A day filled with more wandering around. Once again in a new state, along our very curvy route, this is our first exposure to Ohio. Susan has been here a couple of times but mostly in that "just passing through" mode. We have only a few targets in Ohio and will be focused on the region near Cincinnati.
So, in no particular order:
1. The Cardboard Boat Museum -- located in New Richmond, OH along the Ohio River. This small museum is completely devoted to boats made of.......cardboard (Wow! In my head that sounded exactly like our sing-songy guide, Mary, back at the Fonthill Mansion). Unfortunately, the museum has very limited hours and no way to know this unless one drives at their door; we peeked in windows and walked around the back.
In August there is a cardboard boat race. Apparently the ones on display are some of the survivors. Each water craft must be made entirely of ONLY corrugated cardboard, paint and tape. Apparently, there are categories, as some of the vessels looked to be more art than racing kayaks. We saw what could be seen and sailed away.....
2. Jungle Jim's International Farmer's Market -- Motivated by some quirky photos and enigmatic info on the Roadside America website, we headed to this food haven in Fairfield, OH. Now, it's tough to describe this place. Part grocery store, part amusement park, part mall, part event center and farmer's market. There are fiberglass (wonder if our new friend Mark was here?) African animals, a giant animated Campbell's Soup can on a swing, a monorail and large pool surrounded by more fiberglass jungle animals. There are 22 very linked together shops. After passing the dragon at the entryway, it's kind of hard to tell what one is in for in this very unique retail zone...including a post office where Susan was able to send off some belated snail mail.
The only things more amazing than the Disney-like decor are the food choices. Holy crap! Sweet Mother Nature! Take Trader Joes, WholeFoods, Wild Oats and your local grocery store and combined they are still a 10th the size of this place and with quality and variety surpassing those health-nut "crunchy" locales. The produce section alone is larger than an entire Trader Joe's. Their olive bar makes the ones at WholeFoods look pathetic. It's food shopper heaven. There are endless aisles of options in every category. The international food section is a friggin' country within itself. I did not even bother trying to photo the interior of this unbelievable food and gypsy like retail carnival. On of the amazing things is that this place is so pleasant and inviting in spite of the wacky-factor; it's beautiful even. This food emporium is so huge and wonderfully non-linear that they should hire out Sherpas at the door. And the owner (only 56), who started in 1971 at a corner gas station with locally-grown melons still tours the store daily -- via seque!
Note to Lori, Basia and the Mihelich "foodies": If this were in your neighborhood, it would change your lives. There is no way anyone could spend less than a couple of hours on every shopping excursion; it's truly nuts! We're talking food Mecca......
3. Chateau Laroche -- This castle in Loveland, OH was mostly built by one ambitious gentleman named Harry Delos Andrews. Though he was a conscientious objector, he enlisted in the Army to fight in WWI. He objected not to war but rather to modern weaponry and the lack of respect for one's enemies and the absence of face to face battle. Pronounced dead on the battlefield, his fiance had married another by the time he returned home "quite alive".
He sought ways to share his ideals with young boys and created an organization/group called "Knights of the Golden Trail". Eventually, he needed a place to live and space to have meetings, activities and related events.
"Chateau Laroche was built as an expression and reminder of the simple strength and rugged grandeur of the mighty men who lived when Knighthood was in flower. It was their knightly zeal for honor, valor and manly purity that lifted mankind out of the moral midnight of the dark ages and started it towards the gray dawn of human hope. Present human decadence proves a need for similar action. Already the ancient organization of Knights have been re-activated to save society. Any man of high ideas who wishes to help save civilization is invited to become a member of the Knights of the Golden Trail, whose only vows are the Ten Commandments.
Chateau Laroche is the World headquarters of this organization, started in 1927."
At the castle and gardens, we were greeted by such a devotee. He has been involved for over 20 years and his monotone introduction and history rap made this a bit too obvious. The $3 fee was reasonable and we were very glad that it was self-guided "knight free" adventure.
The castle itself is beautiful and the gardens are gorgeous. We were there on a 95 degree day with an equally high humidity rate. On the upper floors we both were glad to not be wearing a suit of armor or a courtly gown of the era (ooh Rodney in a gown... that's a horrific thought under any circumstance; let alone a sweaty one). We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the anachronistic structure and imagining what it would be like to live there but the Holy Grail became the water jug in the truck.
Well there's the short version of a day that covered some pretty diverse ground.
Love, artichokes, olives, life-size plastic giraffes and duct tape,
Sir Rodney and Lady Susan
No comments:
Post a Comment