A Week In S. Ohio

I can not believe that we have been in Wilmington, Ohio for almost a week already and that tomorrow we are off on another part of our adventure. We really didn't do a lot this week except enjoy the 1000 Trails park. This has been one of the most restful places. No commercial noise, just nature. Well, there were a couple of aircraft fly overhead that I'm sure were from Wright-Patterson, but it only happened a few times. Other than that, no highway noise, no siren's, just the soothing sounds of nature - ahhh, I have needed this time to get my thoughts and feelings back in order.

We did find a wonderful restaurant in the area that we visited twice. The name is Der Dutchman and it seems that it is very well known by anyone who has lived in or visited this area. Both times we opted for the buffet and were not disappointed. Very, very good food and plenty of variety. The soup and salad bar alone is enough to fill you!

One day we drove to Caesar Lake State Park campground to check it out only to find out that they only offered 20 amp. Because of that, we didn't pursue it any further besides they wanted a "auto fee" for us to drive into the campground area to look. Since our park is only about 10 miles away we decided to pass. We did find another state park, Cowan Lake, outside Wilmington that had 50 amp and allowed us to drive through. A very nice state park, but, the sites were only about 30 feet long and were not level. This really surprised us because the area that we focused on was not heavily wooded or hilly. It was just the way they installed the sites, all at a uphill slant! Oh well, here again, our park was only about 10 miles away so we decided that we were very happy with what we have... Yes, I've been remiss about taking any pictures from here but will try to do so today!

Saturday we took off for a drive in the country. Our first stop was at a flea market that we had passed a couple of times during the week. This was one huge flea market! There is a "outside" covered area that was very big, but then behind it were about 8 buildings that had "indoor" vendors. Needless to say, we didn't cover the whole thing but did enough to be able to say they had it all!

Leaving the flea market we took Ohio 380 to Zenia where there was a street fair going on. Unfortunately it decided to rain about the time we arrived so we continued on our way. The next little town was Yellow Springs. This looked like a artsy town with lots of little shops and cafes. Again, mother nature decided to let go of some rain, so we didn't stop. Next was Clifton. We had turned off the highway and took a smaller country road to get there. About a mile into the drive I noticed about 8 to 10 deer by the side of the road. There was no traffic, so I stopped. That's what they were waiting for and proceeded to cross the road. I grabbed my camera and managed to get one good picture before they disappeared into a crop field. It was several Mom's and their babies - how cute!

We found Clifton Mill even though the way we arrived there were no signs. This mill was established in the early 1800's. and is claimed to be the world's largest water powered grist mill. It is still in operation. It was a interesting walk around the grounds. It was obvious that they hold a big event over the Christmas holidays, as Christmas lights were still strung everywhere and I do mean everywhere! To me, this detracted from the beauty to be found in the old buildings and covered bridge. You can see the lights, especially in the picture of the covered bridge. Hah - the wonder of the internet - I did a search and yes they do light up at Christmas. From what I read, a spectacular light display of 3.5 million lights! I guess that is why they leave them on the buildings year round! It would take a year to hang that many - lol.

Heading back home we took Ohio 72 through Cedarville. I was surprised to see a University there and after driving through town, decided the town was there because of the university! Not really but I think it encompassed at least 2/3 of the town. It is Cedarville University, a Baptist university of arts, sciences, professional, and graduate programs. It is home to 3,000 students! I had never heard of it before but was very impressed by what I saw while driving through town and the campus. Their mission statement is "Cedarville University is a Christ-centered learning community equipping students for lifelong leadership and service through an education marked by excellence and grounded in biblical truth. " I like that!

One other building we did see in Cedarville was the Cedarville Opera House. It appeared to be under renovation. I looked up some history about it on the internet and found that the original was destroyed by fire but was rebuilt and finished in 1888. It is a 1/3 scale replication of the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. It's interesting what you find in these small towns in America!

So, our days drive in the country was a very pleasant one and we are looking forward to more as we move into the Amish area on Monday.

There are a few pictures posted at Picasa.

Today, our friends from the Fulltiming Class of '05, Tab and Deanna are coming to visit. We are looking forward to renewing this friendship as it has been several years since we've seen them. It should be a very nice day with temps in the low to mid 70's and clearing skies.

See you next week....