Road Trip! Destination: Cambridge, Ohio
Set in the beautiful Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio in Guernsey County, the town of Cambridge was a glass-making mecca in the late 19th century, a past kept alive at venues like the National Museum of Cambridge Glass and the still-active Mosser Glass Factory.
Cambridge's historic main street is a hive of activity — from cozy eateries and quirky stores to fun events like the Cambridge Classic Cruise-In and Cambridge Main Street Farmer's Market.
The crown jewel of the county is the abundance of recreational opportunities. Hunting, fishing and camping continue to be centerpieces for the region. Ohio's largest state park, Salt Fork, and the state's third-largest lake, Seneca Lake, are found within Guernsey County.
Details: 800-933-5480 or visitguernseycounty.com
Guernsey County History Museum
The Guernsey County History Museum, in a 188-year-old restored 16-room home, contains antique furnishings, local pottery, glass and personal items from Guernsey County, including a display of an authentic one-room school house, a lifelike replica of a coal mine from the 1890s, a general-store room of items from pre-supermarket days,and a military room.
Details: 740-439-5884 or visitguernseycounty.com
The Paul Bunyan Show
The oldest forestry industry show of its kind in the eastern United States, the three-day Paul Bunyan Show is held at the Guernsey County fairgrounds each October — this year Oct. 2 to 4.
Visitors will find more than 130 exhibitors who represent all facets of the forest industry. Established in 1957, and organized by the Ohio Forestry Association, the show attracts thousands of visitors.
Highlights include the Ohio Lumberjack Championship, the International Lumberjack Competition, Game of Logging Competition, chain-saw carving demonstrations, heavy logging equipment demonstrations, and entertainment.
Details: 614-497-9580 or ohioforest.org
Dickens Victorian Village
Take a trip back in time and experience old-world England as historic downtown Cambridge is transformed into a Dickens Victorian Village each holiday season. From November through mid-January, visitors are invited to stroll past nearly 100 classic Dickensian scenes on the street and in windows.
The scenes are made of life-size and hand-made mannequins in vintage clothing. The faces for each character are individually sculpted and painted by local artists.
Displays feature classic Dickens-era characters like Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, a town crier, carolers, a bucket brigade, lamplighters, school children, street peddlers and Father Christmas.
Details: 740-421-4956 or dickensvictorianvillage.com
National Museum of Cambridge Glass
In the early 1900s, Guernsey County, and particularly Cambridge, became known for its glass production, mainly by the Cambridge Glass Co. Today, Cambridge glass is sought as collectible. The company produced thousands of designs and color combinations and is considered one of the finest quality glassware lines in the world.
Visitors can take a guided tour through two display rooms that are frequently rotated with historic and iconic glass pieces. The sample room features the original door and shelving from the factory and is decorated with Cambridge glassware as it may have appeared in the original sample room. The second room features glass from the period based on a theme from private collectors' collections. There are also an etching table, decorating area and engraving/cutting area. A movie made by the company in the 1940s is available for viewing.
Details: 740-432-4245 or cambridgeglass.org
Cambridge offers two other glass stops:
• Mosser Glass (www.mosserglass.com) has been manufacturing products since 1971 and is open for tours. Its handcrafted glassware lines consist of Carnival, Vaseline and Opalescent, as well as hand-decorated pieces.
• Boyd's Crystal Art Glass (boydglass.net) is in its fourth generation of glass making.
National Route 40
Long before it was hip to take a trip on Route 66, the National Road (Route 40) served as America's first highway to adventure.
Often billed as “the road that built a nation,” the national road stretches nearly 700 miles across six states — from Maryland's seashore to Illinois' farmland.
The 32-mile stretch through Guernsey County travels down the heart of Cambridge along Wheeling Avenue. The National Road began as a simple wilderness footpath connecting Kentucky and Ohio and was used primarily by Native Americans and frontiersmen.
Details: visitguernseycounty.com
Salt Fork State Park
The Kennedys once lived here — although likely not the Kennedys that often come to mind. The Kennedy clan that staked its claim here started in 1837, with Benjamin Kennedy, whose ancestors hailed from Ireland and Scotland. He purchased an 80-acre tract of land and built a two-story home from sandstone quarried nearby.
During the mid-1900s, the state of Ohio purchased the land and transformed it into Salt Fork State Park.
In 2002, the Stone House Museum (the last remaining homestead structure) was converted into a museum and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The park boasts 17,229 acres of recreational facilities.
Details: 740-439-3521 or visitguernseycounty.com
The Living Word Outdoor Drama
The Living Word Outdoor Drama is an outdoor passion play, now in its 41st season. It's staged on a 400-foot panoramic set that is a re-creation of Old Jerusalem. The cast and crew, which include volunteers from all denominations, invite members of the audience to be a part of the performance.
The drama is based on the four gospels of the New Testament.
Show times are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday evenings through Sept. 26. Behind-the-scenes tours are available.
Details: 740-439-2761 or livingworddrama.org
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-320-7889 or jharrop@tribweb.com.
