September 30 & October 1, 2011: Orville to Alliances, Ohio (55 miles):

Yesterday, Friday, we had the day off.  Cal’s cousin and husband showed us their area of Ohio.  When we have been to this area before, we have never driven around.

Isn’t this a cute sculpture at the city library?

First we went to Smucker’s jams visitors center located in Orville, Ohio.  We did not know all the food companies owned by Smucker’s. They own Crisco, Jif, Pillsbury, Eagle Brand, Foger’s coffee, and Hungry Jack.   There are other companies I cannot remember at this point. 

Yesterday was a rainy day – a good day to off the bike, but it was a gloomy day to take photos as you can see.  We stopped by a Swiss cheese factory.  Doesn’t this place look like it is in Switzerland?

We also stopped at Lehman’s Hardware in Kidron, Ohio.  This place has ‘everything’, plus everything for a non-electric Amish home – such as gas refrigerators, gas freezers, etc. What a place!  We also went to Keim Lumber store – there isn’t another lumber store like it in the US!! Beautiful store! 

After meeting the cousin’s children and grand’s, we returned to their home at 8:30 pm – tired! 

  

This morning when we woke up it was raining hard. Thank goodness it had decreased to a light rain before we left Orville. It did rain most of the morning, and most of the afternoon.  It seemed like it would rain every 20 minutes. However, tonight when we returned from a restaurant the moon was shining. We hope this is a good sign for tomorrow. 

Cal rode on a bike trail that was in poor shape he and ended up all muddy. Thank good the motel where we are staying tonight has a coin operated W/D.  We washed ‘the works’!!

Here are photos I took yesterday and today of farmsteads – you can see the weather conditions!  We are still on rural roads.  They are beginning to be very hilly -thus the reason for Cal’s lower mileage today.

Cal Negotiating the Hills

We did not realize Ohio has oil/natural gas.  Yesterday and today we have seen oil/natural gas pumps. How would you like a pump in your side yard? 

Oil Pump in the Side Yard

New Oil Pump

Tonight at dinner we were talking to a person who has a friend in this area who is from Texas. He has been in Ohio for two years drilling for oil – they are capping the new wells just like in North Dakota. 

I have seen many rural cemetery – I took a photo of this one today.