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September 09 Magazine Edition ©
OHIO'S #1 MAGAZINE AND #2 TOURISM SOURCE ONLINE
Butler County
Has More Than
JUST A FEW OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS
To Do Before It Snows
Butler County has gone from largely drive-through country to one of Ohio’s top destinations.
Nestled between Cincinnati and Dayton, it offers some of the hottest new attractions anywhere, including Wake Nation, EnterTRAINment Junction, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park’s Museum of Ancient Sculpture and seasoned favorite – Jungle Jim’s International Market. Top that with the annual kite festival where imaginative designs glide over the inland oasis at Voice of America Park; and a popular hot air balloon festival featuring sanctioned competitions, and it’s no wonder Butler County, Ohio is known as the destination designed for you.
Wake Nation Cincinnati has three months left in its inaugural season. Although cable wakeboarding is one of the most rapidly growing sports in the country, only six such parks exist, the next nearest being more than 600 miles away. Open daily through October, beginners to experts are welcome to grab a cable and take a spin around a three acre island gliding atop the water. The pulley system is designed to circulate among six 30-foot towers allowing complete freedom for wakeboarders, skiers and kneeboarders to do just about anything they want while covering the 12-acre man-made lake. Participants must be at least 10-years-old.
Another new man-made lake geared for entertainment is found at Voice of America Park. This destination is diverse in activities and festivities, and has a fascinating link to our nation’s history. The 435-acre park has undergone many transformations in the past few years and has more planned. Currently, it features a 35-acre stocked lake that invites fishing, paddle boats and kayaks, and there is a 1.4 mile paved walking and biking trail surrounding it. Indoor banquet facilities and a large gazebo overlook the water, and from time-to-time host live music. There is also a dog park and many hiking trails. In addition, there are vast sporting fields, which serve as the ideal location for the spring kite festival featuring an amazing array of kites ranging from wacky to incredible.
Much of the park’s acreage remains as grassland, leading to the site’s designation as an “Important Birding Area” by Audubon Ohio. The new Miami University Learning Center is located adjacent to the park. In the works are plans to create a museum of radio history out of the significant structure, Voice of America - Bethany Relay Station, which was a critical link in World-War II communication to countries overseas. If you don’t get to utilize the park before it snows, come afterward with your sled for the fun-packed 65-foot-high sledding hill.
A park with a different twist is Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park featuring the unique new Museum of Ancient Sculpture. The building’s design resembles a Roman house with a garden open to the sky in its center. A wide, covered, cloister-styled walkway encircles the garden featuring sixteen custom carved, stone columns supporting a red tile roof. Inside is a gallery of ancient sculpture dating from the Roman Empire, the Egyptian Dynasties, the ancient Greek civilization and the Etruscan culture.
Outside is a 265-acre sculpture park woven into the natural beauty of vast meadows, woodlands, gardens and seven lakes. Visitors come for group tours, individual driving and walking escapes, picnics, photography and art, as well as for the educational programs in art, horticulture, geology, and the environment making Pyramid Hill a busy learning center. The park also has meeting facilities and amenities for groups large and small, including an amphitheatre with room for a thousand guests. Its namesake comes from the stone pyramid encircled by stone columns in a clearing on top of a wooded hill. Another pyramid on the grounds – the underground “Pyramid House” – has reached national notoriety.
If a trip to Pyramid Hill doesn’t happen before it snows, it features an annual holiday light display between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Creative light displays illuminate sculptures, lakes and rolling hills across the entire park for a driving tour. In addition, many special events and activities are planned year round.
Whether planning a picnic at Pyramid Hill or Voice of America or making a trip to get hard-to-find cultural foods from around the world or just wanting to see the spectacle known as Jungle Jim’s International Market, there’s entertainment and groceries like no other at this internationally recognized madcap grocer.
A trip to Jungle Jim’s isn’t shopping, it’s an adventure. This 300,000 square-foot food-tropolis has 150,000 different items from over 75 countries featuring 22 "shops" within the store, a cooking school, the 10,000 square-foot Oscar Event Center, 12,000 wine labels and 1,200 beer labels to choose from, and of course, those wild and sensational displays that boggle the mind.
The store has surprises around every corner ranging from singing cereal boxes and a giant can of soup swinging overhead to a real antique fire engine atop an isle of hot sauces and a two-story block of cheese. Everything added to the store comes with grandiose. Whether it’s the zoo-like exterior complete with Tram or the live seafood tanks and bizarre, award-winning, wacky restrooms, Jungle Jim's International Market is best described as a theme park for foodies.
A spectacle of a different sort showcases the world’s largest indoor train display – EnterTRAINment Junction!
The ornate detail that makes each scene and railroading era come to life is as fascinating as the 90 G-scale trains roaming two miles of track, 17-foot mountains and 11-foot waterfalls. You never know what to expect around each turn but come to realize, it’ll be eye-popping.
That’s just half the story here. Go from EnterTRAINment Junction to FunHouse Junction.
Currently Funhouse Junction brings back the old amusement park fun-houses complete with trick mirrors, spinning black holes, hurricane rooms and other favorites. In Fall, it transforms into a kid-friendly Jack-o-Lantern Junction where ghouls and goblins can roam well-lit mazes through an old Victorian village, cobwebs and “haunted” rooms. Then they can walk through mirror mazes, clown rooms, a room with chain-link mazes and wind-tunnel, all in a low-scare environment. But beware, weekend nights is when it truly gets intense and scary! Ripper's Revenge will make your worst nightmare come true as you navigate foggy back alleyways of 1880s London and Fear Factory awaits with its blood-curdling terror of mayhem-minded clowns. In December it mellows into a re-creation of the Charles Dickens period, and the whole family can also take a Journey to the North Pole and visit Santa’s Village.
Separating the two junctions is a life-size 19th Century train depot and rail town with streetlights, shops, party rooms, and café. The facility also features a railroad museum, children’s play area, model train expo, hobby shop, party and meeting rooms.
Want more? Butler County is the destination designed for you for a reason. Although the newer mega attractions are making headlines today, there are some oldies but goodies and hidden gems.
An art lovers gem for touring and shopping is BeauVerre/Riordan Studio where stained glass artisans are at work filling international orders. Staying with the art theme, University of Miami features the Lowe Art Museum, picturesque architecture and streetscapes. It also has the McGuffey Museum, which is the former home of William Holmes McGuffey, author of the acclaimed McGuffey Readers.
A trip anywhere usually involves dining and shopping. Many restaurants ranging from fine dining to favorite eateries are found throughout Butler County but a couple new jaunts creating buzz are Jag’s Steak & Seafood and Mesh, featuring wine, jazz, R&B and dance. Adventures in shopping are also numerous and diverse, but two new favorites are Brown’s Marketplace and IKEA. The two are worlds apart. Browns features Amish-made goods, whereas IKEA – the pop-icon Swedish super-store – has gained a faithful following of budget-minded customers shopping for contemporary furniture.
Details such as hours, admissions and directions for any of these Butler County hot-spots are available at www.destinationbutlercounty.com or by calling 888-462-2282. Butler County and its attractions are conveniently located off I-75 between Cincinnati and Dayton near Indiana and Kentucky.
Click here for another video featuring more Butler County attractions.
By Frank R. Satullo, the OhioTraveler
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DOWN ON THE REAL FARM
During Harvest Season & Bob Evans Farm Festival
With The Backdrop of Gallia County’s Appalachia Fall Foliage
Bob
Evans Farm is synonymous with hospitality and great food. But the
original farm and restaurant in Rio Grande, Ohio is everything Appalachia,
especially come harvest season.
Truckers know the best back roads and often discover the best secrets across the country. Make no mistake; they also travel with enormous appetites. In 1948, Bob Evans had a 12-stool diner and served a lot of breakfasts, but he couldn’t seem to find decent sausage for the menu. He turned to the hogs he had on the farm and decided to use their best parts. When truckers began ordering 10-pound tubs to go, he knew he had created something tasty. The original restaurant was called The Sausage Shop, but that, as we know, changed. By 1962, so many folks traveled to the farm, a restaurant had to be built to accommodate the demand, hence an icon was born.
The humble beginnings of what were once a stagecoach stop and inn had grown to epic proportions. Today, the heritage of this great American family and their story is best told “down on the farm” the second full weekend in October every year. From October 9 – 11, 2009, more than 15,000 servings of Bob Evans Sausage will be served. It takes 79 tents to accommodate the droves of visitors during the three-day event. Primitive and RV camping sites are available across the massive area reserved for this annual Rio Grande population explosion.
The festival’s activities are many. Some annual favorites are the sheep shearing and Border collie herding demonstrations; horseshoe pitching and cow chip toss; apple peeling and corn shelling. Youngsters enjoy an interactive barnyard, hay bale maze, horseback and wagon rides. The live musical entertainment has just about everything, including bluegrass music, gospel and traditional Appalachian music. And if there’s music, you know there’s dancing, including line dancing, square dancing and clogging.
The festival each year coincides with the fall harvest. Every year, thousands of servings of sausage, biscuits and gravy are consumed with a smile along with beans, and French fries. To top it off, there are apple dumplings and award-winning pies galore.
More than 100 artisans demonstrate and sell their wares, using tools and techniques that haven’t been seen in more than 100 years. Artisan demonstrations include blacksmithing, quilting, pottery, soap making, leatherworking, weaving and stained glass works.
Bob Evans original farm is open to visitors April 1 through December 23 from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm each day You’ll notice a fully operational restaurant that looks very familiar. In addition, the farm’s heritage lives on inside the Homestead Museum. The Museum is the old brick farmhouse where Bob Evans lived with his wife and children for 20 years. It is now on the National Registry of Historic Places and was once a stagecoach stop and inn. Guests may also tour an authentic log cabin village dating back to the 1800’s along Raccoon Creek. The log cabins were once homes and schools.
Although Bob Evans Farm may be considered the heart of Gallia County, there is much more to see in the picturesque communities and countryside along the rolling Appalachian foothills snuggling the banks of the Ohio River.
Pick your route to Gallia County from the Ohio River Scenic Byway or the Amish path that connects 30 Amish merchants. The back roads of Gallia County lead to places like the Gallipolis City Park for majestic views of the Ohio River with the City Park as its backdrop, showcasing an explosion of fall colors.
Gallia County is a hidden Midwest delight for hikers, bikers, and paddlers. The former CSX railway is a rail to trails project that will span 28 miles and has three sections already completed that rolls through farmland, small towns and over bridges. Fall foliage is abundant throughout the area. There are natural wonders that set it apart from other Southeast Ohio Appalachia destinations. One stop is the 66-acre wetland that is now Elizabeth Evans Waterfowl and Bird Sanctuary. It is home to the black duck, painted turtles and great blue heron to name a few. The Crown City Wildlife Area is 11,000 acres set aside for the fishing and outdoor enthusiast. It is well-known for its deer, turkey, grouse, rabbit, quail and waterfowl hunting.
Then there’s part of the Wayne National Forest with its untouched quarter million acres sprawled across these Appalachian foothills. Raccoon Creek County Park offers canoe access to Raccoon Creek so that folks can float through time. Downstream sites include Daniel Boone’s hunting grounds, the place that Morgan’s Raiders stormed and burned a bridge spanning the creek in 1863 and the Ponn Humpback Covered Bridge constructed in 1874 that is listed on the National Historic Register.
Whether it’s historic sites, the arts, outdoor fun or the galas in Gallia County, this Southeast Ohio River region promises to be the land of plenty this 2009 harvest season. Fall into an autumn to remember by calling the Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-765-6482 or begin your journey at www.visitgallia.com.
By Frank R. Satullo, The OhioTraveler
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Rare Discovery Creates Memories
By Sandy Zeigler, Travel Journalist
Sunday
afternoons offered special time for my dad and me. After church and the
noon meal were completed, Mom was ready for her afternoon nap. Dad and I
would walk newly plowed fields. Dad had an eagle’s eye for spotting Indian
artifacts. We would walk slowly over the dirt. My prizes would sometimes
include pieces of flint, but more often than not, I merely had my pockets
jammed full of pretty stones. Thus, I started my interest in rocks,
minerals, and fossils.
Fishing the nearby reservoirs extended my interest. The banks of the reservoirs in Van Wert, Ohio, were covered with limestone. In those limestone rocks were fossils. Sometimes these were only shell like imprints, but in other pieces were small fossilized animals. Dad patiently would help point them out to me and explain what they were. Years later, these precious memories remain.
I continued this interest at Ohio State University, where I took three classes in geology. I loved learning about the three types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. But I especially loved the professor discussing the fossils that I had found as a child.
I passed this interest in rocks and fossils on to our children, and then to our grandchildren who all have rocks that they treasure.
Wanting to do a getaway for a couple of days with two of these grandchildren and capture some memories with them, I happened upon a rare find. I had called an Ohio State Park to check about availability of cabin lodging. Instead of finding a cabin, I found a place to add to our itinerary, Caesar Creek State Park, near Dayton, Ohio.
I was told that it was a good location in Ohio for fossils. Furthermore, people were encouraged to gather and keep the fossils. Our grandson had completed a camp in which he had studied dinosaurs and had gone to a quarry to gather fossils, so I knew this would be perfect for him.
First, I was told that we would have to stop to get a permit from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. When we arrived there, we had to give our license plate number to get the permit. There was no charge for this permit to hunt fossils, but we had to post it in our vehicle on the dashboard.
Next, we were instructed on a few more rules. We were informed that nothing larger than our hand could be taken. There could be no tools used to dig up the rocks, and nothing found could be sold.
Then, we were given a sheet to know what to look for and what the names of the different fossils that were in the area where we would hunt.
Finally, we were prompted to go to the leeway beside the dam.
Getting into our van, I was a little skeptical; but I told my husband where we were to go. The park ranger had said that there would probably be other cars there, which would indicate that we were in the right spot. When we arrived, there was only one car; so I hoped we were in the correct place.
Before we left home, I had picked up a couple of plastic bags from our local department store; so off we went bags in hand. This was my biggest mistake.
We made our nine year old grandson, Nathan, the expert; since he had completed the fossil camp. Little did we realize what we were in going to find.
Almost immediately, Nathan spotted rocks with fossils. His six year old sister next picked up a rock and asked her brother, “Is this a fossil?” And the hunt was on.
Our small department store bags could not contain the fossils we were finding; and as we continued to pile them in, all of our plastic bags ripped. We started transferring the spilled rocks from the ground where they had fallen to an area beside one of the fence posts, so we would know where they were.
As we were moving them, a pick-up truck arrived.
I was afraid our loot would be taken, so I patiently explained our predicament. The young father unsnapped the tarp covering his truck bed, took out a five gallon bucket, dumped out the kindling that he had in it, and gave us his bucket.
In the end, we had the bucket almost filled with fossils.
Afterwards, I learned that this state park is one of two of the best fossil areas in the state of Ohio. The other one is Hueston Woods State Park.
While there, we found some clam like impressions of animals etched into the stone, and we also found some whole clams. These we learned were either brachiopods or mollusks. We also located some cnidarians horn corals. What looked like small pieces of twigs from trees, we discovered from our chart were actually bryozoans. There were lots of them in the limestone.
I knew that Ohio’s state fossil was one of the arthropods called a trilobite, but I didn’t realize how big they could be. In the lobby where we signed up for our permit was a huge trilobite, probably a foot long. We did not discover any that big, but even the small ones were fun to find. Echinoderms were also in this area, but we ran out of time and did not locate any of them. A common one would have been the crinoids or the sea lilies.
Caesar Creek State Park contains both land and water. There are trails for hiking, horseback riding, mountain bikes, and backpacking. There are launch ramps for boats, a swimming beach area, a nature center, picnicking shelters, and areas to fish. They have campsites with electricity, a horsemen camp area, and a youth camp area. There is also a historic village with 15 buildings showing what life had been like in the 1800’s.
My biggest regret was that we did not have more time for the park. If you go there, take a cloth bag or better yet take a bucket, and plan to spend at least several hours. To enjoy everything, you should spend several days.
Caesar Creek State Park is located at 8570 E State Route 73, Waynesville, OH.
For additional information, visit Caesar Creek’s Web Page or call 1-513-897-3055.
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Live jazz
bands, a juried Art Festival, a New Orleans style Jazz Parade, Gourmet
Food, and Art Activities for children, Free Admission. Sound enticing? All
of this will take place on Sunday September 20, 2009 from 11am-5pm on the
Square in Historic Downtown Wooster.
This year marks the sixth annual festival, and it features live performances by the Fat Tuesday Big Band under the direction of renowned Cleveland jazz musician Ernie Krivda. There will also be performances by the Canton Cabaret Combo and the River City Jazz Band from the Cleveland area. The Wooster Arts Jazz Fest is presented through a partnership between Main Street Wooster, the Wooster City Schools, and the Wooster Rotary Club.
In addition to providing a free, quality arts event suitable for all ages, the Wooster Arts Jazz Festival supports, through private and corporate sponsorships, arts education in the schools, economic development in downtown Wooster, and the Wooster Rotary Club’s college scholarship program for area students.
Dozens of juried artists from Ohio and surrounding states will line the downtown area selling paintings, photography, glass, ceramics, jewelry, woodturning, basketry, and other fine art and craft media.
Be sure to stop in and feast on the specialty gourmet foods sold by area restaurants in the Arts Jazz Café located behind the gazebo. And for kids of all ages, there will be free children’s activities available throughout the day in a special tent set up for them.
For the third year in a row, there will be a special event on the evening before the Festival – “Art Under the Stars” – Saturday evening, September 19th from 7:30-9:30p.m. at the Wayne Center for the Arts, 237 S. Walnut St. in downtown Wooster. Wine and gourmet appetizers will be served, and an artist preview will be held. Tickets for Art Under the Stars are $50 each and are available at the office of Main Street Wooster. For tickets or more information about either of these events, call 330-262-6222.
Mark your calendars for September 20, 2009 for the Wooster Arts Jazz Fest! www.woosterartsjazzfest.org.
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EXPERIENCE OHIO’S HISTORY
at Cleveland Metroparks
CEDAR VALLEY SETTLERS
CELEBRATION
& MUSIC FESTIVAL
Celebrate
Ohio’s early history at Cleveland Metroparks free, annual fall event – the
“Cedar Valley Settlers Celebration & Music Festival” on Sunday, September
20 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Frostville Museum and Rocky River Nature
Center in Rocky River Reservation in North Olmsted.
While at the festival, visitors can walk the connecting trail between Rocky River Nature Center and Frostville Museum to explore a cornucopia of old-fashioned crafts, food and hands-on activities for all ages.
Try a variety of pioneer skills and activities, including: candlestick dipping, basket weaving, playing with pioneer toys, rug weaving, Dutch oven cooking, butter churning, working the two-man saw, and more!
Sample a potpourri of traditional foods, such as fire–roasted turkey, biscuits with freshly-churned butter, apple cider, apple butter, and more.
Pioneer–costumed folks and storytellers will also be on hand to share stories from the by-gone era. A mini-encampment of a pioneer excursion camp is a part of the festivities, too.
Event-goers can also listen to a great array of live entertainment from the Main Stage at Frostville Museum to Rocky River Nature Center’s Trailside Stage to strolling musicians, all with toe-tapping music such as acoustic folk music, Americana, blue grass, square and contra dance, and more!
Visitors can also enjoy a dance tent and storytelling – plus, instrument-builders and ‘how-to-play’ areas will be set-up on the grounds.
This year, the Festival once again features two nationally-known performers. Taking the Main Stage at 2 p.m. is Bradley Walker – the 2007 "Male Vocalist of the Year" by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Walker was born with Muscular Dystrophy, and has been in a wheelchair his entire life. But, he is as fiercely independent as he is musically gifted. Walker built his own home in Alabama, designing it for maximum mobility and comfort. Completely at ease in his customized van, he has been working a day job ever since his high school graduation, in addition to singing and traveling to festivals regularly. “My whole outlook on life is that if you’re able to get out and work, then do it,” says Walker. “My parents always encouraged me to be able to do things on my own. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it hadn’t been for them.” The Wall Street Journal says, "A voice like this shows up maybe once in a generation--if we're lucky."
Closing the afternoon on the Main Stage at 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. is Alecia Nugent. As Nugent sung in the upbeat “Nugent Family Band,” her upbringing was saturated with the sounds of bluegrass and gospel. Her father’s Southland Bluegrass Band trained her in tradition. By the time she was in her teens, she was the group’s lead singer. When Nugent showcased her tunes in 2006 to Nashville, she was proclaimed ‘hillbilly goddess” by Nashville music critic Robert K. Oermann. That off-hand nickname has now been transformed into the title tune of her third album. In the May 25, 2009 People magazine, Alecia Nugent’s “Hillbilly Goddess” cd received 3 out of 4 stars.
Stage/performance
Schedules:
Main Stage at Frostville Museum
-
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. First String Band
-
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Elixir
-
2 – 3:30 p.m. Bradley Walker
-
4 – 5:30 p.m. Alicia Nugent
Trailside Theater
-
Noon – 1:15 p.m. Fullertones
-
1:30 – 3 p.m. First String Band
-
3:30 – 5 p.m. Elixir
Be sure to bring blankets/lawn chairs to enjoy the Main Stage performances.
The “Cedar Valley Settlers Celebration & Music Festival” is free and held rain or shine.
Frostville Museum is located off Cedar Point Road in Rocky River Reservation, between Valley Parkway and Columbia Road/Route 252 in North Olmsted – just off the I-480/Clague Road exit (westbound) and I-480/Columbia Road exit (eastbound).
For more information, call 440-734-6660 or visit clevelandmetroparks.com.
Discover the grassroots of Ohio’s history at “Cedar Valley Settlers Celebration & Music Festival” event in Cleveland Metroparks - part of your life, naturally!
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A
HARVEST OF HAPPENINGS
IN OHIO’S HISTORIC WEST
This
fall, try to squeeze in a fun family event in Ohio’s Historic West.
Several fall shows come to the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio in Van Wert County. On September 15, the hilarious new musical, Church Basement Ladies featuring M.A.S.H.’s own Father Mulcahy, William Christopher, takes the stage for two shows at 2 & 7:30 pm. The show revolves around the hilarious happenings in the church basement as the ladies that reign work through a season of funeral dinners, weddings, keeping the pastor in line and much, much more.
On Saturday September 19, three Southern Country Rock Legends take the stage for one big night at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center season opener. At 7:30 p.m., Firefall, Pure Prairie League and Poco will rock the stage with their world renowned hits such as “You Are The Woman,” “Aimee,” and “In The Heart of the Night” and much, much more.
Also at the Performing Arts Center, October kicks off with a Community Concert Presentation featuring The Four Lads and the Toledo Jazz Orchestra bringing the hits from the memorable 50’s & 60’s era on Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 pm. Then Mike Albert & The Big E Band pay tribute to Elvis Presley as only Mike Albert can. Local dancers from the award winning Kim Hohman DanceWorks add enthusiasm to a few of “the King’s” favorite songs in this ‘Ultimate Tribute.’
For more information, contact the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio at www.npacvw.org or 419.238.NPAC (6722). Box Office Hours are Monday to Friday, Noon to 4 PM.
Head to Darke County situated on the Ohio / Indiana border, to find vibrant colors, intoxicating smells and irresistible flavors of fall. There’s so much to sample on a perfect autumn weekend.
Explore Downtown Greenville, the heart of Darke County. All roads lead to this county seat where Lady Justice proudly watches over the shoppers in the historic downtown area. Greenville is a great walking town, so park the car and stroll the tree-lined sidewalks enjoying the crisp fall air. The variety of historic sites, shopping and seasonal events are enough to fill a weekend. Browse the shops and wander through the park dedicated to Annie Oakley, a local legend.
Stop at the farmers market located on the courthouse lawn. Farmer Byers is a favorite with his blue-ribbon veggies. Mr. Byers has many award-winning secrets up his sleeves.
When it comes time to eat, choose amongst the many of local eateries in Downtown Greenville. Several of them offer menus with ingredients grown on local farms to get the full harvest experience.
Just a few blocks from the downtown area, over the river and through the woods is Garst Museum. This is the one and only museum in Darke County, so you can imagine how much good stuff is inside. The “must sees” are the Annie Oakley Center, Cross-roads of Destiny and the Lowell Thomas House. The last weekend in September, the museum is also featuring a “Harvest of Quilts”.
While in town, take a short drive along Water Street out Route 502 to Shawnee Prairie Preserve to enjoy Prairie Days. Sample hand-churned apple butter and locally-grown honey while enjoying the music and drama. The kids love to step back into history at the two-story log cabin to hear tales of days gone by and see the antique (ancient to them) furnishings. Costumed volunteers not only tell stories of life in the late 1700’s but also go about daily chores like candle-making, sewing and cooking.
On the way out of Greenville, stop at the Ohio Gourd Show at the Darke County Fairgrounds on Route 49. When this popular, annual event relocated to town several years ago, the thousands of first-time visitors were amazed at the talent that went into decorating a gourd. Artists from across the country and even the world come to this event to showcase their work. Kids love trying their hands at decorating. Adults can take classes too. One highlight of the weekend is the musical concert performed with instruments made from gourds. And what’s a trip to the Gourd Show without a souvenir? Let’s see, we have a silver swan made from a gourd, an orange smiley face gourd, a Santa gourd for the Christmas tree... kids can’t wait to see what they’ll walk away with this year.
From Greenville we drive east on Route 36 toward Bear’s Mill situated on the Greenville Creek. This historic mill stills operates as it did when it was built by Gabriel Baer in 1849 with water-powered burr stones. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the mill race to see the many animals frolicking about as well as the brightly colored, hand-made pottery for sale.
Leaving Bear’s Mill, travel the road named for the mill, Arcanum – Bears Mill Road south and stop at Brumbaugh Fruit & Fun Farm. A stop here means means warm fresh apple dumplings, cold apple slushies and a ride on the hay wagon. Ride to the pumpkin patch to pick future jack o-lanterns and stop along the way to slide down monster mountain or get lost in the corn maze. A bushel or just a peck of locally-grown apples makes a great souvenir!
While
in the quaint village of Arcanum with its streets of brick, visit the
various antique shops and mine for treasure. Take a break with a cup of
joe or a fresh-made sandwich at Smith’s Coffeehouse and Antiques.
With a variety of lodging options along the route in every price range, a fall getaway to Darke County, Ohio is affordable. Many prefer to stay in bed & breakfasts, where they can get to know the hosts and other travelers. It’s a great way to get the inside scoop on local highlights off the beaten path. Others like the privacy of hotels and inns and a dip in the pool.
Simply order a Visitors Guide online and sign up for email updates at www.visitdarkecounty.org.
Make plans to explore all eight counties in Ohio’s Historic West. To request a brochure map call 800-860-4726 or check out the OHW website at www.OhiosHistoricWest.com. Ohio’s Historic West includes
Auglaize, Champaign, Darke, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Shelby, and VanWert counties.Return to Top
FOOTBALL
HALL OF FAME
For years, when talking to out-of-staters, I’ve used the Football Hall of Fame as a landmark to establish the area of Ohio from which I come. People who have never set foot in the state recognize Canton as the proud home, and can usually identify the geographic region, but are often unsure of why it’s there. Why not in a larger and better know city such as Cleveland or Cincinnati, or for that matter San Francisco? The explanation, of course, is that all those other franchise cities are mere disciples of the professional football religion that arose from supposition to reality in the city of Canton.
In 1903 the Canton Bulldogs were the initial team in what was known as the American Professional Football Association. With the establishment of the National Football League in 1920, the Bulldogs continued playing in Canton through 1923—moved to Cleveland for the ’24 season and then back to Canton. After the 1926 season the Bulldogs gave way to franchises in larger markets, dispersing players throughout the rapidly growing NFL.
In the beginning they were a powerhouse whose dominance was almost predetermined. Led by the great Jim Thorpe, the Bulldogs were the first two-time NFL champions of ’22 and ’23. Football, the epitome of team sport, requires eleven specialists on the field who are engaged in every play. Thorpe, a one man team who excelled at every sport he tried, could fill any of the eleven spots, and do it better than the player regularly assigned to the position—but usually they just gave the ball to Jim and let him run. An Indian from the Fox and Sac nation in Oklahoma, his 7-foot bronze statue is seen upon entering of the Hall of Fame—a reminder of his greatness and contribution to professional football.
Presently the NFL claims that football is America’s most popular sport. If anyone should doubt the devotion to this quasi-faith, they need only to witness the passion of fans at any season game, and even the most anti-sports minded can’t ignore the hoopla of a Super Bowl. But, any time of the year, an afternoon visit to the Hall of Fame can give as pleasurable a fix to the cravings of an ardent fan as time spent in the bleachers—if you can see it all in an afternoon. There are 83,000 square feet filled with memorabilia and history of the game to be absorbed in this place of pilgrimage.
When the Hall of Fame opened in September 1963 it was a 19,000 square-foot, 2-building structure raised with a paltry $378,026. Attesting to the adoration, the ensuing 46 years have included expansions, renovations, and infusions of ten million dollars, magnifying the shrine to a 5-building complex that has attracted more than eight million fans from every state in the Union and more than sixty foreign countries.
The tour begins in the exhibition rotunda with a video and audio review of the game from 1892 to 1992, and then on to a tribute of the current 32 clubs.
Perhaps the most popular of the exhibits is the gallery—which houses bronze busts of the 219 inducted players to date, and the two dozen or so coaches and distinguished contributors. Distinctive to this exhibit are touch-screen kiosks that include bios, photos, and videos of each inductee. Induction is by a 44-member board that meets annually at Super Bowl time. They screen 17 candidates, with freedom to select as many as meet the criteria, usually resulting in 4 to 7 new members each year. Pro football, never uncertain of the blessing of its flock, allows anyone to suggest a favorite player for consideration by writing to the Hall of Fame.
The Adventure Room examines other pro leagues challenging the NFL that you probably didn’t know existed, and additional exhibits focus on achievements of Hall of Fame members, and mementos from recent history-making performances.
In the Super Bowl Room displays of rings and other memorabilia from every Super Bowl to date can be seen, and the interactive area includes a Tele-trivia game, a Call-the-Play Theater to test your knowledge against the officials, and a throwing cage where you can determine whether the old arm is as good as it used to be.
One of the more recent additions is the Game Day Stadium—a turntable theater with a 20-foot by 42-foot Cinemascope screen bringing to life the history and the game’s most treasured events. Certainly the Hall would not be complete without the museum store that offers exclusive Hall of Fame products and merchandise for all 32 NFL teams.
If all of this isn’t enough, there is an Archives and Information Center on the lower level of the fifth building—open by appointment only—that houses the world’s most comprehensive anthology on pro football. You may want to call ahead (303-456-8207) or get more information at profootballhof.com.
The Hall of Fame is closed only on Christmas day. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hours extended to 8 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
For some it may be football overload. But for true followers of the faith, the Football Hall of Fame can only be described as nirvana.
By Robert Carpenter
Robert Carpenter was born and raised in the New Philadelphia, Ohio area.
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Wheat Ridge
& Harvest Celebration
Although the name may have a familiar ring, this totally new festival promises to bring a tradition of herbs, crafts, and natural products to a location familiar to all, the Wheat Ridge Amish Community.
“An event like this portrays a positive and true image of what Adams County really is,” said event organizer and local antique dealer, Herb Erwin, who along with his wife Kim decided this spring to bring a festival to their farm on Tater Ridge Road near the Wheat Ridge community.
And the festival promises to deliver with nearly 150 venders of quality natural earth creations, artisans, craftspeople, and herbal products, in an autumn atmosphere set among the rolling pastoral hills in Adams County’s Amish country.
In keeping with the natural and local flavor of previous events, “We’re here to showcase natural product that are created by local by artisans and craftspeople,” Herb pointed out.
The nearby Amish community is heavily involved in the festival with one Amish family cooking up a batch of original Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels from scratch, while another family will be making fresh apple cider on the spot from apples grown locally. The Amish community schools, which are self supporting, will be setting up a cafeteria under a tent serving lunch and cooking their famous pies on site with proceeds benefiting the local Amish schools. Homemade ice cream, bake goods, and lemonade are also special Amish treats festival goers can tempt their taste buds with. Of course a host of Amish furnishings, herbal, plant, and garden boxes, plus special quilt purses are just a sampling of some of the Amish goods on display.
Other venders include an array of herbal specialist, growers, and creators featuring herbal teas, butter, soaps, aloe lotions, lavenders, and other herbal and earth products. The Ohio Brush Creek Herb Guild will be serving up portions of their popular and tasty herbal soup at the fair.
Metal smiths will have a place at the fair with yard art, fountains, and other unusual if not interesting metal products. A number of wood crafters creating everything from chain saw art to bird houses to walking sticks and furniture will be present. Quilters, sewer’s, knitters, weavers, pottery, honey and natural food product vendors will be displaying along with the usual fresh produce that only comes straight from the farm.
Special classes and demonstrations featuring shrubbery trimming, medicinal teas, natural art, and cooking with herbal food and spices will also be featured at this event.
Antiques, garden supplies, old farm equipment, historical reenactments, plenty of food, live entertainment and folk music promises to round out this two day festival down on the farm in Adams County.
When you go:
The Wheat Ridge Olde Thyme Herb Fair and Harvest Celebration takes place October 10 – 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 817 Tater Ridge Road (just off Wheat Ridge Road), West Union, Ohio. For more information call 937-544-8252 or go to http://erwin-realty.com/wheatridgefair.
Article and photo by Tom Cross, author of Fishing Ohio: An Angler's Guide to over 200 Fishing Spots in the Buckeye State
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