Berlin and Mount Hope, Ohio.............Amish Country

When Beth and I heard the words "Amish Country" we thought of Pennsylvania.  As I mentioned in a previous blog, there are some Amish families near where we are currently staying (Kennerdell).  However, in Pennsylvania "Amish Country" is Lancaster County which is in the Southeastern section of the state.  What we didn't realize is that there is a large Amish area in Ohio, that according to some information I've read is actually the largest concentration of Amish in the United States.  It is located in and around Holmes County, which included our destination, the small communities of Berlin and Mount Hope which were just a little over a two hour drive from here. Yesterday was Ben's day off and he is actually the one that suggested we visit that area.  We were thrilled to have him with us for the adventure. 

Ohio Amish Country

The drive took us through Akron, which is appropriately nicknamed "Rubber City" because it is the world headquarters of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.  Just a little south of Akron is the city of Canton, which is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  We actually drove right by the Hall of Fame and the adjoining football stadium.  The Hall of Fame will be a nice place to visit on another day, but this day was a day for Amish food and browsing a few of the numerous handmade furniture stores, antique shops and other stores selling "stuff" of all shapes and sizes for every budget and taste.  One of the advantages of being intentionally homeless is that it's fun to look at everything but no temptation to buy.  

US Highway 62, which is also known as the Amish Country Byway leads from the Canton area into the heart of Holmes County.  Soon after getting into the green rolling farmland we began to see horse drawn buggies on the main road and side roads.  We had arrived!  Our first stop of the day was Sunny Slope Orchard.  They had a great selection of fresh fruits, veggies, cheeses and of course something the Amish are famous for, sweets!  Although everything we bought (apples, zucchini, pears, green peppers and an apple cider slush) was great , we did kind of make a rookie mistake by stopping at the first place we saw.  Although their prices were very good, the prices at the roadside stands a little ways down the road were better.  Ironically, our last stop of the day was also at Sunny Slope.  We were heartbroken that the bakeries had all closed early and that we were going to be leaving without any cinnamon rolls.   Our last ditch shot was Sunny Slope and they came through in fine fashion with some freshly delivered ones!  We nibbled on them on the way home and polished them off at breakfast!

Lots of green pastures and farms throughout the rolling hills of Amish Country

You'll find yourself sharing the road with numerous horse and buggies.

Our first and last stop of the day in Amish Country

Pumpkins and gourds of all shapes, sizes and colors on display at a roadside produce stand.

If you do visit Amish Country make sure you stop at one of the many hand crafted furniture stores you're likely to see.  Even if you're not buying furniture, the skill and craftmanship of their work is worth taking some time to admire.  Additionally, they are understandably proud of their work and happy to have you take a look at it.  We spent quite a bit of time roaming through The Cabin Store and had a great time.  Ben even picked up a few small items for his house!

Ben with a couple of items he picked up from the Cabin Store.  His house is decorated with a nice collection of bears!

We had a very nice lunch at Boyd and Wortman which is located on Main Street in Berlin.  The food was delicious and plentiful but make sure you leave room for dessert!  The restaurant is famous for their pies and they certainly lived up to their billing.  Ben isn't much of a pie person so he opted out.  Beth went for the Black Raspberry Pie a la mode, while I choose the Pecan Pie.  Not wanting to miss out on any of the other Amish sweets, we picked up fudge, peanut brittle and a few other tasty treats at Heini's Cheese Chalet.  

Cheese and a whole lot more can be found at Heini's, including some killer fudge and peanut brittle.

Food, furniture looking, treasure hunting and most importantly family time made for a great day in the Ohio Amish Country.

Ben plays in a weekly golf league in Slippery Rock.  I enjoyed going out and watching him play this afternoon.  He won his match over Tom Watson...........no, not the Tom Watson of PGA Tour Fame.......Tom Watson from Slippery Rock.  An impressive victory nonetheless!

 

 

Beaching it Pennsylvania style............Presque Isle State Park

Sara's is a local tradition famous for burgers, fries and milkshakes.  It's easy to find.  It's just outside the entrance to Presque Isle State Park.

Two words that you don't usually find in the same sentence are "Pennsylvania" and "beach".  Probably the most frequent time you'd see them near one another would be something like  "We're from Pennsylvania and we're going to the beach in Florida".  Less common would be; "We're from Florida and we're going to the beach in Pennsylvania".  We don't always do things the common way, so yes, we're in Pennsylvania and we went to the beach.

Sara's!

If you're astute in geography and/or history, you know that Pennsylvania is the only one of the thirteen original colonies not located on the Atlantic Ocean.  Nothing has changed with regard to that fact. However, Pennsylvania does have 51 miles of coastline along Lake Erie.  Included in these 51 miles is  the 3,112 acre Presque Isle State Park in Erie.

Presque Isle State Park

Presque Isle State Park was established in 1921.  The park now plays host to over four million visitors per year.  However, on the first day of September, with school starting back, the crowd was small making social distancing throughout the park an easy task.  

Within the park boundaries are 21 miles of roads and 35 miles of trails.  We enjoyed touring the park by both car and bicycle (rentals are available within the park).  The bicycle rentals will be closing soon for the season and  they were selling off some of their bikes in preparation for new ones arriving for 2021.  We're now the proud owners of one of those bikes!  We have access to another bike through Ben.  This will give us an opportunity to explore more of the local trails on both foot and bike over the next few weeks.

I didn't know at the time that I was modeling our new bike!

Presque Isle also has 13 sandy beaches.  Yes, the beaches are not on the ocean or Gulf of Mexico, but when standing on the shoreline looking out over the wide expanse of clear blue water you'd be hard pressed to know the difference.  We were so inspired that we hopped in for a refreshing dip in the chilly water (current temperature is around 75 degrees).  For me it was 62 years and 245 days before I took my first dip in one of the great lakes.  It didn't last too long, about fifteen minutes, but it was fun.  It was also Beth's first dip in one of the great lakes. If you want the specifics on how long she roamed the planet before taking the plunge you'll have to ask her.  

One of the thirteen Presque Isle Beaches (Bundy Beach)

Just 23 miles across the lake is Long Point, Ontario, Canada.  In 1975, a then 17 year old named Pat Bundy who was a Presque Isle lifeguard became the first person to successfully swim across from Canada to the US.  I'm not sure what he was thinking about during the twenty six and a half hour swim, but I'm betting it had something to do with not accepting any more challenges from his fellow lifeguards.  He not only completed the swim, but went on to medical school and is now a plastic surgeon in Alabama.  The beaches of Presque Isle are creatively named Beach 1, Beach 2, Beach 3, etc., except for Beach 10.  Beach 10 is also known as Bundy Beach and has a plaque commemorating the swim.  

Before heading back to Kennerdell we took a ninety minute boat ride on the Lady Kate.  This narrated boat tour took us along the shore, passing many of the beaches as well as several of the lighthouses that have been protecting ships and sailors since the 1870's.  The informative narration provided a great deal of history about the area including the role Presque Isle played during the War of 1812.  It was here that six of the nine ships used to defeat the British in the Battle of Lake Erie were constructed.

We also learned that the "Lake Erie Quadrangle", a 2,500 square mile area has reported more than 430 maritime disasters.  This is 23 times more than what has occurred in the better known Bermuda Triangle.  Additionally, the water from the great lakes would cover the entire continental US with over 9 feet of water!  

The Lady Kate

The Presque Isle Lighthouse.  Lighting the way since July 12, 1873.

Another first.............the first time we've ever done a boat tour in masks!  That's the North Pier Lighthouse in the background.

Bicentennial Tower along the downtown Erie shoreline.  It was built in 1996 to commemorate the cities 200th anniversary. 

Lady Kate  

Beaches and Pennsylvania, two words that don't often go together but in the case of Presque Isle State Park they make a nice match! 

Thanks Debbie!  So far no fish have interrupted the peaceful serenity of fishing on the Allegheny! 

 

Kennerdell on the weekend.............a significant increase in activity!

Ben and Allie enjoying some time sitting down along the river bank

Today marks the end of our first week in Kennerdell.  We arrived last Sunday at just about the exact time I'm writing this post, around 5:00 PM.  We chose this area for several reasons. First and foremost was the close proximity to Ben (around 30 minutes).  We also chose it because it looked so beautiful, peaceful, relaxing and an easy place to avoid crowds.  Absolutely nothing has disappointed us in the first seven days, even though the activity around here picks up significantly on the weekend.

Allie taking Beth for a walk on the River Trail

Not wanting to be left out we picked up our pace over the weekend as well.   After spending some time at Ben's house on Saturday morning we came back and found ourselves in the middle of a three car traffic jam on the private gravel road that leads to our Airbnb.  Thanks to some skillful maneuvering by all three drivers we were all quickly on our way with simple waves and smiles instead of yelling, cursing and drawing weapons.  

The boat traffic on the river has also increased noticeably over the weekend.  During the week we'd typically get 1-2 boats pass by.  Today, the boat traffic has more than doubled.  I've counted five different boats zipping along the river!

Allie was here all day and she could count the number of different boats on one paw!

Late Saturday afternoon we ventured out to find and explore a portion of the Sandy Creek Trail.  This is a twelve mile paved multi-use trail that as the name implies, runs along Sandy Creek before it empties into the Allegheny River.  Like the Allegheny River Trail, which it intersects with, it too is a "rails to trails" conversion.  Sandy Creek is rather small and not always visible, but this does not diminish from the spectacular scenery along the tree lined trail.  From the trail head where we started (Rockland Road) we walked three miles to the 1,385 foot long Belmar Bridge that was built in 1907 with the financial backing of John D. Rockerfeller.  It was built with the intention of being part of a rail system between New York and Chicago.  However, according to what I read it mainly served as a bridge for the local coal industry.  The bridge is a really cool site to see, walk or peddle across while imagining back to the early part of the 1900's when the coal industry was booming in this area.  In addition to the Belmar Bridge we crossed five smaller bridges and passed through the 967 foot long Mays' Mill Tunnel.  Unlike the curved Kennerdell Tunnel, the Mays' Mill Tunnel is straight so there is light at both ends of the tunnel!  

The Belmar Bridge

Entrance to the Mays' Mill Tunnel.......if you look closely you can see light at the end of the tunnel

One of the five smaller bridges we crossed on the Sandy Creek Trail.

Sandy Creek from one of the bridges

Today has been a fun filled day of dog sitting.  We picked Allie up early this morning before Ben went to work and kept her until he got off and came to get her.  On the way back from his house this morning we passed a special treat along the road.  Although Lancaster County is considered "Amish Country" in Pennsylvania, we have discovered that there are quite a few Amish families in this area.  This morning on one of the small roads, within just a couple of minutes, we passed eight Amish families riding along happily in their horse drawn buggies on their way to worship.  As we passed by, there were smiles and friendly waves from both parents and children.  

We were up well before this picture was taken.  The night sky was amazing.

Ben and Allie took off about an hour ago.  The sun will be setting soon and we'll have survived the wild and wooly weekend in Kennerdell.  Thankful that we found this riverfront paradise in Northwest Pennsylvania!  

All the reasons we chose Kennerdell in one picture!

The Kennerdell Tunnel............a once in a lifetime experience!

Entrance to the Kennerdell Tunnel

We've only been in Kennerdell for a few days, but we've quickly fallen in love with so much that it has to offer.  We love the outdoors and there's plenty of outdoor stuff here, and at this time of the year pleasant temperatures to enjoy doing it in.  I meant to bring a fishing rod, but in spite of my sister in law Debbie's reminders, I forgot to pack it.  We debated bringing bikes but decided against it since we're not sure of our next moves after Pennsylvania and Michigan.  If we run across a canoe/kayak rental nearby there is a good chance we'll do a little paddling on the Allegheny River.  We're just getting started!

It's early, but there is starting to be some evidence of the leaves changing color in some of the trees.

Foggy sunrises are a great way to start the day in Kennerdell.

What we did come armed with are two lawn chairs and a couple of pairs of shoes for hiking the numerous trails.  So far we're putting those items to good use.  The lawn chairs have been put to use for social distancing visits with Ben in his back yard, as well as for sitting in the shade watching the river flow by.

We've done a couple of hikes along the Allegheny River Trail.  This flat, well maintained, paved trail is a part of the nationwide "rails to trails" program.  The thirty two mile, hiking and biking trail runs from Franklin to Parker.  Additionally, it is part of the not yet completed Erie to Pittsburgh trail system.  When completed, the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail will be 270 miles in length. In the future we'll branch out to other trail heads and explore different sections.

Butterflies and wildflowers are plentiful along the trails.

Our house is on a privately maintained single lane road that is about two miles in length.  Along the road there are around twenty or so homes overlooking the river.  We've met a few of our "neighbor's" as we've walked the road and they have all been super friendly.   At the end of the road there is a small path that gives us access to the Allegheny River Trail.  Our access point is at the fifteen mile post, pretty close to the center of the trail.  Turning right onto the trail we walk towards Parker.  Turning left, we are heading towards Franklin.  There's an added attraction to turning left onto the trail, the Kennerdell Tunnel.

We had read about the Kennerdell Tunnel prior to our arrival and were excited to give it a try.  The tunnel was built in 1916 by the Pennsylvania Railroad.  Given it's central location, it's the centerpiece of the Allegheny River Trail.  At 3,300 feet in length it is the longest of the two tunnels on the trail (the Rockland Tunnel is 2,868 feet).   It is currently listed as the thirteenth longest pedestrian/bike tunnel in the world!

A unique and somewhat frightening feature of the Kennerdell Tunnel is that there is a curve near the middle.  This means that for a few minutes hikers and bikers are immersed in total darkness with no evidence of light in either direction.  Thankfully we had read about this portion of the trail and were armed with a small flashlight to keep us on the path.  

Heading into the tunnel

After about a minute of walking in complete darkness Beth assured me that one trip through the tunnel and back would be enough for her during this lifetime.  As for me, I'd doing it again but there's no way I'd do it by myself!  There's rumors that not only is it long and dark but that its also haunted! 

The exit is near........."Go To The Light"

  

Kennerdell, PA!

 

Early morning wildlife spotting from the deck of our home.  I've got the two essential tools in hand,  binoculars and coffee!

While searching Airbnb for a location close to Ben we spotted Kennerdell.  Kennerdell is a little off the beaten path.  Which given these crazy times is just the way we like it.  To get to this small, very serene, unincorporated riverfront village located in Venango County you'll probably need a GPS or a real good sense of direction.  If you do find it, you'll be really glad that you did.  It's definitely a slice of paradise along the Allegheny River.

A foggy sunrise on the Allegheny!

Geese coming in for a landing.  In addition to geese we've also spotted deer, a river otter, rabbits and numerous birds.

According to information I've read about the history of the area it was a trade stop along the Allegheny River prior to the War of 1812.  Barges loaded with wool, coal, timber as well as produce from local farms were shipped down the river to Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh).  In 1853 Richard Kennerdell purchased a wool mill located along one of the tributaries of the Allegheny.  By 1865 the area which would later become Kennerdell not only had a mill but also a blacksmith shop, sawmill, gristmill, church, school and general store.  The mill closed following Kennerdell's death in 1873, however he and his families legacy continues to live on today in this remote area of Western Pennsylvania.

The Kennerdell Overlook

For the next four weeks we'll be calling Kennerdell home.  We're staying at a place overlooking the clear, easy flowing water of the Allegheny as it makes it's 325 mile journey towards Pittsburgh.  There it will join the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River which flows into the Mississippi River and on to the Gulf of Mexico.  In this neck of the woods the river twists and turns along the route.  It's overall flow is in a Southwesterly direction, although in front of where we are staying the flow is northward.  

While here, there will be plenty of hiking on the extensive trail system, exploring the area, my daily whipping at Scrabble, frequent visits with Ben and plenty of sitting quietly and watching the river go by.   For some people, this laidback lifestyle would make their head explode.  For us, we've mastered the fine art of nothingness.  In Kennerdell we're looking forward to further perfecting this skill.

Yesterday we took a short drive over to Freedom Falls.  We expected to see this...........

..........instead we saw this.  Not much rain up here at this time of year!

West Virginia wrap up........

Early morning fog over the New River (Hawks Nest State Park)

Yesterday we left West Virginia heading towards Northwest Pennsylvania where we will be spending the next four weeks.  We'll be staying at an Airbnb located directly on the Allegheny River in the small community of Kennerdell.  According to the 2010 census, Kennerdell's population was 247.  I'm not sure if it's gone up or down over the last 10 years, but social distancing won't be an issue!  Ben lives in Slippery Rock, which is about 30 minutes away.  We look forward to spending lots time with him and his incredibly loving dog Allie during our stay.  It'll be a blast!

Upon arrival in Slippery Rock we did some "social distancing" visiting with Ben in his back yard.

Allie was ignoring the CDC guidelines for social distancing!

At the risk of starting to sound like I'm blogging for the West Virginia Tourism Association or the state park system, West Virginia was awesome from beginning to end.  Our four hour drive from Hawks Nest State Park to Slippery Rock, PA yesterday was scenic the entire way, especially in West Virginia.  We traveled mainly on US 19 and I-77.  Typically interstate driving isn't the most scenic but Beth and I commented that the scenery on I-77 was every bit as nice as that along US 19, which is designated as a "scenic byway".

Summersville Lake has 2,700 acres of water surface and over sixty miles of shoreline.  It's formed by a dam on the Gauley River.  It's just a few miles off US 19.

Water flowing out of the Summersville Lake Dam.  Whitewater Rafting is popular further down the Gauley River.

The Gauley River

As we made our way closer to exiting West Virginia we fired up the same song that we played as we were leaving Anna Maria Island last Sunday morning.  That song?  Of course it was the John Denver classic.............Take Me Home, Country Roads!

Ben and Allie's home in Slippery Rock!

Babcock State Park and the Midland Trail

 

The Glade Creek Gristmill

Just a short thirty minute drive from our lodge at Hawks Nest State park is another one of West Virginia's fantastic parks, Babcock State Park.  This 4,127 acre park has all the typical activities you would expect to find, such as camping and cottages,  miles of hiking and biking trails, picnic areas and a small lake.  One unique feature of the park, and it's most popular attraction is the Glade Creek Grist Mill.  This fully operational mill is actually a replica of another mill (Coopers Mill) that was located on the same site.  Although we didn't purchase any (mainly because we forgot to stop by on our way out), freshly ground corn meal can be purchased in the parks headquarters/camp store.

Swinging Bridge on Glade Creek

The grist mill again, this time as a "close up"......it's so scenic it's worth two pictures

The lake at Babcock State Park.  The trail that circles the lake is mostly flat and a little over a mile in length.

Paddle boats, canoes and row boats are available for rent.

We enjoyed visiting the mill and did a couple of relatively short hikes.  One of the hikes was on the Lake View Trail, which circled the lake.  Only one thing was missing along this relatively flat, well used trail and that was views of the lake!  Other than the first and last several hundred yards of the trail we only occasionally caught glimpses of the lake.  No complaints though, there were places to "sit and ponder" at a couple of places along the way.  After the hike we also enjoyed taking a paddle boat on the small lake.

One of the many species of mushrooms along the Lake View Trail

Sitting and pondering.....one of my specialties! 

Taking a few minutes break from the rigors of paddle boating!

The overlook from near the Manns Creek Picnic area

The drive to Babcock State Park was a treat in and of itself.  It was along a section of US Route 60 known as the Midland Trail.  This nationally designated scenic byway runs approximately 100 miles from Charleston to the unincorporated community known as Sam Black Church.  The trail was believed to have been originally cleared by buffalo and Native Americans.  In 1790 George Washington ordered the trail to be further cleared and improved.  It was used by both stage coaches and later by soldiers in the civil war.

The close proximity of several interstate highways has driven many small businesses away from the once thriving communities along the Midland Trail.  However, if you're looking for a beautiful drive along a well maintained and historic route,  the Midland Trail and a stop at Babcock State Park just may be right up your alley.