Down the Ohio River Scenic Byway to Leith Run

Howdy folks! Ohio has 27 scenic byways, and since I was parked in the Buckeye State for a bit, I figured I'd drive one. For this trip I took on the Ohio River Scenic Byway — which follows 452 miles of the Ohio River — starting at its easternmost point in East Liverpool and covering about a quarter of it. Three missions: score a riverside campsite, cook a pizza on the Blackstone, and grab three good shots for the new Instagram (we're @wtds.social, if you want to see how they turned out).

Mission One: A Riverside Site

The drive delivered something interesting around every bend — locks, barges, bridges, coal-fired power plants, and historic river towns. I rolled into Leith Run Recreation Campground in the Wayne National Forest just after 6 p.m. It's first-come, first-served, so I drove the loop hoping the good Lord would bless me with a river view. He did: site 12, the last riverside spot left.

Mission Two: Pizza on the Griddle (Well… Sort Of)

Here's where honesty beats a highlight reel. I've been dairy-free for close to a decade and I've cut most sugar from my diet, so I tried an almond-flour pizza crust — against my wife's wise counsel, I'll admit. With no cell signal to pull up a recipe, I winged it. The dough wouldn't hold together, refused to flip, and got a little toasty. Rather than cry over burnt crust, I leaned into the candied honey-cinnamon Brussels sprouts and soaked up the spectacular view instead. Sometimes the lesson is the meal.

Mission Three: Three Good Shots

Shot one came at the campground the next morning before I dumped the gray water and hit the road. After striking out at one river-town pizza shop (milk in the crust — my kryptonite), I found a slice I could actually eat in Bellaire, and stumbled onto Union Square, where Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech in 1912. Across the street, a photo-worthy rusty old bridge handed me shots two and three. Mission complete — pizza grace notwithstanding.

The Real Takeaway

Our journeys don't always turn out how we imagine, and that's okay. Our failures can become our greatest successes if we choose to learn from them — even the ones made of almond flour.

Gear From This Trip

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New here? Meet the rig that made the trip: the full Tramper tour, and the gear list we travel with.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article and its video is for entertainment/educational purposes only. By following any advice from this article, video, or any provided links, you do so at your own risk.