11 minute read
Editor’s Note
Miles Together
It all started with a walk — a first date. We didn’t call it that at the time, but that’s what it was. Melanie and I hadn’t seen each other since high school (and didn’t really know each other then), but then we struck up an Instagram correspondence over 1980s vinyl records and dogs and, finally, decided to meet up and take a spring walk in the woods. We both had grown up at the southern end of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Tuscarawas County, so we opted for a walk along the path, from Canal Lands Park in Dover to Fort Laurens, the site of a Revolutionary War fort, in Bolivar. Along the 3-mile route, we caught up, we shared our stories. My rat terrier mix, Ted, trotted between us as we passed under the reach of greening branches and along the ruins of old canal locks to our left and the waters of the Tuscarawas River to our right. It was the start of our adventure together, but also the first steps in a journey along the Towpath Trail that would fill the year to follow. We walked a small portion of the route during the summer, but as the more moderate temperatures of September approached, a new idea came to mind: Let’s walk the 90-mile length of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail by May 1, the anniversary of our initial walk.
We tackled the portions between Tuscarawas and Stark counties first, then hiked parts of the Towpath Trail through Cuyahoga Valley National Park as fall took hold. On any given day, we would go 7 or 8 miles, and we quickly figured out that parking a car at two different trailheads was a key to making the most of every mile. Melanie kept detailed notes of where and when we hiked and our total mileage count, which grew as the months passed.
During a year when we were getting to know each another, our weekend hikes were a way to get away from distractions and connect — be it through meaningful conversations or stretches of peaceful silence together as we took in the sights along the trail, from wildlife to history to how modernity has reshaped the route. (You can learn more about the trail and what we saw along it starting on page 60.) Even Melanie’s foot fracture near the end of our year-long hiking adventure didn’t derail it. We borrowed a wheelchair, and on a beautiful late-April day, I pushed her our final 7 miles.
It was a fun accomplishment, and one that already has us thinking about trails we’d like to tackle next. Each year, we focus the June issue of Ohio Magazine on the outdoors, with nearly everything within it tied to that theme. Our hope is it inspires you to unplug, gear up and spend some quality time surrounded by the splendor of summer in Ohio.
JIM VICKERS
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COURTESY OF ARTWORKS Wild Beauty: Heritage Haven Farm in Smithville crafts jewelry, cards and bookmarks using pressed wildflowers that grow on the property. Barns Reborn: Matt Gleckler’s Antique Beams & Boards carefully harvests wood from rural structures across Ohio and gives it new life. Art Alive
The vibrant colors and bold swirls of “Looking to Tomorrow” attract the eye. But look closer and you notice that living plants are seamlessly integrated into the work. Designed by Ohio artist April Sunami, the mural represents the literal and figurative growth of the community. Local group Urban Blooms created the living-wall portion, which is fed by a built-in irrigation system. The work is a partnership between the Cincinnati nonprofit ArtWorks, Urban Blooms and the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation. 1037 E. McMillan St., Cincinnati 45206, artworkscincinnati.org
Wild Beauty
Mary and Dave Martin have a soft spot for nature. The couple are the sixth-generation owners of Heritage Haven Farm in Smithville, a homestead founded by Mary Martin’s paternal great-great-great-grandparents, who operated a dairy and grain farm there. Today, the property and its history serve as inspiration for Martin’s artistic endeavors: pressed flower jewelry, bookmarks, cards and sun prints.
To create her delicate works, Martin collects, dries, arranges and presses seasonal wildflowers from the property, and she estimates that at least 25 varieties grow there. Necklaces feature blue violet and Virginia spring beauty, while the pressed bookmarks and cards are typically created with larger florals, like Philadelphia daisy, lilac and dandelion. The sun prints feature unique designs in which the summer sun is used to capture images of pressed flowers on chemically treated paper.
That love for showcasing these fleeting seasonal blooms of our natural world has been a passion for Martin since childhood.
“When I was little … I’d know dad was going to mow on Saturday,” she recalls. “So, I would run out and pick little bouquets of wildflowers, put them in a little empty jar and set them on the windowsill. I just loved that.” — Kelly Powell
For more information, visit heritagehaven.farm.
Barns Reborn
The weather-beaten frames of old barns dot the fields of northwest Ohio. Where some see demolition and disposal, Matt Gleckler sees opportunity. His Antique Beams & Boards in Delta recycles historic structures into reclaimed-lumber showpieces. Barn boards find new life as beautiful countertops, solid mantelpieces and wood flooring.
Gleckler never planned on opening a reclaimed-lumber business. After graduating from the University of Toledo in finance, he worked in banking investments. Wanting to start his own business, Gleckler next built a new movie theater in Wauseon, which he and his wife still own and operate today.
Inspiration struck when Gleckler had to knock down a dilapidated barn to build the theater. After researching demolition and reclaimed barn wood, he was intrigued. Barns from 200 years ago, built with hand-hewn timbers, still possessed quality and beauty. Today, he has helped give new life to materials from more than 1,000 barns.
Ohio barn materials harvested by Antique Beams & Boards are found nationwide, especially in the eastern United States. In 2010, Gleckler disassembled a full-frame barn in Northwood and sent it to Stowe, Vermont, to be reconstructed as a vacation home.
Homes and businesses in Ohio carry pieces of local barn history as well. Bass Pro Shops in Rossford purchased restored wood for the store’s flooring and siding. Orchard Bar + Table in Catawba Island used reclaimed beams and boards in its decor. Gleckler has also donated reclaimed wood to Sauder Village, a living-history destination in Archbold.
“I can tell by the building style the age of the barn, give or take 10 to 15 years,” Gleckler says, adding that the types of wood used are often indicative of a barn’s location. Napoleon has lots of elm, he explains, and east of Toledo there is more oak.
“There are barns in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, but not in the quantity that there are in northwest Ohio,” Gleckler says. “Material from an old barn is really recyclable. Everything gets used, down to every last nail.” — Sarah Miller
FASCINATING OBJECTS FROM OUR PAST
TOM WESSELMANN “BLONDE VIVIENNE” PRINT Signed and numbered 61/100
Born in Cincinnati in 1931, Tom Wesselmann became internationally known for his pop art depictions of female nudes, but he didn’t originally see himself as an artist. He studied psychology at the University of Cincinnati and was drafted during the Korean War. Afterward, he enrolled at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and concentrated on drawing.
He began his career by selling cartoon strips and illustrations, but it was only after leaving Ohio that he found purpose in his work. His break came in New York City, where in 1956 he enrolled at The Cooper Union and began a transformation toward painting. That eventually led to his Great American Nude series, which debuted in 1961. His take on the female body was often stark, as seen in his print “Blonde Vivienne,” and his creations were generally bold and often large.
Wesselmann drew praise within the art world, but he garnered criticism outside that sphere for what was seen as the objectification of women. Although his work included other media and subjects, his modern slant on the centuries-old fascination with the female body still largely defines his career. He died in New York City in 2004. — Richard “Jeff” Jeffers
$10,625
SOLD AT AUCTION
Richard Jeffers is the owner of Garth’s Auctioneers & Appraisers in Columbus.
Nature’s Allure
Kenn Kaufman of Oak Harbor is an expert in the birding world. We talked with him about the restorative and educational power of spending time outside.
Known internationally as an expert on migratory birds and how to spot them, Kenn Kaufman has long been considered a celebrity in the birding world. For Kaufman, author of guides to migratory birds, mammals and insects of North America and other outdoors-related books, enjoying nature is so much Kenn Kaufman has authored field guides to more than finding colorful warblers and migratory birds, mammals and insects of North America. unusual shorebirds. It’s also noticing the brightly colored moths under the streetlights in your neighborhood. It’s seeing the differences in the trees throughout the seasons and spotting the wildflowers that pop up in unexpected places.
We talked with Kaufman, who lives in rural Oak Harbor, about the benefits of spending time outside and what he likes to discover beyond birds. — Kristina Smith
What do you feel are the benefits of spending time in nature?
A: It really has restorative power. It’s not necessary to become a hardcore birder or an expert botanist or expert naturalist ... Just paying attention to nature and learning a little about it makes the world more three-dimensional and more interesting. If you go out in the backyard and you see this little yellow bird, and it looks nice, you can enjoy it without having any idea what it is. If you make the extra effort to find out what kind of bird the little yellow bird is, suddenly it opens up a whole world of interesting connections. Maybe it’s a yellow warbler and it’s just come back from Guatemala or Central America, and it’s flown thousands of miles.
What are some ways those who don’t live near wildlife areas and forests can enjoy nature?
A: Nature is essentially everywhere. In any little crack in the sidewalk or vacant lot, there are going to be a wide variety of plants growing there. Some might be wildflowers. Even a very small city park, all kinds of migratory birds are going to stop through. You can see an amazing amount of variety even in a really urbanized setting.
Besides birds, what do you like to look for when you are out in nature?
A: I really like insects, maybe more than most people do. There’s so much variety. Butterflies are really popular, but moths are much more varied. In the warmer months, I love to look for moths at porch lights or the lighted windows of convenience stores. People may think of moths as these dingy little brown things, but once you look closely, a lot of them have beautiful patterns, really rich patterns and different colors. Every year, I’ll see new kinds of moths that I’ve never seen before.
