A Moment in Canton,Ohio

Not planning can sometimes be the best plan. Don’t you think?  Often that seems to be the case on our travels. It happened again to us the other day. On our way across Ohio, with our destination as Niagara Falls, our mileage put us at Canton, Ohio, overnight.  Just for fun, I plugged our location into an app on the iPad called History Here that pinpoints historical locations in the area.  There we were…parked about four miles from the President Wm. McKinley Tomb and Museum.  Why not investigate before we hit the road again?

After coffee in the morning, we unhooked ole Yeller and made the short trip to the memorial.  We were immediately impressed.  When you drive into the grounds along the entry road, the tomb of President McKinley, assassinated in 1901, is perched on a towering hill. We learned later that this is the largest presidential memorial in the country, including the 26 acres surrounding it.  The grounds include a 1/4-mile, tree-lined walkway along the road leading to the tomb.  People were using the huge stairway and the walking path for exercising, giving the memorial a warm feeling.   

Then, there was the museum located next to the memorial. We noticed very quickly that there was more there than we expected.  Instead of McKinley exhibits, we first found a planetarium, a science center and several rooms of displays centered on the people, the industry and other history of the area, Starke County.  As we browsed we found several fun, interactive exhibits. For instance, the Hoover vacuum display demonstrated the vacuum power by lifting you in this chair that you see me in at the right.  A separate section of the museum is a Street of Shops that depicts the late 1800s, including a fire station of the era complete with an engine. And, did you know that the Diebold Safe Company originates from this area also?  We found Mr. Diebold’s invention story, along with those of local watchmakers, bearing manufacturers, etc. Interspersed with interesting objects were details of the people involved that captured our attention.  

We enjoyed perusing the McKinley memorabilia and were reminded of this president’s popularity and international policy influences.  But besides the presidential reminder, the bonus was  our  acquaintance with Starke County, Ohio. You’ll have to stop in to see if you agree with our impressions.

Oh, by the way, do you know what a Betty lamp is? There was one displayed in this museum. Here it is:

Betty lamp is a type of oil burning lamp that was used primarily by American colonists during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Its name comes from the German word besser , translated to mean “to make better.” The lamp was made with a covered, shallow bowl containing an inner spout that holds a wick. The bowl holds the oil or fat used to fuel the lamp. Betty lamps often had chains or hooks so the light could be elevated.  (Information from www.wisegeek.com)

Thanks for visiting Hurley Travels.  Stay safe.  See you down the road.

A Wee Bit O Fun In Cleveland

Last weekend we traveled to Cleveland,Ohio, for their 29th Annual Irish Cultural Festival.  There were four or five times over the past ten years that we’ve enjoyed these Celtic festivities with our very good friends Mike and Suzanne Flynn.  Each one has good memories connected and 2011 adds to that bank. We had a great time listening to music, taking in the cultural exhibits, shopping the Irish booths, sampling the brews, watching people and sharing life and laughs.

Of course, the recent Midwest temps of around 100 degrees and 90% humidity did make it less appealing to sit in a fairgrounds building or at a bandstand for daytime events. But,….we improvised.  The air conditioning in the motorhome was working just fine, so we made our own festival schedule.  Since we were parked on the fairgrounds where the Irish Fest took place, we could come and go as we chose.  We worked in time for a good mix of everything, including our Celtic airbrush tattoos.

The evenings weren’t quite as sweltering and there was still a wide selection of entertainers. For instance, three of our favorites this year were a group called Girsa, seven young women with beautiful voices who interchangeably played the guitar, bohran, keyboards, accordion and fiddle; The New Barleycorn, a local trio of men who pleased the crowds with their renditions of the traditional Irish fare and the High Kings, four guys all based in Ireland who brought the house down with their talent and enthusiasm. And no Irish Fest would be complete without the sounds of the bagpipes and the energetic young dancers….just the icing on the cake. We had a good weekend of entertaining ourselves and being entertained, while staying reasonably comfortable.

But speaking of being comfortable, how about good eats?  There were also some extracurricular dining ingredients thrown into the mix for the Cleveland trip. Suzanne and Mike suggested we go in search of an Italian restaurant called Geraci’s that they saw on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”  Well, Guy sure didn’t steer us wrong on this one.  We decided on their hearth-baked pizza and were very pleased we did.  The marinara sauce was especially tasty and the crust is just right!  When we’re in town again, maybe we’ll try a spaghetti dish with that scrumptious marinara sauce.  Then, on Sunday we had an outstanding brunch at the 100th Bomber Brigade Restaurant near the airport. It’s an interesting place, with memorabilia of the WWII bombers and crew throughout the facility.  Then there’s the array of superb food. It’s difficult to describe the quality selections; shrimp, crab, prime beef, fajitas and omelets to order, chicken marsala, and too many cheesecake and other desserts to list. That’s just a smidgeon of the menu.  And everything tastes fantastic. 

We enjoyed being out on the road in Ferd for a few days after working on our half-time home for the past few months.  And it was doubly nice that we had Mike and Suzanne to share ‘ a wee bit o fun in Cleveland.’

Glad you stopped in at Hurley Travels.  Talk to you later.