The owner, Don Barnes, is a retired US air pilot who loves history…specifically transportation related.
The vision was to recreate a small town train station that would also house his collection. So in 1989 tracks were laid and 4 train car were brought into the small village of Harlansburg The Barnes family spend the next 3 years renovating the train cars, building the train station and setting up the museum. In the fall of 1991 the museum open followed by the gift shop in Spring of 1992.
The train station and rail cars contain transportation related artifacts and memorabilia that include trains, Air Force, nautical, motorcycle and more.
One train car is filled with a H.O. Scale train layout highlights coal mine, steel mills and old small town living.
The gift shop has a large selection of transportation related items for every age group.
Take your time going through the gift shop and you’ll notice that it also contains many historical items.
The museum is located at the intersection of route 19 and route 108 just minutes from Volant, new Wilmington, McConnells Mills and the Grove City Prime Outlet. Please remember when you visit this is a cash only stop.
After the museum we headed south to Frew Mill Road. The road crosses a bridge spanning the Slippery Rock Creek and an old mill dam waterfall.
The view is beautiful but be careful the bridge is on a curve and there isn’t much room to pull off.
The property around the bridge and creek is private so the visit is limited to the bridge but the view is worth even the short stop.
After a little riding we headed to Racheal’s Roadhouse. If there’s a wait for the dining room you can head out to the patio and grab appetizers and drinks while you wait, or in our case that’s all I was wanting, so no wait at all.
Check out my Instagram for videos, and Facebook for more pictures.
The Asian Lantern Festival is an event held at the zoo that allows you to explore giant illuminated handcrafted sculptures that showcase the Asian history and culture. Last year we attended the festival at the Cleveland Zoo, this year I decided to check the one at the Pittsburgh Zoo out. This is the 3rd year for the festival to be held at the Pittsburgh Zoo.
The colorful lanterns spread throughout the entire zoo depict scenes and animals from land and sea, mountains and the jungle. You can wonder around for hours, which is exactly what we did.
I like to go early and check out the lanterns in the daylight, then stick around to see them illuminated. This year we went to the event a little later in the season so dusk came sooner, allowing us to spend more time seeing the lanterns fully illuminated.
During the event the zoo also has Asian themed food and drinks. We stopped at the Jambo Grill and tried the General Tso Pizza and Korean BBQ Skewer. Honestly, I was a little disappointed by the food, but I always make sure to try specialty items on the menu during events like this. I also grabbed a drink in one of the zoo’s souvenir cups. Make sure to take advantage of this if you want a fountain drink because the refills for the souvenir cups are less than half the cost.
The lantern festival also has a wide variety of entertainment. Depending on what day you visit the festival the performers may vary. It just happened that there was a performance outside the Jambo Grill when we got our food so we had dinner and show.
Throughout the zoo there activities for kids, as well as some interactive displays that can be enjoyed by all ages and provide perfect photo opportunities.
The festival runs Thursday through Sunday evenings, from August until the end of October so there is still time for you to check out the event. There is a walk-thru and drive-thru option. I have only done the walk-thru option.
You can check out my Instagram post for some videos from the festival.
Our recent bike ride took us to some local historic spots. First stop was the Greenville Railroad Park & Museum in Greenville, PA. The park is located near a working track, currently operated by Norfolk Southern (the former Erie Railroad mainline). Started by volunteers in 1985 to preserve Greenville’s railroad history, the park is now part of the Greenville Museum Alliance.
The Union Railroad engine #304/604 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Work in 1936 at Eddystone, PA and retired in 1958. You can climb into the engine to check out the view from the driver’s seat and even ring the bell. Every instrument in in the driver’s compartment is labeled, and information on the engine is displayed on various signs inside and out.
Next climb aboard the 1985 Bessemer caboose and explore how the crew would have lived, complete with a kitchen and bathroom.
The Bessemer Ore Jenny #20567 (pictured far left) was built in 1952 at the Greenville Steel Car Company close to where the park sits today.
The Wheeling & Lake Erie Caboose #0205 (center 2 photos) was 1 of 60 built in 1948 by Wheeling & Lake Erie. Today you can explore the car when the park is open, but it can also be rented for events like birthday parties.
Attached to the party caboose is an open air car that has picnic tables (far right photo)
The park also includes an indoor museum and a gift shop. Inside you’ll find tons of railroad related items, a replica of a dispatcher station and an operating model railroad display.
Look closely at the display and you’ll notice it includes a replica of Main Street Greenville.
It’s amazing how many items they have at this museum, and the volunteers have done a fantastic job of labeling and providing the history and information on all the items on display. The volunteers are also very informative and friendly so take a moment to talk to them and learn a little of the history of Greenville and the railroad industry.
Next stop was The Canal Museum in Greenville which provides the history of the Erie Extension Canal that existed between 1854 and 1871.
Inside the museum you’ll find various items related to the canal, ore furnaces and other local history. The location of the museum is the site of Lock No. 22 of the canal.
Also in the museum there is a replica of a typical canal boat, the Rufus S. Reed. You’ll see how the cargo was stored, as well as a peek into the living quarters on the boat.
The last historic stop of the day was Kidds Mills Covered Bridge. Built in 1868, it is the last historic covered bridge in Mercer County, PA.
The bridge is 120 feet long and spans the Shenango River.
The Kidds Mill Bridge Park also includes a hiking/biking trail and dock designed for kayaks.
We wrapped up the day by grabbing a bite to eat at the Jug Handle in Transfer. The bar offers indoor dining, a patio and even has a drive-thru option.
This is a nice large bar with plenty of pool tables and skill games to keep you entertained while you wait for your food or if you just want to stop in for a few drinks.
We had the mozzeralla sticks while we waited on our pizza. It was a nice thick crust with plenty of cheese, but what I liked best was the toppings went clear to the edge.
With full bellies, we traveled the backroads home enjoying the weather and the beautiful countryside.
To view some videos from the day check out my Instagram page.
Recently we took a ride out to Ravenna, OH to check out Bear’ s Vintage Motorcycle Museum. The museum is in a historic grain mill built in 1881. In 2006 Bear and his wife purchased the building and preserved the bins, shuts and machinery. As they put the museum together they put the items around the original pieces of the mill.
The museum has over 60 bikes, promotional items, memorabilia and much more. Although their passion began with Harley Davidson items, the museum encompasses many more brands and anything that has to do with motorcycles.
Leave yourself plenty of time because there is a lot to take in and if you don’t take your time it’s easy to overlook all the items tucked in every nook and cranny.
Bear himself came and showed us some of the more unique items, giving us the history and even the backstory of how he attained the items. He was super friendly, knowledgeable and it was clear how passionate he is about motorcycles and and the feeling of freedom he gets from riding.
The Harlette bike was a very interesting story. He was especially proud of having this one in his collection because it is the only one in the US. Check out the picture below for more about the bike. Bear and his wife also do an awesome job of writing up and labeling the items in the museum.
Another rare items is the Harley key. There were only three made and one resides in Bear’s Museum.
The museum is also home to two of the original “CHIPS” bikes signed by George Barris.
One of my favorite exhibits were the custom-built “Rat Bikes”. Now these are truly unique. Check out my Instagram post for videos that shows one of them up close so you can see the creative use of items not commonly found on a bike.
There are so many more items I could never touch on everything in one post. Check out my pictures here and on Facebook, and make sure to make a trip to Bear’s Vintage Motorcycle Museum. Trust me you will not regret it whether your a motorcycle nut, a fan or history or even someone like who’s just like seeing new and unique places like me.
We spent the 4th on the bike enjoying the beautiful weather and exploring some covered bridges in Ashtabula County Ohio. We have been to most of the bridges and once we have them all 17 checked off I will do a post with all of them.
Yesterday we stopped at Netcher Road Covered Bridge, Giddings Road Covered Bridge and South Denmark Covered Bridge. These three are close together and make for a nice day trip. All three are located in Jefferson, Oh and cross over Mill Creek. The total trip for us was around 140 miles. We stayed off the major highways and enjoyed the country roads.
First stop was Netcher Road Covered Bridge located at 1544 Netcher Rd, Jefferson, OH. The bridge is 110 feet long, 22 feet wide and 14 feet size inches tall, and was open to traffic in 1999.
On either side of the bridge there are small pull offs so that you can stop and check the bridge out a little closer, and if you’re like me snap some pictures.
Next up was Giddings Road Covered Bridge, just 3 miles from Netcher, located at 1399 Giddings Rd, Jefferson, OH. This bridge was built in 1995 and 107 feet long. There is only one small pull off, you may need to just park along the road if you’d like to stop and walk the bridge.
The last bridge of the day was South Denmark Covered Bridge. Located at 2670 S. Denmark Rd, Jefferson, OH is is about 8 miles from the Giddings Road bridge.
This bridge was built in 1890, but bypassed with a steel bridge in 1975. Access to the bridge is easy and can still be driven across by any vehicle under 4 tons.
The South Denmark Covered Bridge is 100 feet long with a span of 76 feet, 13.24 feet wide and 11 feet high.
After checking out the bridges we made our way to Jamestown, PA to try to find a bite to eat. Most places were closed for the 4th but the Jamestown Hunger Buster was open and serving great food and had a ton of options for your sweet tooth. They offer over 24 flavors of soft serve ice cream, just as many flavors of hard ice cream, shaved ice and so many more desserts. This little shop even has their own bakery.
There is some outside seating, but the only tables out of the sun are on the small porch. Another option is always to grab you food and head up to Pymatuning State Park just up the road and enjoy the lake view while eating.
We opted to split one of their wedges so we had room for ice cream. I’m glad be did because it was stacked with meat and cheese, and boy was it good. We tried three flavors of the hard ice cream, Brown Butter Bourbon Truffle, Midnight Carmel River and Carmel Cheesecake Cookie Monster. They were all delicious but the Brown Butter Bourbon Truffle was my favorite.
Bellies full, we headed back home for the day.
A couple tips when exploring the Ashtabula Covered Bridges:
Check out the area you are exploring for the day and plan ahead for somewhere to get something to eat and drink. Some of the bridges are off on their own so you may want to figure you dining options in ahead of time.
Second is related to the location of the bridges as well….restrooms. Most but not all of the bridges do not offer a restroom close, so again just be aware and plan before you head out.
Our latest bike ride took us through the countryside and included several local bar/restaurants. The total trip for use was just over 100 miles, and if you follow the same route we took it will include a short amount of time on some dirt roads, but not much.
Heading towards our first stop, we passed through Cochranton, PA and over French Creek. We took a few minutes to stop and walk along the water at a boat launch near the bridge. This area also had a couple picnic tables tucked under the trees along the creek. This would be a great spot to grab some food from the Country Fair gas station or Cochranton Marketplace, located just up the street and bring it back to enjoy while sitting by the creek.
According to the informational signage the Cochranton area has been inhabited since 1100 AD, and was chartered as a borough April 5, 1855. The creek itself played an important part in the French and Indian War as well as in the settlement of northwest Pennsylvania. It’s original name was Riviere aux Boeufs of the French, but was renamed in 1753 by George Washington to French Creek.
Next we made our way to J.I.’s Place overlooking Sugar Lake, previously name Sugar Lake Hotel. The road to J.I’s Place winds along the lake so make sure to drive cautiously and watch for the local wildlife.
If you are on a bike you will also want to be careful in the parking lot. It is on a hill and is gravel. Unfortunately we have seen many tip overs in this parking lot.
This has always been a popular spot for bikers and is often a stop on benefit rides. There is both inside and outside seating allowing you to enjoy the view of the lake on nice days. They will also have bands on the outside deck when the weather permits.
We stopped on a Sunday just after they opened so the staff was busy prepping for the day, but the ladies were very friendly and made time to chit chat with us while we sat at the bar.
When I was doing my normal research for new places to see a found a historic site that would fit into our route, so off we went to check it out. The historic site was the remnants of a tannery built in 1825 by the famous abolitionist John Brown, who lived at this location from 1825 to 1835. The tannery was a major stop on the Underground Railroad.
We made our way down the dirt road that leads to the historic site, but when we reached the location all we saw was the historic marker sign. The area was overgrown and appeared to be on private property. We did not want to take a chance on trespassing on someone’s land, so unfortunately this stop was a bust.
Next up was a stop at Woodcock Creek Lake. The lake is Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and offers hiking, fishing, bird/butterfly watching areas, camping and many other recreational options. There are several areas of interest. The first is the Overlook Recreation Area, offering a panoramic view of the dam which provides flood protection for the French Creek system. There is also a picnic area and restrooms available here.
The Woodcock Creek Lake visitors center is just down the road from the overlook. This area provides visitors the opportunity to walk across the dam. Near the parking area just before you reach the dam you will find a butterfly garden. If you walk to the other side of the dam there is access to two hiking trails.
Across the road from the visitor center is the Bossar Nature Area Parking which offers a Nature Area and Center, restrooms and access to another hiking trail.
Last stop at Woodcock Creek Lake was the Overflow Recreational Area and Woodcock Creek Park. The area offers several picnic areas, restrooms, playground, disc golf, access to the hiking trail and a fishing area at the outflow of dam.
After stopping at the lake we were off to Saegertown, PA to check out Hitchy’s Tavern & Grill. We had never been to this place so I was very excited to check it out. Hitchy’s has both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor patio also has it’s own bar area. We opted to sit inside and grab a couple drinks and a little bite to eat.
The inside bar had a beautiful live edge bar top and the interior had an eclectic rustic feel. On the wall above where we sat there were several wall hangings related to the prohibition that made for an interesting read while we were there.
We tried the deep fried banana pepper rings and the Bourbon Siracha wings, and boy were they yummy. This will definitely be a repeat stop because they have an extensive menu and it all looked good, so we will need to go back to try their other offerings.
Up next, was Fatboy’s Saloon in Conneautville. This is a regular stop for us when we are in the area. Fatboy’s has a inside bar and small dining area, as well as an screened in dining area at the rear of the bar.
Inside you will find games of chance, shuffleboard table and more. Outside, under pavilion, they have cornhole boards setup and host tournaments. Fatboy’s is a another popular stop for biker’s and serves as a stop for many benefit rides.
Just a short ride from Fatboy’s was our final stop, Tavern 618 located in Conneaut Lake near the site of the historic Conneaut Lake Park. If you are familiar with the area, you may remember the location under the old name, The Palms.
Do not let the outside fool you. While the exterior may look plain jane the inside is beautiful and has many unique features, such as the live edge planks hanging down serving as a floating ceiling.
On this day we only stopped in for a quick drink before making our way home, but next time I would like to try out some items off their menu.
We were finally able to get the bike out for the first time this season, and it was a beautiful ride. It was a short little trip, between 130-150 miles, to see some local places that I hadn’t been to as well as some that I have.
First stop was a little shop with some unique finds, that also sells wine with even more unique labels and names. The wine, is actually what caught grabbed my attention and landed this location on my list of places to check out.
The Rustique Log Cabin is located south of Kittanning, and as the name applies carries rustic home decor. The store is small, but don’t let that fool you because they pack in a lot of merchandise into this small space. Even though there is a lot in this small store they layout and displays nice, and they have a wide array of themes
Now for what first drew me to this store…the wine. The store sell Black Dog Wine, and what makes it stand out from the crowd are it’s unique labels and names. I wanted to buy every bottle just because I loved the labels. I did resist the urge and only bought a few items, after all we were on the bike. Next time we may have to tack our luggage bag with us haha.
The lady at the store was very friendly and helpful. She even made suggestions mixing some of the wines to get whole new flavor option. As we talked I found out that the actual Black Dog Winery is located in Oakdale, PA…looks like I’ll be planning another ride to check out their wine a little more.
Next we headed back north on US-422 to stop at a The Cadet Restaurant who has a unique mascot, “Sam”. Sam is the reason this restaurant was added to my list. He is a 30-foot-tall cowboy statue holding a giant hamburger. This iconic statue was even featured in book “Roadside Giants“. According to the restaurants website this larger than life cowboy got his name from an officer that used to patrol the parking lot to keep an eye out for trouble. For more about the restaurant, and Sam’s history check out the Cadet Restaurant website.
The restaurant itself has an old time diner feel, and serves comfort style food. When we stopped we indulged in dessert. I had the coconut pie and coffee, and the BF had the peanut butter cheesecake and a chocolate milkshake. I would like to stop back when we have more of an appetite and try their “Famous Poor Boy”…I mean if that’s what their famous for how could I not go back and try it.
After leaving the restaurant we headed into Kittanning and stopped at the Riverfront Park so I could get a couple shots of the bridge. On the day we were there the fence at the top of the outdoor amphitheater was lined with American flags and the names of veterans. I’m not sure if this was for Memorial Day or if this display is there all the time but it was a beautiful and is a reminder of how thankful we should be to those who have served and are currently serve for life we get to enjoy.
We decided to go off the beaten path and take a different way back into Butler. If you don’t mind some bumps along the way this is a nice option because it travels along the river and winds amongst the railroad tracks…hence the bumps haha. You can find a Roadtrippers trip I made for this excursion here.
Last stop of the day was at Rock Ann Haven Bar and Grille located in Butler, PA. This is somewhere we often stop when we are in the area on the bike, and the staff is always friendly and attentive. On this day we only stopped for a quick drink, then we were on our way. The next time we stop in for a bite to eat I’ll include more about this this location.
It was a beautiful day and we got some much needed wind therapy, plus seen some new sites along the way.
Recently we took a road trip to Sugarcreek, Ohio and some of the surrounding businesses. Sugarcreek is known as the Little Switzerland of Ohio and is most famous for having the World’s Biggest Cuckoo Clock. This, of coarse, was the reason it landed on my travel bucket list.
Let’s start with a brief history of the town…
The early settlers of Sugar Creek valley were Amish families, then German and Swiss families. It is said that the German and Swiss settlers chose the area because the climate and beautiful countryside reminded them of the where they originated from. The Swiss families had deep roots in cheese production and began producing cheese in what is now Sugarcreek using the milk from the local Amish families. Cheese productions is still a big part of the community today, and you can see traces of the cheese production history throughout the community. During our visit I saw several cheese vats on display at various location such as in front of the Cuckoo Clock and at the Broad Run store.
To promote the cheese produced in the area and to draw visitors to the town, Sugarcreek held the first Swiss festival in 1953. The festival was such a success they continued doing it annually and the popularity continued to grow. Seeing how successful the festival was and how many tourists it brought into the town the local business owners began turning Sugarcreek into a Swiss Village. By the 1970’s tourist-oriented business began opening in the town.
We began the day by stopping at Broad Run Cheesehouse. When you walk in you are met with some eclectic items that seem to serve as decorations for the shop, but most are also for sale.
The main area has a deli and assorted packaged cheeses. According to their website they have over 30 varieties of cheese to choose from.
The rest of this building, including a second floor, is a gift shop and boutique. There is a wide range of items including everything from wine and food items, clothing jewelry, home decor and many more unique items.
Next stop was breakfast at Dutch Valley Restaurant. The restaurant offers Amish inspired food in a beautiful dining room. For breakfast they have a full menu to choose from or a buffet, we opted for the latter. I can never turn down a buffet because it allows me to sample more of what the restaurant has to offer. Something unique about the setup of this buffet that I had not seen at others is they have a place built into the buffet were the plates are kept that keeps the them warm. I love this idea! No more cold plate chilling your food before you can get it back to the table to eat.
All of the food was delicious but my two favorites were dishes that I had never tried before…their bread pudding and a frozen pineapple dish. I know, I know…frozen pineapple?!? It seemed weird but boy was it good. I asked the waitress about it and while she couldn’t remember what all was in it it she did know it contained bananas, orange juice and of coarse crushed pineapple. The combination, at least to me, worked very well together.
In addition to the dining room there is also a bakery and coffee shop attached. They have prepackaged items as well as a bakery counter service. The coffee looked so good, but we had eaten so much already there just wasn’t room to try any. I guess that leave me something to look forward to trying next trip.
In between the restaurant and bakery there was a small gift shop with a wide variety of items, including many locally made items. I especially loved the squirrel section…it rang so true to what I deal with everyday at my house lol.
Where the restaurant is located there is also a hotel, theater, gift shop and market. The Dutch Valley Hospitality website has information on all that they offer and other locations. We wondered around and explored the market and gift shop and worked off some of our breakfast. The market offered frozen food, deli good, dry and canned good and so much more.
The gift shop was absolutely beautiful. Made up of three floors brimming with home decor, outdoor decorations, kitchen items, clothing, toys and so much more. What made the shop so beautiful was more than just the building itself, it was how they displayed the merchandise.
We finished up and made our way into downtown Sugarcreek. The first thing will notice is the Swiss-styles storefronts and the murals throughout the town. A local artist, Tom Miller, painted the murals and also designed the storefronts.
Make sure you to stop and look at the mural on the Huntington Bank in particular. A train emerges from one mountain tunnel and then enters into another tunnel, it’s easy to miss if you are not looking for it.
Sitting as the centerpiece of the town is the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock. The clock is over 23 feet tall and 24 feet wide. In 1977 the clock was featured on the cover of the Guinness Book of World Records.
The clock began it’s life in the 1970’s as part of the Alpine Alpa restaurant in Wilmont, Ohio. After the closing of the restaurant in 2009 the clock was purchased and restored as part of the “Save-a-Landmark” program and found it’s new home in downtown Sugarcreek in May 2012.
During the spring, summer and fall seasons you can see the full operation of the clock every half hour from 9am to 9pm. The cuckoo bird will pop out and the Swiss polka music will being as the band emerges and a couple dances. Please check out my Intragram for videos.
Across the street from the Cuckoo Clock is a brick wall containing 13 sculpted brick panels that depict the story of Sugarcreek and the surrounding area. The panels were designed and sculpted by a local artist, Sherry Crilow.
Next up the up, the Alpine Hills Museum which takes you back in time with three floors of displays relating to the early days of the town’s Swiss and Amish Heritage. Some of the displays even have audio and video presentations.
On the main floor you’ll see displays of a traditional Amish kitchen, a 1890’s cheese house, woodworking shop, printing press, vintage clothing and many other items.
The second floor has displays that depict the everyday life of those living in the Sugarcreek area, a music display complete with Swiss Alp Horns and other remnants from the rich history of the area.
The lower level was probably my favorite. This area contains a display and audio presentation of 1895 fire equipment, modes of early transportation, and tools of the trade from the past.
After taking in the main attractions we explored several of the stores. One quirky store stands out from the rest because it is just as much of an attraction as it is a store. Unfortunately I cannot tell you the store’s name because there was no signage outside to tell me but it is located on the main drag.
Within the store you will find a variety of antiques and oddities for sale, these items alone are interesting to just walk around and check out.
One display in particular I found fascinating was the replica horror movie houses on the top shelf as you walk into the store. I have never seen anything like these.
In addition to the items for sale in the store, they offer a Sci-Fi – Horror movie “Museum” made up of Halloween props, horror movie memorabilia and random horror/sci-fi items.
While this store felt out of place from the town and other shops, me being the Halloween and horror movie fan that I am, I loved it.
Walking around Sugarcreek, listening the the Swiss music, make sure to take your time and notice all the little extra touches that have been added. There are many interesting things to be seen.
We finished out our day by exploring a few other shops around the area including in Millersburg and Walnut Creek, but did not have time to take in everything. This just means I will need to plan another trip to the area, maybe more than one…I still need to check out the wineries too.
With Easter approaching, I decided to plan a day for my mom and I to visit some of the local places that are popular during the Easter season.
First stop was Kraynack’s located in Hermitage, PA. Established in 1949, they are best known for their Santa’s Christmasland and Easter Bunny Lane, but they offer much more than that. The main store, which is where the holiday displays are, also sells holiday decorations, home decor, tons of toys, unique gifts, model train supplies and has a floral department. Located behind the main store they also have a lawn and garden center that sells trees, shrubs, perennials, garden supplies and decorations and outdoor furniture.
On the day we visited, it was all about Easter. We walked through Easter Bunny Lane first. The 300-foot indoor display is free to enjoy, and open from February 15th through the Monday after Easter. Each section of the lane has different spring and Easter themes that included animated figures and music. Some of the lighting and decorations in the scenes can be purchased from the store. The way they have the items displayed sometimes gives you a different perspective on ways that the products they sell can be used, and is great for showing you how the product functions and looks when in use.
On most days, Kraynack’s also offers pictures with the Easter Bunny for a small fee. We were lucky and the day we were there the Easter Bunny was available and there was no line, so we decided to take in the full experience and have our picture taken with the bunny.
Next we did a little shopping. Kraynack’s offers all you need to decorate for the holiday and to fill everyone’s Easter baskets, no matter the age of the recipient. Potted plants, toys, small favors, tons of candy and so much more. Take your time when you visit and explore every aisle…you never know what you will find.
Our second stop was Daffin’s Candies, just down the road from Kraynack’s. 1949 must have been a good year because that is also when Daffin’s began producing their delicious chocolates and other sweet treats. The company now has 4 storefronts, but the original Sharon location is also home to the “Chocolate Kingdom”.
The store has two chocolate sculpture displays. The first is in the center of the store and offers some great picture opportunities.
The second is the one referred to as the “Chocolate Kingdom” and can be found in the back of the store.
The store offers a huge selection of handmade chocolates and other candies. They also offer gifts and cards, giving you an option for anyone you may be buying a gift for…including yourself.
For Easter, they have a wide variety of chocolate in every spring/Easter shape you can think of…plus more. Their filled eggs are also very popular and come in a variety of flavors. And don’t forget to check out the display cased full of sweets sold by the pound.
After picking up some goodies for our Easter baskets at Daffin’s we stopped at Philadelphia Candies. Opened in 1919, this store offers delicious confection all year long, but is especially popular during the Easter season.
The storefront may be smaller than Daffin’s but don’t let that fool you, it is packed full of goodness. They offer a selection of shaped chocolates for every interest. Holiday, sports, transportation, occupations, animals and the list goes on.
They also sell a variety of chocolate filled eggs, including ones that are a hollow chocolate shell with a surprise inside. Some of these are even sold with a small wooden mallet to break the egg open…how fun it that?!?
On my must-try list was their chocolate covered potato chips. I picked a bag of those up for myself and some more Easter sweets for the baskets.
While you are in Sharon/Hermitage, there is a ton of shopping and restaurant choices. We completed our day by checking out some of our favorite stores and getting a late lunch.
If you’re looking for a way to get in the Easter spirit, or if you need to fill those Easter baskets, this is the perfect little day trip.
Working our way home, the last day of our trip we were traveling through beautiful West Virginia. There is always someplace interesting to explore in this state. On this trip we stopped in Sutton, which is home to two fascinating museums as well as the Sutton Dam.
The first was The Flatwoods Monster Museum, which also serves as the Braxton County Visitors Center. This museum houses fascinating memorabilia and souvenirs, as well as tells the story of the Flatwoods Monster. The story goes…
On September 12, 1952, several residents of Flatwoods, West Virginia, reported seeing a bright object soar across the sky and land on a nearby farm. Terrified but intrigued, they went to discover what it could be. As the group came down the hill onto the farm, they were confronted with n alien creature. Described as being at least ten feet tall with a green skirted body, having a round, red face surrounded by a spade shaped “hood”, and bulging eyes. The creature let out a series of shrill hisses and loud thumps and started to glide not walk toward the witnesses, who fled in terror. They were also violently ill, victims of some sort of poison gas emitted by the creature. Subsequent visitors found no trace of the saucer or the monster, but they did notice a “sickening, burnt, metallic odor” that could not be explained.
The stories of the Flatwoods Monster, which was also known as the Braxton County monster, Braxie, or Phantom of the Flatwoods, started to spread around West Virginia and even more widely throughout the country, as reports made the national news. Though the creature was not seen again after 1952, its tale became cemented in local lure.
The museum is small, but an interesting stop. One of my favorite parts…the furry greeter.
The second museum is dedicated to the legend of bigfoot. In Appalachian folklore, these creatures were referred to as “Old Men of the Mountain,” and were thought of as lucky omens, believed to keep black bears away from livestock.
It wasn’t until 2021 when West Virginia cryptid hunter Les O’Dell started looking for somewhere to display his collection of bigfoot casts that this small gift store in Sutton was transformed into the Bigfoot Museum.
Since then, the museum’s collection has grown substantially, and now features nearly 40 different plaster casts that are believed to belong to bigfoot-type creatures. Making it one of the largest collections of bigfoot casts in the world.
The museum also has hair, records of sightings and other bigfoot memorbilia as well as bigfoot merchandise. If you visit make sure to sign the guestbook which contains visitors from all over the world from Hawaii to France.
By the looks of their website a lot has changed since we were there, so I’d love to go back and check the museum out again….maybe during the festival.
Our final site to see in Sutton was the dam. The groundbreaking for the Sutton Dam was in 1956, and the dam was completed in July of 1961. It stands 210 ft high and has a top length of 1,178 ft.
The top of the dam offers a beautiful view of the lake. The day we were there, it looked like they were doing a little renovating to the entrance building at the top of the dam.
Below the dam there is a small park. It offers several picnic areas, a restroom and playground.
After Sutton, we worked our way north on Route 19 and stopped for a bite to eat at DJ’s 50’s & 60’s Diner in Fairmount, WV.
Walking into the diner is like taking a step back in time. The vintage touches added, and musical memorabilia make you feel like you’re back in the 50’s and 60’s. The home style food is served in generous portions and will fill any hungry traveler’s belly.
After filling up, we headed home. Day 5 we racked up 266 miles. The mileage for the entire trip was 1,239.
This wrapped up the Claw of the Dragon trip and also meant that we had completed the entire “Dragon”….goal achieved, and ready for the next one.
Day 4 of our Claw of the Dragon trip finished up the actual Claw. This day I had scheduled a zip line tour with Hungry Mother Adventure. We had a great time, unfortunately I did not get any pictures while we were zipling.
In the morning we had some time before our reservation so we did some exploring in Wytheville, VA. When you approach the town you can’t miss the hot-air-balloon-themed water tower with the town name on it. Also throughout the town you will see signs with the town name and the slogan, “There’s only one!” This is because if you do a search you will find that while most city names are used more than once the city of Wytheville only exists in Virginia.
First stop was the Great Lakes to Florida Highway Museum. Unfortunately the museum was not open when we were there but we did get to check out the old gas station…check out the pumps and those prices!! Don’t we all wish gas was still that cheap.
Next stop, Main Street to get some pictures of the famous “big pencil” that hangs on the outside of the Wytheville Office Supply Store. It’s not hard to find this roadside attractions since the metal pencil is approximately 30 feet long.
In the early 1960’s John Campbell Findlay, former owner of the Wytheville Office Supply Store, had the “big pencil” constructed as an advertising gimmick. He hoped other business owners would do similar things to attract travelers on US Hwy 21, the main highway at that time, to stop in Wytheville and shop.
The “big pencil” also gained some fame in December 2000 when it was the features in a national syndicated comic strip “Zippy” by Bill Griffith.
Our last stop in Wytheville before heading to the zip line tour was Black Bear Harley-Davidson. This dealership has a good-sized store and I loved the theming.
After our zip line tour we started heading north, making our way home. The last stop of the day was a place we had passed on our way down and back on our first trip, and I was not going home without stopping this time….The Tractor Bar.
The Tractor Bar is located in Mt. Nebo, WV not far off of Route 19. The bar actually made it into GQ Magazine on their list of the 12 wackiest and weirdest bars in America.
It turns out, The Tractor Bar, was an actual tractor dealership back in the early 90’s. After hard times fell upon the business, the owner decided to turn it into a bar. But the money was tight, so the bar and decor were pieced together from things laying around the tractor dealership. In fact, the beautiful red tractor in the middle of the bar was sitting in the weeds behind the dealership before they dragged it out, gave it a good cleaning and paint job and turned it into the centerpiece of the bar.
If you stop to check this place out make sure to walk around and check out all the interesting decorations both inside and on their back patio. Oh and the food is good too, lol. We of coarse had to try their wings and enjoy a couple cold beverages. Before you leave you might also want to check out there little souvenir shop…the products are as interesting as the decor.
After dinner we continued north on Route 19 to Summersville and found a hotel for the night. Total miles for day 4 of our Claw trip, 193.
Day 3 of the Claw trip we had a lot of miles we planned to cover, so we got up grabbed a quick breakfast and we’re back on the road. First stop, Shot Tower Historical State Park.
Located near New River Trail in Austinville, VA, the centerpiece of the park is the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower. Built over 200 years ago, the Shot tower overlooks the New River.
The historic landmark was used by early settlers to create ammunition. Lead from local mines would be melted down with a wood furnace at the top of the tower, then poured through a sieve forming drops of lead. The droplets would then fall 150 feet to become spherical and cool, becoming rigid as they did. In order to complete the cooling process, and to provide a soft landing to stop deforming, the newly formed shot landed in a kettle of water at the bottom of the tower.
The construction of the Jackson Ferry Tower is different from most shot towers for a couple of reasons. First, the tower was constructed of limestone rather than brick. This not only made the walls stronger, it also kept the interior temperature of the tower cooler and more consistent. These two factors improved the quality of the shot produced in this tower. Second, the location of the tower provided the designers with an advantage. They were able to build the tower on the edge of the cliff and reduce the height of the tower while maintaining the 150-foot drop that was necessary for the process by digging a 75-foot vertical shaft in the ground. A horizontal tunnel was then added near the shore of the river that gave them access to the bottom of the shaft.
The park is open year round from dawn to dusk, and on scheduled days during the summer the tower is open for tours. The park is free, but there is a fee for the tour. Unfortunately, the day we stopped there was no tour available. There is also a nice picnic area and several spots to just sit under the trees and enjoy the peacefulness of the countryside.
Next up was Historic Foster Falls located in the New River State Park, which is under 3 miles from the Shot Tower. The village of Foster Falls was the product of the iron industry that flourished in the New River Valley in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
An iron furnace was constructed in 1881 at Foster Falls, followed by a railroad passenger-and-freight station close by leading to other businesses to locate there. By 1895 the village had a population of 296, a Victorian-style hotel, post office, gristmill, sawmill, general store, distillery and 100 houses.
Five years after the furnaces ceased in operations, the hotel changed ownership. The once elegant hotel that was the centerpiece of the village was turned into an industrial school for young women. Then in 1938, it became a co-ed orphanage. By 1962, the building had fallen into disrepair and the children’s home was relocated. After years of being abandoned, the building is now being restored and will serve as a state park lodging establishment. I would love to go back when it is completed and stay at this historic spot.
More information can be found on the Virginia DCR website.
Remnants of the furnace built by the Foster Falls Mining and Manufacturing Company, can be seen when you visit the park. This furnace was the last of the cold-blast, charcoal-fueled furnaces to operate in the southwestern Virginia region.
The furnace employed 80 men and produced 3,000 ton of pig iron annually at it’s peak. The iron-ore used was brought in from several local mines, the New River provided the water power and the extension added by Norfolk and Western Railway in 1882 provided easy distribution.
The railroad passenger station built in 1887 for the Norfolk & Western Railway, later called the Cripple Creek Branch, still remains in the Foster Fall Historic District. Restored by the New River Tail State Park, it now serves as a visitors’ center as well as a gift shop. We stopped in to get a cold drink and of course a small souvenir. Across from the visitor center is also a Norfolk and Western train car.
The park also has the remains of several other buildings from the historic Foster Falls village that you can view while exploring the park. In addition to the history of the village, the New River Trail State Park also offers several nice picnic areas, primitive campsites by the river and trails that visitors can explore. While we were there we took a short hike to the river to see the falls and also got to see some wildlife.
After leaving Foster Falls, we continued on the roads that make up the Claw of the Dragon and stopped at Draper Mountain Overlook located on US Route 11 in Pulaski, VA. The overlook was named for John Draper, an early settler of the Virginia Frontier and the land along the New River.
In 1755 the Shawnee Indians raided the Viginia Frontier and John’s wife, siter-in-law and five others were taken captive and taken back to the Shawnee Camps in the Ohio River Valley. While John’s sister-in-law was able to escape and travel more than 850 miles back to the New River Valley, John’s wife remained a captive. She lived for 6 years with the family of an Indian Chief until John found her and was able to barter for her release. In 1765 John and his wife moved from Draper’s Meadow to area seen below the overlook, which is known as Draper’s Valley.
In addition to the interesting story of the overlook and surrounding area’s name there are also remnants of several structures.
The overlook offer plenty of parking on both sides of the roads, some picnic tables and hiking trails.
We traveled more of the winding mountain roads and found a hotel for the night. Below are just some of the interesting things we saw along the way. Our total mileage for day 3 of our Claw of the Dragon trip was 208 miles.
CKay Lens View 