Saturday was spent rambling around the Wilmington and Hillsboro, Ohio area. I had a list of things to see but was delighted by all the other stuff I found along the way.

You’ll see a lot of these stories pop up here soon but there are a few specific ones I want to tell you this week.

The first of these is about downtown Wilmington. I have been through Wilmington but had never parked the car and explored. Here you’ll find a number of historic buildings that are a mixture of vacant and vibrant. There are also several impressive churches, a historic hotel, an old theater and beautiful murals.

The street lights are historic reproductions and it looks like someone will be along soon to plant flowers. It mainly felt safe, tidy and optimistic.

Here, you’ll find inspirational messages.

People are out walking, dining in restaurants and shopping the farmers market for which they close a city block.

You’ll find murals in high traffic locales and in alleyways. This one looks so realistic I almost thought it possible to open the door and enter.

Even the cat in this mural looks like it could start purring.

I shopped in an antique store that inhabits an old mill and dined at the General Denver Hotel which offered vegetarian options that didn’t involve grilled cheese or pizza. I haven’t eaten in many restaurants this last year but it wasn’t too busy and it felt perfectly comfortable. The food was excellent.

It’s a Tudor style, built in the twenties, and the kind of place I would enjoy staying. How fun would it be to get dressed up for a show at the Murphy Theater and have a nice dinner here? If you’ve stayed here, I would enjoy your review.

Expect more pictures from Wilmington soon but first we’ll visit Hillsboro tomorrow. There’s a real treasure in that town and I can’t wait to tell you about it.