh--another place where I lived as a child.
If I were to pick one river that had the most influence on my life then the Ohio would have to be in the consideration. After all, I've been aware of this river for so long and seen it so many times.
A river that is of less personal significance to me, but one that I've enjoyed driving beside a few times is the Ocoee River of Tennessee. The Ocoee starts out in Georgia as the Toccoa River and then becomes the Ocoee after it crosses over into Tennessee at the town of Copperhill.
About fifty years ago when I first went to Copperhill I was rather amazed. The area around the town had been devastated by the effects of many years of copper mining giving it an otherworldly appearance like certain deserts of the Southwest. A few years ago I drove back through the area to see that much land reclamation had taken place and much of the ravished landscape had been somewhat returned to its previous state.
As you drive along the Ocoee around Copperhill you see numerous river outfitters offering rafting expeditions and rentals of various watercraft. On a summer day the river will be filled with happy tourists floating down the waters. There are also some more serious whitewater rapids that attract enthusiasts from around the world.
The Ocoee River is a far cry from the Ohio River. They are two extremes of the amazing variety of rivers America has to offer.
Have you tried any whitewater boating? Would you rather tackle a river as an individual in a small craft in a river like the Ocoee or cruise a large river like the Ohio in a river boat? Can you think of a river that changes name after it crosses into another state or country?
The picture of the Ohio River looks wonderful Lee.
ReplyDeleteHow relaxing it looks. Thanks for sharing this.
Have a good weekend.
Yvonne.
I've been across that one many times.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of river activity on the rivers in Northern Maine. While I didn't partake, on our last trip up that way we did take a beautiful hike that goes down to a particular spot in the river where you can see the white water rafters and kayakers come around the bend on a particularly active area of the rapids. It was fun to watch. Weekends In Maine
ReplyDeleteIn Europe there are a lot of rivers that change name as they change country, primarily because of the sheer number of languages spoken. I spent a lot of time when I was younger in the Czech Republic city of Ústí nad Labem, which means "river mouth of the River Labe". When the river crosses into Germany, the river becomes the River Elbe, running through Dresden. It's a fascinating part of the world, filled with history of great composers and marred by World War II and only fairly recently recovering from the economic damage of the Cold War.
ReplyDeleteEd - wizzardSS Reviews
Gorgeous picture of the river and the skyline. I think I'd enjoy a river cruise one day, but white-water rafting gives me white knuckles ;-)
ReplyDeleteLee,
ReplyDeleteWe've crossed the Ohio River a few times over the years. It might be the first really larger river I ever crossed. The Ocoee River was used in the Olympics several years back for their whitewater rafting competition. Most of the river now is kept low but a portion of it still runs well and they do whitewater rafting on it in the summer months which draws the tourists.
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Cathy, last time I drove past the Ocoee River was maybe 5 years ago or so and it was busy with whitewater tourists.
DeleteLee