Living Our Dream

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Part II: Garden Tour

Berlin, OH - Events of Thursday, July 23, 2015

After our tour of Stan Hywet Hall, we went outside to see the gardens. Behind the house are several attractive terraces and lawn areas.

View of the back of the house

Also behind the house are an English garden and a Japanese garden

Japanese garden

Waterfall in the Japanese garden

On the north side of the house is the Birch Tree Allée. As you may remember, Stan Hywet is Old English for "stone quarry." The stone quarry for which the estate was named is located at the far end of the allée.

Birch Tree Allée

The Great Garden is located between the main house and the carriage house. The garden covers a large area and is filled with annuals and perennials in spectacular bloom. There is also a section of the Great Garden that is used as a cutting garden. The cutting garden provides flowers for the beautiful arrangements inside the house we showed you in out last post.

The Great Garden

Margery photographing daylilies in the Great Garden

Another view of the Great Garden

Butterfly and zinnias in the Great Garden

This summer, there is a display of 32 glass sculptures by artist Craig Mitchell Smith throughout the gardens of Stan Hywet. Shown below are (clockwise from the upper left) - "Dragonfly," "Poppies of Oz," "Weeping Willow," and "Hydrangea." Click on the photo for a larger view.

Glass sculptures by Craig Mitchell Smith

As we headed toward the exit, we stopped to see the children's Playgarden where there was an old truck with flowers planted around it and in its bed. We'd love to take Lydia there someday. As you enter the garden a motion sensor starts a bubble machine and music. There's also a splash fountain, lawn bowling, and castle playhouse.

Truck with flowers in the Playgarden

We also stopped in the Corbin Conservatory, which is a replica of the original greenhouse complex that was used for growing fruits and flowers.

Selfie in the Corbin Conservatory

There were loads of beautiful flowers in bloom - so many different varieties we couldn't begin to show them all. However, two that we found particularly interesting are shown below.

Unusual plant varieties at Stan Hywet - begonia rex 'Escargot' (top) and Gloriosa daisy 'Irish Eyes'

We enjoyed our time at Stan Hywet. The house tour was very interesting, and the gardens were beautiful.

From Akron, we headed south to Canton and stopped at Smoke the Burger Joint for a late lunch. We had gotten a coupon for a free order of fries for downloading their mobile app plus we got another coupon for a free hot dog in honor of the fact it was National Hot Dog Day. Like the burgers, the hot dogs are also smoked and are available plain or in a number of different versions. We each had a build-your-own burger, a small order of fries, and we split a Philly Dog, which had garlic-mustard-mayo, sauteed peppers, caramelized onions and melted provolone. The hot dog was excellent, and the burgers and fries were as good as we remembered them.

Margery with a smoked burger, fries and Philly Dog

With our bellies full, we headed back to Scenic Hills to relax for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Part I: Mansion Tour

Berlin, OH - Events of Thursday, July 23, 2015

Last Thursday, we drove to Akron, Ohio, to see Stan Hywet (pronounced HEE-wet) Hall and Gardens, which is the estate that was built by Frank A. Seiberling. F. A. Seiberling, along with his brother, Charles, co-founded the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in 1898. The company, which originally manufactured bicycle and carriage tires, rose to prominence in the early 1900s by providing tires to Henry Ford for his Model T automobiles.

When we first heard about Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, the big question we had was, if the estate belonged to Frank Seiberling, why was it named after some guy named Stan Hywet? Well, a little research revealed Stan Hywet wasn't a person at all, but it is Old English for "stone quarry." Frank Seiberling and his wife, Gertrude, chose that name because the home is built in the Tudor Revival-style of architecture (the original Tudor architectural style was developed in England in the late Medieval Period from the late 1400s to about 1600) and because there was an old stone quarry located on the property.

Gertrude Seiberling died in 1945. A couple of years after the death of Frank Seiberling in 1955, the 6 surviving children formed a non-profit foundation and donated the house and all its contents to the foundation. Thanks to the generosity of the Seiberling heirs, the public can now enjoy Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. In addition to tours, there are numerous special events throughout the year such as a craft show, a Shakespeare festival, several balls and an antique car show. Stan Hywet is also available for weddings and corporate gatherings.

Admission to Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens ranges from $10 for self-guided tours of only the gardens to $28 for various combinations of guided and self-guided tours of the mansion, the gardens and several behind-the-scenes features. Members of the military get 50% off every day, and seniors (60+) get 50% off on Tuesdays. Note that Stan Hywet is closed on Mondays except Memorial Day and Labor Day. We opted for a guided tour of the mansion and a self-guided tour of the gardens for $19.

Since guided tours of the mansion were scheduled to start on the hour, we planned our arrival for a little before 11:00, which is the first tour of the day. After we paid our admission, we were greeted by a nice display of container plants surrounding a fountain on the patio behind the carriage house on our way to meet up with our tour at the mansion.

Container plants and fountain on the patio

The house is impressive with over 65 rooms, 23 bathrooms and 23 fireplaces. It contains contains two million bricks and 21,455 panes of glass. Material and furnishings were shipped from all over the world. In fact, a railroad spur was constructed from the main line to the front door of the house to facilitate shipment of all those goods. Construction started in 1912 and took over three years to complete.

Stan Hywet Hall

While we were waiting for our tour to start, we found out there was a man waiting with us whose father and mother worked for the Seiberlings back in the day. His father was a chauffeur and his mother was a ladies' attendant. When the tour guide found out the man's parents worked for the Seiberlings, the man and his grandson who was with him were ushered inside ahead of the rest of us and were given a private tour.

As a woodworker, one of the first things Paul noticed when we went inside was the fine detail of the carving on the woodwork and paneling. The next photo shows some of that carving in the Linenfold Hallway that runs from the entrance hall to a reception room where guests were greeted. The paneling is carved to look like folds of cloth.

Fine detail on the paneling and woodwork

One of the more impressive rooms is the Great Hall which is three stories high and has a stone fireplace at one end. Even though it is quite dramatic, it was still very comfortable with its overstuffed sofas. The family would have used this room much like we use a family room or living room today.

Great Hall

The Music Room, with an area of 2,700 square feet, was the location of many parties and musical performances. The room features a grand piano, a 2,433-pipe organ, a balcony for an orchestra, and a stage. The von Trapp family of "Sound of Music" fame performed on the stage at the left of the photo of the Music Room shown below.

Music Room

The dining room was the setting for many large dinner parties. There was a button on the floor in front of where Mrs. Seiberling customarily sat so she could discretely summon servers from the kitchen at the appropriate time throughout the meal.

Dining room

The kitchen where food for the dinner parties was prepared is equipped with a stove that will burn coal, wood or natural gas. That way, the chef would be happy no matter what his or her preferred method of cooking was.

Kitchen with stove that burns coal, wood or gas

The tour also includes family and guest bedrooms upstairs...

Master bedroom

...and an indoor swimming pool in the basement. Water could be filled to different levels depending who was swimming. The contraption to the right in the next photo is a sun lamp.

Basement swimming pool

The family was very active, and there was also a gymnasium in the basement. The gym has been converted to a banquet room for wedding receptions.

With all the contents of the home being original, the home looks like it did when the Seiberlings moved in back in 1915. It almost felt like the Seiberlings were still living there and they had just stepped out for a few minutes. One of the things that added to that lived-in feeling were the numerous fresh flower arrangements scattered throughout the house. We were impressed that the flowers for these arrangements all come from their own gardens.

Just two of the many flower arrangements inside the house

With our tour of the house complete, we went outside to see the gardens. We'll tell you about our tour of the gardens in our next post.

5th Wheel Project: Enlarging the Dining Table

Berlin, OH

Off and on over the past several weeks, Paul has been working on a project to enlarge the dining table in our 5th wheel. The table that came with our 5th wheel was a pedestal table with a drop leaf to extend the length.

Pedestal table with drop leaf that came with our 5th wheel

Although we frequently eat outside at the picnic table when we're with family and friends, there are times when we want to eat indoors because of inclement weather. After spending Memorial Day weekend with Lora, J. Michael and Lydia, we realized Lydia was growing fast and would soon need to have a seat at the table. Our original table was comfortable for the two of us; but it was crowded for four, and it didn't have near enough room for a 5th person.

We began to brainstorm ways to enlarge our dining table. The plan we came up with was to split the table across the middle and add slides that would allow the table to expand so we could insert leaves.

We ordered wood and hardware for the modification of the table from several sources. Over a period of several weeks, Paul started the process of making, sanding and finishing the new wooden parts so they would be ready to go as soon as the mods to the table itself were complete.

Paul sanding a new leg for the table

Because the table would likely be out of commission for at least several days during the final stage of modification, we waited until after Lora, J. Michael and Lydia had left following the July 4th weekend to start work on the table itself. While the original table was being modified, we used our folding table. It was a little crowded, but there were only the two of us so we managed for the three or four days the table was being worked on.

Folding table being used during modification of our dining table

Paul disassembled the entire table, eliminated the pedestal, split the main section of the table, added new legs and modified existing components to accommodate the new design.

Key to the function are the slides Paul added that allow the two halves of the table to separate so the leaves can be inserted. Paul ordered the slides from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. He laid out the location for the slides and screwed them to the underside of the table top sections.

Screwing extension slides into place

Testing the operation of the slides

After the table was modified and all the components were dry-fit, Paul took everything back apart so he could sand all the newly-cut edges of the pieces that were modified. He then stained them and applied several coats Minwax Wipe-On Poly finish. The staining and finishing took several days. When the last coat of finish was finally dry, Paul was able to reassemble the table.

Final assembly

The table is now ready to go the next time we need to seat 4 or 5. Without the leaves inserted, the table is the same size as it was before and is plenty roomy for the two of us.

Modified table without leaves

With one leaf, it is 12 inches longer and will be very comfortable for four. With two leaves, it is 24 inches longer and extends almost all the way from the wall to the island.

Table with two leaves

With the project complete, we headed out for some sightseeing. We'll tell you about it in our next post.

Happy Birthday, Lydia!

Berlin, OH - Events of Friday, July 17 to Monday, July 20, 2015

July 17 was Lydia's birthday. We drove to Pittsburgh to stay with Lora and J. Michael for the weekend so we could be part of the celebration.

One of the first things we did when we arrived on Friday was to help take the first annual measurement of Lydia's height using the growth ruler Paul made for Lydia for Christmas. She is 29 inches tall.

Margery and J. Michael measuring Lydia's height

We got to play with Lydia quite a bit over the weekend. It's really fun to see how she is developing and to see how fast she is changing. We saw her just a couple of weeks prior when Lora, J. Michael and Lydia came to Berlin for the July 4th weekend, and we already can see changes in that short amount of time.

Margery and Lydia with Freeway looking on

Paul and Lydia playing with Freeway

Lydia can do a good job of entertaining herself. It's fun to just sit back and watch because she is so curious about everything. You can almost see the wheels turning in her head as she plays because she is very focused and seems to be very analytical.

Lydia playing

The big family gathering was planned for Sunday afternoon. In the morning, we helped Lora and J. Michael with some of the preparations.

One of the things we did a couple of days before we left Berlin for Pittsburgh was to make a collage from photos of Lydia in the shape of the number 1. We hung it in Lora and J. Michael's kitchen so everyone at the party could see it.

Lora checking out the collage we made from photos of Lydia

Lora went to a lot of work making floral decorations for all over the house. They looked great!

Lora working on the floral decorations

We went together with J. Michael's mom to get Lydia a kiddie pool for her birthday. The weekend was plenty hot with temperatures in the high 80s, so it was a good time for her to try it out. J. Michael's mom came over early in the afternoon so we could give Lydia the gift and watch her play in the new pool a while before the rest of the guests arrived.

Lora and J. Michael showing Lydia how to make the water splash

The pool came with a little water cascade and waterwheel attached to the shade umbrella. Lydia hasn't quite mastered being able to pour water down the cascade yet, but she likes to spin the waterwheel by hand.

Lydia spinning the waterwheel

After Lydia got dried off, she took a nap. Except for J. Michael, who periodically disappeared to check on the pork shoulder he was smoking for the party, the rest of us just chilled out while waiting for the rest of the guests to arrive later in the afternoon.

Everyone brought a contribution of food for dinner, so there were plenty of goodies to eat. We finally got to dive into the apple-wood-smoked pulled pork we had been smelling all day, and it was fantastic! J. Michael has become quite an expert pit master.

As the guest of honor, Lydia had a ball. She was the life of the party.

Lydia having a ball

Lydia got to open gifts after dinner. Lora had to help a good bit, but Lydia was starting to catch on. Christmas should be lots of fun.

Lydia getting the hang of opening gifts

It took quite a while to open all the gifts. Not only were there a lot to open, but Lydia would frequently stop to play. In the next photo, you can see some of the curiosity and intensity we spoke about earlier.

Lydia intently examining one of her gifts

After Lydia finished opening gifts, we all enjoyed birthday cake. It was a cake from Bethel Bakery that was beautifully decorated with sunflowers and Gerber daisies to match Lora's floral arrangements. The yellow cake had chocolate mousse between the layers. Yum!

Lora lighting the candle on the birthday cake

When you order a regular cake from Bethel Bakery for the birthday of a one-year old, they will give you a free "smash cake" for the child. Lydia, in her usual cautious, analytical style, stuck a finger into the icing, but she wouldn't taste it. After J. Michael finally convinced her to take a bite from a spoon, Lydia decided she liked birthday cake and dove in. You can click on the next photo to enlarge it so you can better see Lydia's facial expressions.

Left: Lydia sticks a finger into the icing, but she's wary

Center: Lydia finally tries a bite of cake from a spoon

Right: All in

On Monday morning, we headed back to our 5th wheel in Ohio. Paul has been working on a project off and on over the past few weeks. Shortly after we got back, he finally got it finished. We'll tell you about it in our next post.

July 4th Weekend Part II: Burgers, Breakfast and Cheese

Berlin, OH - Events of Thursday, July 2 to Monday, July 6, 2015

After touring the Classic Car Museum with Lora, J. Michael and Lydia, we headed to a restaurant in North Canton Margery had previously found online called Smoke the Burger Joint.

Smoke the Burger Joint

Smoke serves 1/3-pound burgers that are hickory smoked. They have premium burgers for $8 that are loaded with special toppings, signature burgers for $7 that come standard with several toppings, build-your-own burgers for $6 with your choice of various toppings like ketchup, mayo, mustard, pickles, lettuce, tomato and onion (all free) and/or a selection of other toppings like cheese, bacon, fried onions, fried pickles and avocado ($.50 to $1 each).

We all had burgers with different toppings. The burgers are a little pricey if you have one of the premium or signature varieties or if you add a couple of extra-cost toppings to a build-your-own burger; but the burgers are juicy and have a delicious, smoky flavor. Smoke also has delicious, hand-cut, twice cooked fries that are available with several different kinds of seasoning sprinkled on them. We'll be looking for excuses to go back to North Canton so we can stop again soon.

J. Michael, Lora, Lydia and Margery at Smoke the Burger Joint

After our lunch in Canton, we arrived back at Scenic Hills just in time for Lydia's afternoon nap. Margery made a delicious casserole containing Italian sausage, tomatoes, spinach and cheese for dinner.

On Saturday, we headed out in the morning to have the breakfast buffet at Der Dutchman. Lydia, who was sporting a patriotic shirt in honor of the fact it was July 4th, had baby food for her breakfast. However, she also got to try some small bits of French toast stick (without syrup). She is cautious with new foods, but it wasn't long before she decided she likes French toast.

Lydia trying French toast at Der Dutchman

After breakfast, we stopped at the Walnut Creek Amish Flea Market to browse around. After that, we headed back to Scenic Hills for Lydia to take a nap. Several of the adults also took advantage of that time to nap as well.

After Lydia's nap, we headed to the Holmes County Flea Market located just down the road from the campground for some more browsing. From the flea market, we headed to Heini's Cheese Chalet.

Heini's Cheese

Heini's has a wide variety of cheeses. On weekdays, visitors can watch cheese being made through glass windows. The big attraction at Heini's is their tasting room where you can taste just about every variety of cheese they make. On weekends, especially holiday weekends like the 4th of July, it gets very crowded and you just have to get in line and shuffle your way around the U-shaped tasting room waiting your turn to get at the next sample.

Long line in the tasting room at Heini's Cheese

After Lora and J. Michael bought a couple of kinds of cheese, we headed back to Scenic Hills in time for dinner.

After dinner, we watched Lydia play as we chatted a while.

Lydia and Lora

When the sun started going down and it started to cool off a bit, we had a campfire. Normally, we would have had s'mores, but we had visited Der Dutchman Bakery after breakfast that morning and had all picked out fry pies for dessert. Yum!

We got to watch Lydia while Lora and J. Michael packed and hitched up on Sunday morning. Lydia is highly amused by Freeway. We have a lot of fun watching her giggle at him.

Freeway, Grammy and Lydia

After Lora, J. Michael and Lydia left, we relaxed the rest of the day. After a busy July 4th weekend and a full campground, we'll be enjoying a little down time. But we can't sit still for long, so we'll have another update soon.