Ohio travel and tourism guide to
Ohio tourist attractions and destinations
|
|
Events: Jan l Feb l Mar l Apr l May l Jne l Jly l Aug l Sep l Oct l Nov l Dec
All Attractions l Regional Fun l Videos l Archives l Advertising
April Edition ©
Ohio's Most Popular Magazine Online
Ohio tourism guide to free &
affordable attractions on roads less traveled
The Four Pearls of Greater Sandusky
Lake Erie shores and islands region is known for roller coasters and waterslides but within this oyster of fun are the four pearls of greater Sandusky.
If you want to spend a day away from lines and ruckus at the major attractions, slip away and experience some little treasures. Anyone can feel seven again at The Merry-Go-Round Museum. Get a fix for that sweet tooth with a treat at Tre Sorelle Cioccolato. Go Back to the Wild and learn how injured animals are being rehabilitated. And end the day with something synonymous with this coastal town’s past – Maritime Museum of Sandusky.
The Merry-Go-Round Museum is housed in a building with a round façade that looks like it was made for it. But it’s actually the old post office. Walk inside and there are giant postage stamp replicas on the wall picturing carousel animals. Below them are the identical and original carousel animals depicted in the actual stamps circulated in 1988.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the museum, so to commemorate it is featuring a rare menagerie of scarcely seen carousel animals from several nationally known private collections. The exhibit is – “Wild!” The postage stamp pieces are part of this treasured collection.
At the heart of the museum is a historic carousel still offering guests rides. It is a restored 1939 Allan Herschell carousel originally from North Tonawanda, New York. Without any of its original pieces, it was populated with figures from the museum’s collection and loaned pieces from private collections.
The real treat at this unusual museum is watching the woodcarvers at work crafting new pieces or breathing new life into antiques. Each piece has a fascinating history which is precisely why this pearl of Sandusky is also known as the Museum of Carousel Art and History.
The Merry-Go-Round Museum is located at 301 Jackson St. in Sandusky. Open year round, admission is $6/adult, $5/senior and $4/child ages 4-14.
Carousels and candy go hand in hand, so once the Merry-Go-Round comes to a complete stop, let your mouth water at a chocolate shop.
Tre Sorelle Cioccolato makes confections to perfection.
It is here that chocolate anything is handmade in a kitchen in the back of an old house and brought out front to the chocolate shop as fresh as fresh can be. That and the fact they don’t use preservatives.
The front parlor is a place you just want to cozy up and stay for a while. Admire the interior design, artwork, quaint atmosphere and friendly personalities. Oh, and browse, taste and buy your heart’s delight of truffles, turtles, dipped cookies, you name it, they have it. Cocoas, coffees, teas and even wine-filled chocolates are displayed out on tables, shelves and under cover of the front glass-covered counter.
You look around and wonder, how’d they do that?
Well, sign up to let these retired teachers take you into their learning kitchen to teach you a secret or two. Classes are designed for any age from children to adult and especially for those looking to make a party or event around chocolate making.
Between the kitchen and parlor room is a room with a gigantic table for preparing gift baskets, party trays and boxes of assortments. This includes filled chocolates, dipped pretzels, dipped potato chips, nutcups and clusters, fruit and nut bark, candy bars and assorted sugar-free goodies. You can even have chocolate business cards, greeting cards and photographs made to order.
Tre Sorelle Cioccolato is located at 634 Columbus Ave. in Sandusky.
Okay, a morning filled with learning about carrousel animals and making chocolate bunnies leads to an afternoon of learning to make real animals better. And there’s no better treat than that.
Time to go Back to The Wild®.
This is not an animal attraction. Rather it is where you go to learn about the great work done by a past recipient of Animal Planet Discovery Channel’s National Hero of The Year award. Her name is Mona Rutger.
What started in a barn is now a world-class mission that has returned more than 24,000 injured or abandoned animals back to the wild. Unfortunately, every animal is not able to go back to the wild, so Mona and her volunteers partner with these creatures to bring awareness, appreciation and respect for our natural world to more than 70,000 people every year. In the past 20 years, they have provided approximately 7,500 educational programs to nearly one million people.
Mona says that the thrill of releasing a wildling back into the wild and being able to play a part in opening a child’s eyes to the wonders of nature, are two of the most rewarding parts of everyday life. But her mission is not easy.
Animals nursed back to health include hawks, eagles, owls, raccoons, squirrels, fox, deer, songbirds, snakes, turtles, frogs, salamanders and a variety of herons just to name a sampling.
Perhaps more amazing than the miracles seen at Back to the Wild is the fact that this impressive undertaking is made possible through funding by donations only. There is no other assistance of any kind.
The expanse of the grounds includes a spacious song bird aviary, several raptor flight cages, mammal rehabilitation enclosures, insulated winter quarters, wetland facility, clinic, barn storage and workshop, indoor viewing room and a whole lot more. Important features that should not be without mention are the handicap-friendly woodland walkways to the wildflowers, amphitheater, wetlands, eagle and songbird exhibits.
Back to the Wild® is located nearby Sandusky in Castalia. To plan a visit, call Mona at 419-684-9539.
From Back to the Wild to back in time – maritime!
Maritime Museum of Sandusky interprets the area’s rich history of boat building, shipping and fishing industries, shipwrecks, recreational watercraft, ice harvesting, and even the boats of Sandusky’s Underground Railroad.
The museum is chock-full-of interactivity featuring video shorts and computer simulations at every turn. Locate and learn about the many shipwrecks in the area, rock a real boat and steer into the waters leading to Cedar Point through the windshield on the screen in front of you, or learn about the world’s largest market for freshwater fish and largest producer of natural ice west of the Hudson River.
The voyage starts with an intriguing 18-minute video inside the museum’s own theater. The main museum allows for more audio-visual as well as hands-on experiences throughout. Artifacts and models featured in exhibits include a ship’s brass telegraph and two-story replica of the Cedar Point Lighthouse.
But there’s more than just the main museum. Boats are actively being refurbished as seen in the indoor restoration area. An outdoor display features a 1967 fireboat and in The Garage features a historic collection of outboard motors.
The museum offers many programs on and off-site. There are opportunities to build model boats and learn to tie a variety of rope knots at two of the museum’s learning stations. With the anniversary of the Civil War, Sandusky’s connection to the Underground Railroad will be examined. Learn about the boats used by abolitionists and how they were used to transport escaped slaves to Canada. Some special events planned in the coming months include Pirates on Lake Erie.
The Maritime Museum of Sandusky is located at 125 Meigs St. in Sandusky. Open year round, admission is $4/adult, $3/senior and $3/child and $8/family.
Visit Lake Erie Shores and Islands Welcome Center at 4424 Milan Road in Sandusky, Ohio to learn about the four pearls of greater Sandusky and more. There, you may also discover discounts, gain free Internet access, gather maps and brochures, watch videos, talk to the tourism professionals, access the lodging locator, use rest rooms and more. This high-tech, interactive welcome center even has snacks available as well as play area for kids to occupy their time and have fun. While they are working the oars on a real rowboat, you can put together your itinerary.
For more information, including current hours of operation for the four pearls of greater Sandusky, call 419-625-2984 or log onto www.shoresandislands.com to plan your visit.
By Frank R. Satullo, The OhioTraveler
Return to Top
Lake Erie Shores and Islands Becoming
Capital of May Birding in North America
The biggest week in American birding is so big, the week lasts 10 days.
Lake Erie Shores and Islands®, located halfway between Cleveland and Toledo, is largely regarded as the best place for observing spring songbird migration. The reason, quite simply, is the abundance of preserved ecosystems along marshy coast, woodlands and diverse settings friendly to spring migration. The region includes more than 15 areas designated by Audubon as “Important Bird Areas.” It’s this southern edge of Lake Erie that serves as a barrier that birds are reluctant to cross so they hold up just long enough for the big twitch.
Twitch is a British term reserved for those who travel long distances to see species of birds that can be ticked off a checklist. The act of the pursuit itself is referred to as a twitch or a chase. A rare bird that stays put long enough for people to see it is twitchable or chaseable.
Ideal habitats for birding at Lake Erie Shores and Islands include Black
Swamp Bird Observatory, Magee Marsh, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge,
Kelleys Island,
Old Woman
Creek State Nature Preserve and Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve. One of the best times is in May during several events that
attract renowned bird experts from around the world such as Kenn Kaufman,
Iain Campbell and Greg Miller. A diverse list of species entices birders
from around the globe to visit northwest Ohio each spring, including more
than 30 species of warblers, masses of thrushes, vireos, flycatchers, and
orioles, shorebirds, raptors, and an abundance of waterfowl.
The Biggest Week in American Birding is May 5-15, 2011.
“Northwest Ohio is my favorite birding spot in all of North America in May! I cannot wait. This is going to be so much fun!” Said Greg Miller, the birder portrayed in the best-selling book and upcoming Hollywood movie, The Big Year.
Kenn Kaufman’s all new Kaufman Field Guide to Advanced Birding will be out just in time for The Biggest Week in American Birding. During the 10 day event, Kaufman will head an entire series of bird identification workshops based on his book.
The much anticipated event features guided activities, half-day guided tours, workshops such as Birding by Ear, and evening keynote speakers.
Visitors can Nest with the Birds or join in Bird Banding on Kelleys Island.
Welcome migrating song birds to this 2,800 acre island during morning and afternoon guided bird walks and lectures from May 19 – 22. A Bird Banding program is held on the island at Long Point on May 21.
Bird banding is used to determine how far birds travel, longevity of life, where they nest and winter. It is also a technique used to see if populations are rising or falling. This can prompt important questions that lead to examination of reasons why. For example, if a population is in decline, it may be due to climate change, poisoning from pesticides, disease, predation or other factors. If populations are seen as increasing, experts can look at data such as bird release programs which may explain the trend.
Another key Lake Erie Shores and Islands birding event in May is International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD).
On May 14, individuals and organizations throughout the Western Hemisphere will participate in activities dedicated to the conservation of migratory birds. Many local IMBD celebrations are planned with bird-related activities for the whole family! Visit www.shoresandislands.com for more information.
The Lake Erie Shores and Islands region is referred to more and more as the “Warbler Capital of the World,” during the spring migration. This is the time and place to see and listen to the greatest variety of bird species. The May birding events in the region are open to all levels of expertise from expert to novice. The special events deliver unsurpassed social networking opportunities for any birding enthusiast.
If you have the big twitch, you’re not alone. In 2006, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service released a study that reported birders contributed
$36 billion to the U.S. economy, identifying 20 percent of Americans as
birdwatchers at some level. No doubt, the Lake Erie Shores & Island’s
“Warbler Capital of the World,” has something to do with it!
Find more information on the many birding events in the Lake Erie Shores & Islands region at www.SHORESandISLANDS.com.
By Frank R. Satullo, The OhioTraveler
Sponsored Content
TURNING AN OHIO FARM
INTO A CLASSROOM
Agriculture
used to be an American way of life, something you just knew. Today, it’s
something taught, but not in the traditional sense or classroom – at least
not on Niederman Family Farm.
Perhaps Southwest Ohio’s largest classroom, this farm opens its 210 acres to bus loads of school children every spring so they can learn about a lifestyle all but forgotten, yet still critical to our economy and well-being as a nation.
“We need farmers in our lives,” Bethann Niederman said to a group of school kids.
Unfortunately, many farming communities have been overrun by suburban sprawl. This has left generations of children removed from the seeds that sowed America since its birth. But the Niederman family is changing that one group at a time every spring. In part, this is to save their own farm and preserve their beloved lifestyle.
“We run a working farm and use Agritourism to bring a unique educational opportunity to kids in an entertaining way,” said Bethann.
The Niedermans themselves are now surrounded by a burgeoning suburbia creeping in on all sides in what used to be an agri-center nestled between Cincinnati and Dayton.
Each spring they introduce students from near and far, who have never seen a farm before, to the new animals that are also exploring a whole new world of their own.
“People today are so busy all the time it shows just how dramatically our culture has changed over a seemingly short period of time,” said Bob Niederman. “Most of us simply take for granted the significance agriculture plays in our lives.”
Three generations of Niedermans currently live and work on the farm. They take pleasure in offering insight to a current farm as well as a nostalgic look back at a forgotten American lifestyle.
The spring school tours offer educational stations all around the farm. In one of the barns, kids take turns milking a mechanical cow. At another station, kids are in a field planting a new pumpkin crop. Still, more classes are held in a huge hayloft. When it’s time to rotate, it’s time for a hayride to the next station.
A couple of the resounding messages communicated throughout the day are nutrition and fitness, both an Achilles heel to this generation, according to many studies and reports.
“Hard work has never been so much fun,” said Dominic, a fourth grade student who recently learned a thing or two while visiting Niederman Family Farm. “I learned how a farm can give us all that we need in the Food Pyramid.”
Another emphasis in educating the public is proper animal care.
“We enjoy teachable moments so when the news of the day gives us that opportunity, we are happy to embrace it,” said Bethann. “There is so much misinformation floating in the public’s conscience, we take responsibility in planting correct and positive messages in the minds of our guests.”
When the new farmhands are finished with an honest day’s work and have filled their heads with newfound knowledge, a piece of the farm follows them back to their classrooms. Special teaching aids, programs and agri-learning tools prepared in traveling kits for teachers continue the lesson long after leaving the farm.
The Niederman family continues to adapt, educate, entertain and grow memories for a new generation each spring. As a farming family in its fourth generation, they have a lot of knowledge to share.
Niederman Family Farm is located at 5110 LeSourdesville-West Chester Road in Liberty Township, Ohio between Cincinnati and Dayton. Reservations for spring tours are required. Call 513-779-6184 or visit www.niedermanfamilyfarm.com.
By Frank R. Satullo
SCHOOLYARD NATURE NETWORK
Launched by Granny’s Garden School
The school
garden movement is taking off across the country with school gardens
cropping up at educational institutions of every size and type from coast
to coast. Creating school garden programs that last more than a year or
two is proving to be more challenging than starting them. To address this
concern, Granny’s Garden School in Loveland, Ohio, has launched the
Schoolyard Nature Network, a program that offers information, support and
training to school garden developers.
According to Roberta Paolo, the “Granny” of Granny’s Garden School, “It’s easy to plant a school garden. The challenge is to launch a school garden program that is going to survive past the first two years and continue to thrive, even if the people with the original spark move on.”
Granny, along with her team of experts and volunteers, knows what it takes to make a school garden program work. Granny’s Garden School is the largest and most comprehensive school gardening program in the Midwest. Since its founding in 2002, Granny’s Garden School has delivered more than 3,000 hours of garden-based education to more than 7,000 students in a public school environment.
Drawing on that vast base of knowledge and experience, the Schoolyard Nature Network aims to strengthen the school garden movement – not by duplicating Granny’s Garden School – but by sharing expertise, lessons learned and helping school garden program developers to identify and take advantage of their own unique resources to create a program that is successful and sustainable.
The Schoolyard Nature Network was formed to address the numerous requests for information and training from nearly 100 institutions that have toured and observed the success of Granny’s Garden School since 2002. Currently, the Schoolyard Nature Network offers workshops, training camps and free curriculum-based lesson guides and season schedules, available from Granny’s website at www.grannysgardenschool.com.
One of the key concerns school garden developers have is how to connect the garden to the classroom. Granny’s lesson guides integrate everything the garden has to offer – plants (including weeds), soil, compost, garden animals, habitats and the connectivity and interdependence of all of them – and relate the garden lesson to standards based classroom lessons in mathematics, science, social studies, history, reading, nutrition, art and even bullying.
This summer, the Schoolyard Nature Network will offer a comprehensive “Teaching in the Garden Camp” for school garden developers from June 13 – 17 in Loveland, Ohio, near Cincinnati. This weeklong, outdoor camp will focus on practical low-cost methods for establishing a school garden program and ways to integrate the garden with classroom curriculum objectives. Featuring a variety of hands-on learning opportunities and development techniques, the camp includes best practice guidelines, the practical application of teaching outdoors and the opportunity to share knowledge, expertise and challenges from a diverse group of educators. The majority of each day will be spent hands-on in the gardens and/or on the nature trail at Granny’s Garden School, and includes the opportunity to actually work with students.
About Granny’s Garden School
Founded in 2002, Granny’s Garden School is the largest and most comprehensive school garden program in the Midwest. Though located on the 25 acre campus of the consolidated primary and elementary schools in Loveland, Ohio, it is a separate 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and is not funded by the school district. The schools are attended by approximately 1,700 students and feature more than 100 vegetables gardens, many flower gardens and a .75 mile nature trail.
Teaching in the Garden Camp Registration Information
The “Teaching in the Garden Camp” costs $500 per camper, which includes breakfast, lunch and five nights lodging at Grailville plus a variety of added value items such as seeds, plants, lesson plans and floral and herb bouquets.
For more information on the Schoolyard Nature Network, the Teaching in the Garden Camp or other upcoming workshops, visit www.grannysgardenschool.com, call 513.324.2873 or email Roberta Paolo (Granny) at schoolgarden@fuse.net.
Visit the News Room for a selection of unique print ready stories and photos about school garden programs.
Family fun and adventure is abundant in Preble County Ohio; festivals and events for nearly every occasion, historical markers and covered bridge tours, camping, hunting and fishing; there’s something for everyone!
Preble County is culturally rich in agricultural heritage and offers scenery not found anywhere else in southwest Ohio; scenery such as picturesque views of barns, silos, windmills, historical markers, bridges, and fields of crops covered by the most beautiful sunsets.
Home of the world’s most famous Pork Festival and White Bengal Tiger, Preble County invites you and your family to its festivals, fair’s, antique shows, and Heavens Corner Zoo and Animal Sanctuary!
Find yourself exhilarated while Geocashing (treasure hunting) in Preble County. Adventure seekers can locate geocahes at Hueston Woods State park as well as many historical, State, and local parks - the rural landscape will add to your adventure and the communities welcome the fun!
Stop in and sip on a cup of Taffy’s Grog and other hip coffee shops. Socialize at Saucy Jacks Rock & Roll Pizzaria, or watch your favorite game at Jells Sports Grill. Preble County has many old fashioned style pubs, and diners which provide world class entertainment, culturally rich nightlife and conversation for the whole family!
A visit to Preble County will win you over; you’ll find wide-open spaces with character-rich communities that offer families all the attributes of small town USA with quick access to big city life and national attractions.
Live your weekend at Whispering Oaks Bed and Breakfast, Hueston Woods Lodge, the Fairfield Inn, or any one of the small town local hotels/motels such as New Paris's Golden Inn.
Stay for a weekend or stay
for a lifetime!
Sit back, relax, and enjoy front porch scenery without breaking the bank!
The cost of
housing in the Preble County
region is nearly a 1/3 below the national median average – for all income
levels, with an abundant amount of square footage at an affordable price
Preble County is a great place to call home.
The cost of living in Preble County is more than 21% lower than the national average ranking 78.9 compared to the national average of 100 and the cost of home ownership in the Preble County Region is one of the lowest of any major metropolitan suburban area in the country for all income levels.
Preble County offers excellent educational opportunities, safe communities, and neighborhoods. Preble County's public school expenditures per student are $8,544, the student to teacher ratio is 18.2, and the graduation rate 90.5%.
Work at anyone of Preble County’s world class companies who invest for the future and in hardworking, dedicated, talented people as well as the communities they live.
Preble County “OH, we have room for you!”
Visit:
www.PrebleCountyRegion/PlayPreble.com
Contact: (937) 456-4949 or (937) 456-8188
LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND AND
HEAD FOR THE HOCKING HILLS
Ever wonder
if there is still a place where people talk instead of text, spend less
time with their inbox, more time with their tackle box and follow tweets
coming from the sky instead of a screen? There is such a place and it is
closer than you think. Come to the Hocking Hills of Ohio where facebook
means relaxing with your face in an actual book.
Imagine a place where you can re-connect with your family and friends or just you and that special someone. You're lounging on the deck, in the hot tub or around the campfire, completely relaxed and laughing as stories of the day linger in the evening air. It's guaranteed to be one of those moments you'll wish will never end and it doesn't have to because there is so much to experience in Ohio's Hocking Hills.
Mother Nature out did herself when she created the Hocking Hills and for millions of years her artistry has been on display for all to see. From the moment you enter these lush, rolling hills, you sense that you've arrived someplace remarkable. The scenery is simply dazzling. Deep craggy gorges carry hikers down hundreds of feet along gorgeous scenic trails. Waterfalls cascade over soaring ledges.
More than 10,000 acres of breathtaking unbroken forests provide the ideal destination for the ultimate eco-adventure vacation. Ohio's Hocking Hills region is world renowned for incredible hiking. But that's just the beginning.
Indulge your adventurous soul in rock climbing and repelling. Get up close and personal with wildlife on a guided kayak tour. Canoe under a full moon and discover the magic of the Hocking River in twilight. Fly through the tree canopy on the Midwest’s premiere Zipline adventure. Explore the region by horseback and see the paths less traveled. Drop a line for the catch of the day in one of Ohio’s best fishing lakes, Lake Logan.
Take a ride on the same road Ford tests their Mustangs. After enjoying the country roads on your Harley, relax with a cold one and live music at Bike Night, Tuesdays from mid-May through mid-September. And, don’t miss the Hocking Hills Poker Run in May and the Annual Labor Day Weekend Motorcycle Rodeo.
See if you have a budding pro golfer with a round of golf at one of the most beautiful and challenging 18-hole miniature golf courses in American. Make new four-legged friends at Ruby’s Petting Zoo. Try your luck gem mining for a little bit of natural bling.
Get in touch with your inner artist. Learn stained glass techniques at the hands of a master. Have fun learning to melt glass while making your own glass beads and charms for bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Preserve all your vacation memories in scrapbooks at cropping events every Friday and Saturday evening and create a candle with your custom selected fragrances.
Do you have what it takes to be the next “Food Network Star”? Refine your skills with cooking and baking classes. From French cuisine to Holiday cookies, expert chefs share their culinary talents in hands-on classes.
Wonderful boutiques, antique shops, farm stands and flea markets dot the landscape. Artists flock to the Hills for natural inspiration. Sculptors, potters, painters, glass blowers, wood carvers, furniture makers and others will help you bring a little bit of the Hocking Hills home with you.
Legends and up and coming musicians headline the Nelsonville Music Festival. Revelers dance in the streets at the Annual Washboard Music Festival every June. Flower lovers marvel at the gardens of Lilyfest in July. Southeast Ohio’s version of Woodstock is Rootwire Music & Art Festival in August. Test your endurance at the Indian Run in September and Grandma Gatewood’s Fall Color Hike each October.
Families and friends gather around campsites, in cozy cabins and vacation homes. Couples rekindle the flame in romantic inns. Girlfriends meet to indulge in gourmet cuisine and spa treatments. And don't forget your four-legged friends. They are welcome in the Hocking Hills too.
Sure, you can get online if you absolutely must but there's no need for electronic leashes here. Why settle for a virtual vacation when the real thing is so close to home and a million miles from ho-hum.
Events:
April 15 – 17, 2011 – Shoot the Hills Photography Contest
May 13 – 15, 2011 – Nelsonville Music Festival
May 26 - 30, 2011 - Moonshine Festival, New Straitsville
June 16 - 18, 2011 - Washboard Music Festival, Historic Downtown Logan
July 8 - 10, 2011 - Lilyfest at Bishop Educational Gardens, Rockbridge
August 4 - 7, 2011 - Rootwire II Music & Art Festival, Kaeppner's Woods, Logan
Complete information to plan your trip is at www.1800hocking.com.
FREE FOR ALL!
Understanding many people don't have the discretionary income they may have had as little as a year ago, OhioTraveler.com's focus is on admission-FREE tourism. Most sections of OhioTraveler.com feature places with FREE ADMISSION at the very top of menu options. Find your free fun now:
Museums and Halls of Fame
Planes, Trains, Autos & Maritime
Historic Homes, Villages & Farms
In addition to featuring freebies and places worth the price of admission, OhioTraveler.com seeks the more interesting and unique in Ohio tourism. Instead of endless listings of events, lodging, restaurants and stores, we veer away from mainstream and choose the road less traveled. Take a look:
Lodging & Getaways
Restaurants & Eateries
Unique Shops & Shopping
Interesting Ohio Towns
Performing Arts
Wineries & Vineyards
Festivals & Events
Or search all attractions by region:
Northeast Ohio
Southeast Ohio
Central Ohio
Northwest Ohio
Southwest Ohio
Thank you for visiting OhioTraveler.com.
Ohio travel and tourism guide to Ohio tourist attractions and Ohio vacation destinations in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and all Ohio featuring Ohio travel information on festivals and events, tours, museums, arts, restaurants, lodging, wineries, parks, historic sites, outdoor activities, recreation and leisure activities and entertainment coupons, discounts and other travel deals along Ohio's roads less traveled.
Sponsored Content
by
OUR
ADVERTISERS
Auglaize & Mercer County CVB
Butler County CVB
Champaign County Chamber & VB
Clinton County CVB
Coshocton County CVB
Everything Rubbermaid
Gallia County CVB
GoodSeed Farm
Granny's Garden School
Great Mohican Pow Wow
Hocking Hills Tourism Association
KD
Guest Ranch
Keim
Family Market
Lake Erie Shores & Islands
Lake
Erie Marine Trades Assoc
Lima / Allen County CVB
Miami County Visitors
Bureau
Millers Furniture & Bakery
Niederman Family Farm
Ohio Caverns
Ohio's Historic West
Preble County Economic Dev
Put-In-Bay Chamber
Quilt Trail Gathering
Roscoe Village
Troy Main Street
Union County CVB
Wayne County CVB
The Destination
Garden Store
Inspired by a favorite garden center near their hometown, transplanted Philadelphians Marjorie and Steve Boehme moved to an abandoned Adams County farm and created a destination garden store in rural Appalachian Ohio. GoodSeed Farm offers peace and quiet, scenic beauty, and personal service to gardeners willing to travel a few miles off the main highway.
A former broiler hatchery is a rustic garden store, surrounded by acres of select quality perennials, shrubs and trees. The opposite of “big-box” shopping, this unique nursery attracts gardeners from Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and further for its robust selection.
One reason is the quality and reasonable cost of the many unusual plants offered in the nursery. The Boehmes “skim the cream” from the best growers they can find for a wide assortment of plants hand-picked for quality. Their intimate facility is designed to maintain plants in peak condition and offer a sensuous shopping experience.
Browsers are entertained by numerous species of birds and butterflies that make their homes in the plant displays. Traditional barns provide shade and shelter for plants and shoppers. Hundreds of interpretive signs help gardeners choose the right plants. “We are constantly expanding”, says owner Steve Boehme. “We always want to offer something new every time you visit”. Situated on 158 acres of scenic Appalachia, this “totally different garden store” has plenty of room to grow.
GoodSeed Farm has found its niche in the growing trend for edible landscaping, preparedness and organic gardening. They offer a large selection of home orchard plants such as apple, peach, pear, plum and cherry trees, blueberry, currant and gooseberry bushes, asparagus, rhubarb, raspberry, strawberry and blackberry plants. In season they offer six varieties of sweet potato plants, getting fresh shipments weekly. They also have sweet candy onion plants, open-pollinated heirloom seeds, and many varieties of heirloom and hybrid vegetable plants.
Another specialty is unusual perennials. The farm runs unadvertised specials on plants at their peak, with discounts of 30-50% on popular perennials, flowering shrubs and ornamental grasses. Another visitor favorite is the “bargain bench”, with closeout and “less than perfect” plants for pennies on the dollar throughout the spring season.
Steve Boehme writes a popular weekly column of garden advice called “Let’s Grow”, featured in nine newspapers in southwestern Ohio. The column is also posted online on the “weekly blog” page at www.goodseedfarm.com.
GoodSeed Farm is on the Adams County Quilt Barn Mural trail, Appalachian Discovery Birding & Heritage Trail and the North Country Trail (Buckeye Trail), and there is a one mile loop of certified hiking trail on the property for the public to enjoy. Their unique “outhouse” restroom has been nominated for the “America’s Best Restroom” contest, and they're also "pet friendly". The garden center hosts Country Garden Mother’s Day, a three-day annual event that includes a FREE plant for the first 1000 mothers attending. A video of last year’s Mother’s Day event is online at www.goodseedfarm.com.
If You Go
GoodSeed Farm Country Garden Center & Nursery is located at 200 Storer Road, Peebles, Ohio 45660, on Old State Route 32 three miles west of Peebles. Easy-to-use driving directions, hours of operation and other information are posted at www.goodseedfarm.com. Phone is 937-587-7021.
EAT, DRINK &
ENJOY THE MUSIC
Two great events return to please the palate next month in west central Ohio. The 5th annual Mercer County Ribfest is scheduled for May 6th & 7th at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina, Ohio. It will be the 3rd year for Bock & Rock, this premier beer tasting event is scheduled for May 14th in Four Seasons Park in Minster, Ohio.
Visitors to Ribfest will be tempted by eight different rib vendors, all vying for the title “Best Ribs”. With names like Smokin’ Joes Hog Wild BBQ, My Happy Place, Butter’s BBQ Bones and Sgt. Oinks BBQ, you know its gonna be good. There will be plenty of other great food available including sandwiches, fries, kettle corn and homemade ice cream. On Friday, May 6th the gates open at 5 with music by the band Free Rider from 9 to midnight. On Saturday the gates open at 11am, with the Ribfest 5K run beginning at noon. Music will be provided by the Earthquakers from 5 to 8:30 and the Naked Karate Girls from 9 to midnight. The cost of admission is $3 per person, camping is available at the fairgrounds. The money raised benefits the Mercer County Fair and the Grand Lake Mariners Summer Collegiate Baseball Team.
Over 80 beers from more than 30 brewers have been selected for this year’s Bock & Rock. Craft beers, microbrews and imports will be offered for your sampling pleasure. This year’s guest brew masters are Ken Belau with Bells Inspired Brewing and John Nejaway of Thirsty Dog Brewing Company. Food from the Wooden Shoe Inn will be available. A complimentary Sampling Glass is included with admission. The VIP Event begins at 4pm, General admission is at 6. Musical entertainment will be provide by Matt Ranly beginning at 6:30 and then at 9 Karma’s Pawn will rock the bock. You must be 21 with a valid ID to attend Bock & Rock, and they remind you to please sample responsibly. Designated driver tickets are available for the event. For ticket information and more details check out www.bockandrock.com. The money raised benefits the Minster Civic Foundation.
These events are just the beginning of fun festival season in Auglaize and Mercer Counties, Ohio. You won’t want to miss Hydroplane Boat Racing, Tractor Square Dancing, Amphi-Cars, Vintage Baseball, Mud Volleyball, Cardboard & Duct Tape Boat Races and Fabulous Fireworks. For all those events and more check out www.seemore.org/fest for a complete list of summer celebrations.
Sponsored Content
Have you noticed the colorful quilt patterns painted on barns and buildings as you travel, and wondered about them? They are called “Quilt Barns” or “Barn Quilts”, and they have a message for you. Each one has a history and a passionate group of people connected with it. Now there’s an event where you can find out all about the quilt barns, meet the artists, and rub elbows with the people behind this fast-growing phenomenon.
A Quilt Barn is a barn with a large quilt square painted or hung on the side so that the quilt pattern can be viewed as people drive past. The designs for these colorful paintings are taken from traditional quilt patterns or designed by contemporary quilt artists.
Quilt barns were first created in 2001 by Donna Sue Groves, to honor her mother, noted quilter Nina Maxine Groves. A resident of Adams County, Ohio, Donna Sue developed the idea of decorating farm buildings with quilt squares into a major visitor attraction. What began on her mother’s barn became a county-wide driving trail, and then spread like wildfire all over the country. Thirty states and two Canadian provinces now have quilt barns, with more than 3,500 known quilt squares and at least 100 dedicated driving trails.
A special 10th Anniversary celebration is planned this June, bringing together quilt barn enthusiasts from all over the country, to celebrate and honor the individual quilt trails and those who created them. The two-day “Quilt Trail Gathering” will be held May 13-14, 2011 at the Red Barn Convention Center, Adams County, Ohio. Donna Sue Groves will co-chair the event with Sonja Cropper, tourism coordinator for Brown County, Ohio.
Quilt barn enthusiasts are converging from all over the country, some carrying musical instruments, looking forward to meeting each other. The Quilt Trail Gathering is not a how-to workshop but a chance to socialize, share good food, and celebrate all the good work done by so many. Guests will get a complete picture of the quilt barn phenomenon, as a representative from each trail gets “Three Minutes of Fame”.
The first quilt barns are now ten years old, and some at Quilt Trail Gathering will likely face a new challenge: Will quilt barn trails stand the test of time? Several of the original quilt barns have been destroyed, and some are in disrepair.
“A quilt barn trail isn’t an edifice, it’s a process,” says Donna Sue Groves. “It has to constantly evolve if it’s going to survive.”
She shares this advice with anyone considering a quilt barn project: “It has to be fun. It’s about neighbors getting to know each other, bonding, personal development, recognition, and healing.” That, in a nutshell, is what the Quilt Trail Gathering is all about.
Registration information
and details about the Gathering are available at
www.quilttrailgathering.com and on Facebook at
facebook.com/quilttrailgathering. The event is made possible by the
Ohio Arts Council
www.oac.state.oh.us/grantsprogs/
oacsupport/html.asp
and el Sombrero Restaurants
www.elsombrerotroy.com/.
The Red Barn Convention Center is located at 2223 Russellville Road, Winchester, Ohio 45697. This new beautiful facility is adjacent to the Appalachian Highway (Rt. 32) at the intersection with Route 136 in southern Ohio. There is plenty of parking and also room for your RV or camper. Advance registration is required.
By Steve Boehme, syndicated gardening columnist for Let's Grow
Return to Top
