The Hartville Trifecta

In the picture perfect town of Hartville, Ohio, located in Northern Stark County, there is a trifecta of attractions that can't be missed: The Hartville Marketplace, The Hartville Kitchen, and Hartville Hardware. All of these great establishments are in the same family company, and each is special and worthy of visiting for its own reasons.

I live not far from the city of Hartville, so I tend to take out-of-towners to visit one or all of these three great spots whenever they come to visit. While there's something for most everyone, I will admit that these are places that are most appealing to folks in my parents' or grandparents' generations (and, yes, I have brought my parents AND grandparents when they were in town).

Let's take a closer look at each of the three highlights of what I call "The Hartville Trifecta":

Photo by OHventures - Cornhole boards with my high school name & mascot!

The Hartville Marketplace
I could really go on and on about the Hartville Marketplace! It's part flea market, part mall, part grocery store, and part farmer's market. You'll find rows and rows of vendors selling everything from across the spectrum: odds & ends, knick knacks, collectibles, and trinkets can be found in one corner, while hand crafted items, one-of-a-kind artwork, and expensive furniture can be found in another.

There's aisles of locally made foods: candies, meats, cheeses, and produce, all made or grown in Ohio. In warmer months, you'll find an outdoor section with even more vendors, many of which are selling random fifty-cent items, or produce.

As if you can't tell already the vast selection of merchandise at the Hartville Marketplace, let me give you a sampling of a few things I've personally purchased there: a winter hat, bird seed, Amish cheese, and bed sheets. While I was there recently with some family members, my dad bought a wallet, my aunt bought a coffee maker, and my mom bought some pepperoni rolls.

Yes, that is how eclectic and interesting the Hartville Marketplace is! You can even take a break from shopping and have a meal at Sarah's Grille while you're there (that is, if you don't want to head over to the Hartville Kitchen, which is next on the list - read on)!

Photo by OHventures

Photo by Canton Repository (I ate my food too quick before I could take a photo of my own)!

The Hartville Kitchen
For down home cooking and a warm, inviting atmosphere, there is no where I would rather go than The Hartville Kitchen (second to my own mother's kitchen, of course). Serving up hot platefuls of comfort food for decades, the Hartville Kitchen is never without a long line throughout the building, with hungry patrons ready to be fed!

This is some of the most "Ohio" country cooking you will ever come by: chicken, meatloaf, turkey and stuffing, Swiss steak, fish, roast beef sandwiches and gravy, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and roast pork are just some of the specialties that will have your mouth watering. The salads are finely chopped, with a slew of tantalizing dressings to choose from. Thankfully, they sell their dressings by the bottle (and literally by the bucket) so you can slather it on your food at home! Their home baked rolls and soups of the day are to die for.

But what most people love about The Hartville Kitchen - if you save enough room after dinner - is their desserts! The pies are out of this world. Luckily, you can visit the bakery shop on your way out to take a pie home if you are too stuffed to indulge while you're there.

The best part is that the price is right! My grandparents have taken me here on several occasions, and we eat a feast for far less than a fortune!

Photo by Discover Hartville

Hartville Hardware
Why on earth would I be featuring a hardware store on OHventures? What could possibly be exciting about a hardware store? Well, Hartville Hardware is unlike any other hardware store you will encounter! I don't even own a home (yet, that is), and even I love going to this place!

Right when you walk inside Hartville Hardware, you'll see the giant model home (pictured above) in the dead center of the store. Walking inside is like entering one of the awesomely remodeled homes on HGTV! It's called "The Idea House" and it gives you some of coolest inspirations for ways you can remodel or spruce up your current or future home! I seriously have gotten so many great ideas and inspirations from visiting the Idea House (hidden pantries, secret lofts, and a top notch man cave, to name a few).

Other than the Idea House, the Hartville Hardware store has everything you would need to build, fix, install, create,or design almost anything in and around your house! The lower level is dedicated to lumber, windows, doors, and the like. Upstairs, you'll find everything from patio furniture to pet supplies! It's a great place to go for gifts, or to get all you need for that special project.

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Photos by OHventures

ALL ABOARD the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad!

While this is one of the oldest tourist excursion railways in the country, it is one of the most recent attractions I have visited on my growing Buckeye Bucket List!

The CVSR can be found in Northeast Ohio, running through the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (the one and only national park in the state of Ohio). The main portion of the railway runs northbound from Akron in Summit County, all the way to Independence in Cuyahoga County. There are smaller stops along the way, such as at the town of Peninsula. Occasional trips are planned to Canton as well, but they have not been on the regular schedule since 2012.

There are many ways in which one can experience the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. The most common way is by purchasing a round trip ticket, boarding at any one of the stations, and taking the full 3 hour ride. You can get coach seats (seats are in sections of 2 seats facing 2 seats), first class seating (cushioned seats in sections of 2 seats facing 2 seats, with plenty of leg room), and upper dome seating (elevated section with a panoramic view of the National Park). 

This is a great way to see the beautiful landscapes roll by: trees, rivers, hillsides, meadows, and some residential areas. You can take an audio tour (called "Voices of the Valley") upon request. Wearing this set of headphones will allow you to hear the tales of the history of the National Park, some facts about the wildlife, and more. 

You could also opt out of the audio tour, and simply enjoy the company of the fellow passengers and the knowledgeable volunteer staff. On my recent trip, the staff pointed out a large eagle's nest, and told us some more fun facts along the way. Take a book or magazine to read, and definitely a camera or camera phone to capture some of the scenery. A snack bar is located in one of the cars in the back of the train, which offers hot dogs, popcorn, chips, candy, beer, wine, soda, and more! There are also souvenirs, like shot glasses, stuffed animals, and t-shirts.

Aside from a regular trip, there are many extremely creative and exciting special events that take place at different times of the year. Some of these events include:

Grape Escape: A 2-hour wine tasting excursion, with 5 different wines paired with hors d'oeuvres. There are several Grape Escape themes, such as California Wines, Summer Wines, and Ohio Wines.

Ales On Rails: Much like Grape Escape, but with beer instead of wine! You get 5 different beers paired with hors d'oeuvres. Again, different themes exist for each ride, including: Hoppin' Frog Beers, Summer Brews, and Thirsty Dog Brewing Company Beers.

Bike Aboard!: This special feature allows you to bring your bike on board the train for just $3. However, this is just a one-way trip! Take it to another station and then bike back to your car at your starting point!

Polar Express: This extremely popular event takes kids and their families on a holiday themed train ride the the "North Pole!" Complete with elves, Santa Claus, hot cocoa, and a train station transformed to look like it's straight from the famous children's book!

Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch & Dinner: Special meals are served for those that want to dine on more than just snacks during their train ride. Tickets go fast, so if you want to have this cool dining experience, be sure to plan ahead!

There are tons of other fun events, such as a "Day Out With Thomas The Tank Engine," and Murder Mystery experiences, so be sure to check the website.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is something everyone should try in one form or another! 

Escape Room Downtown

Photos by Escape Room Downtown

Escape Room Downtown

203 Market Ave. S. Suite 200

Canton, OH 44702

(330) 844-1492

I think I am now slightly obsessed with the concept of "escape rooms" - small themed rooms where a group of individuals are locked inside and tasked with solving puzzles in order to escape. While I am usually posting about adventures that exercise the body, escape rooms exercise the mind. They bring people together to use their brains to accomplish the goal under the given time limit, which is a huge adrenaline rush!

After an unsuccessful attempt at the Trapped! Escape Room Cleveland, I am happy to report that my latest endeavor at the Escape Room Downtown in Canton had a much happier ending!

The Escape Room Downtown debuted in late 2015 and was immediately a hit! People have come from all over Stark County, the state of Ohio, and beyond to give the room a whirl! 

On January 16, we had a group of folks whose ages ranged from late 20s to early 60s: myself, my mom, my dad, my aunt, and my friends Tim, Zac, Greg, and Cass. Only Zac and I had previously ever done an escape room challenge (the aforementioned Cleveland room), which we failed. So we were all a bit skeptical of our abilities.

The Escape Room Downtown currently has one themed room: The Missing Detective's Office. It essentially is like the board game "Clue" brought to life, with a mix of Dick Tracy thrown in. The story revolves around a private investigator who goes missing, with suspicions of involvement of the Canton mob. Not only is the story line realistic and unique, the room itself is decked out in authentic props that are of the time period, and of course a lot of mind-bending puzzles. There's even live actors that interact with you at one point. It is incredibly well-done and detail-oriented, which our group certainly appreciated.

There were some really clever elements that were thrown into the mix, that made you think outside the box (literally), and not only unscramble codes and clues, but also use some tools in thoughtful ways to reveal more and bust out of the room!

I know that all sounds vague, but I don't want to give too much away to readers, as that would take away the fun and integrity of the game! All I can say is: use all the brain power you have available, and communicate with everyone in the room in order to get it all done. You only have 45 minutes to escape!

All of the folks in our group were on top of our game, because we were able to escape in an impressive time of 25:36, which the employees at Escape Room Downtown said was a very quick time, compared to other groups! We were able to take celebratory pictures (shown above) bragging about our accomplishment!

Soon, more rooms will be added to the Canton location, with different quests and themes! Reserve your room now to see if your group of detectives and sleuths can beat our group's time!

Hiking At Quail Hollow State Park

Photos by OHventures

Quail Hollow State Park
13480 Congress Lake Avenue
Hartville, OH 44632

Quail Hollow State Park is a multi-functional park that has a variety of trails (14 miles total) accessible to handicapped individuals and experienced hikers alike. There is also a designated horse trail (5 miles) and mountain bike trail (4 miles). 

I have taken readers to Quail Hollow to go sled riding and for a photo shoot. Now, I encourage you to go to this Stark County state park to go hiking! My good pals Greg and Matt joined me one crisp November morning to head out on an expedition to Quail Hollow. We knew the trails offered here are relatively short and are moderate in length, so it would be a light and non-demanding trip. We had a goal of making a 4-5 mile hike, which we predicted would take us 2-3 hours, with stops.

Driving into the park entrance, we parked at the trail head for the Sedge Marsh. This short 1/4 mile section of trail is made out of boardwalks. We completed that quick loop and then hiked the Meadowlands (1 mile), followed by the Beaver Lodge Trail (1.5 miles). We accidentally happened upon a portion of the bridle trails, which I do not recommend (there were a lot of "land mines" along the way that didn't make for a great hike). When all was said and done, we met our goal by hiking 4.4 miles in 2.5 hours.

During our hike, we actually stumbled upon a geocache! This was really neat, since I had never seen one before, and especially neat since we weren't even trying to locate it using GPS, like those who participate in geocaching.

One of my favorite aspects of the park is the herb gardens and the Carriage House Nature Preserve, which has educational exhibits and interactive elements. It's a beautiful old house that the Tall-Grass Prairie Trail wraps around. In addition to hiking, biking, geocaching, sledding, and horseback riding, other activities at Quail Hollow include: fishing, camping, picnicking, cross country skiing, volleyball, basketball, and special events.

Peace, Love, & Little Donuts

Photo by OHventures

Peace, Love, and Little Donuts

115 S. Prospect Ave.

Hartville, OH 44632

(330) 877-3043

(and additional Ohio locations)

While driving through the City of Hartville in Stark County one day, I happened across a small and colorful bakery that caught my eye with its tie-dye and peace symbols on the storefront. The name of the confectionery was Peace, Love, and Little Donuts - and with a name like that, it's hard to pass by without stopping in!

Talk about a place that is adventurous with its flavors! Inside this tiny donut shop were tiny little donuts in a not-so-tiny display case full of sugary goodness. It was sensory overload, with the rainbow of sprinkles, and the sweet aroma of chocolate, cinnamon, and other delights. My friends and I were flabbergasted by the impressive selection of traditional and obscure flavors and varieties.

As if the name of the joint didn't give it away, a bit of a hippie theme was going on, as evidenced by the donut categories: Groovy, Far Out, and Funkadelic.

Groovy Donuts included any donut topped with cinnamon and sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, honey, or maple sugar. Far Out Donuts are donuts with "far out" frosting, including vanilla, chocolate, maple, raspberry, strawberry, orange, banana, lemon, and mocha. 

Funkadelic Donuts are the ones that get the most attention, as they have "far out" frosting along with fun and exciting toppings that you'd be hardpressed to find at any other donut shop: Oreos, coconut, pretzels, marshmallows & graham cracker (s'mores), maple bacon, salted chocolate, M&Ms, Nestle Crunch, apple pie, blueberry French toast, strawberry shortcake, samoa, and the list goes on (and on and on)!

Each of us ordered a half dozen little itty bitty donuts to gorge on. Mine are all shown above, with the stand-out flavor being the Funkadelic Fruity Pebbles donut! That one definitely wins the award for most bizarre (but bizarre in a good way, of course).

Peace, Love, and Little Donuts is not just in Hartville. There are 4 other Ohio locations: Massillon, Canal Fulton, North Canton, and Cleveland. There are also 6 in Pittsburgh (where it started), one in Grove City, Pennsylvania, one in Oregon, and one in Florida. So, while it's not entirely exclusive to Ohio, we are definitely fortunate that this wild and adventurous bakery has a large presence in Stark and Cuyahoga Counties!

Cook Like A Pro At The Gervasi Cucina

 

If you've ever wanted to become chef for a day, creating culinary cuisines and learning tricks of the trade that will impress your family and friends, look no further than Gervasi Vineyard in Canton. You can make that cooking dream a reality by booking a class at The Cucina, a fully-equpped professional kitchen located on site at the Villa Grande.Classes are completely hands on, letting you be in control of the preparation and cooking process, while being guided step-by-step by one of the restaurant's experienced chef instructors. Not only that, you get to sit down with your classmates and enjoy the meal you created, paired perfectly with one of the many fine wines from Gervasi's vineyard. In addition, you get to take home the coveted black and red apron!

Most all classes have slots available for up to 16 students, and are typically about 3 hours in length. Most take place primarily in the spring, fall and winter months. This is because the kitchen you use as the classroom is also a fully functioning kitchen used to cater weddings and special events that take place at Gervasi. It's exciting to be in the middle of the action, as real chefs and cooks are creating magic just a few feet away from you!



There's an incredible amount of classes offered, all with an equally enticing theme. You can sign up to learn how to make "kneadlessly" simple breads, artisan pastas, or wood-fired pizzas. You can get a bit more adventurous with a sushi-making class, or a course dedicated to chilis and stews. You might want to consider sampling specific worldly cuisines, like Mexican, Italian or French! Cool new classes are always popping up, and there is something for everybody! Classes fill up very quickly, so if you see something you like, don't hesitate to book your spot immediatey!

Being a frequent flyer at all three of Gervasi's amazing restaurants (The Crush House, The Piazza, and The Bistro), and being a budding chef in my own home kitchen, I had been wanting to attend a culinary class at The Cucina for quite some time. I had the chance to be a student this October in the "Great Fall Grilling" class with Chef Meg Feller as my instructor. The high quality and elegance you'd expect from any of Gervasi's establishments is found throughout your cooking experience at The Cucina.

On the menu for our grilling extravaganza was: brown suger and bourbon flank steak, citrus and basil cedar plank salmon, grilled sweet potato salad with honey mustard vinaigrette, lemon parmesan grilled brussels sprouts, and grilled pear and almond packets with vanilla ice cream! This lengthy list allowed for us to cook side dishes, main courses, and a dessert - all using our newly acquired skills on the grill. 

Chef Feller taught us many things, including how to skin a salmon fillet, how to check the temperature of your meat (and what the appropriate temperatures should be), how to properly slice and dice our various ingredients, and more. We were also taught how to use cedar planks while grilling our salmon in order to get a bold flavor, and she introduced us to some cool utensils, like ceramic knives!

After our cooking was complete, we plated our meals and chowed down. It was a great feeling to know that we were responsible for cooking these gourmet restaurant-quality dishes ourselves! I'm looking forward to attending even more classes to build upon my chef skills!

Warrior Dash Ohio II 2015 Recap

Photos by OHventures

Another year, another Warrior Dash! After 5 years of muddy mayhem at one of the most popular obstacle running series in the world, I am thinking that Warrior Dash Day should be a national (or international) holiday! While some running events have been fizzling out, the Warrior Dash keeps gaining more momentum and more popularity as time progresses!

As with all years in the past (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014) in which we have run and reviewed the Warrior Dash you never know what you're going to get. They are always changing it up, adding different obstacles and altering the course, tweaking it to make the elements harsher and more challenging. This is why me and my friends & family keep coming back for more. 

(For those of you who do not know what the Warrior Dash is - get with the program by reading our "What Is Warrior Dash?" blog)

Again, Warrior Dash Ohio II (named as such because another Warrior Dash takes place in Logan, Ohio earlier in the year) took place at Clay's Park Resort in North Lawrence in Stark County. It was on Saturday, August 8, and my brother and I were running in the 9:00 AM heat! Our course was "moderately hilly" at 3.2 miles with 14 obstacles.

List of Obstacles

1. Great Warrior Wall: Scaling a 14-foot wall caked in the slick mud of the Battleground.

2. Alcatraz: Climb/swim across cargo nets that are halfway submerged in a muddy lake

3. Plunge: Crawl up a cargo net and scale back down a 16-foot sheet of plywood

4. Trenches: Stay low and crawl quickly through the dirt and under logs

5. Chaotic Cargo: Climb up and over the tangled cargo nets

6. Dead Man's Drop: Scale up a merciless wall 20 feet in the air, straddle the ledge, and slide down to hit the ground running

7. Giant Cliffhanger With the help of a rope, clamber up and repel back down a 30-foot pyramid.

8. Mud Mounds: Literally a giant mud pit you slid into from about 10-12 feet above ground. Then, you claw your way out of the mud pit, which was nearly impossible to do without the help of others around you!

9. Pipeline: New this year, these were a series of cylindrical (pipe-like) cargo nets that you had to shimmy through at an incline. Many seemed to have a TON of trouble with this, but my brother came up with a great solution to crawl on your back rather than on your hands and knees. Doing that was tons easier than the traditional method!

10. High Tension: Cross a 30-foot slackline hovering over a water pit (this one was tough for shorter people like myself - and especially even shorter people like my sister-in-law who couldn't even reach the cargo nets and had to fall in!).

11. Two X Fall: A series of balance beams that go up, down, and across while being squirted with water.

12. Goliath: This is the largest obstacle, starting with a rope climb, then a two-story balance beam before making a splash at the bottom of a 30-foot-high slide.

13. Warrior Roast: Leap over the warrior fires
14. Muddy Mayhem: Scramble under the barbed wire and through the mud as you near the finish line

When all was said and done, my group felt that this year's run was not as difficult as previous years. A few things can be factors in that. One factor is that this is the 2nd year the race itself was untimed, and also the 1st year that none of us really were trying to be competitive. Another reason is because we are getting stronger each year!

Regardless how the course and the obstacles were, the real fun is the finish line! It's always a great time redeeming our free Shock Top beers, listening to the live music and meeting up with other friends who were running the event! The sun was caking in the muddiness, and it was getting more and more crowded, so the time we spent at the after party only lasted a couple of hours.

Pictured: Me, Ryan, Stacey, Marc, and Erik - Stark County Mudders!

Just like Christmas, New Years, or any other holiday, I always hate it when "Warrior Dash Day" comes to an end. The excitement leading up to it, the adrenaline pumping through your veins during it, and the celebrations afterwards is all why I keep coming back for more. Now if only I could get a day off work for this...

Pro Football Hall Of Fame (Half) Marathon Recap

Photo by OHventures

The night before the 2nd Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame (Half) Marathon in Canton, I had a major case of the pre-race jitters. And rightfully so. It was no one's fault but my own, but I had not trained nearly as adequately as I should have - and I knew better. Last year, I followed a strict 100-Day Training Program and successfully completed the half marathon with a landslide PR. This year, I slacked off - majorly.

Like a kid who didn't study enough for his big final exam and still hoped he'd get an A+, I didn't train for the race and yet I hoped I'd still succeed. I posted on Facebook at 11:00 PM the night before asking for good vibes and positive energy to be sent my way (and I don't believe in "luck," but I was willing to take that too).I knew it would be quite the challenge, and so I was relying on words of encouragement leading up to the race to truly be the motivation propelling me through. 

This race would prove how running can often be more mental than physical in many aspects. I awoke the next morning before dawn and had plenty of messages waiting for me on my phone. Words from friends and family members near and far, saying things like:

• No doubt you do well! You're a superhero!
• Just get to 7 miles, and it's cake from there!
• Praying for your strength and endurance!
• Do it for Slider! (that one was from my vet)
• I love you! (and that one was from my mom)
• You got this! Can't stop, won't stop (in the style of P. Diddy)
• Say out loud "I am prepared" and mean it! It is 90% mental. 
• #TEAMMEVANS
• The worst that can happen is I will see you in the medical tent (said my friend Simas, a doctor working at the emergency aid station)
• At least you don't have to run in those heels (advice given to both me and fellow runner Blake, in reference to our Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event two days prior)
• Just run, and sing the top 50 songs in your head to make the time fly....and YOU fly through this race!
• You are more prepared than you think! One foot in front of the other!

And, just like that, my attitude changed. My outlook improved. And there's no doubt in my mind that these very words were the reason I was able to reach that finish line.

The bitter cold did NOT help (I love Ohio and all, but DANG it's been cold for far too long). It was a mere 39 degrees when I made it to Fawcett Stadium, where the starting line was. I spent a lot of time fueling and stretching (in hopes to make up for my lack of training) and I zoned out with a quick prayer and moment of meditation in order psych myself out for the 13.1 miles that lay ahead. After the national anthem and invocation, we were off and running. There was no turning back.

At this point, some of you might be wondering what fun it is for me to even do what I did. Why even put myself through the anxiety, apprehension, and discomfort, especially if I wasn't even willing to put the time and effort into preparing for it? (I should clarify that I did train for this half marathon, but not to the extent that I should have). There are 3 simple reasons: 1) I love a challenge, 2) running is addicting, and 3) I am not a quitter.

It's remarkable what the body can do, especially when you have a little bit of drive and a whole lot of heart. You are stronger than you think you are. 

The 13.1 mile course was a roller coaster ride - and not just because of the hilly terrain. There were times I was speeding along on cloud nine, a smile from ear to ear. Even past the halfway point, I was on track to breaking my PR once again! But then there were moments of doubt and even some brief moments of apathy - little voices in my head just telling me to mosey along and take my time. But then the crowd of strangers motivated me to keep going. 

The one sign summed up my appreciation for spectators: "RUN, RANDOM STRANGER, RUN!" How cool is it that these random strangers take the time to root for you? It's almost better than your loved ones cheering for you! 

One small boy had a sign with a hand drawn on it that said "TOUCH HERE FOR POWER BOOST." So, of course, I touched it. And, of course, it helped give me a power boost! Another young kid was standing on the sidelines on crutches, extending his hand for a high five. It really inspired me and was exactly what I needed at mile 11 of the course (especially since my knees were hurting so badly).

Finally, I made it back to Fawcett Stadium to the finish line (above) and I was ecstatic! I clocked in at 2:08 - which was way off from my PR of 1:54, but I will take it! There was definitely a sense of pride that came over me when I was given my fleece blanket and finisher's medal. 

I certainly do NOT recommend the lack of training for anyone interested in running a long distance race such as a half marathon. However, I do recommend surrounding yourself with encouraging people who will set you up for success by getting you in the right state of mind!

Presidents' Day at McKinley Museum

Photos by OHventures

Ohio is known as the "Mother of Presidents," since 8 of our nation's leaders hailed from the Buckeye State. As such, there are several spots throughout the state where monuments and memorials dedicated to these presidents can be found. Canton (Stark County), Ohio, is the resting place of the 25th President, William McKinley.

Canton was McKinley’s “adopted” home, having been born in Niles (near Youngstown), Ohio, and later practicing law in Canton. He lived here when he became Governor of Ohio until he later had to, of course, move to Washington, D.C., to serve as president. History is rich here at the absolutely stunning and ornate monument, built for him after being assassinated in 1901.

Even if you’re not a history or political buff like me, you will still appreciate what this building holds and represents. You'll appreciate even more the adjacent museum dedicated to the historical leader.

The William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum is where education meets excitement. This learning hub has so much to offer visitors, especially school-aged children. So, I planned a visit this February with my good friends Jamie and Erik, along with their girls Ellie (6) and Kaiya (2) so we could see for ourselves all that was held within the museum walls.

We immediately realized that this was not your average presidential museum. While of course there were exhibits dedicated to William McKinley, there was also much more, including history exhibits, live animals, dinosaur fossils, a planetarium and plenty of interactive components to keep the kids (and even us adults) busy for literally hours.

Since our visit was in honor of Presidents' Day, we made sure to see the Second Floor of the museum to see the McKinley Gallery. This large room was organized to replicate the home of President William McKinley and his wife, Ida. There were artifacts from his private life, his life as an attorney, and his life in the White House. Animatronics of the McKinleys greet visitors and tell tales of his life.

READ MORE AT DISCOVERING OHIO

Out Of The Darkness Walk

Photos by OHventures and Jeremy Wadian Photography

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States - and it is 100% preventable.

A staggering 38,000 individuals take their own life each year in the United States - and over 1 million worldwide. Depression, anxiety, mental illness, alcohol & drug abuse, and the pressures & stresses of everyday life are all contributing factors that lead to suicide. But research, education, and communication are all ways that we can help save lives and create a world without suicide.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has done remarkable work in the fight against this terrible affliction that has affected so many lives. Its keynote event each year is the Out of the Darkness Community Walk series, which take place in various cities all across the country. The walks symbolize walking out of the darkness of mental anguish and into an eternal life of peace. The AFSP's logo - a life preserver - reinforces this statement by signifying the support of loved ones rescuing those in despair.

There are numerous Out of the Darkness Community Walks throughout Ohio, including: Marietta, Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Youngstown, and right here in my own neighborhood of North Canton.

My family banded together on Sunday, October 5, 2014, for the Northern Ohio Chapter of AFSP's very first Out Of The Darkness Community Walk at the Hoover Vikings Stadium in North Canton. Sadly, like far too  many families, my own family has experienced the horror and pain that comes with losing a loved one to suicide. My cousin took his own life in the year 2000 at the age of 18. It is heart-wrenching to know that he was feeling so much inner turmoil and sadness - a feeling we can never understand. Knowing this bright young man I called my cousin had gone way too soon, I knew we had to take part in this event to make our voices loud and proud in hopes that we can save others.

I created Team Forever For Evan to honor my cousin. The team consisted of myself, my mom, dad, two aunts, two cousins, one uncle, and two second cousins. We all wore medals with my cousin's photo on them (much like the medals we wore for my grandfather in the Alzheimer's walk), and we wore honor beads provided at the site. The beads were all different colors, each representing a different relationship to the disease. I wore blue (which shows support for the cause), and purple (for having lost a relative). Other colors were orange (for a sibiling), white (for a child), etc. 

Team Forever For Evan was just one of many dozens of teams that showed up that chilly afternoon. There were over 400 walkers gathered in the stadium! Some were wearing matching shirts, others were carrying signs and photos, and all were there to help address this terrible issue we face in society.

We heard speeches from the race organizers,stories from families personally affected from suicide, a prayer from a local pastor, and a message from the mayor of North Canton. Then, it was time to release yellow and blue balloons into the air to honor those we've lost. Before we walked, we also took part in a yoga demonstration on the football field. The yoga was especially important because not only does it help physically by stretching and strengthening, but it also helps mentally.

Walkers were then free to walk the track around the field as many times as they liked! There was uplifting music and loads of snacks, such as hot dogs and hot chocolate to warm us up.

It was announced during the event that the goal of $10,000 was far exceeded and that collectively, over $28,000 was raised for the cause!!

We were in awe at the amount of money raised and so thankful that so many others were so giving to Team Forever For Evan and all of the other groups represented that day. Life is precious and it's one big adventure - everyone deserves to enjoy life it its fullest. Consider helping the AFSP by participating in a walk or donating individually.

If you or someone you know are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255