Adventures Ahead

I’m starting to dream of adventure days ahead. I miss the allure of the open road, gliding down country lanes and going around the block for a picture. I miss having the windows down and the music up as I look for the mundane and the unusual alike.

This image is from my last big road trip to Ligonier, PA at Christmas. It’s the Stahlstown Trinity United Methodist Church and it called my name. It looked interesting so I found a place to turn around and head back. This is such a common occurrence that I don’t even consider it abnormal anymore but anyone traveling with me for the first time would likely find this quirk of mine bewildering.

Unfortunately, there were numerous things along this route that were noteworthy or interesting in some way but there was nowhere to turn around or pull over. It’s hard to resist this urge and to accept that it’s time to move on.

So, I continue to enjoy my cold days of hibernation but am starting to think about the adventures ahead. This world is an amazing place filled with things I haven’t seen and stories I want to know.

Warmer days are ahead. Adventures await for me and for you. We just have to go find them.

Monday Pep Talk

Good morning! It’s Monday. Let’s attack this day like a giant gorilla on the side of the King Kone in Cassadaga, New York.

If you hit snooze on Monday morning you’re setting a tone of procrastination for the day and the entire rest of the week. If you hop up and get your day started, you’ll find you have a much better experience.

And in case you aren’t sure, this is the pep talk I need to read this morning. Hopefully it helps you too!

Ohio’s Smallest Church

Last week’s meandering journey to Marietta and Woodsfield began with a stop at Ohio’s smallest church.

The Healing Chapel house of worship is a tiny place but it has as much heart as any big church you’ll ever see.

At just 10×14′ this church has a steeple with a bell, a pulpit, and stained glass windows. It seats about eight people and has been the site of more than a few weddings.

It’s plain and there are no services, much less the inter mural activities and social gatherings you find at America’s big churches today.

Years ago, churches were left unlocked and were accessible to all who were seeking shelter from the storm – both literal and spiritual. Vandalism, theft and general lack of respect have forced most churches to lock their doors outside services. This church is a throwback to a simpler time as it remains unlocked for all visitors at any time.

I like to stop in for a moment when passing by if there’s time.

The church has suffered theft and damages but it remains accessible. It’s just across the road from the rest area on Route 50 near Coolville in Athens County. Look for it and stop by for a reminder of a simpler time when churches needed no locks and spiritual needs were more important than amenities.

Sleep In A Wigwam

Have you ever slept in a wigwam?

I have.

Years ago I went on a road trip through Tennessee with my then boyfriend. We spent half the week in Memphis where we stayed in an antebellum mansion turned b&b and then the other half of the week in Nashville where we stayed in an ultra modern hotel.

But first, we stopped at the National Corvette Museum at Bowling Green, Kentucky and then spent the night at the Wigwam Village motel in nearby Cave City.

This place is exactly as the name suggests- a motel that consists of a collection of wigwams.

Built in 1937, during the rise of the automobile, this motel represents a golden era of travel in America and true roadside kitsch.

At one time, there were seven of these wigwam villages all over the country. Today there remain only three – in Kentucky, Arizona and California.

The wigwam we stayed in, pictured above, felt a bit like a time capsule. Not many changes had been made over the decades. I loved the tile work and the unusual shape of the room. I felt like an adventurer here.

However, I feel it necessary to stop and say something.

This is a roadside motel with a fun hook that makes it an attraction. It wasn’t an especially nice place to stay.

I am so glad to say that I’ve stayed here but am not sure I would go back. Maybe if it was just for the night …..or maybe for some interior pictures which I evidently forgot to take the first time!

However, by no stretch of the imagination do I want you to read this as a no-strings-attached endorsement. If you like kitsch and if you’re in love with the idea of staying in a place so iconic, it may be a good fit for you.

If you’re looking for a nice hotel with a lot of modern amenities or a shower head that doesn’t resemble an outdoor spigot in a cramped, slanted shower, you may just drive by for pictures.

Speaking of pictures, isn’t this sign fabulous? I’m such a sucker for unique signage!

Intrigued? You can read the full history of the Wigwam Villages by clicking this link. You’ll also find rates and reservation info for the Kentucky wigwams where I stayed.

Let me know if you go! I would love to hear about your experience!