It was “Magical” . . .

That’s what Jan said about today’s Ohio country side tour.

But the day started a little slower at 9:30 with coffee and our great view of the Mohican River in front of our coach here at Smith’s Campground in Loudonville, OH.

Smiths Campground 7

Smiths Campground 8

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About 11, Amy Smith picked us at our coaches and we were off on our version of the Magical Mystery Tour. ‘Magical’ as I said, ‘Mystery’ because we had no ides where we were going.

Amy Van

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Our first stop was at the Country Furniture Store who makes, among other things, these colorful Adirondack chairs.

Big Chairs 5

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They even make them in XXXL size.

Big Chairs 6

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And it’s even more evident how big this chair with this photo. Yep, that’s me and The Nickster.

Big Chairs 7

Now that’s a BIG chair. And sturdy too.

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Our next stop was a nearby covered bridge.

Ohio Covered Bridge 1

Known as the ‘Bridge of Dreams’, it’s the largest non-motorized covered bridge in Ohio.

Ohio Covered Bridge 2

And we got to really see the ‘non-motorized’ part when an Amish buggy came thru while we were there.

Ohio Covered Bridge 3

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A ways down the road was Hashberger’s Farm and Bakery where they keep goats on the roof of the barn.

Why I have no idea, but they do.

Goats on the Roof

There’s a ramp on the side that lets them go up and down on their own.

Goats on the Roof 1

And you can feed them for a $1. Your $1 buys you an ice cream cone (??) full of Purina Goat Chow, and you send it up to them on the hand-cranked conveyor belt. (And no, I have no idea why the big black goat has no ears)

Goats on the Roof 2

What seems to usually happen is that the big goats fight over the cone knocking all the Goat Chow to the ground where the baby goats get most of it.

And while we were there, Jan had her chance to try out a big chair too. But it just didn’t measure up.

Jan Big Chair

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I was really impressed by all the pumpkins and gourds they had here. Quite a layout and very colorful.

Hashbergers 1

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hashbergers 5

hashbergers 6

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And when they say ‘Homemade Ice Cream’ here they really mean it.

Homemade Ice Cream 1

But how many places have a gasoline-powered crank freezer? This is really neat. I could have used this all those times making ice cream at my grandparent’s house.

Homemade Ice Cream 2

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As we headed back out into the country side, we came across more signs of fall.

Red Tree

We also came across this sign.

Is this some strange Ohio version of ‘Surf and Turf’?

Llama and Fish Farm

And, of course, there were more scenic vistas around every curve,

Coblentz Choc 1

including this Amish farmer plowing his field.

We were surprised to learn from Amy that this area of Ohio has the largest concentration of Amish in the country.

Amish Plowing

As the final treat of the day, Amy took us to a gas station for dinner.

Spearmans 1

And although Spearman’s in Danville really is a gas station on the outside, we didn’t have to eat out of vending machines, or any of those week-old hot dogs rolling on that grill thingie.

No, inside was a very nice restaurant with delicious food, and fantastic desserts.

Spearmans 2

And it was the perfect end to a ‘Magical’ day, to again quote Jan.

By the time we got back to the park, it was almost 8 pm, and everyone was glad to get home.

Amy really outdid herself today, showing us a great time and some beautiful scenery. It was a really special day.

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Thought for the Day:

There’s a pill for just about everything … except stupid!

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6 Responses

  1. By you and Nick being in Loudenville they will see an increase in revenue in 2012. How was the ice cream?

    Beautiful places and great photos. Geez. You and Nick could be long lost brothers.

  2. Greg, Lynn and I visited that area a couple of years ago. Here are a few recommendations I have for you. They have wonderful broasted chicken at Der Dutchman Restaurant in Walnut Creek and at Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen in Mt. Hope. All of the Amish restaurants were great, but Der Dutchman was by far the best.

    In Berlin, we visited the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center where we watched a film; took a guided tour of ‘Behalt’, a 10-foot x 265-foot Cyclorama (circular mural) that depicts the entire history of the Anabaptist movement, beginning in the 500s in Europe and up to the present days; took a guided tour of the one-room schoolhouse and barn. By taking this tour you get a better understanding of the community, the differences between the different Amish communities and the difference between the Amish and Mennonite religions including their histories. It was very informative and extremely interesting.

    In Dover, Ohio we took a guided tour of Warthers Carvings. ‘This amazing state-of-the-art facility showcases the 64 ebony, ivory and walnut train carvings created by Ernest ‘Mooney’ Warther. You have to see these train carvings to believe it. They were amazing and wonderful!! Some of these trains have as many as 40,000 parts and took a year to carve. They are very precise and all move (wheels turn and drive mechanisms work) His wife, Freida, collected buttons and they are in the ‘button house’, a collection of 73,000 buttons that are arranged in beautiful designs on the walls and ceiling. There is also a carving of a steel mill that he worked in early in his life and it is powered by an electric motor. Everything works, including tiny people, eating a sandwich. Quite impressive! If you can find the time, these can be visited in less than 90 miles round trip.

  3. Actually we didn’t have any ice cream. We were staying too full grazing on all the samples everyone had out, i.e., cheese, chocolate, etc.

  4. David,

    Thanks for the info. We plan on seeing Warther’s today and we’ll see how the other places fit in the schedule.

    Thanks, Greg

  5. Sorry Greg, I like Nick’s picture of the two of you in the big chair better. LOL Enjoy. We’re in Kentucky now, heading to TN tomorrow.

  6. Janis,

    Me too. But I lost the toss on that one.

    We try to keep it so we don’t both use the same photos.

    Stay Save, Greg and Jan

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