Steamtown National Historic Site for steam engines trains

Steamtown is billed as the only national site that is devoted to the story of the steam engine and its role in the development of the United States. The site is located in downtown Scranton, PA and occupies 40 acres of the railroad yard of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.

The National Park Service rebuilt the Roundhouse and the turntable from the remnants of the original buildings. The site includes a visitor center, history museum, roundhouse, turntable, three sections of the second roundhouse built in 1902, and a technology museum.

Steam engine rail excursions are offered regularly. You can also take guided tours of the site. On the day we were there, we toured the locomotive repair shops located behind the roundhouse. Steam engines need maintained frequently—about every 150 miles. Crews work on maintenance regularly. When they have time, they work on reconstructing and repairing old engines in their collection.

The collection of steam trains includes the Big Boy—one of the largest engines ever built. There is also an old snow plow engine used to clear snow from tracks and a small industrial switcher.

One of the unadvertised assets of the site is the volunteers. They are great. For most, volunteering is a labor of love. The ones we met were all eager to share their passion about the engines. The volunteer we met at the main desk lives in New Jersey and comes to Steamtown four times a year to work. That is dedication.

Steamtown is considered a working railroad site. Steam engines—and an occasional diesel—are coming and going frequently. We got to hear—and feel—the power of the big engines. Exciting.

Linked to the site by a ramp way is the Mall at Steamtown. Anyone not interested in steam engines can spend the day shopping. We spent so much time at the historical site, we never made it to the mall.

After you visit the site—take a short drive down the main street to the Hotel Radisson which occupies the old train station and main offices of the railroad. You can park in their parking lot for the short visit. Have lunch there if you want. Prices are less expensive if you wander around to the back of the building to a small bar and restaurant that looks over the tracks.

Fees:

• Historic site entrance fees are $6.00 for adults 17 and up. Kids 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
• Excursion fees are extra—the “Scranton Limited”—a short train excursion—is $3.00 for ages 6 and up.

More information on the Steamtown National Historic Site.
Additional pictures.

Penn State--visit to the Creamery and the Nittany Lion

The Nittany Lion sculpture

If you are not a Penn State alumni or fan, there is one, delicious reason to visit—the Creamery. The Creamery has become a Penn state tradition since it opened in the late 1800’s. Penn State is the only university with an Ag Department that offers a degree in ice cream making. The ice creams are sold at the Creamery.

Except for the most popular flavors, the selection of flavors changes during the year. You can also buy other dairy items such as cheese at the Creamery.

The second reason I visited Penn State was to see the statue of the Nittany Lion. My dad graduated from Penn State and I have heard about the Lion for years. The statue is about 4 short blocks from the Creamery. You can walk the distance without much trouble. Otherwise you can drive to the Nittany Inn and park in their parking area.

An extra bonus if you walk is you get to see some of the campus. I was there in early September. The campus is beautiful with a lot of small garden areas with seats and shade and flowers as well as various places that you can stop and get coffee or lunch.

The ice cream is delicious. Don’t plan to go on a home football game day. Lines will be long, long, long, long.

The Creamery occupies the first floor of the new Food Science Building on the corner of Bigler and Curtin Roads. Park in the East Parking Deck on Bigler Road. The garage is located behind the Creamery. You can park free for a ½ hour. If you stay longer, you will be charged. We stayed about 45 minutes and were charged $1.00 when we left.

For more information or to order your own ½ gallon of ice cream delivered to your home—http://creamery.psu.edu/

Map of Penn State. http://www.campusmaps.psu.edu/print/

Additional pictures—sorry, I forgot to take one of the Creamery.

Leo Petroglyph

The Leo Petroglyph is comprised of 37 incised drawings of humans, footprints, and animals. It is fun to try and find all of the glyphs and to try and identify what they are.

The petroglyphys were carved into a large, flat surface of sandstone. Currently, it is believed that they were carved by the Fort Ancient Indians sometime between 1000AD and 1650AD. Why the Indians cared these images or what they meant to the Fort Ancient peoples is unknown.

The petroglyphs are protected by a small, roofed shelter located in a very small park. The park has some picnic tables but no other amenities.

Local teens have been busy decorating the shelter with spray painted names. There is some evidence that some have also tried their hand at making petroglyphs. The only supervision of the park was provided by a neighbor’s two dogs who came by to see what we were doing.

Additional pictures:
Hours:
Location:
Fees (if applicable):

• none

Additional information:

Related sites:

• Ohio History Central: Leo Petroglyph


• Ohio History Central: Leo Petroglyph—photo


• Leo Petroglyph


• State Parks.com


• Appalachian Adventure Trail: Leo Petroglyph


• Ohio State Parks: Leo Petroglyph, nearby sites of interest

Buckeye Furnace

I was impressed with the reconstruction effort that has been made at Buckeye Furnace. The furnace is located deep in the hills of southern Ohio. Today it seems quiet and remote. During its heyday, the area was bustling with workmen and their families.

The furnace is a reconstructed charcoal-fired iron blast furnace. The sandstone stack is original. The blast furnace was located in an area where all the materials needed for producing iron were available—iron ore, limestone to separate the iron from the slag, and trees to produce the charcoal needed to fuel the furnace.

The furnace was built in 1852 and produced iron until 1894. During that period, the forest around the furnace was cut down to produce charcoal.
The site also contains a reconstructed company store which functions as the visitor’s center and a reconstructed supervisor’s house which is a private residence.

Open hours are limited. The Historical society has provided kiosks describing the buildings and the activities. You can use them to give yourself a self-guided tour if there is no staff available.

Additional pictures:
Hours:
Location:
Fees (if applicable) :
Additional information:

• Not handicapped accessible .

Related sites:

• Friends of Buckeye Furnace


• State Parks.com


• Ohio Iron Furnaces

Buffington Island Mound I

This is a conical mound about 20 feet high and with a base diameter of 125 feet. Concrete steps up the side allow you to walk to the top. You cannot see the river from the top of the mound but you can see the river bottom lands. There are supposed to be 2 smaller mounds nearby. We were unable to identify them.
The mound was probably excavated sometime around the beginning of the 20th century but there are no records of the work. The mound was restored in 1931 and is in good condition.

The mound is located on the Buffington Island Battle Memorial.

Hours:
Location:

Fees; (if applicable): none

Additional information:

Ohio History Central: Buffington Island Mound

Buffington Island Battleground

This site has two points of interest—one is the memorial to the only Civil War battle fought on Ohio soil and the second is an Indian mound.
In 1863, General Morgan, a Confederate officer, led a column of men across the Ohio. The Confederates were stopped by a Union army led by Major Daniel McCook together with eight of his sons and five of his brothers.
The memorial to the battle, made of glacial boulders, is set in a small 4 acre park that contains a shelter, picnic tables, and a restroom with pit toilets.
Near the memorial is the Buffington Island Mound 1, also known as Price Mound.
We visited the memorial and mound on a beautiful early fall day. This was the first of three stops. We went exploring and also visited the Leo Petroglyphs and the Buckeye Furnace.

Hours:
Location:
Fees; (if applicable): none
Additional information:

Related sites:
Ohio History Central: Battle of Buffington Island
Battle of Buffington Island

Buffington Island, Ohio

Clark’s Dining Room

Update: on October 31, 2009, Clarks closed.

Clark’s is not far off Interstate 70, exit 132. I have driven by Clark’s many times. The parking lot is always full of local cars which is usually a good sign.
Clark’s is a homey restaurant decorated with quilt hangings. The current owners and managers are the third generation to operate the restaurant. The Clark’s purchased the old hotel in 1918. The hotel had originally served as a stagecoach stop on the National Highway (Old Rt. 40). In 1954, the old hotel burned down. The family rebuilt the restaurant.
The food is home-cooked and served family style. Their specialties are fried chicken and pies. We ordered burgers and salad and tried the apple pie. The food was good and the price reasonable. The couple at the next table had the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and it looked delicious.
Take cash or check. Credit and debit cards are not accepted.
To round out our trip, we visited several Indian Mounds located near Clark's dining Room: Flint Ridge, Huffman or Tippet Mound at the Taft Nature Reserve, Fairmount Mound, and the Dawes Arboretum Mound.

Hours:

• Tues.-Sat.: 11:30-8:00; Sunday: 11:00-7:30; closed Mondays.
  Location: Corner of Rt. 40 and 13 in Jacksontown, Ohio.

Fees (if applicable):

• The restaurant does not accept credit or debit cards.

Additional information:

• 740-323-3874, call ahead for take-out; reservations accepted Tuesday-Saturday.

Related sites:

• Clark’s Dining Room
• ColumbusChefs.com

Fairmount Mound

This mound is in a graveyard next to the Fairmount Presbyterian Church. It is about 15 feet high and 80 feet in diameter. You will see it looming over you as you drive up the road to the church. Like the other mounds we visited during this trip, it is located on a ridge.
Because there is no forest hiding it, this was the most impressive of the mounds we saw on this visit. The mound looks well preserved.
The mound is on private property. Do not trespass. There is limited parking at the church.
We also visited these nearby sites on this day trip: Flint Ridge, Huffman Mound, Dawes Arboretum Mound, Clark’s Dining Room.

Additional pictures.

Hours:

• View from CR 323 at any time. The cemetery is open dawn to dusk.
  Location: From I70, take Exit 132. Go north to US 40. Turn right (east) on US 40 and go 1.5 miles. Turn left (north) on CR 323 (also called Fairmount Road). Fairmount Church and the mound are straight ahead at the top of the hill.

Fees (if applicable):

• none

Additional information:

• Do not trespass on the mound. It is located on private property.

Related sites:

• Fairmount Mound, Ohio History Central.

Dawes Arboretum Mound

Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio, contains a mound located on the highest point of the arboretum grounds. The mound itself is low—about 4 feet high—and about 30 feet across. It is covered with trees which make it difficult to see the shape which is lost in the foliage.
You will need to hike about a 1 mile round trip to see the mound. The walk is easy but the trail through the forest is unimproved so what out for tree roots.
Start out by stopping by the visitor center. The mound is located in a restricted area and you will need to get a written permit. We had no trouble getting the permit. The hardest part was finding the tunnel under SR 13. There is no clearly marked path. Go to the end of the parking lot across from the visitor’s center. Cross the access road on your left and walk toward SR 13. The trail to the tunnel is indicated by a large marker and hidden behind some trees.
Once through the tunnel, the trail is clear. It starts in a meadow. The day we visited, native plants like purple coneflower and liatris were blooming, and the blackberry bushes were thick with red berries promising a heavy harvest once they ripened.
At the top of the hill, the trail enters the forest. Follow it until it takes a tight loop left. At the outer edge of the loop is the mound. There is a marker to the right of the trail identifying the mound. This mound, like the others we visited on the same day, was on a ridge and must have been impressive when approached. The early Ohio peoples would have kept the mound and nearby area clear of vegetation which would make the mound more prominent.We also visited these nearby sites on this day trip: Flint Ridge, Huffman Mound, Fairmount Mound, Clark’s Dining Room.

Additional pictures.

Hours:

• Visitor’s Center hours: Mon.-Sat., 8:00-5:00.

Location:

• Exit I 70 at SR 13 at Exit 132. Go north on SR 13 through Jacksontown toward Newark.

Fees (if applicable):

• none

Additional information:

• 1-800-44-DAWESRelated sites: http://www.dawesarb.org/

Huffman Mound (also called Tippet or Tippett Mound)

This mound is located about a mile and a half into the preserve. Be prepared for a hike. The mound itself is undeveloped and fairly well-preserved. It is located in the middle of a field and capped with trees. It is about 20 feet high and 200 feet around. We saw the trees marking the site and not the mound itself because we did not want to break trail through the 4 feet high plants in the field surrounding the mound. We did scare 3 deer that were grazing in the field.
Getting to the mound is part of the adventure. Be prepared to enjoy a walk through a meadow that is filled with wild flowers. Black-eyes Susans and yarrow were blooming the day we were there. Part of the hike we were accompanied by a hawk that soared above us and scolded us with shrill cries. The last part of the trail is through the forest and up a hill.
The mound is on a ridge, and the hike to it will give you some idea of what it must have been like for the early peoples as they approached the mound.
We also visited these nearby sites on this day trip: Flint Ridge, Dawes Arboretum Mound, Fairmount Mound, Clark’s Dining Room.

Additional pictures.

Hours:

• The grounds are open daily dawn to dusk. The Nature Center is open Tues.-Sunday 8:30am-4:30 pm. You need to get permission from the staff to examine the mound.

Location:

• Easy to reach from I 70: get off at Exit 132 and go north on SR 131 one mile to US 40, the turn right (go east) on US 40 for 3.5 miles to CR 311 (also called Linnville Road). Go north on CR 311 for to Fairview Road which takes you to the south park entrance. The little house on you left is the Taft Reserve office and educational center.

Fees (if applicable):

• none

Additional information:

• Licking Park District, 740-587-2535; www.msmisp.coom/lpd; email-lpd@msmisp.com

Flint Ridge State Memorial

The Flint Ridge site contains the remains of flint quarry pits used by the ancient peoples of Ohio. The site contains several trails leading past the pits and a museum which has been constructed over one of the original pits. One of the trails is designed to accommodate people with physical handicaps.
Flint from this site was an important trade item. It is so beautiful that it has become Ohio’s state gemstone. You can buy an example of flint jewelry at the museum giftshop.
The site also offers picnic tables, grills, water, and restrooms. The day we visited, a group of people were there practicing spear throwing.
To round out our trip, we visited several Indian Mounds located near Flint Ridge: Huffman (also known as Tippet or Tippett) Mound at the Taft Nature Reserve, Fairmount Mound, and the Dawes Arboretum Mound. And we found a nice family restaurant, Clark’s Dining Room, in Jacksontown where we had lunch.

Additional pictures.

Hours.
Location.
Fees (if applicable).
Additional information.
Related sites:

• Flint Ridge, Ohio History Central.


• Hopewell Archaeology.

Fort Ancient

Pictured: West mound with east mound in distance. This mound used for celestial sightings using gaps in the wall behind the north and east mounds.

Fort Ancient is a mysterious Hopewell hilltop earthwork that is 2000 years old. Recent archeological excavations have shed some light on what the builders used this area for.

There are about 3.5 miles of walls built along the top of a promontory on the Little Miami River. Some of the walls are 23 feet high; others are only 4 feet. Most are covered by trees and bushes. It is difficult to get a good picture of what the place must have looked like to the Hopewell. The wall is interrupted by about 67 gaps. Some of these are elaborate and were used as ceremonial gates. Others appear to be used to define site lines for viewing specific celestial events like the solstices.

The site also has some mounds. Four are inside the northern section of the side and are arranged in a square. At least one was used to make celestial sightings through gaps in the nearby wall. Near these four low mounds, which are covered with rock paving, is one of the main gates into the area—now used for SR 350 exit. Just outside this gate are two more, taller mounds. They originally marked the gate and the beginning of two parallel earthen walls that extended east and ended in a semicircular enclosure. I could see no trace of this construction.

The site originally had shallow ponds that must have added to the beauty of the enclosure, ditches, paved walkways, ramps, and exterior terraces. There are also some c-shaped, curved mounds that mark the main gateways. The museum has a detailed model of the site as it must have appeared at the peak of its development. Take a good look at the model before you start hiking the earthworks. It will help you put what you are seeing in perspective.

The best way to get a feel of the site is to take one of the marked trails along the inner edge of the walls. The most complete, the Earthworks Trail, is in the South Fort section. It is 1 mile long and starts and ends at the picnic area. You will be walking in the shade and the forest most of the route. The trail is basically an unimproved path through the woods. In some areas the “steps” you are using are tree roots. After a rain, the trail will be muddy.

From this trail you can also take the Eagles Trail down to a terrace that has lots of wildflowers in the spring. This trail is only a half mile but the beginning and ends are somewhat steep. From this trail there is a connecting trail to the Little Miami Bike Trail and the canoe livery.

There are also a couple of trails in the North Fort. One, called the Stone Circle Trail, is just behind the museum. It takes you back to see several stone circles. We did not manage to find them. The foliage is fairly dense so it might be best to try in the early spring or late fall. A second trail, the Mound Trail, loops you outside the earthworks to the two mounds outside the north gate.

The local Boy Scouts have placed plant identification markers along most of the trails. At the trail heads, pick up an identification guide from the mailboxes. Make sure you know what poison ivy looks like before you go. There is quite a lot of it if you get off the trails.

The picnic area has its own history and marker. It was constructed by the CCC and the shelter and stone barbeques were built by the CCC.

There is also a very good museum with lots of displays and dioramas. The museum also has a garden with examples of the food and medicinal plant the Hopewell grew. There is also a large educational area. This would be a fantastic place for a class trip. There is a lot for kids to see and do. Pick up the trail maps at the museum front desk.

Additional pictures:
Hours:
Location:
Fees:

Additional information:
State Parks.com
Ohio History Central
Manataka American Indian Council
Ohio.com-- Akron Beacon Journal

Visitor Savings Card Available for Guernsey County

If you plan to visit Guernsey County, make your first stop the Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors and Convention Bureau located on Wheeling Ave. down the street from the courthouse.

The card gives the holder discounts of $1.00-2.00 for most of the local attractions including the Byesville Scenic Railroad, The John and Annie Glenn Historic Site, and the Wilds. There are also discounts at several local hotels and restaurants such as Mr. Lees, Denny's,Terra Cotta Vineyards, Comfort Inn, and Hampton Inn.

For more information about Guernsey County: http://www.visitguernseycounty.com/

For details about the discounts: http://www.visitguernseycounty.com/content/VisitorSavingsCard.aspx

Good Place to Eat in Zanesville

If you are ever in Zanesville, Ohio, around lunch time or at breakfast time on the week days, have your meal at Ditty’s Downtown Deli. Coffee and sandwiches with the sandwiches made fresh to your order.

The deli is cozy—a counter with 3 seats, two tables for four and one table for two. It is a popular spot for locals and does a big business in delivery or pick up orders. The deli also features wi-fi, a serve-yourself coffee bar and music from the Sammy Davis-Frank Sinatra era and sometimes jazz. The walls are decorated with jazz memorabilia.

The sandwiches come with chips and a pickle or you can get a boxed lunch and add a side. Soup of the day is also offered. I can recommend the Hummus Plate which is served with pita triangles and lots of vegetables. The Small Side Salad is also good, but, be warned, this salad made a whole meal for me. My favorite is the Veggie Bagel on a whole wheat bagel with red pepper hummus, hold the mustard and mayo. Chuck likes the Turkey and Colby with lettuce, tomato and mayo on whole wheat. This sandwich features lots of thinly sliced turkey and cheese on your choice of bread.

The deli is located 1 block south of the courthouse on 61 S. 4th Street with streetside parking. For more information— www.Dittys4Lunch.com

Performance at the Zanesville Community Theater

Zanesville, Ohio, has several active amateur theater groups. I have attended several productions at the Zanesville Community Theater and recommend this group. They do a great job and offer various types of performances. This is the group’s 46th season.

Recently I went to see Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?—not the typical type of play which is usually associated with an amateur group. The 4 actors in this production provided a riveting performance of a difficult play. Other productions planned for this season include HONK! and Steel Magnolias.

The members of the Zanesville Community Theater enjoy sharing their passion with others. A reading group from the local library was at the same performance as I was. By previous arrangement, they were going to meet with the actors after the performance and discuss the play which they had all read.

The performance was as enjoyable as the professional productions I have attended in Columbus.

For more information go to their web site at http://www.zct.org/. You can even order your tickets and choose your seat on-line or you can call 740-455-6487.

I would love to post some pictures of the performance but “no cameras or other recording devices” were allowed.

Wilds Winter Tour 2009

The Wilds is a wild animal conservation and research facility in southeastern Ohio near Cumberland.

The staff offers bus tours of the animals in pasture. The park also has a cafeteria and a gift shop. The staff also offers educational programs during the summer aimed at young people. Next year if all goes well they will be offering a new service—Nomad Ridge at the Wilds. This is a luxury tented camping experience located on a ridge that overlooks the animal areas. We were told the package will include breakfast and dinner. There is also a Working Wild Camp for kids--an educational experience which offers hands on experience to older teens who are interested in careers in conservation.

During the winter, the Wilds offers a select number of programs such as Raptor Day and the Wild Winter Tour. These programs are limited to about 40 people and typically give the visitor close up experience with some of the animals. Most of the winter tours cost about $15 per person.

Last year we went to the Raptor Day. In the morning, we were inside getting information about the various raptors that can be seen at the Wilds such as owls, hawks, vultures and eagles. The Columbus Zoo brings live raptors to the class so attendees can get a close look at the various raptors. In the afternoon, we took the bus out into the Wilds and looked for raptors. We even saw a golden eagle which winters as the Wilds.

This year we went to the Winter Wild Tour. We spend the morning visiting the animals that stay out in the pastures. These included the carnivores—the cheetahs, African wild dogs, and the Wilds newest carnivore, the dohle. We also saw Bactrian camels, bison wild horses, onagers , zebras, several different kinds of deer and swans as well as lots of our native white tail deer that invite themselves to the Wilds.

Best of all we got to visit the rhino and giraffe quarters and get close to these big animals. I got to pet a baby white rhino. The rhinos were more friendly than I thought they would be. They seemed to like all the attention.

The giraffes were too shy to let us touch them. We got to go up to the second floor so we could meet them eye to eye.

If you decide to participate in one of the winter programs, you will need to pack a lunch and dress warmly. The staff provides hot water for coffee and cocoa. On chilly days people like the hot drinks and the water disappears fast so I also take thermoses of coffee and cocoa. Also be sure to take a camera and binoculars if you have them. The binoculars are very useful if the animals decide to keep their distance. We didn’t have that problem. One of the wild horses came right up to the bus door and looked in the window.

Go the the Wilds web site for dates and times of their programs.

, and wild horses, Wilds animals/

Christmas at the Ohio Village

The Ohio Historical Society opens the Ohio Village for special events. At Christmas, the Village is open and staffed with volunteers dressed in Victorian garb. This is an evening event, and the Village is only lit with gas lights and candles.

When we walked into the Village, we felt like we had stepped back in time. Be careful; and watch where you step. To help you see where you are going, the staff lines the walks and steps with luminaries and lanterns and tries to keep them lit. The first person that greeted us was Old St. Nick himself dressed in a Victorian St. Nick costume. He was very helpful and showed us how to use our map of the village to visit all the open sites.

The staff was all friendly. Any time we showed any interest in participating in activities, they were quick to get us involved. While the activities may be designed for kids, we participated and learned a lot about how the Victorians celebrated Christmas. We made mummers masks, hand tinted a Christmas card, made cranberry and popcorn chains to hang on a tree, and played parlor games.

The Historical Society also provided some entertainments that were similar to those the Victorians might have attended. There was a mummer performance, a story teller who told ghost stories, and a performance by Charles Dickens himself. Through out the evening we met the Ohio Village Singers who strolled through the village singeing carols. They also gave two performances in the town hall. We also met Bob Marley several times during our walk around the village. You could tell he was coming when you heard the chains clanging.

We also learned how to give a Cobweb Party. This is a fun activity that involves stringing yarn around a room—one color for everyone playing. Attached to the strands of yarn are little gifts like candy. When you reach the end of your strand of yarn, you get a bigger gift. This sounds like lots of fun and I am going to try it with my family.

The American House and Hotel was serving a limited menu of light meals like sandwiches and mac and cheese. The tavern was serving selected beverages. A local Boy Scout troop sold roasted chestnuts and hot cider. We had a good time and enjoyed celebrating Christmas without electric lights and expensive presents

Hours: Two week ends in December. Watch for ads next year.
Location: Ohio Village next to the Ohio Historical Society Museum
Fees (if applicable): $10/adult OHS member, $7/child OHS member, $12/adult nonmember, $9/child nonmember, $4/parking fee for nonmembers.
Additional information: Ohio Historical Society: Dickens Christmas

Byesville Scenic Railway

The Byesville Scenic Railway is a work of love by a dedicated group of volunteers who are descendents of the coal miners who used to dig coal in the southeastern Ohio area. The 1 hour rail trip uses the train and cars that the miners used to get to and from the mines.

Guides ,dressed as coal miners including coal dust, will point out traces of the old mines and tell stories about the history of the area and how the miners and their families lived. Listen carefully and you will learn what the miners used for toilet paper in the mines.


The Christmas trip is really nice. The guides explain how the miners and their families celebrated Christmas. Decorations were very different because they didn’t have electricity and artificial Christmas trees. Since they didn’t have much money, Christmas was more about the religious reason for the season and not so much about presents. People tended to make gifts for each other out of materials they had at home. The trip was a nice antidote to the hustle and bustle of today's Christmases.

Additional pictures.

Hours:

• April-May: school charters accepted



• May through December--Saturday and Sunday 1:00 and 3:00



• Check their web site for special trips and times such as: Wine Tasting Excursions, Fathers Day Special, Fall Steam Weekend and Coal Miners Festival, Halloween Excursions, and Christmas Specials.

Location:

• Byesville, Ohio



• Map and directions

Fees:

• Adults $10.00



• Children 3-12: $7.00



• Children under 3: Free
  

Dickens Village--Cambridge, Ohio

During the month of December and the first week of January, Cambridge, Ohio, hosts the “Dickens Village." One of the highlights is over 40 life-sized sculptures of Victorian and Dickens characters that line the main street. Cambridge has a lot of buildings on main street in the Victorian style. The figures fit right in and make great photos especially when there is a little snow in the air. We started our visit in the Dickens Welcome Center which offers Dickens Village souvenirs and an opportunity to have your picture taken while you are dressed in Dickens era clothing. Watch for costumed street vendors selling local goodies as you tour the street.

At the rear of the welcome center is a tea shop which is open on Saturdays from 1-6:00pm. The shop serves a Victorian tea. On the day we were there, the tea included a choice of three types of tea, scones with lemon curd and clotted cream or raspberry jam, strawberry soup (yumm) hot chicken salad, onion brioche, cucumber sandwich, zebra cake, coconut cream bites, thumbprint cookies, and finally a large slice of delicious cheesecake with lemon sauce. The staff will teach you how to eat scones in the proper Victorian way. The tea gave us a chance to rest our feet.

There were 5 bus tours in town the day we visited which made for a nice holiday bustle. Stores were busy but not crowded. There is lots to do when you visit—wander through several of the older buildings which have been converted into small shops selling lots of different items. Several specialize in antiques and collectables—Cambridge glass is especially popular and there is often a good selection of Roseville or Weller pottery. On the court house lawn are a group of Dickens shops. Local vendors—different every week-end—offer a variety of items with special Dickens Village prices.

At 5:30-9:00pm, the courthouse light and music show will begin. This is new this year and is fantastic. There are three different 12 minutes shows and Cambridge’s old-fashioned, wedding cake courthouse is the perfect setting. Check out a sample of the show at this You Tube site .

Good places to eat include Theos—right across from the Welcome Center. Try their famous coney dog or chili fries—served with chili and cheese. I recommend their spicy chili soup and their pork chops. On the side street to the left of the courthouse, the Courtside Deli offers sandwiches and soups and daily specials. Or drive east down Wheeling toward Interstate 71 and pull in to Mr. Lees for a meal. They make great chimichangas and offer a big selection of home cooked items. Head away from the courthouse to Rt. 209 and you will find the usual franchises and another local restaurant—The Forum. Their Greek sampler is great and so are the fajitas and pizzas.

If this is not enough action for one day, you can take the Byesville Scenic Railway trip which is offered on Saturdays at 1:00 and 3:00pm in Byesville.

Related sites: Dickens Victorian Village

Hopewell Mound Group; Hopewell Culture National Park

There is not too much left of the extensive earthworks that were originally here. You will find a parking area and an observation area. There is a tamped gravel trail large enough to drive a golf cart on up to the observation area which provides a view of the field where the earthworks were located.

Be warned, if you continue to follow the path it will gradually narrow and finally the gravel portion comes to an end and the path enters the forest. The trail continues down and around the original location of the outer earthworks. If you look closely through the foliage on your left, you may see some remnants of the walls. The picture is of what appears to be the remnants of the wall.The hike is probably about 4-5 miles.

You can get a good sense of the site without the hike if you walk across the road from the parking lot to the bike path on the other side of SR 104. Three interpretive signs have been placed at intervals along a quarter mile of the bike path. When you get to the third sign, look very closely across the road and slightly to your left—you will see a slight rise—the remnants of one of the mounds.

Additional pictures.

Hours:
Location:

Additional information:
Ohio History Central: Hopewell Mound Group

Related blog posts:
Mound City Earthworks
Seip Earthworks