It was mid-morning by the time we moved on from Gettysburg with our trusty phone acting as navigator via Google maps. Having no idea what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised by the variety of the land we covered: the mountains with some amazing views – but, frustratingly for me, no stopping places to photograph them! even all those maize fields took on a character all their own as the dense green contrasted with the pure blue skies.
It was quite a shock to come across signs for the Appalachian Trail as I had just not thought about what territory we would cross – I think the whole trip had come together so quickly that it was not particularly well planned and time was not always available to ‘stop and stare’. So, although a long drive, there is little pictorially to show for it. Maybe, even if there were, I’d be disappointed as so often the images don’t fully capture what the eye has seen. I’m hoping to do better on that score this year.
We were both conscious of the need to move along rapidly and had no real idea where we might stop but were attracted by the name ‘Cambridge’ so pulled in to Cambridge, Ohio at about 7.30p.m. thinking it would be as easy to find accommodation there as it had been anywhere else: we were wrong, but found one of the most interesting places we have stayed anywhere on our travels.
Colonel Taylor’s Inn (http://www.coltaylorinnbb.com) is a late 1800s villa which the present owners have tried to maintain in keeping with its original appearance. We were fortunate that a room was available as there were no standard hotels to be found within easy reach and we were road-weary by the time evening came. I don’t even remember stopping for lunch that day, so we were probably hungry, too! I know we made a beeline for the High Street to a restaurant that was recommended – that was less impressive than the welcome and the breakfast at the B and B. Indeed, breakfast could have been half the size it was, but a little later in the day, I was glad we had had a good start. There was a disaster ahead!!
We had decided it would be interesting to see more of the Amish way of life and I was keen to see if I could find any quilting gifts for a friend at home, so headed for the Ohio Amish country, ready to see what comparisons there were to be made. In essence, the land use is very similar to that of Pennsylvania with lots of farm land, but there is a more commercial feel to the area with little villages taken over by businesses devoted to Amish carpentry and handicraft, including Gramma Fannie’s Quilt Barn – two storeys of quilting fabrics and equipment which still defeated me! This is in Berlin, Ohio and forms part of the Schrock’s Amish Farm and Village complex, staffed partly by Amish and partly by the slightly less conservative Mennonites of whom we saw many in the town. I was amused that all the women wore their long dresses with trainers as the common fashion accessory – practicality to the fore!
Note to others: in our experience the Amish country in Lancaster County Pennsylvania was more distinctive than that of Holmes County, Ohio – but I stress that was our experience on this occasion and may not be on another visit!
After a less than exciting lunch in a local cafe, we began to head towards Michigan wondering just how far we might get by the end of the day. We had not reserved a room ahead so were keen to reach somewhere a bit more on the beaten track before sunset.
Driving to a halt in Millersburg to check the map, I hit the kerb rather harder than intended and, when I summoned the courage to get out and look there was a nick in the tyre wall. Ouch! Would have to find a way of returning or exchanging the car? Just how safe would we be driving along the highways? I drove on fairly cautiously and was pleased to see the fire station on the outskirts of the village, so stopped and asked the firemen to assess the damage ( I thought they were more likely to know what they were looking at than the staff in a nearby filling station). The fireman who came out was sooooooo helpful; he reassured me that he thought I was safe but directed me back through the village to Millersburg Tire Service. Walking into the reception area somewhat diffidently, I was pleasantly surprised by the sympathetic service I received immediately. A burly young man came out to the car and explained that he would test the tyre to see if there was any major damage to the wall. The bad news was that the Mazda 2 tyre is not a standard size and had not yet reached the wilds of Ohio!
So we spent a tense fifteen minutes waiting to hear the worst – only to discover that the initial impressions were correct: no internal damage, safe to drive – ‘Oh and we’ve changed the tyres around so that you’re not conscious of any unevenness when you drive.’ ‘ Thank you! How much do I owe you?’ ‘Nothing – just have a safe trip’. WOW!! Such service and such pleasant attitudes. I hope foreign visitors to the UK are treated as well!
And then we hit the highway and headed for Ann Arbor where we found a Holiday Inn Express and enjoyed a lazy evening before the final drive to Muskegon the next day. Unbelievably, we were at the halfway point of our USA trip.
By this time we were looking forward to meeting up with the other guests we knew and to discovering a little more about Jasmine’s hometown and area.
Living the Journey 