Trip to Geauga County:

What do you think of when you think of Geauga County?  Most people think Amish, maple syrup and snow belt. Okay, you may be right, but there is so much to do in Geauga County you can really not take it for granted.  

I headed out this past month to Geauga County, of course the day after one of their famous 12 inches and counting snow storms.  But what a beautiful car ride I had. The snow covered ever so beautiful on all the houses, trees and countryside.  It looked truly like a winter wonderland.  I was waiting to see horses pulling a sleigh to come around the bend of Burton Square. And what a cute square it is.

In the center of the square is the Burton Log Cabin. It is a working sugar house which produces wonderful maple syrup every spring and maple candy all year round. It is open 7 days a week 10 am to 4:30 pm. To order direct call 800-526-5630.

In February and March Pancake Breakfasts abound.

Around the square are specialty shops, antique merchants and galleries.

According to the Burton Chamber of Commerce website, Burton was settled in 1798 and is the oldest and first official settlement in Geauga County.  Burton is also known as Pancake Town USA. With all that maple syrup being produced why wouldn't it be.

Looking for breakfast or lunch?  Right on the square I spotted three (3) restaurants.  I stopped for lunch at Belle's American Grill, where I had a salad which included chicken, all sorts of greens and additional assortment of toppings like strawberries and nuts.  I asked many of the regulars who were there eating and they gave me thumbs up to the food.  My riding companion enjoyed a delicious bowl of clam chowder.

Located just off the square is the Century Village Museum.  It is open year round and is family friendly.
Throughout the year they offer special events such as Civil War re-enactments and a Apple Butter Festival.

After checking out all the shops on Burton Square I headed out to find a special treat.  When I was growing up my grandfather used to give us little leaf shaped candy made from maple syrup. I remember how really sweet they tasted and since Geauga County is the maple area in Ohio I knew I would find them.  It did not take me long to find Richards Maple Products located in the town of Chardon.  

I was told that I could find all sorts of products made with maple syrup including a treat for my English Black Lab "Hunter".  I was not let down.  They had all kinds of maple treats, including my maple leaf candy and yes, dog biscuits dipped in maple syrup for Hunter who thoroughly enjoyed them and wants to include them in Hunter's favorite things.  They do have a website where you can purchase online. Their address is 545 Water St., Chardon. 
Toll-free 800-352-4052.

Just down the road I stopped at Fowlers Mill located at 12500 Fowlers Mill Rd, Chardon.  This over 175 year old grist mill still produces many baking items such as apple crisp, various flour and of course pancake mix.  The shop contains all sorts of wonderful baking items.  I even found my scone mix. I had a tour of the mill which was very interesting.

The Mill is open everyday but Sundays, 10 am to 5 pm. Their contact information is 440.286.2024 or 800.321.2024. Their website is www.fowlermill.com.   There is a beautiful pond which sits behind the mill and when I was there it was mostly ice covered and where there was no ice, there must of been over 50 Mallard ducks enjoying a cold swim. 

The day started to get away from me and there was still so much to do.  I never did make it to Middlefield where I wanted to stop at the Cheese Co-op, have lunch at Mary Yoder's Amish kitchen and buy my Amish pie. I guess I will need to make another trip.

For additional information about Geauga County: Call 1-800-775-TOUR or www.tourgeauga.com. 

If you want to take a sleigh ride, may we suggest Ma & Pa's Horse drawn Sleigh Rides located at 15161 Main Market Rd. (State Route 422), Burton 440-548-5521 www.maandpas.com

And for overnight stays Punderson Manor Lodge, an Ohio State Park is within driving distance of all areas of Geauga County.  Their contact numbers are 440.564.9144 or 800.282.7275.  PS..some say part of the Lodge may have a spirit or two????  Also, check out the local Bed and Breakfasts, I heard there are a few wonderful ones, something I would still like to do. 

FYI - May 8, 2010 is Geauga County's Annual Drive it Yourself Tour in celebration of
National Tourism Week.

Posted by
Diane Rock
Rock'in Ohio One Adventure At A Time®
NorthernOhioTourism.com
 
Trip Three:

This trip is somewhat of a sentimental journey for me.  When I was a little girl my mother would drive by this home and say “your cousin lives there right there across from that mansion and she is friends with one of the children”.  Well, needless to say all I wanted to do was call my cousin up and see what she could tell me about this house and who had grown up there.  It was the most beautiful home I had ever seen coming from a small town.  It was grand.

As I grew older I realized that it was open to the public for tours.  It took me 19 years to finally take the tour of the home that I always said I would own one day (not sure what day I meant) and it left me with a “Gatsby” magical feeling.  The family of this home played such an important role in our NE Ohio history.  When you think of Akron Ohio you have to think about the rubber industry and how it changed all our lives and this family was very much apart of Akron's rubber industry.

So, your first stop is to Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Akron, Ohio.  It is considered one of the best Tudor revival homes in United States.  Built 1912 – 1915 by the Seiberling family its grandeur is well worth a day trip. The gardens are maintained by a grounds crew and the tour is very interesting. (I had the distinct pleasure on one of my visits to have a grandchild give the tour, great perspective on the home).  I don’t want to spoil the tour by telling you additional facts so this is all I will say about this home.  To find out additional information and about special home events see StanHywet.org.  714 North Portage Path, Akron, Ohio 330-836-5533                   (Photo courtesy of Stan Hywet)

Stan Hywet usually opens @10am to 6pm.  Times do vary so please refer to their website linked above.

After a morning/early afternoon tour of the home and gardens I tend to find I need nourishment. A  wonderful local stop that will take you back in time is Swenson's. Swenson's is an old fashioned drive thru located approx. 10 west minutes from the mansion.  (40 S Hawkins Ave. Akron).  These old fashioned hamburgers have been pleasing area palettes for many years. I seem to prefer the traditional Galley Burger and side order of those wonderful onion rings along with the house drink a Californian. 

For your third stop since you are in the neighborhood I would suggest stopping at West Point Market on 1711 W. Market Street and right around the corner from Swensons. You will find a unique selection of foods.  From premium wines to Belgian chocolates to a various selection of imported foods that you are going to be glad your belly is full from Swensons.  But my motto is there is always room for chocolate.

Now we are off to our next stop which is the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Depending on the day there is always something happening in the park.  There are two links I review for the days activities: Day In the Valley and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.gov. As I head north from Stan Hywet on Akron Peninsula Road I like to look at the carved Indian in the Valley and walk the strip of shops in the small town of Peninsula.  They have a wonderful old fashioned bookstore I always seem to find myself spending a few minutes in.  The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Rail Road has a stop in Peninsula and offers special events on the train certain evenings. Check out www.cvsr.com for details.

My final stop before heading for a nice dinner is Brandywine Falls. Nestled on Brandywine Road in northern Summit County, Sagamore Hills.  Decking takes you down to the falls for a wonderful view and photo session.  Truly a NE Ohio gem.  To tired to go home?  There is a B & B right next door to the falls as well as another 5 minutes from the falls.  Both are charming B&B's.  See our Accomodations page for additional motels/hotels and B&B's.

For dinner I would suggest the Courtyard in Brecksville, Casa DÁngelo's in Macedonia or Guisseppe's in Northfield Center.  All establishments are within 15 city minutes from the Falls and offer a wonderful selection of appetizing dishes.  If you want sandwiches to steak try The Courtyard.   For pasta go to Casa DÁngelos or Guisseppe's. 
 

Trip Two:

One of the most popular destinations in NE Ohio is our Amish Country.  I am asked all the time to give suggestions for places to visit within Amish Country and I tell everyone that it is an extremely hard decision to make.  There are so many wonderful areas.

I grew up in the country in Medina County.  I spent many days traveling south with my parents into Amish Country.  Things have gotten a bit more commercial since those earlier days but I still enjoy visiting some of my more favorite stops.  My mother still goes down once a week to visit her friend’s farms and pick-up cheese at a few local stops. 

So, for my first One Day Trip to Amish I will be taking you on one of my typical trips to the Amish Country in Holmes County.  (Now please remember we also have an Amish area in Geauga County and I will be giving you a One Day trip idea in a later post.) 

First thing in the morning I pack my cooler (large w/ ice because I am going to be bringing back supplies).  Second I pack my thermos of coffee as there will be no Starbucks or McD’s in this neighborhood.  Yes, we can have coffee @ any of the restaurants, but those who know me, know it needs to be close by first thing in the morning.  A few other things to remember most places are not open on Sunday, take an Ohio map and please drive slow over hills there may be a buggy just on the other side.

Now there are many ways to get to Amish Country and I will leave that up to your mapquest or your gps.  If you have difficulty email me and I will be happy to map it out for you. 

My first stop is just a little outside of Mt. Hope.  I stop at Ashery Country Store - 8922 State Route 241, Fredricksburg,OH, 330-359-5615. (The store is located 2 1/2 miles northeast of Mount Hope and 4 1/2 miles southwest of Mount Eaton. It is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday.) The store is one of my bulk food store selections.  I pick-up all of my holiday baking supplies, spices and bulk candy/peanuts from here.  During the harvest season there is also usually a vendor outside selling fresh vegetables. 

Being around all that food the stomach normally starts growling and I can only make it as far as Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen in Mt. Hope.  (8101 SR 241 – 330.674.0922).  I seem to not try new things there and normally order the chicken, homemade mashed potatoes and salad bar.  The other food looks great but I can not say honestly that I have tasted it. (Oh, don’t forget to try the peanut butter whip for the homemade bread, very bad…hahahahah.)

After lunch I head down to Kidron to another of my favorite stores. Now you can visit the Lehman’s in Mt. Hope but it is not nearly the size of the store in Kidron. Lehman’s Brothers, One Lehman Circle, Kidron. This store has sure changed since I started going there but it brings back a lot of nostalgia.  If you are looking for supplies for outdoors, emergency preparedness or food prep, this is your stop.  From tea kettles to tools they seem to carry it all.  Remember, many things do not require electricity. 

Now that I loaded my car one more time, (thinking how I am going to explain to the family I could not live without the Brass Student Lamp and Mole Chaser), it is time to leave and continue our day in Amish Country. Please note, Lehmans does have a website: www.lehmans.com in case you forgot to purchase something.

Heading south I land in the town of Berlin.  There are a lot of shops to browse in Berlin, some of my favorites are the quilt and craft fabric stores, Wendall August Forge and the Christmas store.  There is a flea market in Berlin open Thurs-Sat.  There is also Berlin Chili Trader’s that many people like to stop at and get their chilli – barbeque fix.

The rest of the day I spend looking for new places I have not been to in Walnut Creek or Sugarcreek.  You could really spend two to three days in this area to see all the little towns and if you want to purchase wood furniture there are many shops along the way. 

For dinner I pick one of the many restaurants located throughout the area.  Sometimes I am at Amish Door and other times I land at Der Dutchmen, depending which road I take home.  

From Hot Air Balloon rides, to cheese, to visiting an Amish farm there are lots of things to do in Ohio’s Amish Country.  Some of my favorite things to do are to shop and eat and there is plenty of both. 

Additional places to note:  Troyer Trail Bologna, Winesburg; Guggisberg Cheese, Inc. (original Bay Swiss) in Millersburg; and Inn at Honey Run, Accommodations in Millersburg.

(Diane Rock, Freelance Writer posted 06/07/09)


Trip One:

Some mornings you wake up and you just feel Italian.  Dress in your red shirt and green khaki pants and load an empty cooler with ice in the trunk.  Where you are going today, you are going to want to bring home some food for eating later. 

Breakfast: This is a tough one.  Knowing where your stomach will end up you may want to just grab a small little healthy yogurt, bowl of cereal and of course an Italian Coffee at anyone of our local Coffee shops.  Then it is off to the east side of Cleveland. 

Stop #1:  The first stop in our Day #1 journey will lead you to Gallucci’s Italian Market located at 6610 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland’s Midtown Corridor. For many taking this trip it will be the first time in a long time to see the new Euclid Corridor.  At Gallucci’s you will be met with a wonderful “cast of characters” who will help you make your meat and cheese selections along with the other delectable goodies  located in the bakery and throughout the store.  They do offer a take out lunch consisting of homemade pizza to pasta to subs.  When you are at the deli please ask for “Kevin”, according to Kevin he is the “good Kevin, the one that works there”. As you can tell he has a wonderful dry wit and will make your experience enjoyable, as well as all the other store employees.  Don’t be afraid to let them know your not sure what to buy.  When I go I like to stock-up on the grated Romano Cheese, sharp provolone and traditional Italian deli meats.  Of course in the bakery I purchase a few loaves of Italian Bread as well as a new love, a loaf of Portuguese bread.  Did someone say homemade cannolli?  And don’t forget the many varieties of olives and their homemade tomato sauce.   If you live outside the Cleveland area or you are flying do not worry they do ship!

Stop #2: Now that your cooler is full and your tummy has been reborn it is off for a little nature hiking at Lakeview Cemetery (located at 12316 Euclid Ave. Cleveland).  I know what you are thinking a cemetery?  Lakeview Cemetery is not your ordinary cemetery.  It is rich in history and the final resting place of our 20^th President – James A. Garfield.  President Garfield is the only President that lays In State. The Monument is open daily April 1st through November 19th from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM and is staffed with a guide.  The view from the monument of downtown Cleveland and the surrounding grounds is breathtaking.

The Wade Chapel is another must visit while at the cemetery.  It was built in honor of Jeptha Wade, founder of The Western Union Telegraph Company, by his grandson. What I find fascinating is the interior was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Let’s also not forget the see the final resting place of “Rockefeller”, “Elliot Ness” and many other famous residents. Click here for more info: http://www.lakeviewcemetery.com/famous_residents.html

Stop #3: