Fall Back to the Park

One of the things I love most about living in the Buckeye State is that the seasons change (we have four, you know -- winter, spring, fall and construction). :-)

But seriously, folks, it's fall that's far and away my favorite. Yes, despite the seasonal allergies that hit with a vengeance as soon as the evening temperatures start to drop, it's impossible to resist the vibrant colors of Ohio's foliage as leaves turn to bright reds, oranges and golds.

It's early yet, but things are starting to change noticeably now. So, on the spur of the moment my husband Jack and I packed up our cameras and headed for Mill Creek Park. As it turned out, the leaves have a long way to go before peaking (an incentive to return if I ever saw one). Still, the onslaught of fall was evident, both in the trees and the decorations at the visitor center. Everywhere, colorful pumpkins and brightly colored chrysanthemums were interspersed with bales of hay and huge stalks of corn to welcome visitors to the park and the season.

And in back of the visitor center, the beds of dahlias were still in bloom -- giving me at least one more opportunity to capture their beauty (this time with my Canon EOS Digital Rebel and a Moose warming polarizer, the latter perfect for bringing out the richness of fall colors).

I was quite surprised to find a few remaining blooms in the Rose Garden, but many of these were fading fast. Still, the buds here and there mean more will pop out in coming weeks unless the weather takes a real turn for the worse. I managed to get a rose or two, but the vast majority weren't worth bothering with. Ditto inside the visitor center; Halloween-type decorations were much in evidence as were several arrangements highlighted by dahlias, but there wasn't much else of interest to photograph. Outside, though, the Victorian gazebo -- photogenic no matter what the season -- looked especially gorgeous with its columns decked out in pumpkins and cornstalks.

It's worth pointing out, by the way, that there's rarely a dull moment at the park. There's almost always something special going on at the visitor center or the MetroParks Farm in nearby Canfield, Ohio. If you're interested, the park's Web site has a calendar of events that's updated each month (and you can sign up to get it by e-mail, as I do, so you don't miss anything).

After poking around there, we drove through other parts of the park. Only here and there were the leaves colorful enough to warrant photos; we stopped to get a few at Glacier Lake and Newport Lake, but not at the Newport Wetlands area, which was less interesting at this point (but we'll be back soon). Ditto for Lanterman's Mill; it's a favorite of photographers this time of year, but the foliage around the river hasn't quite reached its peak in terms of color so we passed it by.

As a matter of course, our final destination was to be somewhere we could enjoy a late lunch. We considered Smoky Bones and the Youngstown Sports Grille in Boardman Township, but then we remembered the new family restaurant in Girard my dentist's assistant had told me about the previous week. Would you believe something like 24 types of peroghies and roughy 100 different beers? Wow! It's located in the building that once housed one of our favorite restaurants, Mikeee's (yes, that's the correct spelling). It stood empty for quite some time after the Mikeee's owners left town to open in the Youngstown-Warren Airport, but now we have an equally delightful alternative.

Mmmmm, mmmmm -- we just left and already we're hankering for more of those peroghies (Jack got sauerkraut-filled and I opted for potato-bacon filling, both delicious)! I recommend it any time, but especially as the perfect ending for a visit to Mill Creek Park!