Spotlight on Wellington, Ohio

Welcome readers! Earlier this week Kaitlin and I spent a day in one of the little towns (with a lot to offer) in Lorain County called Wellington. Our plan is to put a spotlight on a few other gems like this one throughout the summer, so be sure to keep an eye on the blog or our facebook page!

Most people's first impression of Wellington is that it's a really quaint little town. The old style of architecture in the town square definitely does not go unnoticed. 











But of course beautiful church steeples and old houses can only keep a person's attention for so long. That was far from a problem on our visit, we had no trouble filling our afternoon.

Our first stop was the Wellington Reservation. There is over 4+ miles of walking trails and a building available for rent for events that range anywhere from a baby shower to a grad party. However, Kaitlin and I had our sights on another attraction: the paddle boats. The boats are completely free, you just need to have your drivers license and one person in the boat must be over the age of 18. We were excited to learn that this year they implemented a scavenger hunt from the boats, so we signed in, got our list of clues, and got on the water!









The way the hunt works is there are 4 canisters on posts around the edge of the water. They are bright white, so it's pretty easy to see them from the boat. You just make your way to them, see what's inside, and try to figure out which clue it belongs to!







The boats are a really unique way to enjoy the beauty of the park. Some of the views you come across are absolutely stunning, and there's just no way to see it from land. And of course, it's an absolute blast to paddle around!

 And as you can see, the paddle boats aren't the only thing to do on the water. You can bring your own kayaks out, do some fishing, and there are birdhouses all throughout the park that house the many different types of beautiful song birds.

After we finished the hunt (and our mini-workout) we returned the boat to the dock and decided we'd go to a local coffee shop, Bread-n-Brew, to cool off. It's a really cute little shop with a pretty good variety of drinks and desserts to choose from. It's also a great place to stop for a full breakfast or lunch (I recommend the cinnamon swirl french toast if you're there around breakfast time). It was pretty hot out on the day of our trip, so we were more focused on the smoothies and iced drinks menu.

And who can resist that dessert counter? Clearly not us, as you can tell by the pastries with our drinks.




One of the coolest things about Bread-n-Brew is that they also sell plenty to take home with you. You can buy anything from real maple syrup or local honey, to bags of coffee beans.

After we were cooled off by my smoothie and Kaitlin's iced Chai, we decided to go to Findley State Park, which is South of Wellington. Every time I'm in the park I'm  blown away by how pretty is, especially right here in our pic, when you first drive in. The natural arc made by the highest trees make it feel like you're driving into paradise. This path is near the Thorn, which is a really intense mountain biking trail. If any cyclists are reading, keep in mind that the Thorn Trail Time Trial is coming up July 21st! 

Our last stop of the day was to poke around Days of Yore Herb and Flower Farm. It's a very unique shop, surrounded by gardens. In the spring you can buy plants for your own garden, and then head inside so look at everything else they have to offer.

 This time of year is actually perfect to visit this fun little village. On July 19th, 20th, and 21st, downtown will be full of excitement from the annual Cheese Heritage Festival. Cheese may seem like a strange theme for a festival, but it's celebrating the history of the town, which was the nation's biggest cheese producer in the late 1800's. They celebrate with a cheesecake and macaroni & cheese bake off, a parade, live music, and much more. See you there!

~Melody