Ohio – Julia A. Keirns – Author, Blogger, Writer

The Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site

October 17, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Dayton, Ohio

We drove to Dayton, Ohio today to visit the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park so I could get the stamp and sticker in my National Park book.

I didn’t know that Paul Laurence Dunbar’s house was available for touring as part of this National Park. We arrived too late to actually see the inside of the house or the grounds. It closed at 4:00 pm.

Who is Paul Laurence Dunbar you ask?

He was an American poet, lyricist, essayist, and novelist of the late 19th century who was born in Dayton, Ohio.

He was born on June 27, 1872, to parents who were slaves in Kentucky before the American Civil War.

He was one of the first African-American writers to establish an international reputation.

One of the poems I especially like of his is called “Dreams.”

What dreams we have and how they fly

Like rosy clouds across the sky;

Of wealth, of fame, of sure success,

Of love that comes to cheer and bless;

And how they wither, how they fade,

The waning wealth, the jilting jade —

The fame that for a moment gleams,

Then flies forever, — dreams, ah — dreams!

Suffering from tuberculosis, which then had no cure, Dunbar died in Dayton, Ohio, at the age of 33. It’s a shame that he died so young.

Thanks for reading and joining me for another history lesson.

Annie Oakley: A Pioneer for Women’s Rights

October 15, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

The little sure shot from Ohio.

Rich and I drove 45 miles south today to the birthplace of Annie Oakley. Located on Spencer Road in Yorkshire, Ohio is a small memorial dedicated to the site of her home. It’s a shame that the home itself wasn’t preserved.

The plaque reads that the log cabin was a little over 1,000 feet east which puts it in that cornfield behind the memorial.

Phoebe Ann Mosey, (there is some argument that the last name was Moses, not Mosey), better known by her stage name Annie Oakley, was one of the most famous sharpshooters of the Wild West era.

She was born on August 13, 1860, into poverty in southwest Ohio, but her skill with firearms helped her rise to international fame.

Oakley’s father died when she was young forcing her to learn to hunt and shoot to help support her family. She was so skilled that she was able to sell her wild game around the city of Greenville, Ohio. Some of it was even shipped off to market in Cincinnati.

She was so skilled that she won a shooting match in Cincinnati, Ohio against a professional marksman at the age of 15. That’s how she met the man she would eventually marry, Frank E. Butler.

After visiting her birthplace memorial we drove eight miles to Brock Cemetery just outside of Versailles, Ohio to visit the gravesite of Oakley and her husband Butler.

She adopted the stage name “Oakley” when she began performing with her husband in the early 1880s.

There are several theories about how she chose her stage name. One theory is that she took it from the town of Oakley, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, where she and her husband lived for a time.

In 1885, they joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Oakley quickly became one of the show’s biggest stars, dazzling audiences with her amazing feats of marksmanship.

We left the cemetery and drove 12 miles south into downtown Greenville to the Annie Oakley Memorial Park. Being downtown there was not much parking available so we pulled into the alley and got out for a few minutes.

During her life, Oakley was a role model for women and girls everywhere. She proved that women could be just as good as men at shooting sports, and she inspired many women to learn how to shoot.

She was a strong advocate for women’s rights and equality, a national icon, and one of the most famous women in the world.

Oakley died of pernicious anemia on November 3, 1926, at the age of 66. Her ashes are buried in the Brock Cemetery near Greenville, Ohio. Her devoted husband, Frank Butler, died just three weeks later on November 21, 1926, and is buried right beside her.

Annie Oakley was a true American pioneer, a hunter, and a role model. She showed the world that women could do anything they set their minds to. Her legacy continues to inspire people. She is remembered as one of the greatest sharpshooters of all time and a pioneer for women’s rights.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed seeing the photos and learning about Annie Oakley — the little sure shot from Ohio.

Fort Greene Ville Historical Landmark

October 14, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Greenville, Ohio

We drove south to Greenville, Ohio today and I wanted to see the fort.

The photo above is a replica of The Fort at Greene Ville that was built by General Anthony Wayne in 1793 during the American Indian Wars.

According to military history, Fort Greene Ville was the largest pioneer fort in Ohio. It was used to house about 2,000 American soldiers dedicated to neutralizing the Native American threat and casting American dominance and law over the region. The construction of the Fort was finished by the fall of 1793.

The Treaty of Greene Ville was signed on August 3, 1795, by both the Delaware and Wyandot tribes and the United States at this Fort, after General Anthony Wayne’s victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in northern Ohio.

The treaty marked the end of the Northwest Indian Wars and negotiated the land boundary between the settlers and natives.

The gate was locked the day we were there so we couldn’t go inside.

The fort was abandoned one year after the treaty was signed and settlers in the area descended on it stripping it of construction materials and finally burning it down to scavenge the metal.

I love driving around to find hidden gems like this in the towns we visit and then learning some history about them.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed your history lesson for today.

A Drive Around Grand Lake St. Mary’s Ohio

October 8, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

The largest inland lake in Ohio.

Grand Lake St. Mary’s in Ohio was once the world’s largest artificial body of water. It was dug by 1,700 German and Irish immigrants from 1837 to 1845, to supply water for the Miami-Erie Canal, a vital supply source connecting the Ohio River in Cincinnati to Lake Erie in Toledo. At that time, it was the largest artificially constructed lake in the world, and today remains the largest inland lake in the state of Ohio.

In the summer of 2010, GLSM experienced a toxic algae bloom that was brought on by two types of blue-green algae. I was pleased to see cleaner water today when we were there. The lake was gorgeous.

As you enter the city of Celina from the north on Highway 127, the first historical site is the Celina Lighthouse. This forty-foot lighthouse was built in 1986, is functional, and is used by boaters trying to find the small marina and boat docks after dark.

Just across the street from the lighthouse is a lovely little restaurant called the Boardwalk Grill which we enjoy eating at on fair-weather days. With open walls, you can eat by the water and enjoy the view. Of course, it closes for the winter.

Grand Lake St. Mary’s is 9 miles long and 3 miles wide. It covers approximately 13,500 acres, but it is shallow with average depths of only 5 to 7 feet.

Traveling east from the Celina Lighthouse we drove through Lake Shore Park. This is a beautiful park with a lot of picnic tables and playgrounds and a wonderful parking and viewing area.

Let’s keep traveling east along the northern side of the lake. To get to the Grand Lake St. Mary’s Lighthouse by land you have to drive through a private residential area but we could see it from the road.

Grand Lake St. Mary’s State Park became one of Ohio’s first state parks in 1949. The park offers 52 miles of shoreline parks and swimming areas.

We saw several groups of mallards today. We rolled down the windows and breathed in the fresh air as we drove around the lake, enjoying the beautiful sunny day.

From a distance, I can’t tell if this is a crane, an egret, or a heron. What do you think it is? Its beak kind of looks like a spoonbill.

Driving around the eastern end of the lake to the southern side, we stopped at Behm’s (Grimm Memorial) Lighthouse. This historical landmark was the vision of Stan Grimm, co-owner of Behm’s Landing and Restaurant, located on the southern shore of the lake.

This octagonal, forty-eight-foot-tall lighthouse sits on a small offshore island and was dedicated on April 19, 2003, to the memory of Stanley Mike Grimm, who was killed in an auto accident on April 25, 1997.

Two gorgeous Canada Geese seemed to be paying their respects at the memorial beside the lighthouse. You can see the Grand Lake St. Mary’s Lighthouse on the other side of the lake in the background.

Several free public sandy beaches dot the shoreline of this lake.

We were shocked to see two large white pelicans on a freshwater lake in the middle of Ohio.

The American White Pelican is one of the largest birds in North America with a wingspan of 9-foot. A few of them got lost during one of their migrations several years ago, and each year the flock coming to Grand Lake St. Mary’s in Celina, Ohio has grown.

This one I believe is probably a great egret, but I am simply guessing. It is some kind of a tall white crane. I just couldn’t zoom in close enough to tell. It could be a spoonbill too.

The southwest corner of the lake consists of a 357-acre wildlife area and waterfowl refuge.

There is a walking trail and a viewing tower.

We were able to see a Bald Eagle nest from the road. I zoomed in on the photo and cropped it. Too bad we didn’t catch a glimpse of any bald eagles.

Heading north back on Highway 127, we pulled into West Bank Park.

And what did we see but about 50 more American White Pelicans?

Two years ago, over 600 were counted on the largest lake in Ohio, which was a state record. The fall migration season is now, and Rich and I were shocked to see these birds on the lake today, which is only about 30 miles south of us.

The drive around the entire lake only took us about three hours and that included stopping for lunch at the Rustic Haven Restaurant.

The food was good, the waitress was nice, and the decorations were spectacular.

On this gorgeous sunny day, a drive around the lake was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. I hope you enjoyed going with us.

Thanks for reading.

The Painted Fire Hydrants of Ohio City, Ohio

October 7, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Small-town street art at its finest.

Rich and I used to live in the small village of Ohio City, in Van Wert County Ohio. There is another Ohio City located over by Cleveland, but this little village only has a current population of 629 as of 2023. In 2021, it was 643.

Ohio City is a village in Liberty Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, United States. The population was 651 at the 2020 census. It is included within the Van Wert, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. — Wikipedia

As you can tell, its population is diminishing quickly. We drove over there today to take a peek at our old properties, and as we came into town I was surprised to find all the fire hydrants painted. How cool!

I think this one was made for a short-legged dog.

I told Rich to stop and let me photograph them all. “All of them?” he asked. And I said, “There are only like five streets in the whole town, it won’t take very long.”

So, here they are…the painted fire hydrants of Ohio City, Ohio for your viewing pleasure.

The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. These people must be fans.

Johnny Bravo and the Pink Panther.

Fire hydrants are located by distance from each other, not according to houses or people, or per block.

The maximum distance between fire hydrants shall not exceed 500 feet.

For a small town of only 629 people, it seemed like there was an awful lot of fire hydrants.

Section 4933.22 | Tampering with hydrant, pipe, or meter.

Ohio Revised Code

No person shall maliciously open, close, adjust, or interfere with a fire hydrant, valve, regulator, gauge, gate, disc, curb cock, stopcock, meter, or other regulator, operating or measuring device, or appliance in or attached to the wells, tanks, reservoirs, conduits, pipes, mains, service pipes, house pipes, or other pipes or apparatus of a water company or furnisher of water, with intent to cause the escape of water or to injure or destroy such property.

I wonder if painting a fire hydrant is considered tampering with it. Nah, probably not.

I couldn’t tell what or who some of them were supposed to be, but isn’t it cool to see them all?

I love m&m’s. I think this one is my favorite.

We saw more than one Snoopy dog.

I will never look at a fire hydrant the same way again. Now I will always see a face, and will always remember the painted fire hydrants of Ohio City, Ohio.

It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the 70’s.

And what a great day it was. I was so happy to find something like this to photograph today.

Thanks for traveling around America with us. Even the smallest towns have something wonderful to see and experience.

Back at Home

July 28, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Leaving a campsite is a lot of work but after 15 months we have it down to a science. Well, almost. One thing I never did, that I always say I should have, is make a checklist of things to do. It seems like we always miss something. Usually it is something minor, but I think I will make a list.

Back at home in Convoy, Ohio, the kids were glad to see mom and dad, but sad to leave Grandma and Grandpa. I think they had a memorable vacation that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

It stormed in Northwest Ohio several times in the past few days. As I write this we are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and I can see a tornado spotter sitting in a vehicle on the road when the lightning flashes. The wind rocks the camper back and forth making me feel like I am back on that ferry boat. At times like this you wish you had a basement to go down to.

Okay, back to bed. Tomorrow is another adventure. Thanks for stopping by and checking in on us. Safe travels.

Kelleys Island

July 28, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

Cooking outside when camping is one of the best things to do – especially in the morning. Scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, and sausage patties made for a healthy start to the day.

The first place I dragged the grandkids yesterday was to the birthplace of Thomas Edison in Milan, Ohio. The house was built in 1841, and Thomas Alva Edison was born here on February 11, 1847. He lived in this house until he was seven and then his parents moved to Port Huron.

Statue of Thomas Edison sitting on a bench.

Did you know that Edison’s first patent was for a device that recorded legislative votes? He was only 21. You can read more about some of his key inventions at History.com.

From here we drove to Kelleys Island Ferry in Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio and drove our car onto the Carmen Lee, a ferry boat that took us across Lake Erie to Kelleys Island. The grandkids had never been on a ferry boat before and thought it was quite exciting.

Round trip cost us $140 for the auto ($40), one senior adult ($20), two regular adults (me and the 15-year-old grandson) ($24 each) and two children ($16 each). It might have been a little expensive, but it is an experience they will never forget.

Once we arrived on the island we headed to Kelleys Island State Park first at the northern end (only a two mile drive from the southern end) and saw the Glacial Grooves.

According to Kelleys Island Chamber of Commerce website, “The glacial grooves are 400 feet long, 35 feet wide, and up to 15 feet deep. They were created by the slow movement of the massive glacier that created the Great Lakes and Lake Erie Islands.”

Lunch on the island consisted of pizza and rootbeer at Caddy Shack Square on Division Street. Shops closeby sell t-shirts, rocks, and souveneirs. The mini-golf course is $7 per person, or $10 to play as many times as you want.

On the way back to the ferry we stopped at Inscription Rock on the south end of the island.

Inscription Rock was discovered partially buried in the sand of the lake shore in 1833 and by 1915, it was appearing on postcards for tourists in the area and is still a well-visited site to this day. This rock is covered with native petroglyph drawings that are slowly fading away because of the soft nature of the limestone and the waters of Lake Erie.

The rock currently measures 32 feet by 21 feet. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Definitely worth a stop to see.

Back on the ferry, it took us back to the mainland and just 2 miles east is Marblehead Lighthouse State Park.

Marblehead Lighthouse is one of the oldest lighthouses still in operation on the Great Lakes. You can climb the lighthouse for only $3. There are 77 winding steps to the top. They only take cash though. Don’t forget to walk through the free museum and visit the gift shop.

The park is beautiful. The kids played on the rocks at the edge of the water and watched boats go by. There are picnic tables available and clean restrooms. There is no fee to stop in and park and walk around. Don’t miss this amazing piece of history if you are ever in the area.

This day of our vacation ended with swimming in the gorgeous pool at Gotta Getaway RV Park, and sitting by a relaxing campfire eating smores.

Thank you so much for coming along with us on our RV traveling adventures. I hope you enjoy reading about all the places we visit and seeing some of the photos I take. Comment and let me know you were here. You can even share the posts on social media if you know of others who would enjoy the blog.

Gotta Getaway RV Park

July 26, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

Yesterday we headed east on Highway 30 from Convoy, Ohio to 53/67 North exit toward Tiffin. Highway 20 then took us to Bellevue, Ohio and our final destination at the Gotta Getaway RV Park. The motorhome ran fine and we didn’t have any issues. The grandkids all traveled well and we didn’t have any problems with them either. They pretty much had devices in their hands and earbuds in their ears for the whole two-hour drive.

Two lane highway between a green corn field and a green bean field.

Highway 53 North is a nice two-lane highway in good shape – compared to some of the roads we have driven. There are a lot of small hills in the road which made the ride fun for the kids. It was a beautiful sunny, 80-degree day. What a wonderful beginning for a grand (grandparent/grandchildren) vacation.

North central Ohio is green this last week of July. Beautiful fields of tall corn stand about four or five feet high. Some of the corn is already beginning to tassel here. The beans are green, but the wheat has already been harvested, the straw has been baled, and the golden fields left behind are empty now.

Gotta Getaway RV Park in Bellevue, Ohio was our destination. I booked this park for only $50 per night for three nights. One piece of advice – make sure to put 20 E on the address. If you just put 4888 US-20 as listed on Google Maps, the GPS will take you to the wrong place. The correct address is 4888 US Hwy 20 E. The campground is on the east side of Bellevue.

RV sites contain electricity and water only, there are no sewer hookups at the sites. There is a dump station, or a honey wagon service if you need to dump while camping. We were parked in site 4, which was a nice level pull-through site facing the pool and playground.

The kids were excited to see the pool and the playground. These are very nice and clean. The store has a fun arcade in the back where kids can play games, play pool, and play ping pong. The store is small, but well-stocked with necessities. The workers were helpful and polite.

We went swimming in the pool, played on the playground, won prizes in the arcade, played games at the picnic table, and ate hot dogs on the campfire. It was a great day at Gotta Getaway RV Park in Bellevue, Ohio.

Stay tuned for day 2 of our grandparent/grandchildren vacation adventure.