Road Trip! Destination: Zanesville, Ohio

In the 1790s, the U.S. Congress commissioned a Revolutionary War veteran, Col. Ebenezer Zane, to blaze a pathway into the old Northwest Territory — the rolling hills and the dense forests of the Ohio Valley — and establish ferry crossings at three major rivers, including the Muskingum.

Along with his son-in-law John McIntire, Zane established a settlement at the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum rivers.

A town laid out by McIntire, called Westborne, quickly grew out of the settlement. In 1801, it was renamed Zanesville and served as the Ohio's capital from 1810-12.

Zanesville's rich, natural resources such as sand, clay and iron, made the area ideal for the manufacturing of steel, glass and pottery. Clay resources allowed Zanesville to become known as the “Pottery Capital of the World.”

Details: 800-743-2303 or visitzanesville.com

The alpacas

If you visit this area, a must see is the Alpacas of Spring Acres (740-796-2195 or thealpacasofspringacres.com), the largest Suri alpaca farm in southeastern Ohio.

This working alpaca farm, with over 60 alpacas on 180 acres of rolling hills, offers shopping and education. Plus, you can stay on the farm in an all-inclusive bed and breakfast.

Alpacas come in natural colors, and they all have individual personalities. They have the finest, softest fleece which is also lightweight, hypoallergenic and water repellent. At the alpaca farm shop, you'll find everything from raw fleece, rovings and yarns to finished items such as sweaters, socks, hats, blankets and rugs. There's also a collection of handmade jewelry.

A tour is free.

Sculpture studio

In June 2003, Alan Cottrill moved his sculpture studio and gallery from Washington, Pa., to a 17,000-square-foot facility in his hometown of Zanesville. The expanded space is open six days a week.

After founding Four Star Pizza and becoming an international entrepreneur, he traveled the world. Visiting art museums and galleries, he became a collector and painter. He sold his business and went to study sculpture in New York.

Cottrill has created hundreds of busts and figures, many at monumental scale. At the Alan Cottrill Sculpture Studio (740-453-9822 or alancottrill.com), visitors will get to experience his working studio, typically with pieces in progress. The second-floor gallery showcases his entire body of work and educational displays. It's the world's largest bronze sculpture exhibit of any living sculptor's work.

Admission by donation.

Zanesville Museum of Art

The museum was established in 1936 as the Zanesville Art Institute by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Ayers, founders of the Ayers Mineral Co. of Zanesville. The couple donated their collection of Old Master paintings, sculpture, prints, Zanesville glass and ceramics to the institute.

They funded a research library and created a permanent endowment, which remains an important source of institutional support. In 1975, the institute relocated to its present location and became Zanesville Art Center, which became the Zanesville Museum of Art (740-452-0741 or zanesvilleart.org) in 2009.

Here, visitors can explore the arts of Ohio pottery from the early 1800s to present day with more than 700 stunning examples of pottery from Weller, Roseville and Rockwood companies. Other galleries offer fine American and European paintings, sculptures, historic and studio glass, Asian arts plus temporary exhibits of contemporary Ohio arts and crafts.

National road

The path carved out by Zane and McIntire came to be known as Zane's Trace and later became the National Road, the first federally funded highway in America.

Conceived by Albert Gallatin, secretary of the treasury under President Thomas Jefferson, it opened the nation to the west and became a corridor for the movement of goods and people.

Beginning in Baltimore and crossing six states, the road travels over 700 miles, past historic landmarks, forested mountains, industrial towns and modern cities, rich farmland and pastures, to reach the Mississippi River and the Eads Bridge at East St. Louis, Ill.

The national road in Ohio is 227.87 miles long.

The Ohio National Road Association was formed in 2000. Its mission is to preserve, promote and enhance this historic national road for present and future generations.

Learn about the road at the National Road and Zane Grey Museum (800-752-2602 or ohionationalroad.org). It's open by appointment Nov. 1 through April 30, with regular hours in the warmer months.

Turn at the Y

In 1814, the city's well-known Y-shape bridge was constructed to cross the junction of the Licking and Muskingum rivers in the center of Zanesville.

The first bridge's center pier was made of limestone, while the others were made of wood. All travelers had to pay a toll to cross, except churchgoers and those in funeral and military processions.

However, the first bridge was carried off by a heavy flood in 1818; a second wooden one was declared unsafe after only 12 years; a third lasted 68 years; a fourth opened in 1902 and a fifth in 1984. This last one, made of steel and concrete, still stands today.

The bridge (740-455-8282 or visitzanesville.info) has been featured by Ripley's Believe it or Not as “the only bridge in the world which you can cross and be on the same side of the river.”

The Putnam Overlook offers the best view. You might also want to visit Canal Park for picnic options and to view the Ohio National Road interpretative sign.

The Longaberger Homestead

In 1896, when the Longaberger family moved to nearby Dresden, Ohio, the tiny village was a rural transportation and industrial hub in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains.

The family patriarch, J.W. Longaberger, took a job with Dresden Basket Factory. Many years later, in 1976, his son, Dave, opened J.W.'s Handwoven Baskets, which became the Longaberger Co. Today, the baskets are highly prized by the company's customers.

Visitors are able to shop at the showroom at the Longaberger Homestead (740-322-5588 or longaberger.com), as well as take a walking tour to learn the secrets of basket-making. You also can schedule a time to make your own basket.

Go wild

Spanning 10,000 acres, the Wilds (740-638-5030 or thewilds.org) is one of the largest and most innovative conservation centers in the world, with a mission to advance conservation through science, education and personal experience. It is a living laboratory with a connection to the Columbus Zoo.

Visitors will see rhinos, giraffes and other rare and endangered animals roaming in large, natural settings.

An open-air safari tour takes visitors up close with the animals throughout the center. There also are sunset safaris and opportunities to stay overnight. Try the zipline safari or a safari on horseback.

A winter tour is given in an enclosed, heated vehicle. Guests view animals in their winter housing and exercise yards.

The Wilds is open on select days.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at jharrop@tribweb.com or 412-320-7889.