OHIO…IT’S WHAT RHINOS, CAKE PLATES, AND CANAL BOATS HAVE IN COMMON
OHIO SAMPLER TOUR, AUGUST 13-14, 2020

Howdy! I’m Tony and I am one of the many awesome Croswell tour escorts. I have had the opportunity
to do a fair amount of traveling, both across the nation and around the world. But one place to visit
that wasn’t even a blip on my radar turned out to be a wonderful experience…my own home state of
Ohio! So, on a beautiful Thursday morning, about 35 fellow travelers, Paula (the other tour escort), and
me hopped aboard two buses and headed off to explore a few of the hidden gems the Buckeye State
has to offer.
This was my third time out since Croswell began inviting guests to join us on V.I.P Tours again. I knew
what safety precautions needed to be taken to help assure everyone a comfortable - and safe - tour.
The seats would need to be sprayed with sanitizer and commonly touched areas wiped down with
disinfectant wipes. You know, that is simply good practice anyway! And let me tell you, the comments I
got about the spacing of the seats were nothing less than glowing. We joked about how Croswell needs
to provide an ottoman for everyone. ☺
This trip promised so many amazing things to see in Ohio that we had to take two buses to
accommodate all the interested passengers. So, I hopped on my bus with Joe at the wheel and Paula
climbed aboard the other bus with Tim. And we were off! Once we gathered up all our travel buddies,
we headed east, past Columbus and into the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Our first
stop – The Wilds just outside Cumberland, Ohio. We knew we were in for a treat as we passed through
miles of softly rolling hills and wide-open ranges on our way to the main entrance. The Wilds is a huge,
almost 10,000-acre conservation center stocked with awesome exotic animals, some of which are
endangered. The entire park was once used for strip mining and has since been repurposed to serve as
this amazing sanctuary.

We rolled into the park and were able to pull right up to the curb at the welcome center. We stepped
off the bus and were immediately greeted by the friendly park staff. They let us know we had a little
time to stroll through the gift shop and relax before they served up lunch. Lunch was delicious, but the
view was even better – overlooking grazing lands spotted with lakes and ponds as far as my eye could
see. A fun, mid-day meal of meatballs, sausages, pasta salad, fresh watermelon, and buttered rolls
while watching zip-liners whiz from tower to tower and animals graze in the distance was truly tops! My
sweet tooth wanted the cookie, but my full belly said no.
And then the true adventure began! We were invited to hop onboard the open-air safari buses and hit
the dusty trail. The bus rambled along the park’s dirt roads, over hills and through green expanses of
grasses and meadows, with our trusty driver and guide at the wheel. Stopping whenever a new species
was spotted along the way, we were delighted to see so many animals – of both type and number – and
so close! There were ostriches about 30 feet away, Mongolian burrows that came right up to the bus,
and a baby giraffe with her family just to name a few. We also got to meet a couple of local four-legged
celebrities…Gobi the Bactrian Camel and Sylvia the endangered Indian Rhino with her young baby.
Along the way, we stopped at Carnivore Corner for a quick restroom break and some time to check out
the adorable cheetahs napping in the shade and the playful African painted dogs.

With such a beautiful day, it was enjoyable to spend a little extra time enjoying the scenery around the
Wilds and doing some light shopping in the gift shop. Then, with Joe and Tim at the helm, our two
motorcoaches pulled up to the curb and we hopped aboard. It was dinner time! We crossed through
some more beautiful Ohio countryside and into Cambridge, Ohio. Our destination was the Francis
Family Restaurant.
The restaurant was not open to the public the evening we visited. This was due to limited hours during
the Coronavirus. Being the only group in the house easily allowed us to enjoy each other’s company
while still practicing social distancing. I have noticed through my travels with Croswell that they try to
support local businesses whenever possible…this was one of those times. And the restaurant did not
disappoint! They served up pineapple baked ham, herb-seasoned chicken breasts, fresh green beans,
and mashed potatoes with just enough “lump” to indicate they were real. For dessert, an assortment of
delicious fruit pies was on the menu. With our appetites satisfied, we headed off to the hotel for some
much-needed rest…and a shower to get the dust out of my hair from the safari at the Wilds.

The next morning, after a light grab-n-go breakfast at the hotel, we hit the road to enjoy some time
immersed in history. The first stop of the day for me and my new travel friends was Mosser Glass in
quaint Cambridge, Ohio. Since its beginnings in 1971, this small family-owned glass factory has
produced strikingly beautiful pieces in a whole pallet of hues. The day we visited they were making jade
colored cake plates. We got to watch the glass workers pull the glowing, molten glass out of the furnace
and shape and mold the delicate cake plates one-by-one. I have to tell you, though, that glass factories
and shops make me nervous – I have the tendency to NOT be the most graceful person. The phrase “bull
in a China shop” comes to mind. But my mom was also a bit clumsy, so I guess I come by it honestly. ☺
After learning about the craft of glass working, we really turned back the pages of history.

We traveled all the way back to the time of the Ohio & Erie Canal that ran the entire length of the newly founded Buckeye State. To start, we arrived at the Monticello II canal boat landing. The boat captain and all
hands were on deck as we boarded the historic watercraft. Soon we were enjoying our peaceful cruise
down a reclaimed section of the original canal. The boat seemed to glide through the water as the two-
horse team pulled us along from the side. As we made our way down the canal, we were served up a
mouthwatering boxed lunch of turkey or ham sandwiches, chips, and a pasta salad with chucks of fresh
cucumber, tomato, and black olives. The pasta salad was enough to blow your socks off! Something I
have noticed about these tours is that if you go hungry, it’s your own fault.

After the Monticello II pulled into dock and we disembarked, we piled onto our motorcoaches and made
the quick trip down the road to the historic Roscoe Village – another blast from the past! Nestled in a
town with a funny sounding name, Coshocton, Ohio, is a restored canal town called Roscoe Village. Laid
out in 1816, you can imagine fur trappers wandering into town with pelts to trade. Today, there are
shops with wares to sell, confections to sample, and demonstrations to experience.
After a spectacular day of Ohio history, we climbed aboard our motorcoaches one last time and headed
home…heads full of memories and cameras full of pictures. Can you think of a better way to spend a
Friday?

A "NEW" adventure in Ohio!