Truly Trumbull

Trumbull County is home to unique destinations ranging from hidden gems to nationally known treasures.

BY JILL SELL

CharBenay’s Wine on the River

Dine your way around Trumbull County on the Italian Food Trail! You’ll find over 60 locations to enjoy a bite to eat.

The Ernie Hall Aviation Museum in Warren, founded in 2014 to honor aviators advancing aeronautics, has a special focus on local flyers. A highlight is the 1947 PA-12 Super Cruiser renovated aircraft once owned by the museum’s namesake, who began his own flight school in 1915. Space travel is getting closer for ordinary earthlings, but can you imagine how brave space pioneers must have been? A half-scale Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Module (representing Neil Armstrong’s 1969 flight and his walk on the moon) can be seen for free at the First Flight Lunar Module site in Warren. More down to earth, but still absolutely beautiful, is Trumbull County’s 7,000-acre Mosquito Lake, surrounded by 2,483 acres of parkland, woodlands and marshes. Mosquito Lake State Park offers boating, fishing, camping, hiking and mountain biking. Nature lovers appreciate the tundra swans, great egrets, bald eagles and bass found in Ohio’s second largest inland lake.

Mosquito Lake

ITALIAN FOOD TRAIL, MOSQUITO LAKE, NEWTON FALLS COVERED BRIDGE: LAURA WATILO BLAKE, THE GRAND RESORT: THE GRAND RESORT If water can be called decadent, that description surely fits the five pool environments offered by The Grand Resort in Warren. A stunning outdoor resort pool with waterfalls and an Olympic-sized indoor pool are main attractions. But the outdoor Roman Bath, heated to 90 degrees, available all year and open to adults only, is unparalleled (the ancients really knew how to live!). If you can get out of the water, you’ll be enticed by fine dining and an incredible golf course. Warren’s Saratoga Restaurant and Catering, a family-owned restaurant, opened in 1916. It was famous in the 1930s for its turtle soup, but now patrons swear by Chef Pete’s Special, a sandwich made with ham, turkey and cheese dipped in egg. Sunrise Inn was established in 1929, also as a family restaurant, and in 1948 became Warren’s first pizza shop. Be sure to check out unique menu items like the Spaghetti and Meatball Deep Dish Pizza. Craving more pizza? How about pizzelles, wedding soup, cannoli and eggplant parmesan? The Italian Food Trail is a delectable opportunity to try more than 60 casual to fine dining sites in Trumbull County. Visit the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau to register for a free Italian Food Trail mobile pass. While on the website, learn about the Where’s Wally Scavenger Hunt that highlights businesses and locations within the county. Passes for both activities are available at exploretrumbullcounty.com.

Newton Falls Covered Bridge

Roman Bath at The Grand Resort

The world’s largest drumsticks aren’t the kind that are found on wild turkeys at a state park. On display at Dave Grohl Alley in downtown Warren, the musical drumsticks are made from two 23-foot-long poplar logs. They pay homage to the rocker Grohl, Foo Fighters founder and former Nirvana drummer. String lights have been hung in the alley and an exterior art gallery has been added to expand on the unique attraction. Speaking of music and albums, shoppers can find records as well as art, collectibles, housewares, hardware and more than 150,000 used books at Market Square in Kinsman. The store’s 1957 soda fountain and deli will satisfy any stomach grumbles. If you have a need for speed, Hartford is the destination for you! The Sharon Speedway, a 3/8-mile dirt oval track, has been hosting races since 1929. You can cheer on the racers weekly from April through September, or attend special events at the track. See the last remaining covered bridge in Trumbull County in Newton Falls. Constructed in 1831, this bridge connects the banks of the Mahoning River. A covered crosswalk was added in 1921–22, so when you walk across it, you’re following in the footsteps of visitors and residents from 100 years of Trumbull County history.