Ohio has a National Park! Who knew? And you don't have to pay to get in. It's about 15 miles from Chad and Jenna's house and we explored a section of it today, Brandywine Falls.
Actually, we explored a bit more than that due to Evan's navigation. All I'll say is that I'm glad he's doing the bulk of the driving on this trip and I'm calling out the directions.
The park, 33,000 acres between Akron and Cleveland, was formed as a National Recreation Area in 1974. Administered by the National Park System, it became a National Park in 2000. The park protects the Cuyahoga Valley, the namesake river and the Ohio & Erie Canal that flowed through it from 1827 - the 1860's when the railroad replaced the canal system. Today the towpath is a paved bike and hike trail.
The forests in this area are leafy hardwoods which stay cool, green and shady all summer. Today was much cooler than other days, a perfect temperature for exploring.
Chad is getting into photography, and today Evan was his flunky. Even though digital has sped up photo-taking, there's still an element of waiting for the perfect shot.
There is a town called Peninsula that's surrounded by the park. The homes there reflect a New England look due to its settlement by citizens from Connecticut in the late 1700's. On the charming house scale, this place is off the chart!
We finished the day by stopping by Chad and Jenna's favorite ice cream shop, called Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, since 1945. It is now our favorite ice cream shop too. I had a scoop of coconut cream pie and Evan licked his way through a cone of chocolate raspberry truffle.
So here's my perfect fantasy - sitting with my loved ones outside a historic barn, on soft grass under a leafy, green tree, having a picnic of sandwiches from Wheat Montana (our new favorite meaty sandwich place), then savoring the taste of Handel's ice cream.
1 comment:
when are you coming home? I miss you!
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