Although Hinckley Reservation isn’t far from our old stomping grounds in Akron, Tom and I had never been there. Hinckley Reservation is the southern-most of the Cleveland Metroparks. It is also one of the largest, with 3,200 acres. When we were deciding where to meet our friends Chris and Bill, Tom suggested Hinckley Reservation. Hinckley …
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill at Polaris
Tom and I recently met John at Jackie at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill at Polaris. We were looking for a new place to eat. Firebirds looked good and its prices were in the middle range. Jackie had suggested a restaurant that is new (opened last week) but their prices seemed high, so we decided to …
Six Weeks in Ohio
Tom and I are back in Ohio for six weeks. Six weeks is not very long for all the things we feel like we need to do before we head out for our next park. During that six weeks, I have five doctor’s appointments. I like getting them all over with in a small window …
2025 Visitors at Fort Frederica
Tom and I have been pleasantly surprised by how many people come to visit us at Fort Frederica National Monument. But it is a great place to visit, especially in the winter. We have enjoyed everyone who has come to see us while we have been here. This year, however, we haven’t had many 2025 …
Lunch Box Restaurant in Darien, Georgia
Tom and recently ate at a new place, The Lunch Box in Darien, Georgia. As I mentioned before, we have visited most of the places of interest within an hour’s drive of Fort Frederica National Monument. Because of that, we decided to return to Fort King George in Darien. We returned because the Visitors Center …
Ed and Debbie Braun, Living History Volunteers
Ed and Debbie Braun are volunteering at Fort Frederica National Monument this year for the first time. In fact, this is the first time they are volunteering at a National Park site. Ed and Debbie are from Edmonton, Canada, so they have enjoyed avoiding the snow and cold in Edmonton. Like the rest of us, …
School Groups at Fort Frederica
One of the fun things that Tom and I get to do at Fort Frederica National Monument is help with school groups. Ellen Provenzano is currently in charge of school groups. Ellen wears a lot of hats in the park. She is the bookstore manager, the archaeology specialist, and the education coordinator. She only gets …
Hanging Out on St. Simons Island
This was our 8th season at Fort Frederica. Our 8th season of hanging out on St. Simons Island. Our 8th year of doing things in the area on our days off. What did we see that was new and different? Hardly anything at all. Because of the three weeks we were back in Ohio, we …
Palmetto Hut Rebuild
When Tom and I first got to Fort Frederica National Monument, back in 2017, Tom and another volunteer built a palmetto hut. Tom had done a lot of research and gotten permission to build the replica hut outside the grounds of the historic area. He and Randy Benefield spent several weeks collecting the materials and …
Volunteer Village Shenanigans
One of our favorite parts of being at Fort Frederica National Monument is living in Volunteer Village. There are five RV pads in the compound, which means that there can be as many as ten volunteers living and working together. It is our Georgia community and we all enjoy each other very much. Although Tom …