Buy the book
“Along Interstate 75” retails for $24.95 and is published by Mile Oak Publishing in Mississauga, Ontario Canada. Call (800) 431-1579 for more information, or visit the website www.i75 online.com.
Old Man Winter hit the area with another snowstorm this week, but there’s a very simple solution to keeping the cold at bay, or at least finding something to do.
It’s a concrete ribbon that stretches 1,786 miles, and it usually gets warmer the farther south it stretches. Its official name is Interstate 75.
The highway is the focus of a newly revised book called “Along Interstate 75” by travel writer Dave Hunter, who offers many tips and tricks about traveling along the highway. He earned some local fame as the only person who has ever flown an early Wright Flyer without any kind of training, according to his book.
That’s the northern edge of the readership area, which Hunter knows well as an area that has changed dramatically over the book’s 16 editions.
“I’ve seen that area develop so rapidly. Once from Tylersville Road you could see the antenna arrays from Voice of America. Now it’s nothing but big-box shopping. You can see a lot of new and exciting things, like the Cincinnati Premium Outlet mall, which is sort of a shopping mecca,” he said.
Hunter’s book highlights a number of specific areas in Butler and Warren counties.
Exit 38: Hunter recommends Factory Direct Craft Supply at 315 Conover Drive, writing, "It would probably be easier to list all the handcraft supplies that are not carried."
Manager Daneen Wolfe didn’t know about the listing in the book, but was pleasantly surprised by it, considering that the store is not the main focus of the business. Internet orders are the main traffic drivers, she said.
“I think it’s pretty awesome. That means we’re doing something right,” she said.
Middletown Drury: Hunter offers an insider tip to "say 'hi' to general manager Kirsten (Wright) at the Middletown Drury, 3320 Village Drive." Hunter emphasizes the Drury hotel chain in the book, calling it "the best lodging 'secret' on I-75."
“It’s a family-operated chain, and they’re just doing absolutely everything right for the overnight traveler,” said Hunter, pointing out that his book has no commercial content, and no one has paid him for his endorsement.
Wright said she met Hunter once and has noticed guests have actually followed his advice.
“I think it’s really fantastic. I’ve had several people come and see me based on the book itself,” she said.
Mile 30: This refers to the former location of "Touchdown Jesus" at Solid Rock Church in Monroe. The book is current enough to mention that the statue was destroyed last year. A new statue with a different design is expected to be complete later this year.
Exit 29: "If you enjoy flea markets, then the northeast and southwest sides of Exit 29 might be pure paradise," Smith writes of Traders World and the Turtle Creek flea markets.
Cincinnati Premium Outlets: Hunter mentions the new mall attracts crowds "from all over the state" and that the facility has "something for everyone."
Mile 24 East: This is the former site of the antenna arrays of the Voice of America radio station. Hunter shares the tidbit that none other than Adolf Hitler once yelled in a speech about the "lying propagandists in Cincinnati." He also notes that the 1933 WLW antenna is still in use, and once could reach more than a dozen states.
Areas of interest just outside Butler and Warren counties include a warning about the overpass at Exit 14, where Cincinnati police cars like to hang out with radar guns. Hunter also highly recommends the El Meson Hispanic restaurant west off of Exit 46, although he also points out it’s closed during the first two weeks of January so the owners can buy items for the gift shop.
As much as Hunter enjoys this area, however, what he likes best about the highway is how one can see — and feel — the landscape change as you drive from state to state.
“You can get on the Interstate in Detroit and you can watch the seasons change and drive into summer — literally. It’s just as if the seasons are unfolding in front of you; it’s a wonderful thing.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.
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