Nebo Chapel

On Sunday, we stopped by Nebo Lutheran Chapel along Route 6 in Mount Jewett. Actually, I drove by and saw this from the road. I immediately turned the car around because I had to take some photos.
The chapel was built by immigrants in 1887 and is patterned after a church near Stockholm, Sweden.
There were lots of Swedish names on the tombstones in the churchyard and a mix of older and more recent graves.
Unfortunately, there was a pretty steady drizzle right then, so I didn't get to explore as much as I would have liked.
But I did find this beautiful stone...it looks like a seashell cradling the baby.

Wind Damage

Our roadtrip yesterday included a stop at Kinzua Bridge State Park. This is the place that used to be the site of the world's highest railroad viaduct. A tornado knocked it down in 2003.

It was actually pretty neat to see the remains of the twisted steel girders and the still-bare and gnarled trees.

I have to admit that I was a little bummed that you couldn't walk out onto the bridge any further, though. It would have been cool (and scary as hell) to stand out there.

A Long Day's Journey into Fall

It was a grey and rainy day here. Not quite the perfect day for a drive, but we didn't let that stop us.

Today we headed east on Route 6 just to see some fall colors and let the road take us where it may.

We ended up stopping at Kinzua Bridge State Park (site of what was once the world's tallest railroad viaduct, which was blown over by a tornado in 2003)...
a really interesting church and old cemetery...and a cider mill/pumpkin farm in addition to some other places.
Through it all, we found the beginnings of some beautiful fall foilage...

as well as hard evidence of summer's sad demise.

In the end, we took about 7 hours and drove 265 miles, give or take. It was a great day.

Favorite Son

Liam's definitely my favorite son.

Okay, okay, he's also my only son. But he's still pretty cool.
This boy has a complete exuberance for life. I dread the day when he decides he's "too cool" to show his excitement about things.
In these pictures, he was tickled about how big he felt on the small bench at the train ride station at the animal park.
That evolved into a 10 minute discussion on giants, and how it must feel to be a giant, and how it must make other people feel when you're a giant, and what if there were real giants, and a brief retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, which mostly focused on the bellowing of "Fee, fi, foe, fum!"
I also happen to think he's pretty darn cute, cheesy grin and all.

Sorry, We're Closed.

With window displays like these, I was sorry they were closed too.

This was a big antiques shop in Geneva-on-the-Lake. Their inventory looked like someone's acid trip gone bad.
We're talking giant carved cats with fish and birds in their mouths. Seriously, they looked almost like carousel animals or something.

And look, it's Nipper!
Oh, and beware of Buster Brown. He'll come alive and kill you in the night for sure.
What a bummer that we were only able to see it all through the windows.

This place may just warrant a trip back there when tourist season comes around again.

The First Day of Autumn

Today we have the first day of Fall...

and the first of what will probably be hundreds of photos. What's Fall looking like in your neck of the woods so far? And (geek moment) is anyone else excited for the season premier of Heroes tonight? And The Office on Thursday?

After the Tourists Go Home

On our drive last week, we passed through a town in Ohio called Geneva-on-the-Lake. This place is on Lake Erie, though you can't see too much of the lake because of all the buildings crowded together. Geneva-on-the-Lake caters to tourists from bigger cities like Cleveland. People from places like Cleveland would think a town like this quaint.

I wouldn't dream of coming here when these empty streets are crowded with cars and people, though it would be fun for people-watching.
I would much rather come when everything is boarded up and sad-looking...


when the lights are off and the glitz is gone...

It's a much better scene that way if you ask me.

Although, sadly, we did miss our chance to play Corn Hole Game.

More Ashtabula Harbor

Ashtabula Harbor had a couple of neat bookends.

At one end was this really neat arch. It looks like some kind of industrial bridge with a track, but it wasn't big enough for a train. I couldn't find any way not involving a boat to get any closer, but I loved the arch against the sky.

And then in the other direction was this drawbridge. It looked like it's under repair right now, but it still made a neat picture.
Oh, and I think it was Becky who asked (I could be wrong)...it's pronounced "Ash-tuh-BYOU-lah," and you're right. It does roll off the tongue!