A Day in Zoar

Though I have always lived nearby, I have never spent much time in Zoar.  Zoar Village is a historical area in Tuscarawas County that used to be inhabited by German religious separatists who wanted to have their own community.  I have always been a big fan of Roscoe Village in Coshocton, so I also wanted to visit Zoar because it seemed so similar.

While Roscoe has many shops, Zoar is a little different. It has a busy main street due to through traffic, but otherwise it is a quiet little village.  Many of the places are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  We first stopped in at the visitor's center and gift shop.  It was small, but we looked around a found a few pamphlets to look at.  Next, we walked up and down the streets, taking pictures of some of the historical buildings.  Zoar offers tours of the building for a fee, but I rarely have an interest in that sort of thing.  We found a little bulk food store but did not go inside.  It looked too much like someone's house to just walk in.

Before leaving the village, we took a peek at the centerpiece of the village - gardens.  They are very pretty and well-maintained.  We took a few pictures from the fence and headed back to our car.  Next was a hike at Zoar Woods.  It is pretty close to town, but down a bumpy little road.  There was a dilapidated picnic shelter and a large pond behind it.  Trails are everywhere and I believe some run in to the Towpath Trail.  We took a quick hike in the woods, took some pictures, and headed back before we got eaten up by mosquitoes.

Soon, it was time for lunch.  There are a few restaurants nearby, such as the Zoar Tavern, but luckily they had the menu posted on the door before we walked inside.  It was a lot of German food and it was expensive.  Not much we could have eaten.  Instead, we drove to Dover and ate at Grinders Above and Beyond.  We know we always like the food there.

So really, it was kindof a disappointing day.  We didn't buy anything or try any new restaurants.  We did get some good pictures of the village that I will post later and we did take a nice hike.  But, at least now I can say I have been there and can cross it off the list.