Heading Home- Vacation Part 8

After getting out of the hotel as quick as we could we headed for Johnstown Flood National Memorial. The Johnstown flood was caused by a dam failing after days of heavy rain and years of neglect to the dam. 20 million tons of water headed down the valley crushing small towns with its 40 foot high wall of surging water. By the time it reached Johnstown is was a colossal mess of debris and water. When it hit Johnstown it knocked down boilers that set the swirling litter of debris and bodies on fire. Over 2,200 people were killed. Many felt that the owners of the dam, the South Fork Fishing and Hinting Club and its wealthy members, were to blame for the catastrophic failure due to their failure to properly maintain and equip the dam. They were never found legally responsible.

A view of the valley near the town Saint Michael where the lake was in 1889, taken from the top of the remnants of the earthen dam that broke. 

Leaving Johnstown we set our sights on home. We made a pit stop at Cabellas in West Virginia and found an excellent two burner propane range to brew beer on and can on. After spending some time in the store we moved on again. We stopped in Columbus and ate skyline and then stopped again near the Ohio Renaissance fairgrounds to watch the Perseid Meteor shower. We pulled off on a small country road between two cornfields and laid on the back of my car and watched the hundreds of shooting stars crisscross the sky. It was a beautiful end to a great trip.