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This past week, as part of our Big End of Summer Family Fun Days Blowout Spectacular, well that’s what we have decided to call it, we took a little day trip to Holmes County in northeast Ohio.  Trust me, you don’t just happen by the little communities we visited in Holmes County.  You sit down and Mapquest the directions to specific locales and then curse the powers that be at Mapquest for omitting the fact that not once, or twice but three separate times on three separate county roads they failed to mention–the bridge is out.  Fact of the matter is, the bridge has been out since before Mapquest ever existed and no indication of planned repairs is evident.  We turned what should have been an easy two and a half hour drive into a odyssey of epic proportions.

By the time we stopped for lunch the kids were hot, tired and restless.  Nerves were fried and patience was wearing thin.  At one point, Maura went to the restroom and I called and emergency group meeting.  In no uncertain terms I explained to the children how very close we all were to losing our Big End of Summer Family Fun Days Blowout Spectacular and that if they didn’t straighten up and fly right it was over.   They all agreed to act good and for the better part of the next five minutes actually did.  We pressed on.

The big draw to Holmes County is the fact that it’s Amish country.  The countryside is filled with a people who have dedicated themselves to a simpler way of life devoid of modern conveniences.  Their crafts and workmanship are of the finest quality, skills having been passed gown for generations upon generations.

Most notable, at least to my kids, is the fact that they use horse and buggy as a means of transportation.  Though seemingly ever present, my kids did not grow tired of screaming, “Amish Buggy!!” every time they saw one.  OK, that might have been me, but you gotta admit, it’s pretty cool.  My kids did not tire, however, of asking questions about the ever present Amish Horse’s poop.  “Why do they just poop in the road?”  “Are they going to clean it up?”  “Why couldn’t they wait and poop in the grass?”  “What’s in horse poop?”  “It this horse poop fresh?”  “Man, horse poop is big!”  It clearly left an impression on them.

We did a bit of the touristy shopping stuff and drove around a bit.  It really was a beautiful area.  We passed a little elementary school and I made Maura go back so I could get a picture.  Something just struck me as funny about it.  In case you are unable to read the picture it says Charm School.

One of the most enjoyable parts of our Big End of Summer Family Fun Days Blowout Spectacular was a short hike took.  We stopped at one of the trail entrances of the Holmes County section of Rails to Trails.  The trail extends for miles through some very nice farmland and woodland areas.  An interesting aspect to this trail, however is that it is shared with the local Amish community.  Half of the trail is paved for hiking, biking, jogging, etc. and the other half is left for the horses and buggies.

The kids rode their bikes and Maura pushed the twins in the stroller as we all just soaked in the beauty around us.  It was a gorgeous day and I think despite our earlier frustrations with poor directions and kids being kids we had a good time.