Conveniently located on the historic U.S. Route 40 (National Road) in Hebron, Ohio, Clay’s Cafe was bustling with customers of all ages on a Friday summer evening. We signed in to wait for a seat as did many other guests. While patiently waiting to be seated, we learned that Clay’s Cafe started in 1934 and one of the current owners used to work in the cafe when he was a teenager. After observing the cafe’s history on the walls decorated with photographs, news articles, and memorabilia, we ended up sitting in a booth by a window and directly across from the soda shop bar and kitchen, which enabled us to watch more customers arrive as well as the staff prepare many pizzas, subs, etc. Upon looking over our menus and the hanging dessert menu above the ice cream (Hershey’s ice cream) bar , we decided to share a small classic stromboli covered in garlic butter, which includes pepperoni, sausage, mozzarella cheese, and some very tasty tomato dipping sauce, and a 10” pizza with sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, banana peppers, and onions; the meat and vegetables were a perfect combination and the veggies were oh, so fresh! We appreciated how the pizza from this mom-and-pop restaurant had a healthier salt level and was not covered in grease, which enabled us to taste all the flavors with every slice.

Believe it or not, we had room for dessert, but we decided to each get our own. Our choices were hot fudge cake: a slice of homemade Texas sheet cake, a scoop of French vanilla ice cream, and topped with hot fudge and whipped cream. After sharing my delight over the dessert, as not many places serve this option and I used to live in Texas for years where it was most popular, one of the staff members informed us that the recipe for the Texas sheet cake they use is really old. I really enjoyed eating the delicious dessert once again. A one-dip French vanilla turtle sundae drizzled with hot fudge and caramel, and lastly, topped with pecans and a maraschino cherry was my husband’s dessert choice. We were quite pleased with our Friday night meal and gladly took the leftovers home. “Sherman’s Fries” (check out the story of Sherman and his fries on Clay’s Cafe’s website) is a side option on the menu we plan to try on our next visit.

We recently spent a Saturday late morning and afternoon full of nostalgia and inspiration!  Our joyful experiences started at the Nutcracker Family Restaurant located at the intersection of Ohio Routes 16 and 310 in Pataskala, Ohio.  We encourage you to visit this 1950’s style diner, where it is easy for one to sit in the booth eagerly anticipating dessert: especially a house-made piece of pie or a milkshake.  A uniquely extra special element to this diner is the décor, as black-and-white checkered floors, chrome plating, jukeboxes, and various wall, windowsill, and table arrangements and collectibles fill the space.  Appropriately, nutcrackers abound; it would be fun to try to see how many one can spot and count them up- maybe we will do that when we visit next time.  A hamburger and a patty melt both served with kettle chips were our meal choices along with a nice cold Coca-Cola and a piece of peanut butter pie.  The smell of freshly roasted nuts hospitably sends guests on their way when leaving the restaurant, and the mouthwatering scent is quite the greeting upon entry- what a welcome and goodbye!

Only a brief drive away (just over 5 minutes) is Lynd Fruit Farm, where over 80 booths with handcrafted items and food trucks filled the area during their “Memorial Crafters’ Event”. We were delighted with the amount of creativity, quality handmade items, reasonable prices, and friendly vendors. Some of the available crafted items included pottery, many hand-sewn items (some fabrics and threads naturally dyed), wool sculptures, macromet, crochet, carvings, etc… The amount of authentic new designs was inspiring! Both of us hopped on some projects of our own with revived vigor after our time absorbing all of the works by these Ohio crafters and artisans.

T’was a perfect May weather morning and afternoon for our first visit to the annual VINTAGE DAYS located at the Hartford Fairgrounds in Croton, OH. While we were hoping to see more antiques available, it was pleasant to look over the old clocks, cameras, and other miscellaneous items. The most unique item we discovered was a structure made of twigs, which had the ability to expand and collapse. It was designed with a similar form to an outdoor garden stool without the seat (both ends consisting of empty space). Many additional items were either handcrafted or reproductions of vintage style items.

We took home some found treasures along with some gifts for others: blueberry floating candles and wax melts (better deals than we could find online), a rabbit figurine made from a book (aka: book bunny), a little mouse made of pages from a book, and a wooden quote carved plaque with a stand. We were both imagining this event to consist of more vendors spreading across more of the grounds, but we still enjoyed our time. A humorous tidbit, as we were leaving, it took us a while to locate the car, so we have made a mental note to pay attention to parking numbers on our next venture to VINTAGE DAYS.

Lunch was next on our list, as we were hungry. None of the food trucks available at the event were appealing to us, so we decided to eat for the first time at Ghostwriter Public House in Johnstown, OH, as it was on our way home. The veggie burger made with quinoa and chicken sandwich, each served with freshly cut fries, were our entree selections. The proportions were just right to fill us up and we both were very happy with our tasty meals.

Still in Johnstown, again, for our first time, we visited Baker’s Acres in Johnstown. It’s the most vast & healthy greenhouse we’ve ever visited. The hanging basket we purchased is three times bigger than any competitors’ options, and makes many other location’s flowers look pitiful for the price of $30.00 (the same price as many competitors, but of a much higher quality). We took home a couple of additional lovely plants, making our patio and backyard space more alive with their beautiful natural elements. What a delightful day!