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.
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