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August 09 Magazine Edition ©
OHIO'S #1 MAGAZINE AND #2 TOURISM SOURCE ONLINE
RELAX IN PIQUA
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There’s a good reason why Piqua, Ohio is known to be as comfortable as a worn pair of pajamas – it was once known as the Underwear Capital of the World. Today, Piqua entertains its visitors with beautiful recreational trails, unique small town shopping, living canal era history and original events.
Piqua continues to blaze new trails, literally, adding to an already large network that connects park systems. Significant investments and resources have enabled extensive plans to take shape over recent years. New sections of trail have recently opened and more are coming soon. Eventually, Piqua’s trails will link to a system that extends to Dayton and as far as Cincinnati.
“Word is traveling fast in Ohio’s recreational hiking circles,” said Diana Thompson, Director of the Miami County Visitors & Convention Bureau. “It definitely lends support to the cliché, build it and they will come.”
Currently, the trail system ties into the Canal Run Trail, River’s Edge Trail and Piqua Activities Trail For Health (P.A.T.H.) Rail to Trail, which is a former railroad returned to Mother Nature. Together, the network of trails provides opportunities for walking, running and bicycling. Each trail has its own unique scenery.
Once in Piqua, visitors are drawn to its heart – the Fort Piqua Plaza – where a massive $20 million restoration has just brought the Romanesque structure of the former hotel and its surroundings back to life. Dating back to the 1890’s, the hotel has played host to many famous guests including Teddy Roosevelt, Harry Houdini and the Cincinnati Red Legs. Today, the new Fort Piqua Plaza hosts a library, banquet & conference center, and Winans Coffee and Chocolates. More additions are being added, including a restaurant and other amenities.
“As far as architectural gems go, this is just for starters,” said Lorna Swisher, Director of Mainstreet Piqua. “The entire downtown area has a variety of canal-era to high Victorian style buildings that have been beautifully restored.”
Over several generations, once vibrant small town downtowns have been choked off all over the country due to a global economy, manufacturing leaving and the invasion of big-box stores. But when a success story like Piqua’s breathes new life into a charming town, authenticity blossoms again and unique mom and pop shops start to dot the landscape much like yesteryear.
Piqua’s resurgence has given a new lease on leisure shopping adventures. Quaint storefronts offering clothing, books, glassware, hardware, furniture and jewelry abound. When a break is needed from shopping at the unique merchants, many find themselves at the original family-owned restaurants and cafes. Before the day is through, it’s difficult not to go home with homemade baked goods and fresh cut flowers from the florist.
“Piqua is where the good life is,” said Rebecca Cox, enjoying an ice cream cone on the curb. “I love small towns with character.”
Of course, there’s also a reminder of bygone days evident in the antique stores and specialty shops. But to get a true feel of the good ole days, one must not travel far from downtown. For just down the bicycle trail, or just north on State Route 66, is the Piqua Historical Area State Memorial. The 220 acre site is home to a Historic Indian Museum, Colonel John Johnston Farmhouse and a restored section of the Miami-Erie Canal.
All aboard the General Harrison for a lazy afternoon ride on a replica 70-foot long 19th Century canal boat. Costumed guides direct the mule-drawn boat in an experience of a lifetime.
Over at the Johnston Farm, visitors see the preserved and period furnished two-story Dutch Colonial and Georgian style farmhouse. In addition, there’s a cider house and two-story spring house. Farm tours are led by costumed interpreters and crafters revealing life in an era long past. There’s even a large double-penned log barn dating to 1808. It’s believed to be the oldest and largest of its kind in the state. Another pleasant surprise on the grounds is an Adena Indian mound dating back more than 2,000 years.
A visit to the farm during Labor Day weekend coincides with one of the largest festivals in Ohio – the Piqua Heritage Festival. This event provides an interactive experience with a look at Ohio's link to the early frontier. Artisans will share their techniques for woodcarving, basket weaving, quilting, rag-rug making and pottery. The festival includes dozens of pre-1800's encampments and a large selection of home-made foods.
Throughout the year, Piqua has fun-filled activities and events ranging from festivities where there’s dancing in the streets to art walks. Seasonal fun features horse-drawn carriage rides, an old-fashioned holiday parade and Victorian Christmas. Also, famous in the spring is the ever popular, “Taste of the Arts” that features great food and fun for all ages! For complete details to plan a visit to Piqua and the surrounding area any time of year, call the Miami County Visitors Bureau at 1-800-348-8993 or see their web site at www.visitmiamicounty.org.
By Frank R. Satullo, the OhioTraveler
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Captain Bill
Weirauch aptly named his charter boat business "Fun Fishing and Sailing"
because that’s exactly what it delivers.
The captain knows what role to play no matter who is keeping him company. If a bunch of guys want to catch walleye, Captain Bill buddies along. If mom and dad want the kids to catch perch, Captain Bill is the grandpa that baits their hooks. If it’s a girlfriend getaway, Captain Bill is the father-figure. And for couples, he’s a chaperone.
Whether setting out to sail to Put-in-Bay for lunch or fish the day away, Captain Bill’s crews share the common bond of laughter and good times.
“I’m going fishing or sailing most days anyway, so anyone coming along makes it that much more fun,” said the captain.
But what sets his “Fun Fish” boat and “Dreamin” sailboat apart from the competitive big outfits is the intimacy. Group sizes for either vessel limit six passengers.
Fun Fishing casts off at 7:00 a.m. from Sandusky Bay Marina aboard a 30-foot Baha fishing boat that is 10-feet wide. Charters may be reserved from May 1 through October 30. Due to the marina’s close proximity to Cedar Point, charters make for a great 4 - 10 hour diversion. A unique photo opportunity puts the legendary island amusement park and its towering roller coasters in the background.
Just sit back and enjoy the scenes and leave the fish finding to the captain and his high tech gizmos. Captain Bill makes everything easy for his guests. No fishing rod? No problem, the captain has plenty, rigged and ready to cast. He even has all the bait you’ll need. You just need to bring your fishing license and snacks. If nature calls out on the water, no worries, there’s a private head below deck.
If your day is a success and you’ve filled the boat’s cooler with fish but don’t want to clean them yourself, Captain Bill will direct you to a nearby place, Lake Fish Company in Sandusky, that’ll do it for you, and it’s cheap. Plus it’s fun to watch the experts at work. First, fish are shot through a machine that scales them. Then, someone takes them to a station to clean. The precision and speed in which the knife work is done is remarkable. In the end, beautiful fillets are packed in ice in a cooler that you provide.
Walleye fishing charters are $400/group up to six people. Perch fishing
charters are $350/group up to six people.
Fishing isn’t for everyone, not even the captain’s wife. You’ll find her aboard “Dreamin” ready to sail with her husband and whoever else wants to come.
Sailing charters run from May 1 through October 10 aboard a 33.6 foot Hunter, which is 12-feet wide. Up to six people can take their turns at the helm or just kick-back and enjoy the open waters as the sailboat cuts through them en route to exceptional sites like Marblehead Lighthouse, Perry’s Monument and Cedar Point on an eight-hour leisure trip around the Bass Islands. A shorter excursion for four hours tools around Sandusky Bay.
The captain provides drinks and munchies for the sailing charters. The only thing guests need to remember is the camera. Nothing feels more like a vacation than the sight of sails being hoisted while you’re day-dreamin on a sailboat.
Sailing charters are $200/group up to six people for four hours, $300/group up to six people for 8-10 hours and $400/group up to four people for overnight/24-hour trips. In addition, week-long sailing charters are offered at reasonable rates as well.
Captain Bill is retired and charters his boats for fun and extra money to help with upkeep. With more than 15 years of experience sailing and fishing on Lake Erie, he puts safety first and tries to make everyone’s experience a memorable one. He has a U.S.C.G. 50-ton Masters License with a sailing endorsement. The captain is an Ohio licensed fishing guide, a member of the Harbor Bay Yacht Club, Associate member of the Inter-Lakes Yachting Association and member of the Sandusky Charter Boat Association.
To book a charter aboard Fun Fish or Dreamin at Fun Fishing and Sailing, L.L.C., call Captain Bill Weirauch at 419-592-0761 for fishing trips or 419-966-3817 for sailing trips. More information is at www.funfishingsailingcharters.com.
By Frank R. Satullo, the OhioTraveler
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THE CELINA GOVERNOR'S CUP REGATTA
The
engines roar and the plumes of water spray as the hydroplane racers skim
across the surface of the lake. They fly around the course which such
great speed that it appears any wave or wind might send them airborne.
That is the excitement that draws fans of speed and competition to
hydroplane racing.
The Governor’s Cup Regatta, hydroplane race began in 1958 when Ohio Governor C. William O’Neal presented the silver cup to Joe Allbee, driver of the “Sir Ron II. For the next 13 years The Governor’s Cup Regatta was conducted by the St. Mary’s Boat Club and the Celina Lions Club. Crowds packed the shoreline of Celina to watch the drivers duel it out. 1970 was the last year for the event. Due to changes in leadership of both clubs it was decided to discontinue the very expensive event.
In 1995 Tom Saddler formed a group to restart the event. The new, not for profit corporation, was able to obtain the proper amount of sponsorship to bring the event back to the original race site located in the Northwest corner of Grand Lake St. Marys. Over 100 volunteers work to make this event a success.
The start was slow because many people had never seen a hydroplane race. Some of the “old timers” talked about waking up to the sound of racing engines for two days each year. Many of the racers are the second, third or fourth generation of the original competitors. The original Governor’s Cup was located and restored to be used in the second round of hydroplane racing on the lake. Since 1995 the event has continued to attract more spectators and competitors each year. Crowds are estimated to be 30,000 spectators for the weekend.
This prestigious event will attract 80 race teams, in 7 classes, from across the United States and Canada. Speeds will reach 150 MPH as the hydroplanes roar across the finish line on the one mile record course.
Testing will take place on Saturday and Sunday Mornings with heat racing to begin at noon both days.
A
large number of Vintage Hydroplanes will be on display. Some of these
boats raced in the original Governor’s Cup. Once a day these Vintage
hydroplanes will hit the water to bring back the memories of the 50’s.
Admission is free with food vendors, rides for the kids and free entertainment on Saturday Night. The Country Mile Band will play without a cover charge. Enjoy a day or two of fun in the sun, August 22 & 23, 2009, Lakeshore Park, Celina Ohio is the place to bring the entire family for “Free Family Fun” and exciting racing action.
The Major sponsors are: The City of Celina, Pepsi, Your Hometown Lima Stations & Time Warner Cable. Visit our website: www.celinaevents.com for complete details.
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IT ISN’T A PARTY UNLESS
EVERYTHING RUBBERMAID IS THERE
Everything
Rubbermaid is everywhere, or so it seems. At least it shows up where ever
there is fun around Wooster, Ohio.
The iconic Everything Rubbermaid Store in downtown Wooster has long attracted visitors from near and far, but the store also travels to where people gather for festivities throughout the year, or hosts its own festivities.
Currently, Everything Rubbermaid is sponsoring the downtown Wooster Farmers Market in the public square every Saturday from 8am to Noon through October. Visitors will find seasonal produce, flowers, baked goods, and crafts for sale. Often times, there’s Music at the Market increasing the lure of this popular event.
On August 14th, you can catch a Concert & Cruise In where Wooster rocks and street rods and classic cars roll just outside the Everything Rubbermaid Store. Car enthusiasts from all over jam in the streets to festive music as they make their rounds to see street machines of all makes and models every June and August. Rubbermaid is always there to greet them.
A month later, the streets of Wooster are again serenaded with music, fun and Everything Rubbermaid! The Wooster Arts & Jazz Fest is from 11am to 5pm on September 20th. It features art, quality food, and traditional New Orleans-style parade and jazz music from the parking lot of the anchor Rubbermaid Store.
Everything Rubbermaid participates in two major Wayne County events each year. One is the Uptown, Downtown, All-Around Town Yard Sale in Orrville, Ohio on October 3rd from 9am to 4pm. This city-wide garage sale event features more than 100 yard and sidewalk sales throughout the historic downtown shopping district and all around the town. One of the special attractions is the Everything Rubbermaid Store tent sale in the Orrville Market Place parking lot. This one-of-a-kind tent sale features overstocks and seconds at bargain prices.
Also in October is Woosterfest! This traditional Oktoberfest celebration is put on just outside Rubbermaid’s doors in Public Square from October 2 to 3, 2009. The entertainment doesn’t get any better than the annual Woosterfest talent show, live music, bier stein contest, biergarten, Weingarten and lots of food.
Throughout November, Everything Rubbermaid Store joins with Wooster’s downtown merchants for Window Wonderland just in time for the holidays. The nostalgic evening transcends the historic northeast Ohio town into Christmas scenes from yesteryear. It kicks off with the lighting of The Children’s Christmas tree amidst character walk-around figures strolling the streets. Hot cocoa fills the brisk evening air and is free along with coffee and cookies at several locations. The air fills with the sound of music from a children’s choir, caroling in the streets and strolling musicians.
At the old Rubbermaid Store, the nostalgia is heightened to new levels. Throughout the December Christmas shopping season, signs of a storied history appear throughout the four floors of the store. This is no more evident than seeing the use of old air tubes to send the children’s Christmas lists to Santa at the North Pole and receive an instant reply and treat. The air tubes were originally used by sales clerks to send payments from customers to the fourth floor for processing. Then the tube would return the receipt and any change due.
Rubbermaid’s presence at festivities and hosting of special events doesn’t stop there. A few more include the second major Wayne County Rubbermaid event of the year – the April Home and Garden Show at the county fairgrounds. A couple truckloads of merchandise are shipped from the store and sold at steep discounts. The show features 200 home and garden-related exhibits, RV and new car displays, concession and plenty of activities for the kids. In addition, Rubbermaid participates in the July Artfully Delicious Taste of Wooster.
The Everything Rubbermaid Store features four floors of an assortment of merchandise you can’t see anywhere else. Bus tours are welcome. Everything Rubbermaid is open seven days per week from April through December; Monday through Friday 9:30-6:00, Saturday from 9:30-5:00, and Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00. The store is closed on major holidays. If a trip to the iconic anchor store at the corner of Market and Liberty Street in downtown Wooster, Ohio is not possible, then shop Everything Rubbermaid online at eBay.com or by mail-order.
The eBay store is everythingrubbermaid01 and offers hundreds of items available immediately by auction. If you can’t find a particular item anymore, and it is still being manufactured, chances are pretty good you can have it sent by mail-order from the Everything Rubbermaid Store. The mail-order department handles all kinds of orders small or large.
For more information, visit www. everythingrubbermaidstore.com, call 330-264-7119 or e-mail everythingrubbermaid@hotmail.com.
By Frank R. Satullo
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GOING BACK TO BASICS
GOING BACK TO AMISH COUNTRY
Tough
economic times aren’t turning people Amish but they are turning people
back to basics.
Perhaps less IS more.
When we can’t afford every new gadget that comes to market, we tend to appreciate more what we have. Core qualities such as working with our hands and spending more time with our families, away from screens, have reopened many eyes to a whole old-world.
For those struggling today, a trip down Wheat Ridge Road in Southwestern Ohio Amish country may bring focus back to life and help realize what’s really important. Unlike well-known, tourist-overrun Amish communities, the Wheat Ridge Amish have cornered a quiet piece of Ohio where their lifestyle is uninterrupted by congestion too many of us know all too well.
The old-fashioned Sunday drive and a picnic in the rolling hills of Amish-country are again fashionable, but under another name – staycation. It does the soul good. It reconnects us to what’s important in our lives. And it costs no more than the gas money to get there and back. But once you’re there, you may catch a sweet smell in the air that lures you further down the road to Miller’s Bakery to add a little something to that picnic basket.
Fresh from the oven are homemade breads, pies and rolls of all sorts. It may trigger a mouth-watering reaction that prevents the baked goods from ever seeing that picnic blanket. As you sit on the porch licking the corners of your mouth, your ears may pick up the sound of hammers and saws leading you across the way to Miller’s Furniture.
It’s fun to take a self-guided tour through the wide variety of indoor and outdoor furniture that has that fresh wood smell. The craftsmanship and styles let’s you know this is the real deal. Amish hands took their time making sure these pieces are heirloom quality. From chairs, tables and cabinets to rockers, curios and entertainment centers, the Miller family has a wide selection. But if they are missing something, no worries, they will make whatever you’re looking for and do it the same way they have for more than 30 years.
Realizing how the day has drifted away, taking in the Miller’s shops, you realize there’s yet another one to explore. Inside it, there are isles and isles of bulk foods. Instinctively, knowing you may not be back there anytime soon, and that the cooler for the picnic will soon be empty, you grab a cart and stock up on Amish-made jams, cheeses, meats, honey, baking supplies and a cookbook with timeless Ohio Amish recipes, some straight from the Miller family kitchen.
A trip to the rolling hills of Adams County’s quiet Wheat Ridge Amish community and Miller’s Furniture, Bakery and Bulk Foods may be planned when the Miller family offers incentive to patron their shops. Every year, there are special events and sales during Labor Day Weekend, fall cookouts, end of year clearances and from time-to-time, quilt auctions and other special occasions. The following are planned for the remainder of 2009:
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September 3, 4, 5 and 7, 2009 (closed the 6th): Labor Day weekend storewide 10% off sale (furniture store only), includes all items in stock and special orders placed during sale (excluding outdoor buildings and gazebos).
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September 5, 2009: Twelfth Annual Amish School Benefit Cookout.
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September 25, 2009: School Benefit Auction.
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October 3, 2009: The 32nd Annual Miller's Anniversary Customer Appreciation Day Sale.
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November 27 & 28, 2009: Thanksgiving storewide 10% off sale (furniture store only), includes all items in stock and special orders placed during sale (excluding outdoor buildings and gazebos).
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December 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31, 2009 and January 1, 2010: End of Year Clearance Sale
Once the therapeutic trip to an authentic, non-touristy, Amish country brings a smile back to those faces of the tired and weary, they may not want to return without a piece of Amish country with them. To plan a visit to see the Wheat Ridge Amish community and visit Miller’s Furniture, Bakery and Bulk Foods, call 937-544-8524 or log onto ohiotraveler.com/ohio_amish_stores.htm. Miller’s is located at 960 Wheat Ridge Road in West Union, Ohio 45693.
By Frank R. Satullo
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TOP-10 THINGS TO DO
BEFORE SUMMER ENDS
With
lush forests, rolling hills, vast lakes and an abundance of cultural
experiences, America’s heartland – Ohio – offers a diversity of vacation
adventures, from easy to extreme. Located throughout the state,
Ohio State Park Resorts operated by
Xanterra Parks & Resorts are as diverse as the Ohio landscape and
provide a comfortable, affordable and inviting home base for travelers
seeking a memorable Midwestern vacation.
Employees of Xanterra are not only experts on places to go and things to do
in and around their respective parks, they are also often adventurers
themselves. Anglers, extreme hikers, scratch golfers and birding experts can
be found behind the front desks, in the restaurants, on the golf courses and
at the marinas at many of the resorts. Here are some of their favorite Ohio
adventures, compiled in “top 10” format and ranked from the easiest to the
toughest physical experience.
1. Pack a picnic lunch – all seven resorts will prepare box lunches for
visitors – and set out for a picnic shelter or scenic spot within any of the
parks. Box lunches cost around $11 and typically include sandwiches, drinks,
chips, fruit and cookies. Some particularly idyllic spots include anywhere
along the Buckeye Loop Trail in
Burr Oak State Park, the Covered Bridge spanning the Clear Fork River in
Mohican State Park, on a grassy knoll along Punderson Lake in
Punderson State Park or on the Lake Erie beach in Maumee Bay State Park.
2. Go “shrooming,” count butterflies, catch catfish, build a bat box. Ohio
State Park naturalists offer a variety of programs to teach visitors about
the natural world. Future fungus aficionados can learn about safe
mushroom-hunting during the spring and early summer months. Because of its
“ick-factor” – and the built-in side benefit of getting really dirty – this
particular adventure ranks high among young participants. For a list of
naturalist events by park visit
www.dnr.state.oh.us.
3. Row a boat. Human-powered transportation is cool right now, and rowing
canoes, kayaks and rowboats is becoming increasingly popular. Rowing is an
activity that can be as intense or easy as its human engine desires. At
Maumee Bay State Park Resort, guests can rent rowboats and canoes for $7 per
hour. Other kinds of boats can be rented as well. At Burr Oak State Park
Resort, for example, families can rent a 10-passenger pontoon boat for two
hours for only $5 per adult. For complete information about boating visit
www.dnr.state.oh.us.
4. Discover your inner archer. Punderson,
Salt Fork,
Shawnee and
Hueston Woods State Parks all offer archery ranges, free for use by park
visitors. Visitors should bring their own equipment.
5. Fling a disc. Disc golf is coming this summer to Hueston Woods and
Punderson Manor State Parks, and game-loving employees are eagerly awaiting
this opportunity to hone their disc-throwing skills. The sport of disc golf
evolved as an offshoot of the Frisbee craze. Similar to traditional golf,
disc golf players use discs and aim for a Disc Pole Hole, a pole extending
up from the ground with chains and a basket where the disc lands. The sport
is easy to learn and accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels.
6. Hunt for treasure. Geocaching equipment is available at Punderson, Salt
Fork, Maumee Bay and Hueston Woods State Park Resorts. High-tech treasure
hunting using hand-held Global Positioning Systems (GPS) has become a
popular activity for outdoor enthusiasts, especially families who enjoy
kid-friendly outdoor pursuits. A typical cache is a small, waterproof
container with a logbook and “treasure,” usually a small-value trinket.
7. Cast for walleye. Some of the very best walleye fishing in the world is
in Lake Erie, and Maumee Bay State Park Resort, right on this Great Lake’s
shore, is a perfect spot to rest a casting arm at the end of the day.
Catfish, freshwater drum, small mouth bass and yellow perch are also
abundant. For those who prefer a tamer fishing venue, a man-made lake on the
resort grounds also offers good pan-fishing opportunities. There are even
two wheelchair-accessible piers. For BYOBers (Bring Your Own Boaters), the
resort marina offers 24 overnight slips with electricity and water as well
as seven transient slips for day-use visitors.
8. Ride a horse. Equestrians can choose from a variety of bridle trails.
There are 52 miles of trails at Salt Fork, 18 miles at Hueston Woods and 35
miles at Mohican State Park. The Mohican State Park bridle trail leads right
up to the lodge where there is a hitching line for equestrians who want to
visit the resort for a meal or break before continuing their journey. Some
state park bridle trails have multiple uses so riders should watch for
hikers and mountain bikers.
9. Freewheel it on a mountain bike. Mohican State Park offers a 24.5-mile
trail that passes through the park as well as the adjacent Mohican State
Forest. The terrain ranges from rugged to easy and flat. Mountain biking is
a great outdoor exercise that will test your fitness.
10. Hike Ohio. Get a good night’s sleep at the Shawnee State Park Resort,
eat a hearty breakfast at the O-Hee-Yuh Restaurant, check the contents of
your backpack and then set out on the Buckeye Trail, a 1,450-mile
long-distance trail that loops around the interior of the entire state of
Ohio. Entering the Shawnee State Forest, the area is often called the
“Little Smokies” because of its spectacular views and lush forest land. The
Shawnee section of the trail follows backcountry roads for several miles.
The spectacular trail is maintained and managed by the private, non-profit
Buckeye Trail Association, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Complete information about the facilities at each of the seven Ohio State
Park Resorts, visit
www.atapark.com or call 1-800-AT-A-PARK (1-800-282-7275).
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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
at The Akron Art Museum
The
Akron Art Museum is honored to present an exhibition of recently deceased
American photographer Helen Levitt’s work through October 4, 2009. Known
for her “street photography” around New York City, Levitt was one of the
most celebrated artists of our time.
In 1943, after five years of shooting photos, Levitt had her first solo
exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, one of the pinnacles of art
world success both then and now. Decades later, the extraordinary,
precocious artist would be announced winner of the Akron Art Museum’s 2007
John S. and James L. Knight Purchase Award for Photographic Media. This
exhibition, held 66 years later, comprises pictures from the Akron Art
Museum’s collection including works donated by the artist’s colleagues,
friends and admirers over the past decade, as well as the recent Knight
Award purchases.
Never a household name, Levitt has always been regarded as "a
photographer’s photographer." Levitt’s explanation of her decision to
become a photographer, writes critic Adam Gopnik, "is so startlingly
simple that it sounds, it must be, sincere. She became a photographer
because she wanted to be an artist and couldn’t draw. She was affected by
the time [the end of the Great Depression] and tried to photograph
‘conditions.' Then she...realized it was better not to photograph
conditions, and she started photographing people."
The streets of New York were Levitt’s milieu. She made many of her images
in the days before air conditioning and television, when communal and
domestic pleasures and dramas were played out on the front stoop, the
sidewalk and in the street. Because her images were found rather than
posed, she had to be patient and have an intuitive relationship with the
camera, an exceptional eye for gesture and composition, and a deep
understanding of human behavior. While Levitt photographed New York, her
pictures reveal universal truths about human nature and human
relationships.
An outstanding artist whose talents went beyond photography and into the world of film and books, Levitt received an Academy Award nomination for her screenplay of The Quiet One in 1948 and published eight books of her documentary photography.
She lived modestly in a spare fourth-floor walk-up in New York’s Greenwich Village. Her constant companion was an enormous and very spoiled cat. Friends regularly dropped by to help and chat. On March 29, 2009, Levitt passed away there in her sleep at age 95. Her legacy to us is a marvelous body of photographs and films.
Hattie’s
Café Express
Now Open
at the Akron Art Museum
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MUSKINGHAM RIVER
STATE PARK
History books— somewhere back in grade school—stated that the Northwest Territory was wild, primitive, unpredictable, and inhabited by hostile Indians. I assumed they were referring to that broad space where the Canadian border meets the Pacific Ocean. What a surprise when I learned the authors were alluding to Ohio.
Actually the frontier delegated by the Continental Congress in 1787 was all the land west of Pennsylvania between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, which now includes six states. However, Marietta was the first permanent settlement, and Ohio was the first state admitted (1803) from the Northwest Territory.
Marietta, named in honor of Queen Marie Antoinette of France who assisted in our war of independence, was wisely sited for the first outpost. Located at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it proved to be key to the economic development of the area.
What is known today as the Muskingum River Parkway was the super highway of the time connecting Ohio River traffic to the Ohio and Erie Canal which in turn led to Lake Erie and the all important markets back east.
The Muskingum River formed by the joining of the Walhonding and Tuscarawas Rivers at Coshocton is the largest river lying solely within Ohio and flows 112 miles before merging at Marietta.
The lure of the new territory brought entrepreneurs and adventurers of every stripe. One of them was Major Samuel Curtis, a graduate of West Point, who immediately saw the potential of the Muskingum River. The forces of nature had done a commendable job of designing the route, but altering the waterway to accommodate commercial barges and paddle wheelers of the day was man’s obligation.
Curtis designed a system of ten dams and eleven locks, to make the Muskingum navigable from Marietta to Dresden, (about 100 miles) where it intersected the canal. The transformation to a major water route took years of hand labor and ingenuity, but by 1841 it was ready for the first boats to pass through the locks.
It’s remarkable because unlike the short-lived canals that are a footnote in history, the hand-operated Muskingum River navigational system is in operation to this day, and recognized as one of America’s great engineering accomplishments.
In 2001 the system was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Engineers—accompanying projects such as the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Probably the most exciting water excursion in the state is sailing on the Muskingum River and navigating the locks, which can be done in anything from a canoe to unlimited powerboats. This summer locks 11 and 10 at Zanesville are temporarily closed for repair, making it necessary to launch south of that point for any lengthy voyage up or downstream. Fish are abundant and anglers can dangle hooks from anywhere except the walls of the locks. At every lock below 9 at Philo you can fry your catch at picnic facilities and there are public boat ramps at most of them.
For non-boaters, route 60 is an exceptionally scenic drive in summer and fall that mimics nearly ever turn of the river through southeastern Ohio hill country. The road takes you past numerous camping and picnic sites, and also allows you to witness the extraordinary function of the locks.
By either mode of travel you’re dropped off at Marietta, rich in culture and history from the days of being the doorway to the Northwest Territory.
The Campus Martius Museum, at the corner of Washington and Second Streets, stands on the site of the first fortification of the founders. The archives explore prehistoric Indian populations of the area and displays original pioneer artifacts. Primarily however, attention is placed on the history of migration into Ohio from the opening of the territory through later waves of movement from Appalachia to Ohio’s industrial centers as late as 1970.
A walk one block east will take you to the Ohio River Museum, which consists of three exhibit buildings where you can explore the golden age of the steamboat and the significance of water travel in our nation’s early development. There is a video presentation of steamboats as well as tools and equipment of boat building, and the ecological history of the Ohio River system. Outside the museum you can take a tour of the W.P. Snyder JR.—the last intact steam-powered stern-wheeled boat in the United States. Other exhibits include a pilothouse from an actual steamboat and a full-scale reproduction of an early flatboat.
For campers, day-trippers, or weeklong vacationers, a trip down the Muskingum River Parkway and a visit to Marietta offers recreation, relaxation, and history. Rejuvenating in every aspect, grasp as much as time and temperance will allow. You won’t be disappointed.
For more information, contact Ohio River Museum at 740-373-3750 or 800-860-0145; Dillon State Park at 740-453-4377 or 866-644-6727 for camping reservations.
By Robert Carpenter
Robert Carpenter was born and raised in the New Philadelphia, Ohio area.
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Hattie’s Café Express
Café service returns to the Akron Art Museum with the opening of Hattie’s Café Express.
Featuring fair trade coffees, fresh baked goods, cool salads, piping hot soups, hearty sandwiches and gourmet chocolate desserts, Hattie’s Café Express is adjacent to the Beatrice Knapp McDowell Grand Lobby and offers indoor and outdoor seating for an enjoyable, authentic coffeehouse experience. Savor a full line of the latest tastes ranging from $4 - $7. Also available are brown-bag lunches for offsite meetings and tours. All of the food at the café is made fresh daily.
Like the other Hattie’s Cafés, Hattie’s Café Express is a Hattie Larlham vocation program for area adults with disabilities. Your patronage provides a safe and educational environment where people with disabilities learn valuable and rewarding career skills as they contribute to their community.
“Our entire team is excited for the opportunity to serve our fantastic, fresh food to new customers in the beautiful Akron Art Museum,” said Dotty Grexa, executive director, Incubator. “Two new vocational positions were created for people with disabilities.”
The café is an offshoot of the popular Hattie’s Café and Gifts in Hudson and Akron, which are operated by Hattie Larlham, a non-profit organization.
People with disabilities are employed in the café and are given the opportunity to work with job coaches serving up food, ringing out customers and helping with shipments.
“It is great to see energy in the café again,” said Sue Parker, special events manager at the Akron Art Museum. “Welcome Hattie’s!”
The café is open for business from 11 am – 3 pm, Wednesday through Sunday and 11 am – 7:30 pm on Thursdays. Museum admission is not required to eat in the café.
For more information, please call 330.376.9186 x212 or visit www.AkronArtMuseum.org.
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