I really missed seeing fireworks on the 4th of July. For many years I have been heading to one of the SoCal beaches. This year we took a trip back to Ohio to enjoy the experience on one of the lakes. It was a good opportunity to visit family and enjoy some vacation time.
In addition to spending time on the lake, we spent some time hiking some of the local canal trails and doing some wine tasting out in Amish country. One of the best places to find a good trailhead for the Erie Canal is near Zoar/Bolivar. It can be rather hot and humid in Ohio at this time of year. The trees along the canal provide a good amount of shade for most of the day.
There are a few really fun wineries across Ohio. To the west of New Philadelphia, near Walnut Creek and Sugar Creek, one can find a nice selection in Amish Country. Compared to my experience in Califorina, these wines tend to be sweeter and have more fruit choices (example: I purchased an Apple Wine to take home and enjoy). In addition to the wines, the meat and cheese selection is high quality.
I really enjoyed this short trip to the area I grew up in.
