The Heart of it All!

Hello Youins!!  (that's Eastern Ohio for Hey Ya'll)

Indiana Wants Me

We left the beautiful Amana Colonies and headed to Ohio.  Crossed through Illinois and Indiana – both beautiful states with great farmlands and very full rivers – including the Mighty MIGHTY Mississip. And some rough riding on the interstates in Illinois. Worth avoiding if you are pulling a camper!  The time zone changed to Eastern at the Illinois/Indiana line.  Ohio is beautiful!  Lots of green and beautiful hills, which I felt should have a name, but not seeing one on the map.  Most of the roads we used in Eastern OH, were 2 lane hilly, winding lanes that occassionally will have a canopy of oaks. We saw some jet black squirrels and lots of woodchucks.  But we did not see them chucking wood, so do not know the answer to the big question.

6-1-11:  Arrived in Cinci and set up at Winton Woods Campground.  It's in the city & very nice!!  Lots to do there.  And it's only about 10 minutes from Cousins Karen and Roger.  So excited to meet all of David's Ohio and Kentucky cousins for the very first time. Karen and I have been email buddies for a few years now.  It's been about 40 years since he has seen them!

Cousin Karen and David

Bec giving Atl Atl a try

6-2-11:  Karen took us to Fort Ancient – a very interesting museum with lots of historic and prehistoric Native American info and artifacts, as well as many mounds.  I got to try my hand at “atl atl”.  That would take some practice – I managed to not only send the spear flying, but also the stick that is supposed to help it go farther.  We went up to a beautiful scenic spot there overlooking the Little Miami River and Valley.  Then Cousin Karen introduced us to Cinci's famous Skyline Chili.  They serve a yummy “3-way” dish of spaghetti noodles, chili (seasoned with cinnamon and cocoa), and shredded cheese.  Very different from our hot-as-heck TX chili.  But very good!

6-3-11:  Our Andrew's 4^th bday.  Man, time flies!  When we called him this morning, they were all making cupcakes for the party.  His little brother, Asher,  thinks it's his bday, too.  They are a hoot.

6-4-11:  Taught Karen how to play Pennies from Heaven today. She's used to playing Hand and Foot and beat us pretty bad.  Met Roger at Logan's (great burgers). Loved visiting with them! She told us about a Michigan delicacy called Pasties.  Meijers (pronounced Myers) is a groc/dept store like a big ole Walmart and they carried them.  So David and I picked some up to try later.

Ron, Sandy, and Jan

Roxanne and Emma

Sarah and Andrew

Jan, Karen, and Sandy

Twins, Craig and Andrew, Sandy, and baby Andrew

David  and his Cinci Cousins

6-5-11:  Wonderful cousin get-together at Roger's and Karen's today.   We got together with 4 of David's cousins, spouses, kids, and grandkids!  They are just an awesome family full of laughs and love!  We love them all!  They taught me a new card game – Sets and Runs!  Similar to Screwy Louie.

P-39 - Daddy worked on these in WWII

USAF Museum in Dayton

Dayton museum

Air Force Museum in Dayton

The Early Years at Dayton USAF Museum

6-6-11:  David and I went to the Dayton, OH USAF National Museum today.  This is the mother of all air museums!!  I understand it's second only to the Smithsonian. This one had the P39 which my dad worked on in New Guinea during WWII.  That was exciting to me because I'd only seen pix.  It's not too common to see it in museums.  You might google it – the P39, Aerocobra.  It was a little bit of a disappointment to the US military, but very interesting story.  My museum style is to zip through and then hit the gift shop.  David's style is to read ALL signs and info in the museum.  So once I'd done my part, I sat in the lobby and visited with some men who'd been in the Korean war and knew quite a bit about the planes.  I learned even more about the P39 from them. (Ate the Pasties – very tasty)

6-8-11:  Arrived in Carrollton, OH today – the eastern part of the state.  It's the home of the Civil War McCooks, whose home is now a museum on the square.  Such lush and green country, with amazing  hills and 2-lane farmroads – only.  Ron and Sherry, who we met in the TX Hill Country this past winter, are workamping here at the the rv park where we are staying. In fact, we are right next door to them. 

6-9-11:  Ron and Sherry introduced us to a typical Amish supper.  Trail bologna (beef), cheeses – set out awhile to become a little mushy – potato salad, slaw, crackers, pickled beets and hardboiled eggs, and watermelon. Yummy.  Evidently, sometimes the Amish eat popcorn and apples for supper.  Now, that's my kind of cooking!

Ron and Sherry at their previously owned restaurant in Zoar, OH

Ohio Amish Country

Sam the Amish horse in Sugarcreek, Ohio

Stand back! Hitching up the poo-poo catcher to Sam

Getting to know Eli

6-10-11:  Today R & S took us to the Ohio Amish Country:  Walnut Creek, Berlin, Sugarcreek. Gorgeous drive!  Landscapes were like paintings!!  Our first stop was Zoar – where Ron grew up and the 2 of them owned a restaurant there for many years.  Zoar was a colony similar to Amana, Iowa.  It was settled by The Separatists (instead of the Inspirationists) from Germany in the early 1800's.  The Quakers invited them over.  We stopped for lunch at Der Dutchman in Walnut Creek.  Delicious restaurant with the BEST Peanut Butter pie I've ever had next to my mama's.  Most of the businesses in this area are owned by the Dutch Corporation.  We took an Amish buggy ride in Sugarcreek.  It was short, but I got to ride up front with the driver and ask a lot of  questions!  We didn't catch his name, so Ron called him Eli.  It was a little rainy today, so we didn't get to see too many Amish farmers out working the fields, but saw plenty of Amish women working the gardens.  Aside from Swiss cheese, Trail Bologna is the #1 thing people come to the Ohio Amish Country to purchase.  We purchased some as well.  Yummy stuff!

6-13-11:  Played golf at Carrollton today – beautiful, hilly course.  Tonite I cooked supper for Ron and Sherry and really was happy with how it turned out.  But during the course of the conversation, Sherry mentioned that she authored a COOKBOOK a few years ago.  Sooo glad I didn't know that before I cooked for them.  I prob would've just picked up pizza.

Lehman's

The Town & Country clientele

Farm Equipment on the move in Ohio Amish Country

After the Auction

Hills are no problem for these guys

Ohio Amish buggy

trying to make a left

Amish buggy in Ohio

Our grandsons in the Amish hats we sent them

6-15-11:  David and I drove back over to Amish Country today to visit Lehman's store in Korbin.  Sherry used to work there and told us about it.  It's a huge store that specializes in non-electric items used in Amish households and farms.  Lots of modern stuff, too.  I picked up this week's copy of The Budget.  Amish from communities all over the USA – and even some outside the US, write in to this newspaper to let each other know what's going on in their community:  anything from deaths, weddings, births, trips, visitors, to little Micah scaring his sis by putting a mouse in her apron pocket.  Fun read.  Really interesting films shown in the store re: Amish history and barn-raising.  Worth a stop if you are in this area.  Afterward we ate in the basement of Town & Country Market – I recommend it!  We came back thru Mt. Hope where the Amish families were  dispersing in their buggies from the auction.

Red barns indicate Old Order Amish in the Ohio Amish Country

Amish farm near Charm, Ohio

Amish boys cutting the hay

look at the muscles on these workhorses

helping Daid in the fields

washing the roof of the camper on a cool Ohio day

Our peeps, Ron & Sherry, in Carrollton, Ohio

An Ohio farrm

Also came through Amish communities Berlin, Sugarcreek (which is where The Budget is printed),  and Charm, to name a few.  The gorgeous hilly roads presented picturesque views of Amish men and boys working the fields with their horse-drawn farm equipment, ladies working the amazing gardens – and mowing and weed-eating, & lots of laundry drying on the lines.  Some of the Amish homes and barns are very old, quaint, country homes and some are modern and elaborate.  Whatever the style, they have a smaller home beside them for the grandparents.  The main way you'd know it's an Amish home is the lack of powerlines, lack of curtains,  or the Amish laundry hanging on the clotheslines outside.  Yes, non-Amish homes have laundry out, too, but not Amish clothes hanging.  On the way home, we went through New Philly, Magnolia, and Sandyville -- “the town that moved”.

Lincoln/Bedell statues in Westfield, NY

Barcelona Lighthouse in Westfield, NY on Lake Erie

Westfield, NY vineyards

6-20-11:  We are now in Western New York.  Spending a couple of days in Westfield, on the shores of Lake Erie.  Traveled on the beautiful Lincoln byway – so so many old colonial homes and bldgs from 1800's with the year built posted on them. If walls could talk, right?  And vineyards galore!!  Evidently vineyards : western NY :: corn : Iowa!!  As far as the eye can see.  Westfield was home to James McClorg, who was part of the Philadelphia Convention – which was some sort of political event. LOL. Also, you might google Grace Bedell.  Our campground is across the rd from Lake Erie.  A lotta watta!!  Pleasant temps – 60's.  I do miss the western US dry air though!  Visited the Barcelona Lighthouse, very quaint.

Bemus Point, NY

6-21-11:  Drove to beautiful Lake Chautauqua.  Stopped at Village of Bemus Point.  Great.  A few Amish in this area, Jamestown mainly.  Their buggies here are brown-topped.   Western NY is interesing is you are coming this way anyway.  Wouldn't be an area I'd be eager to come back to.  Laura Lee said “you've finally found a place you couldn't live!”. Haha. 

Red Head on Lake Erie in NY

Lake Erie at Westfield, NY

6-22-11:  moved on to Grand Island, NY to stay about 5 days while we visit Niagra Falls.  Traveled on the Seaway Trail (hwy 5) and saw more of Lake Erie.  Crossed over the Buffalo River (prettier in AR), and drove alongside the Erie Canal once we came to Buffalo.  Crossed over the huge Niagra River, for a $2.75 toll. The rv park we picked, Branches of Niagra, is very nice. Just do your laundry ahead of time because there is only ONE washer/dryer for the whole place.

Will spend a few days at The Falls then will check out Pennsylvania. 

Until Later,

Amos and Fanny Yoder

Oh, diesel prices as we came through PA were $4.23.  We couldn't believe it!  They'd just dropped to below $4.00 in OH before we left there.  Got to NY and realized we should've filled up in PA.  It's $4.32 here.  Would like to know what it is in your area.....