Tag: Ohio

Reverend John Manteith, abolitionist

On this trip I am going to share examples of courage fighting injustice, both current and from for history. I very much need this inspiration to keep fighting the good fight.

Last night, we stopped in Elyria, Ohio, on the Black River six miles from Lake Erie and 20 miles west off Cleveland.

We learned about Reverend John Monteith (1788-1868), who was an abolitionist in Elyria, Ohio who used his home, Monteith Hall, as a “station” on the Underground Railroad. For seven years, his home served as a hiding place for enslaved people escaping to freedom. A tunnel ran from the back of the house to the Black River, which was used to help people escape to the shores of Lake Erie. From there they could board a ship across the lake to Canada and freedom. The home was built in 1835 as a boarding school for girls , which he also gets props for, and a residence for Montheith’s family. He managed the Underground Railroad network on the southern shore of Lake Erie.

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On the Road Again

It has been a minute since we have travelled anywhere. We are on the road again to visit our son in Wisconsin. Join us on our journey! Not even sure of where we will go, but we will let you know what we find along the way.

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Inn at Brandywine Falls

We spent two nights in the lovely historic Inn at Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron Ohio. The four room inn, originally a farmhouse was built in 1848 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Although you would never guess her age, Katy Hoy, the innkeeper, is 92 years old. She and her late husband George opened the inn in 1988 after signing a 50 year lease with the federal government. The inn is chock full of antiques and offers an excellent formal breakfast every morning with homemade breads and other hearty, delicious items. On the wall behind us is a portrait of George Wallace, the founder of Brandywine.

We are heading home today, so signing off until our next journey, Hope you enjoyed traveling with us!

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Did you know that there is a national park in Ohio?

We have driven through northern Ohio many times on our way to destinations in the west. We never knew that we were a stone’s throw away from Cuyahoga Valley National Park. My brief survey of people around me confirmed that few people know about Cuyahoga National Park even though it gets more visits annually than Bryce Canyon National Park!

Many people my age (old) do recall the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River catching on fire numerous times, most famously on June 22, 1969, helping to spur the American environmental movement (Wikipedia). Since then, the river has been extensively cleaned up through the efforts of Cleveland’s city government and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA).[12] In 2019, the American Rivers conservation association named the Cuyahoga “River of the Year” in honor of “50 years of environmental resurgence”.[13][14]

It was a glorious day for a bike ride. We rode 14 miles on the Tow Path Bike Trail along the historic Ohio & Erie Canalway. Fall foliage was at its peak and just gorgeous.

We came to little towns along the way, now part of the National Park, that were once thriving towns. Boston. Ohio was one of those towns. In 1974, in order to create the Cayahoga Valley National Park, President Ford ordered the town to be evacuated. There were rumors of a mutation-causing chemical spill and extreme paranormal activity. The Travel Channel made a movie of the town called Helltown (2017), which according to Snopes is mostly fiction. You can learn more about the movie here, which now I do think I want to see.

Park store in Boston where we bought ice cream and sat in the porch rockers.

I would encourage anyone looking to hike, bike or canoe to consider a stop at the Cayahoga Valley National Park.

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Oberlin: A Green City

Hotel Oberlin opened in 2016 as one of the first hotels in the US to incorporate solar and geothermal power as well as use radiant heating and cooling

In Oberlin, we saw evidence of climate positive actions, movement toward sustainability and use of renewable energy. It seems that Ithaca has a rival in that regard. Oberlin is one of just three C40 “Climate Positive” cities in the U.S. recognized by the Clinton Foundation Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council; the other two are Portland, OR. and San Francisco, CA. The Oberlin Project, a joint project of Oberlin college and the city , has the following goals:

  • Creating one of the first climate positive cities in America by shifting the City and College to renewable energy sources, radically improving efficiency, sharply reducing our carbon emissions, and improving our economy in the process.
  • Creating new and supporting existing business ventures in energy efficiency and solar deployment, food and agriculture, and the sustainable use of local resources.
  • Conserving 20,000 acres of green space and developing a robust local foods economy to meet 70% of our consumption.
  • Creating an educational alliance between the College, the Oberlin schools, the Joint Vocational School, and Lorain County Community College focused on integrating sustainability into education at all levels.
  • Developing a 13-acre Green Arts District at the US Green Building Council Platinum level.
  • Serving as a model that can be replicated in other communities.

We stayed at the Oberlin Hotel right on campus across from Tappan Square in the heart of the city and campus. In addition to being a solar/geothermal building, it is unique in sharing a building with the Admissions Office, which undoubtably is a great convenience for families looking at the college.

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Berlin, Ohio: Amish Country

We took a little detour south to swing through Ohio Amish county. It was a beautiful fall day to drive through beautiful countryside.

Not my photo
Not my photo

We learned so many things including: most Amish homes have beautiful flower gardens in their yards; horses working in unison (which we have seen before) is truly amazing to behold; Monday is wash day- every house had laundry on the line; local “English” (Amish term for all non-Amish folks) are pretty cavalier about passing buggies on the road.

Speaking of buggies, we came across a sales lot for new buggies. Guess how much a new buggy costs? If you guessed $2,800, you would be correct- not sure what trim level that includes though! Did you know that buggy’s have metal wheels? Not such a smooth ride, I imagine. We also learned that electric bicycles are very popular with the Amish.

We drove into Berlin, Ohio, which we were told was the heart of Amish country. What we did not expect was tacky tourists traps and gifts shops. It reminded us of Lake George, but to be fair, we also found authentic Amish foods, handmade furniture and crafts.

The final thing we noticed was an architectural style for barns we have never seen. There were many barns that looked like this, with shutters rather than windows. We were not able to get any answers on the history of this style. Let us know if you have answers!

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To Madison We Go

Tomorrow we are embarking on another road trip to Madison, Wisconsin to visit our son, Sebby. It’s exciting to think about being on the road again. We plan to stop in Oberlin, Ohio, take a little detour down to Amish Country, then on to Madison. We’ll let you know what we find as we go!

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Before the Brooklyn Bridge

Roebling Suspension Bridge, Cincinnati, Ohio

Did you know that this bridge in Cincinnati served as a prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge? It was designed by the same engineer, John A, Roebling in 1867. At the time, it was the longest bridge (1057 feet) in the world.

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Our Midwest Adventure Begins

Tomorrow we will leave for our 24 day midwest adventure through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. Along the way we will visit family, camp, bike and report about what we learn along the way. Stay tuned!

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