DC’s Chinatown is vibrant and colorful. This mural is larger than life and stopped me in my tracks. Can you imagine having such talent?
It’s the unexpected stuff, the things that you’ll never find in a travel book that make exploring this big world of ours truly grand.
What was the last thing you saw that really made you stop in admiration? I would love to hear about it.
Downtown Wilmington is known for its murals. This Community Garden piece was painted by Jason Morgan to celebrate the area’s love of gardening and farming.
It’s a real show stopper.
There’s even a cat and he looks incredibly realistic.
In fact the entire scene seems realistic, as though the people could say howdy and offer you a tomato.
Find this mural on Locust Street in the city’s historic downtown.
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.
As Covid-19 flares across this country, I have heard experts describe what is to come as a tsunami.
Our health care professionals are exhausted.
They are frustrated.
I imagine they are struggling more than we know in some of our country’s hardest hit areas. Someday, I fear they will have the same kind of PTSD that effects soldiers.
The holidays will likely usher in a new era of horrors that we all should be worried about now.
It’s hard for many of us to stay home all the time as we need to work, to buy Christmas presents or food. The economy needs us to be out there buying and exchanging money for services – a calculated risk here and there may be worth it. But we owe it to ourselves to stay healthy and to not share our germs with others. So please wear your mask, wash those hands, and social distance like your life depends on it.
After all, it may.
The mural is in Denver and is one of many spectacular pieces of art you can view from the car in that city. The image of a healthcare angel in boxing gloves seems more appropriate now than ever.
The recent announcement that Mac-O-Chee Castle would be sold at auction this fall sent me on a quick trip north to visit both of the Piatt Castles last weekend. I’ve wanted to see them for years but just never made it a priority.
So I hit the road early Saturday morning to be at Mac-O-Chee when they opened, hoping to beat the crowd. It worked like a charm as I was the only person in the building for a while, giving me the quiet to take pictures and contemplate what this incredible building was like a hundred years ago.
Both castles are beautiful in their own way and both have a rich history that is really too much to cover here. So I’m just going to focus on my overall impressions of Mac-O-Chee Castle with the hopes that you’ll go visit before it’s too late or at least use the trusty internet to learn more on your own.
Of the two castles, I loved Mac-O-Chee the best. It has amazing character, craftsmanship and attention to detail that you simply don’t find often. The obvious charm comes from stunningly beautiful woodwork and gorgeous ceiling murals throughout the house.
However, the things I liked best were the details – hand painted tile around the fireplaces, the intricate designs of door hinges and the surprisingly beautiful design of a third floor skylight. I loved the natural light that brightens the first floor library and the built-in file drawers found in the wall of this room.
That skylight I mentioned was designed to shine down through a window near the floor so that it can illuminate a stairwell. A small chapel in one tower room also enjoys soft morning light that lends this room a kind of spirituality that I’ve experienced in no church.
The grounds here are peaceful despite proximity to the highway. I can see why the Piatts chose this place.
Unfortunately, the Piatts who built this castle didn’t live in it for very long and the home changed hands several times over the years before being regained by the family. Original furnishings are long gone and upkeep wasn’t the best for some time.
I think that it has become something of a liability for the owners as deterioration is accelerating with each passing year. Everything here needs attention from the roof to the foundation. It literally leaks and floods and would need tons of expensive work.
It would make an amazing bed and breakfast but the electric needs updated and there are no bathrooms with plumbing here. Construction finished in 1879 and the wash closets, while innovative for the time, are not appropriate for modern usage.
My friends, I must confess that the imagination runs wild in this place while the realist in me says this castle would bankrupt a millionaire.
The house will sell at auction in October and there’s no telling what the future holds but my guess is that it will no longer be available to the public. This makes me sad for all of us who love history and great old structures.
In summary- Mac-O-Chee Castle is amazing and you better find yourself there quickly if you want a glimpse inside. Want to learn more? I really hope you’ll visit!
Click here to visit their website for history and tour information!