Mon Ami Winery, Port Clinton Ohio

Mon Ami winery has changed hands many times. It was originally Catawba Island Wine Company which was first organized way back in 1872 by a group of Islanders who grew grapes, though most principally the 3 families were: The Ellithorpe, Neals, and Laudy's. They made 130,000 gallons of wine. (pictured above Me, Julie, & Jan)

In 1937 the winery was purchased by Mon Ami Champagne Co. when they moved from Sandusky after the 18th amendment was repealed. At that time 55 men produced 400,000 to 500,.000 bottles of champagne and wine a year.
(picture from parking lot looking towards outside eating area)
In 1945, after a terrible fire gutted much of the winery the first floor restaurant was added.

In 1956 it once again changed hands. It was purchased by Norman Mantey, another Sandusky wine grower who's family had been in the business since the 1800's.
The Meier's Wine Cellars purchased Mon Ami in 1980, making it the largest producer in the state at 40-50-,000 gallons of wine.


(a couple brought their pet with them who let me get a photo)
Another purchase took place in 2000, when renovations of the main dining room, the chalet were done as well as a complete over haul of the kitchen. Additionally, a new gift shop was built. Throughout it's many changes of ownership it has maintained the name of Mon Ami.

(outside bar area and picnic area beyond)

Today Mon Ami attracts visitors from all over to it's wine tasting, tours, and restaurant. Wine tasting is offered at $1.00 a taste in a relax and fun tasting room that adjoins the gift shop. You can dine in or out; and be entertained on Friday and Sat with live performances. Happy hour runs from 4-7 pm Monday through Friday. A special Sunday Brunch is available. Banquets and weddings in this beautiful historic setting are also available.




We had a ball and enjoyed our lunch outside followed by wine tasting and I highly recommend it. .





When you go, the baked brie is a must!

River to Lake Freedom Trail, Ohio

The River to Lake Freedom Trail follows US Route 23 from Portsmouth Ohio along The Ohio River through Central Ohio, North of Marion County it follows State Route 4 to Sandusky and onto Lake Erie. This was one of the most frequently used corridors of the underground railroad. This historical sign is just south of Marion on Route 23 at a rest stop. Proving yet once again the need to keep one's open to see all there is to see. That travel and what we can learn from travel can be right in front of our eyes. Who knew a bathroom break could be so enlightening?

The flip side of this historical marker tells a story about Bill Anderson, or Bill Mitchell and slavery. I've left the picture large, and you can go larger still by clicking so you can read the account of his running away, being found out, tried, and freed. Wonderful to read about the Quakers and his ultimate escape to Canada through help of many.

As I read this, I felt both good and bad. I felt good to read he had escaped, I felt good to read people had helped him, I felt bad for what he was forced to endue and the narrow mindedness of the slave owners who came looking for him. I grew up in Marion and so also felt a since of pride that people in my former community had done the right thing.

I tried to find some more information about Bill and did find this information in wikipedia.
A Bill Anderson was born in June of 1811 the son of free Black Susan and Slave Black Lewis Anderson. There's a narrative written by Bill Anderson that was published in The Chicago papers long ago. This narrative indicates Bill was 24 years a slave, sold 8 times, jailed 60 times, and whipped 300 times. It goes onto say when his father Lewis died his own mother Susan sold him into slavery to Mr. Vance a neighbor of Mr. Shelton's who owned Lewis Anderson. There are accounts of his reading on the sly, getting caught and being whipped for doing so. There are additional accounts that he also practiced writing on the sly until caught. He was kidnapped by another plantation owner and sold in a slave market after being tied to 60 or 70 other slaves and marched across the state of Tennessee. He was jailed for helping other slaves in Kentucky. This narrative goes onto describe the plan Bill had to abolish slavery that sounded very similar to The American Indians on Reservations. I don't know if the Bill on the plague and the Bill in the narrative are the same, as I didn't see a reference made about escaping to Canada. No matter, both stories cause us to stop and pause. We must pause and remember the wrongs committed to assure they are never repeated.

I'll leave here the link where I read the 2nd account listed so you can read in more detail and come to your own conclusions.
is this the same man?

Signs and Flat Stanley, Worthington Ohio

Silly Stanley, it's Saturday not Friday, so this I guess will be less fun? The post scheduled for yesterday's Friday Fun with Flat Stanley got deleted I guess, so this will be a message of safety from Stanley about signs on Saturday. But, the Friday Fun will return this Friday June 18th. Stanley observed this sign while on a recent photo session and wanted to share with you, but couldn't get his picture taken by the sign because it was up to high on the building. Do you know what this is? Do your children know what this is? This particular sign is posted at post office in Worthington Ohio. If you click to enlarge the picture I think you can see capacity 52.


According to Wikipedia, a fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designed to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War.
During a nuclear explosion, matter vaporized in the resulting fireball is exposed to neutrons from the explosion, absorbs them, and becomes radioactive. When this material condenses in the rain, it forms dust and light sandy materials that resembles ground pumice. The fallout emits alpha and beta particles, as well as gamma rays. Much of this highly radioactive material then falls to earth, subjecting anything within the line of sight to radiation, a significant hazard. A fallout shelter is designed to allow its occupants to minimize exposure to harmful fallout until radioactivity has decayed to a safer level.
Now if you're my age and grew up during the Cold War, these signs mean a great deal to you. Do you remember the film clip, "Duck and Cover"? Do you remember practicing drills in school? Kids today don't do that at all. They do practice fire drills. But, do the kids know why we hear a siren on Wednesday at exactly 12 noon?
Now besides these lyrics:

Sign Sign everywhere a sign
Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign

running around in my mind it occurs to me there are signs that kids do need to know about. It's summer, they'll be out and about more then usual. Do they know where the closest block parent lives? Do they know what sign to look for? Do they know how to get help and from whom if you're not around? That was such a big part of the school practice, what to do if you weren't with an adult. The importance of staying calm in an emergency.

The fall out shelter program began in earnest in 1961 with shelters in churches, schools, and other public buildings. What I found interesting after seeing this sign (which peaked my interest); is that Switzerland had a huge network of fallout shelters stocked with essentials enough for the entire population for a full 2 years after an attack back in the Cold War. Other countries too had vast underground networks far different than what we had/have here in The States.

Does your family have a plan for emergencies? Be they a tornado, a fire etc? This seemed like a good reminder to me that being prepared is a good way to be safe.

Thinking of safety while traveling, show the kids were the stairs are, talk about sirens, talk about evacuating calmly should something happen while you're in a hotel in your summer travels.

In case you've missed any of Stanley's Friday Fun, you can catch up here:

• April 23, 2010 Books and Parks (Upper Arlington, Ohio)
• April 30, 2010 Traitor or Hero (Worthington, Ohio)
• May 7, 2010 Flat Stanley and his friend Captain Pinney (Worthington, Ohio)
• May 14, 2010 First Flight and Flat Stanley (Worthington, Ohio)
• May 21, 2010 Up The Indian Mound with Flat Stanley (Columbus, Ohio)
• May 28, 2010 Flat Stanley goes to Camp (Upper Arlington, Ohio)
• May 31, 2010 Honoring Those who Served on Memorial Day (Upper Arlington, Ohio)
• June 12, 2010 Signs and Flat Stanley, (Worthington, Ohio)

Marblehead Lighthouse, Lake Erie, Ohio

Click arrow to start slide show

The day after the tornado's hit Northern Ohio the sky was beautiful blue and the sun shone brightly. Though the air was cool, the sun was warm. Marblehead Lighthouse was built in 1821 with a 50 foot beacon. In 1903 15 additional feet were added making it's beacon 65 feet. The Marblehead Lighthouse was built by William Kelley from limestone and became an Ohio State Park in 1998.

Here on Lake Erie it attracts visitors from all over. Lake Erie is the 12th largest freshwater lake in The World, is the most shallow of the 5 Great Lakes, measures 210 miles long, 57 miles wide and has approximately 871 miles of shore land to enjoy. That's a lot to explore folks.

Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operated lighthouse in The Great Lakes, and one of the most photographed scene's in the area. Come spend the day walking the shoreline with views of Lake Erie, Sandusky Bay, Kelleys Island, and South Bass Island. You can even see the rides at Cedar Point from your vantage point here at Marblehead Lighthouse State Park.

There's picnic facilities for families of all ages to enjoy. On week days and the 2nd Saturday of the month you can take a guided tour of the lighthouse.

Though I've stopped here at Marblehead Lighthouse multiple times, I've not yet been able to take the tour; so it's still on my list of things to do while touring and enjoying The Port Clinton area.

Port Clinton, Ohio

The list of things to see and do in and around Port Clinton are numerous and so this post will be part I.

Port Clinton lies on the north coast of Lake Erie in Ottawa County and is known as, the "Walleye Capital of the World". So there is your first clue about what to do while in Port Clinton. Fishing! Everywhere you look you see people fishing. Some fish from shore, others from boardwalk's and bridges, and many from boats. Lots of marina's to dock your boat, or to enjoy a stroll to take in the sites.

Camping, swimming, shopping, and site-seeing are a few more of the items on the large list of things to see and do.

DeWitt Clinton a New York Stateman proposed building a canal from the mouth of The Portage River in Sandusky County to The Ohio River in Cincinnati. 1212 acres of land were purchased, and a surveyor selected. Several years later in 1827 the selected surveyor, General Lytle's stepson bought the same 1212 acres for a mere $1,000.00 and began platting the town of Port Clinton. The town was named in honor of DeWitt Clinton known as The Father of The Erie Canal; though he died just 4 months prior to the completion of the platting. Ultimately, the canal project was a failure due to insufficient water flow. Port Clinton grew despite the failed canal project. In 1999 the downtown revitalization of Port Clinton began giving all who visit a wide range of activities to enjoy.

Those who know me, know I am NOT a shopper. Not in the traditional since anyway. But, give me a good yarn shop.........I could spend all day fingering the yarn making purchases and chatting.




Just For Ewe is not just any yarn shop! The shop is owned by Christi someone you've got to meet. Fiber for Knitting, Crocheting, Spinning, Weaving and more. This is MUST stop even for those among you who don't knit or crochet etc. There are 7 shops here all quaint, cute and fun. Buy some homemade goodies to eat, hand crafted purses, shoes or beautiful jewelery. And if that doesn't entice you come and feed the animals!

Through a wonderful conversation with Christi she donated yarn to help me with warming the homeless. I'll get it photographed so please check it out, over on Bridge and Beyond. She gifted Julie with an extra goodie because it was her birthday. We left the shop after a hug, the warmth of finding a new friend made the day special.

I do plan to return when I can spend more time.

You can find Christi at 9523 East Harbor Road (Route 163), Lakeside/Marblehead, Ohio 43440 right on the way to the famous Marblehead Lighthouse. Go, visit and shop...tell her Sandy sent ya.