Amish Country ~ by Darlene Kuncytes

Last month I shared a bit about the city I call home – Cleveland.

This month I wanted to share a place that I truly love – pretty much right in my own back yard.

Holmes County, Ohio – or as we Ohioans call it, Amish country!

I have lived in Ohio my entire life and had no idea what a wonderful place was just a little over an hour and a half from me!

Years ago, I was invited to a weekend up in Holmes County by some friends, and as someone who is always up for an adventure, I of course, said sure! Count me in. I was positively blown away! It was amazing! Like nothing I had ever seen before.
Homespun Heaven!

There is Sugarcreek. Walnut Creek, Berlin and Guggisburg - all within minutes from each other! There are two flea markets that are filled with the most fabulous vendors. Candles, quilts, kitchen gadgets, …the list goes on and on!

There are cheese markets that will make your head spin with all the delicious choices that they offer.

There are farmers markets and bakeries! And restaurants that have the most unbelievable broasted chicken!

I love going there a few times a year and just soaking up the culture and food they offer. There is beautiful hand-made furniture that is beyond breath-taking.

I’ve been going there for probably fifteen years now and I STILL don’t think I’ve seen everything!

And fall!

Oh, the colors of the valleys. The vibrant reds, golds, oranges and yellows! People come from all over to experience and enjoy it!

I love hitting the open markets for my fall plants. The mums, home grown, are absolutely gorgeous.

It’s a great place to escape for a day, or overnight.

My mother loved going there, and my sister and I always made it a point to take her at least once every year. It was a special time for us. With loads of laughter and over-eating! Lolol

We would go with friends and family, and laugh until our sides hurt, and I treasure those memories now that she is no longer with us. I still smile every time we travel there, remembering them with such love.

It’s a place of simple pleasures that should be experienced by everyone. It’s just that beautiful.

Thank you for taking the time this month to read about a place that has a special meaning to me. I can’t wait to go again and will for many years to come.


Stay safe!
Dar

Living East of the CLE ~ by Darlene Kuncytes

Mistake by the lake.

When people think of Cleveland, Ohio - many of them immediately go to this. It has been a moniker for the city for as long as I can remember.

Having been born and raised just East of the CLE (as we like to say) I have wonderful memories of the city that is the home of Rock and Roll.

Cleveland was an amazing place during her glory days.

The days of Higbee’s, May Company, and Woolworths , with their magical store window displays that they would astound us with at Christmastime (Think A Christmas Story. Which was actually filmed right here in Cleveland.) 

The days of taking the rapid to go shopping and having lunch at The Silver Grille on Higbee’s 10th floor. Oh, it was always such a treat! You felt SO special dining there! 

Then, of course, there were the dark times.  Crime. Social unrest. Hard times financially.  And the river actually DID catch on fire, but that was years before. In 1969. 

Things closed. The flats, once the hot spot of Cleveland, became a ghost town. As I finished High School, we avoided downtown like the plaque. 

But, the city of Rock and Roll rose from the ashes like the Phoenix. We may not have a winning football team lol – but we darn well have heart! 

And our theatre district is really something to see. 

Gorgeous theatres – lovingly preserved in all their glory still stand proudly today. I love going to the theatre downtown. The lights. The excitement.


It was here that I fell hopelessly in love with a Phantom. It was here that I flew with a green witch - defying gravity in a way that stopped my heart in my chest. 

I love this city. I actually worked downtown, right smack dab in the theatre district for almost seven years. And it was so much fun. 
We have world class restaurants, and of course the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. Museums that are extraordinary, and an Imax theatre that will blow your mind. 

I know I sound like a travel commercial, but Ohio, and Cleveland, have a lot to offer, and this month, I wanted to share just a bit of why I do enjoy living here. 

I’m the first to say, that I am a total water girl. I would love to live on the beach. But I think I would still miss my hometown. I’d miss that change of seasons and the drives to Amish country in the fall with the trees exploding in color. 

I think it’s nice to stop sometimes and remember what we love about the places we live. It’s much too easy to forget the wonderful things around us. 

Wherever you happen to plant your roots, always remember to find the magic in your hometown. It’s there for the picking!  

Stay safe. Stay healthy. 

Darlene