Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens
Sal and I wanted to find something to do this weekend, and I suggested Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. We had talked about visiting in the past, but just had never made it. We met up with Sal's Uncle Ernie and started out the day with a trip to Swenson's for lunch.
Swenson's is a drive-in restaurant which I usually think is so much fun, but with a hungry baby who just wanted out of his car seat, understandably since it was a 2 hour drive, perhaps a sit-down restaurant would have been better.
That said, Swenson's has the best burgers, although I couldn't tell you what makes them so great. They don't look like much, but they taste amazing.
We made it to Stan Hywet Hall with a few minutes to spare for the 12:00 tour. I put Seth in the wrap and in the 90+ degree heat and crazy humidity wore him for the length of the tour. He was getting tired, but managed to stay awake for all but the last 10 minutes.
We had an excellent tour guide. He said he was in graduate school for film after having obtained undergraduate degrees in political science and history. He had 1950s era glasses and slicked back hair. I wondered the whole time if this is just a persona he assumes while working or if it's his everyday look.
Completed in 1915, the Manor House is a sprawling 64,500 square feet, yet somehow it feels homey. The family lived there for 40 years, and when the Seiberling children donated the house in 1957 they left furnishings and antiques intact.
My favorite room in the house was the music room. There's an Aeolian Organ in one corner and the 2,650 pipes themselves are placed on either side of the stage at the far end on the room. They're sort of built into the wall and quite unobtrusive. Our guide played the organ for us and it was beautiful, and not as loud as I had anticipated.
Flash photography is not permitted in the house so I pulled this image of the music room off Google. The stage is located in the center at the far end of this picture.
Seth only fussed a couple of time during the tour and I just took us away from the group and calmed him down. He settled quickly, and we jumped back into the tour.
I am sad to say that I think Hearst Castle will be the home tour to which I will compare all other opulent homes. Hearst Castle is unparalleled, but yet I couldn't help thinking back on it as we toured this home, which is completely unfair. In it's own right, this house is impressive and and of historical significance.
Since we had some time to kill after this tour and before we dinner, we decided to hit Perkins Mansion, also in Akron. Sal was a tour guide here when he was in high school.
As luck would have it the historical society was having a "Family Fun Day" so there were people in period (Civil War) clothing, tours and tour guides in every room, and musicians.
Sal said the home hadn't changed much in the years since he worked there, and he added his own tidbits of information quietly to me as we toured. It was interesting.
Also interesting is that by this time of the day Seth had had quite a few bottles so he was quite the spitty baby. I hope he outgrows that soon.
Anyway, there are many trees on the property and one is a Cypress that a Perkin's son brought back him from his tour of duty in the South during the Civil War. He participated in Sherman's March to the Sea. Since this is a tree native to swampy areas in the South, it's pretty amazing that the tree has grown in Ohio. It's huge, and also as close to the Deep South as I'm going to get this year, unfortunately. (I tried finding a picture of it online since we didn't take any ourselves, and I couldn't.)
We had reservations at The Office Bistro in Cuyahoga Falls so we headed there for dinner. Sal and I had tacos and Uncle Ernie had Lake Erie walleye. It was a pretty tasty meal, but it had also been a long day, especially for the little guy. We dropped Uncle Ernie off after dinner and headed home. We arrived in Pittsburgh about 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
Seth only had two 10 minute naps all day, but he was a good little traveler. Here he is from my vantage point in the car. I love that one little curl on the very top of his head. He has lost so much of his full head of dark hair, but it's growing back. His hair is coming in lighter and perhaps straighter.
Swenson's is a drive-in restaurant which I usually think is so much fun, but with a hungry baby who just wanted out of his car seat, understandably since it was a 2 hour drive, perhaps a sit-down restaurant would have been better.
That said, Swenson's has the best burgers, although I couldn't tell you what makes them so great. They don't look like much, but they taste amazing.
We made it to Stan Hywet Hall with a few minutes to spare for the 12:00 tour. I put Seth in the wrap and in the 90+ degree heat and crazy humidity wore him for the length of the tour. He was getting tired, but managed to stay awake for all but the last 10 minutes.
We had an excellent tour guide. He said he was in graduate school for film after having obtained undergraduate degrees in political science and history. He had 1950s era glasses and slicked back hair. I wondered the whole time if this is just a persona he assumes while working or if it's his everyday look.
Completed in 1915, the Manor House is a sprawling 64,500 square feet, yet somehow it feels homey. The family lived there for 40 years, and when the Seiberling children donated the house in 1957 they left furnishings and antiques intact.
My favorite room in the house was the music room. There's an Aeolian Organ in one corner and the 2,650 pipes themselves are placed on either side of the stage at the far end on the room. They're sort of built into the wall and quite unobtrusive. Our guide played the organ for us and it was beautiful, and not as loud as I had anticipated.Flash photography is not permitted in the house so I pulled this image of the music room off Google. The stage is located in the center at the far end of this picture.
Seth only fussed a couple of time during the tour and I just took us away from the group and calmed him down. He settled quickly, and we jumped back into the tour.
I am sad to say that I think Hearst Castle will be the home tour to which I will compare all other opulent homes. Hearst Castle is unparalleled, but yet I couldn't help thinking back on it as we toured this home, which is completely unfair. In it's own right, this house is impressive and and of historical significance.
Since we had some time to kill after this tour and before we dinner, we decided to hit Perkins Mansion, also in Akron. Sal was a tour guide here when he was in high school.As luck would have it the historical society was having a "Family Fun Day" so there were people in period (Civil War) clothing, tours and tour guides in every room, and musicians.
Sal said the home hadn't changed much in the years since he worked there, and he added his own tidbits of information quietly to me as we toured. It was interesting.
Also interesting is that by this time of the day Seth had had quite a few bottles so he was quite the spitty baby. I hope he outgrows that soon.
Anyway, there are many trees on the property and one is a Cypress that a Perkin's son brought back him from his tour of duty in the South during the Civil War. He participated in Sherman's March to the Sea. Since this is a tree native to swampy areas in the South, it's pretty amazing that the tree has grown in Ohio. It's huge, and also as close to the Deep South as I'm going to get this year, unfortunately. (I tried finding a picture of it online since we didn't take any ourselves, and I couldn't.)
We had reservations at The Office Bistro in Cuyahoga Falls so we headed there for dinner. Sal and I had tacos and Uncle Ernie had Lake Erie walleye. It was a pretty tasty meal, but it had also been a long day, especially for the little guy. We dropped Uncle Ernie off after dinner and headed home. We arrived in Pittsburgh about 30 minutes ahead of schedule.Seth only had two 10 minute naps all day, but he was a good little traveler. Here he is from my vantage point in the car. I love that one little curl on the very top of his head. He has lost so much of his full head of dark hair, but it's growing back. His hair is coming in lighter and perhaps straighter.
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