Great local joint! Staff was super friendly and the food…read morewas amazing. You can tell why this is a go to spot for locals. We had the stuffed breadsticks and a meatball sub. Both really good.

Never received our food after an hour and forty minutes and left- poor management of food…read morepreparation.

I had this spot bookmarked due to the train dining car nearby, so we took a detour to check it out…read more The cafe wasn't open, but coming off of the highway, we could see this giant leaning as we approached. Maybe the bobblehead moniker is due to how he looks, which struck me as a bit like his head was chopped off with a machete. Chef Jacques head was not bobbling while we were there, but maybe in a good breeze it does. Nevertheless, a good stop to get out and check out some Americana.

Located at the center of the parking lot for the Buckeye Express Diner (which was closed this…read moremorning at 6:30 am), the World's Largest Bobblehead is leaning a bit to one side but still stands tall. I don't know if he's truly the "largest" but I'm Bruce K. from Charlotte, not the Guinness Book of Records. His name is Chef Jacques and for those who don't know, a bobblehead stands atop a model of a human with a spring attaching his head. So the head "bobbles" on the spring from side to side. It's... a thing. [Review 1337 of 2024 - 256 in Ohio - 22360 overall]

It's a nice little touristy town in northern Ohio where the river runs fast and wide. established…read morein 1833 as Gilead but it's Grand Rapids since 1868 it used to was a bustling business community on the canal system running up the Maumee River from Toledo and parts east. the town's fortunes were tied to transportation and logistics which eventually left us an interesting and storied river/canal/railway town. visitors can enjoy shopping and dining and wandering about on the restored main street and the conservated riverfront areas near the tidied-up side cut or across the river in the Providence Metropark. rumor has it there's a short-run scenic railway and museum hereabouts as well but that would be another review... historical pioneer-day type re-enactments and other such activities are part of the annual Applebutter Festival on the second Sunday of October rain or shine (plague not withstanding.)

What beautiful place! This place delivers masterpieces and much needed message for people. My kids…read moreloved climbing and looking for bowling balls. A whimsical sanctuary in the middle of Wapakoneta.

This is a place I have been frequenting since my youth. It's a sanctuary for many kids who just…read moreneed a place to hang out and it's a great place for all ages to just check out. It costs you nothing to check it out and if you happen to stumble across the awesome owner, Jim, then you are in for an even bigger treat. Jim is such a great guy and such a good storyteller! If his yard doesn't tell you enough then he will. I've known Jim for a while and he's such an eccentric, animated, and all-around nice guy. My advice...don't just stop at the Temple of Tolerance once, make many visits, or heck become a regular here. It's hard to believe this is in Wapakoneta, Ohio but I'm glad it is. The Memorial to Ohio War Dead is a memorial he created to show how many Ohioans have been killed in battle since the War of 1812 and it was moving to me to see his dedication to such a memorial. If you ever get a chance to hear Jim speak (if you can't find him in the Temple you can sometimes find him giving speeches elsewhere) you must go. I've been to a couple of his talks at the library in his town and he just sucks you in with his words. He gives you a lot to think about and I wish more people were like Jim! There is a donation box on his front porch so be sure to leave a little if you stop by and have a look at the Temple. The money helps with upkeep and such for it all.

It was a frigid February 7th... at least for this Florida guy. 20 degrees... I was freezing! And I…read morewas walking around on my own in my new home town on Van Vert, OH. I found out about this really cool chocolate walk going on in town thru the website of the originator: Main Street Van Wert. I decided to go to this event because: 1) I am new to the area and this is a good way to explore my new home and discover places to eat/shop 2) I love chocolate! I am obsessed with it! Any of my friends can attest to that 3) If you attended you could take a ride on a horse drawn carriage. I have ridden horses before but never been in a carriage. I am always up for new experiences! 4) Total cost for the event was $20. That is nothing! Event started at 4 pm and I went into the offices of Main Street Van Wert. After giving my ticket, I got my bag to take around with me. People in this town are super friendly and a group of people hearing I just moved into the area welcomed me to hang out with them. I was super happy to, and grateful that they allowed me to explore and enjoy this event with them. We then eagerly started our epic epicurean expedition! We did hours of walking, having fun and eating tons of chocolate! I don't even remember how much chocolate I consumed and I still took a bag full back to the hotel I was temporarily living in! I also took a ride in that horse drawn carriage! That was super fun! Moreover I discovered businesses I plan to or have already gone to because of the chocolate walk. Firstly, I discovered Brewed Expressions! It's become my go to coffee shop since moving in and where I have coffee if I am too lazy to make my own. I also discovered Elite Interiors. It's a beautiful home decor and interior design store. I met Joanne, who is an amazing interior designer and who I ultimately hired to help me decorate my house. It's coming along beautifully! When it's done I will write a separate review! I am very glad that I was part of such a wonderful event! I look forward to other town events in my new home!

Just to put this little place on the map; I dropped through here on a recent trip into southern…read moreMichigan. There are a lot of little places like this along U.S. 12. Little local hobby farms and food shops selling local products and Amish butter. What set this one apart was the U-Pick strawberry field. Now, I'm a big fan of sustainability and advanced horticulture. This little place had it in spades, from their little poultry pen to their biomass pellet furnace. But the real show-stopper was the hydroponic vertical strawberry field. Stacked six pots high and irrigated from the top, this place had it together. NIce modular planting towers and an incredible thing to see. I remember grubbing along the rows of densely crowded strawberries in a conventional field as a kid, dragging along my flat to be filled. This place was a far cry from that back-breaking experience, more like shopping than picking. The place had a great welcoming ambience, with one of the better prices on local apples I'd seen, an inviting little pumpkin stand (a young couple with three small boys were picking theirs out. Definitely an "awwww" moment) and a nice selection of local produce and Amish products like roll butter and bread. Things are a little pricey here, admittedly. It's a tourist kind of place and the prices are indicative of the quality of the produce offered. But sometimes, it's not about the bottom line or finding a simple "bargain." It's about making sure that those who produce excellence can earn a living doing so. Excellence is to be found in abundance here, and its more about acknowledging that effort than anything else.

If you are a flea market/ yard sale lover you gotta take a drive up 33 and check this place out…read more If time had been more on my side I could have stayed indefinitely but as it is I'm always in a rush (some might say that I don't adequately plan for these spur of the moment outings, but...). Anyway, this is SO cool and I cannot tell you how many fun things I've found here. My most current find was a 3 foot tall/wide big metal rustic looking star that now hangs above my mantel and cost a whopping $12. Don't hate me because I'm a brilliant bargain finder. ;) Seriously- you have to go here.

Not a bad flea market at all. Very clean. I'll be back. 4 pole barns all paved with about 40…read morevendors in each one. I purchased some corn hole bags while we were there 8 bags for $20.00.

I hate making bad reviews. But this place was terrible! We couldn't get in certain places. So we…read morechose to shoot for here! I'm someone who feeds off a good bartender. A similar smile or a good joke will make me tip upwards of 30% The staff was so rude! We were 4 of ten people there all day! They made us feel like it was a inconvenience for us to be there. Atmosphere of them made me not go back the following day!

This pool is pretty cool…read more It features "The World's Longest Swim-up Bar!" Minus the fact that the water is green from wasted people pissing in it -- and it smells a lot like Sea World -- it was decent and fun. It was loud and very party oriented. I was rritatated that pool towels were not offered -- as I was a guest of the Grand Islander (the hotel this is attached to). I was very foolish and didn't remember what Towelie, of South Park fame, told me. I didn't bring one. "Always bring a towel!"