We've just returned from an overnight at Salt Fork State Park, in Guernsey County, Ohio. It's only about 88 miles south of our home in Akron, but we drove all over what we used to call "Robin's Barn" to get there. (It's also called "Hell's Half Acre," depending on whether you like where you are, or not.)
I subscribe to MidWest Living Magazine, where there was a two-page article in the recent edition about Granville, Ohio. It looked cute and as if there would be lots of things to see there. First I called The Granville Inn to see about staying there for the night, but a hoard of professors was expected, so we couldn't fit in. The Inn had a dinner deal along with the reservation, which made it appealing, alas.
So, true to course, we left home without plans for the night.
Granville, home of Denison University, IS a cute little town. I bet it's a lot cuter when it isn't ten degrees outside. We ran into the book shop mentioned in the magazine, but couldn't stop shaking long enough to actually SEE the books, and it wasn't all that toasty in there, either.
We went to see the public library, also a highlight in the article. The window seats had been mentioned as particularly inviting, and they were, but the windows were very cold, so we didn't try to sit down to read anything.
We went to the well-known chocolate shop and bought four chocolate-covered potato chips and four Heath Bar type things, very small but tasty. At $18.99 a pound, that was all we were willing to taste. Chocolate doesn't melt well in ten degrees, and I am sure it would have been better on a warm day.
Atop the largest hill in Granville is the jewel of the entire town, Denison University. It's sprawling and spreading with new construction. Updated, yet with the old still proudly visible in its architecture, this gem exudes the feeling of learning. Lots of bundled-up students were scurrying about, going up and down that hill, to and from classes. This made the trip to Granville worth it.
We looked over the Buxton Inn, across the street from the Granville Inn, for lodging. It looked nice, and reputedly is haunted, which made it more appealing, but by then I was ready to leave Granville and hit the open road.
We continued seven miles south to Rt. 70, turned east, and thought we might stay in Cambridge, hometown of John and Annie Glenn, just 22 miles away.
When we got off the highway in Cambridge, we saw a sign to the "Visitors Center," which never materialized. We followed at least four different signs to said center, and ended up having the backroad tour of Cambridge. It was ten degrees there, too............and winter in Ohio isn't all snowdrifts and glamour. We didn't see anything there we hadn't already seen except for their magnificent vintage court house, before we found I-77 and headed north.
Mild panic set in when I thought we'd just go on home and end our "adventure" in one day, so when we saw the sign for Salt Fork State Park, I said, "Get off, quick!!!" By now the sun was going down, it was still bitterly cold, and we had no reservations at Salt Fork, which is another thirteen miles from the exit ramp at Rt. 22. We drove it, anyway.
We've been to Salt Fork a few other times. It is a huge park on an enormous lake. There are cabins, a huge lodge, and camping areas for when it isn't ten degrees, I suppose. Winter and summer sports are available there. Our idea of a good time is to stay at the Lodge, sit in front of a roaring fire, and read.
Due to the cold and the forecast of an ice storm, few people had come to Salt Fork this weekend. It was like being in a huge state park lodge, having the whole place to yourselves, which is exactly what it was. We had the hot tub to ourselves, played a game of pool without anybody watching how terribly we play, ate dinner in the main dining room with the wait staff falling over themselves to help us, and had a great room down a long corridor of empty rooms.
Now, Salt Fork isn't always empty. We've been there when it was full of families, with kids in and out of the pool and crowding the game room. We've been there when the hallways are teeming with people and the pool outside is brimming with bodies. But this time, at ten degrees, with an ice storm coming, it was peaceful and serene.
I need to write a paragraph about the mattresses at Salt Fork. But I won't. Let me just say that there is not a mattress anywhere that is more comfortable, and let it go at that. You need to go try one out.
This morning we packed up our stuff, and in spite of the ice that totally covered our car, we drove home to Akron. Sometimes it is just good to "Get Out of Dodge," and that's what we were doing this weekend.
Copyright: KP Gillenwater
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Westerville, Ohio
Randy and I are in Westerville, Ohio. I hate to call this little city a "suburb," since that makes it sound like an appendage, and it is not that at all. This is a really fun and upscale place !
We left Akron this morning before noon and drove south on I71 to Rt 13 where we veered off the beaten path and drove through some of the loveliest farming communities of mid-Ohio. Barns and small towns were delightful to slowly enjoy. We had to chuckle at one sign in front of a local bar, written in chalk on a blackboard. It read "BAD CHECKS!" and then gave the name of the man who apparently had written one of those to this tavern. Ya don't want to mess with a small town dealer, I guess!
We are in Westerville to attend calling hours tomorrow for the mother of our brother-in-law. Our initial plan had been to go north to Cleveland, but with this family occurrence (and construction on I-77N) we chose instead to come south and spend my final weekend before I go back to school in this lovely little city.
We're not going down to Columbus, which is just a stone's throw further south. We already did that in July. Instead, we're enjoying Westerville. We are nestled in a room at the Ramada Inn, after a short search of other hostelries. A bus full of elderly Texans escaping the interminable summer heat of San Antonio are also here, and they all were enjoying our Ohio cool late-summer evening, outside.
The main part of town, State Street, is beautiful with brick buildings. A Graeters Ice Cream shop seemed to be a huge draw, and people were lined up into the street awaiting what I have heard is a marvelous treat. One older building, in particular, reminded us of the vintage buildings in Guthrie, Oklahoma, that we so enjoyed a few summers ago. The State Street street lamps are decorated with the most glorious baskets of hanging petunias that I have ever seen in my life. They must be four feet long, all in bright pink, up and down both sides of State Street. Each small business seems unique and interesting. It is probably a good thing that we arrived in this part of town after most of them had closed!
We chose a local eatery for our dinner. We actually selected it from its description in our AAA guide. It is called The Old Bag of Nails. What a name! (Our waitress could not tell us why it is so named, so I leave you in the dark about that, also.) A stuffed (real) bear greeted us from the wall on our entry, and its friend, a moose, held hats over the bar. We both enjoyed grilled fish and excellent service at The Old Bag. While Temperance was very important in Westerville a long time ago, it does not seem to be the rule here today. Lots of jolly people were enjoying their drinks along with us. There is actually an area of town honoring the Temperance Movement, which was very strong here.............long ago.
After dinner we walked up and down State Street, and found a little brick-lined alley that led us to a coffee shop called Java Central. It seemed to be overflowing with customers, and the smell of good coffee permeated the alley. A bluegrass trio was making great music inside, and every seat was filled. Luckily, we were outside the back of the music room, and we could see the crowd and the singers, and hear it perfectly, while we sat at an opportunistically-placed table and chair set. Randy went inside and came back with a "coffee toffee" drink, which was totally divine.
Back in our car on our way "home" to the Ramada, we stopped at Half Price Books, which called to me from a strip mall. We spent half an hour there locating a few good audio books and yet another copy of Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell" for our return trip tomorrow afternoon. (For only $1, well under half-price.............such a deal!)
Tomorrow we will don our summer darks, offer our condolences, and be on our way home to Akron. Today we drove through Bellville, Mount Vernon, and Sunbury, Ohio.............the heartland of our state. If we had stayed on the interstate, we would have missed the polite young lady at the Shell station in Centerburg, and the Amish lady who sold Randy a blackberry pie at the side of the road somewhere along the way.
On Tuesday I go back to school............until I can find an extra day and a reason to be on the road again.
copyright: KP Gillenwater
We left Akron this morning before noon and drove south on I71 to Rt 13 where we veered off the beaten path and drove through some of the loveliest farming communities of mid-Ohio. Barns and small towns were delightful to slowly enjoy. We had to chuckle at one sign in front of a local bar, written in chalk on a blackboard. It read "BAD CHECKS!" and then gave the name of the man who apparently had written one of those to this tavern. Ya don't want to mess with a small town dealer, I guess!
We are in Westerville to attend calling hours tomorrow for the mother of our brother-in-law. Our initial plan had been to go north to Cleveland, but with this family occurrence (and construction on I-77N) we chose instead to come south and spend my final weekend before I go back to school in this lovely little city.
We're not going down to Columbus, which is just a stone's throw further south. We already did that in July. Instead, we're enjoying Westerville. We are nestled in a room at the Ramada Inn, after a short search of other hostelries. A bus full of elderly Texans escaping the interminable summer heat of San Antonio are also here, and they all were enjoying our Ohio cool late-summer evening, outside.
The main part of town, State Street, is beautiful with brick buildings. A Graeters Ice Cream shop seemed to be a huge draw, and people were lined up into the street awaiting what I have heard is a marvelous treat. One older building, in particular, reminded us of the vintage buildings in Guthrie, Oklahoma, that we so enjoyed a few summers ago. The State Street street lamps are decorated with the most glorious baskets of hanging petunias that I have ever seen in my life. They must be four feet long, all in bright pink, up and down both sides of State Street. Each small business seems unique and interesting. It is probably a good thing that we arrived in this part of town after most of them had closed!
We chose a local eatery for our dinner. We actually selected it from its description in our AAA guide. It is called The Old Bag of Nails. What a name! (Our waitress could not tell us why it is so named, so I leave you in the dark about that, also.) A stuffed (real) bear greeted us from the wall on our entry, and its friend, a moose, held hats over the bar. We both enjoyed grilled fish and excellent service at The Old Bag. While Temperance was very important in Westerville a long time ago, it does not seem to be the rule here today. Lots of jolly people were enjoying their drinks along with us. There is actually an area of town honoring the Temperance Movement, which was very strong here.............long ago.
After dinner we walked up and down State Street, and found a little brick-lined alley that led us to a coffee shop called Java Central. It seemed to be overflowing with customers, and the smell of good coffee permeated the alley. A bluegrass trio was making great music inside, and every seat was filled. Luckily, we were outside the back of the music room, and we could see the crowd and the singers, and hear it perfectly, while we sat at an opportunistically-placed table and chair set. Randy went inside and came back with a "coffee toffee" drink, which was totally divine.
Back in our car on our way "home" to the Ramada, we stopped at Half Price Books, which called to me from a strip mall. We spent half an hour there locating a few good audio books and yet another copy of Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell" for our return trip tomorrow afternoon. (For only $1, well under half-price.............such a deal!)
Tomorrow we will don our summer darks, offer our condolences, and be on our way home to Akron. Today we drove through Bellville, Mount Vernon, and Sunbury, Ohio.............the heartland of our state. If we had stayed on the interstate, we would have missed the polite young lady at the Shell station in Centerburg, and the Amish lady who sold Randy a blackberry pie at the side of the road somewhere along the way.
On Tuesday I go back to school............until I can find an extra day and a reason to be on the road again.
copyright: KP Gillenwater
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