Written by Robert Biros
Things have been awfully busy here lately, and I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun. The weekend was here before we knew it, and it was time for a much needed break . . . so we took it.
Pymatuning State Park
Friday evening we started off with a brisk hike at Pymatuning State Park. A short drive just north of Greenville takes you through downtown Jamestown and to the entrance of Pymatuning State Park. There are some great trails just south of the dam (or for fans of the movie ‘Vegas Vacation’ I’ll call them ‘Dam Trails’). They offer lots of shade, but the moisture also offers lots of mosquitoes. If you visit, be sure to bring along insect repellent (you’ll thank me later). I’m sure it will shock you all to know that we topped off the hiking trip with some soft-serve ice cream from Hunger Busters in Jamestown (where else, right?)
Ernst Bike Trail
We started off early Saturday morning with another cycling trip. We stuck relatively close to home this week with a visit to the Ernst Trail in Crawford County. I decided to tackle my fears head on by beginning our trip at the Cervone Family Trailhead (accessed just of off Rt. 19 in Vernon Township). I’ve avoided tackling the trail from this trailhead in the past because the trail starts with a long downhill ride for the first half-mile. This is a great way to start a ride, but the eventual half-mile UPHILL ride isn’t usually something I look forward to at the END of a trip. We decided to bite the bullet and give it a shot.
The entire trail is just short of 5 miles in length. The first 5 miles from tip to tip was pretty easy. We turned around at the trail end in Meadville and worked our way back to complete the 10 mile round-trip. I was dreading the uphill tail-end of the trip, but it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it. We made it, but I made full use of every gear in my arsenal. After all, that is why God invented gears on a bike, right?
Grove City Strawberry Days
We headed home late on Saturday morning in time for a shower before heading back out. This time we took a drive over to Grove City for a visit to Strawberry Days. The weather was perfect. We shopped the vendor booths and treated ourselves to some of the great offerings of the numerous food booths. We also took some time to stop and enjoy the entertainment on the main stage. It was a nice afternoon treat.
Bikes, Brews, and Blues Concert Series at Conneaut Lake Park
Sunday afternoon we shot up to Conneaut Lake Park for the Bikes, Brews, and Blues festival, a free concert series occurring every Sunday through mid-September [click HERE for details]. While it is true that we don’t do ‘Bikes’ or ‘Brews’ anymore (after selling our motorcycle a few years ago we are only left with the peddling-kind of bikes now), we do enjoy good music . . . in this case it is the ‘Blues’. The free concert ran from 3 to 6, and it didn’t disappoint. Each week offers a different band. This week we were entertained by FX Blues Project. It was a great show and it made for a very relaxing afternoon. Conneaut Lake Park is open, the Beach Club is open, and Hotel Conneaut is open . . . so it can be an enjoyable day for folks of all ages.
It was a great weekend from start to finish with lots of fun in the middle.
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Mercer County Conservatives 