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.

Atwood Fall Festival

Last weekend, I made my yearly journey to the Atwood Fall Festival, located in Mineral City, in both Carroll and Tuscarawas counties.  The festival is held annually the first weekend in October, when the fall colors are at their peak and it is just warm enough to spend the day outside.  Arriving to the festival early is optimal because it is the place to be and it gets very busy. 

My mom and I got there around 11 am and we were already hungry for lunch!  Luckily there are food stands everywhere.  I got a super healthy lunch of nachos and mountain dew from a stand run by a church group while Mom got a sloppy joe.  I also had to stop and get my dessert at a stand that sells homemade ice cream that they make right in front of you.  I highy recommend the reese cup ice cream.  My mom wanted a piece of pie from the Pie Wagon  - pecan and also very good.  There were so many other options for food, but hey, it was the weekend and junk food just sounded great. 

Next up was the craft tents.  Each one was packed and full of interesting things to buy.  I saw some awesome Halloween wooden lawn decorations that I probably would have bought if I had the room.  Most of the crafts are Halloween or Christmas decorations, but I also saw furniture, fudge, and cornhole games for sale.  And the crafts aren't just confined to the tents.  Atwood