Travelog 2021, part 1: Cuyahoga Valley and a president

 18 days, 8 states, 3010 miles.  Our October trip -- the farthest I've been away from home since February, 2020, and even longer for Stevens -- was a memorable success.  We accomplished three goals and did so much more.  The travelog will be presented in multiple parts.

We left home Friday morning, October 9, headed for Richfield, OH, just south of Cleveland.  

 Saturday morning:   All aboard! Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad tour to start our day. 

From the website:  CVSR is  a tourist excursion railway and private sector, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization operating in partnership with Cuyahoga Valley National Park. CVSR is dedicated and committed to preserving and renovating historic railcars so that they may be enjoyed by future generations. In addition to providing event excursions year-round, we also offer a membership program and have a volunteer base of more than 1,000.

The round trip took about 2-1/2 hours and provided a great overview of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 

 

Saturday afternoon we explored Cuyahoga National Park.  Beautiful fall scenery and two waterfalls.   (This one is Brandywine.) 

The weather was so mild that we dined outside at a Ukrainian restaurant near our hotel.  The food was delicious. 

Sunday morning: a final stop in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  The Gleason Store (upper left) had displays with the story of the Ohio and Erie Canal. The shortest distance would have been from Cleveland to Marietta but to get taxpayer buy-in they routed the canal southwest to Columbus and further southwest to Cincinnati.  Lower left photo shows one of the canal locks.  Boston Mill is now the park headquarters/retail store. 

It was nice to find the Mentor Public Library open Sunday morning when we had ninety minutes before the next scheduled event. I wandered around while Stevens read the Sunday Plain Dealer.  The local quilt guild had an exhibit in the lobby display case. 

 

Sunday afternoon: James Garfield National Historic Site.  A Civil War general and a college president, Garfield bought Lawnfield in 1876. He added on to the nine-room farmhouse to accommodate his large family—wife Lucretia, five children, and his mother. He was the first presidential candidate to campaign in person, greeting some 17000 people from the front porch. He was shot in July, 1881, and died in September. Lucretia was determined to keep his memory alive, that he would not be forgotten after only 6 months in office.   An appeal for memorial funds raised enough for her to add onto the house including a library and archive. She saved every piece of paper he had—a boon to historians. The house stayed in the family, became a local historical museum, and was eventually deeded to National Parks.   

Left: the famous front porch. Right:  the wire-mesh bed where Garfield lay. (They used electric fans blowing over ice to keep hi cool.)  Bottom:  the Garfield children drew on ceramic tiles that were overglazed and set into the fireplace surround.  

Period quilts at Lawnfield.  A needlepoint footstool.  Stained glass and the Garfield children's cradle.

Wildflowers, woods, and waters at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

...... next:  Chautauqua......