Pickwick Place in Bucyrus, Ohio was a recent discovery for Tom and I.  We wanted to meet our friend Karen Graham one more time before we headed south.  She lives two hours north of us in Lakeside, Ohio.  We decided to meet halfway between our homes in Bucyrus, Ohio.  Having grown up near Bucyrus, I must admit I’ve never really explored the town at all.  It was just a place to drive through on our way to something more interesting.  But spending a little time there opened up all kinds of possibilities for future dates with Karen.

We met Karen at Old 30 BBQ.  She had been there before, but it was a new place for us to try.  I was so excited to spend time with Karen that I forgot to take any pictures.  The restaurant is located on the second floor of a golf course clubhouse.  It is the main floor if you go in from the street and the second floor if you go in from the golf course.  The Ohio State / Michigan game was on, so we were a little distracted by that.  The food was very good, although a little expensive.  The company was even better.

After a good lunch we decided to do a little Christmas shopping at Pickwick Place.  Pickwick Place is located just north of the US 30 Bypass on OH 4.  It is run by a family that took a run-down horse farm and turned it into a venue.  They restored three brick barns into shopping stalls, a produce market, a restaurant, and an event venue.  The barns are surrounded by acres of U-pick fruits, vegetables, and flowers.  In December, of course, there wasn’t anything to pick ourselves.

There was a wedding going on in the event venue and it was fun to see the bridal party posing outside for pictures.  Fortunately the day was fairly warm for December.  We started at The Market which sells locally grown produce and Ohio-made products.  Although there wasn’t much produce, I got some Evercrisp apples that were still delicious and crisp.  We also found some good monster cookies.  They carry a wide variety of Ohio-made products and it was fun to browse the shelves.  Some of the brands they carry include Carle’s Brats, Montezuma Salsa, Hartschuh Maple Syrup, Deeper Roots Coffee, Daisy Field Bacon, Scherger’s Kettle Jams, Stuarto’s Infused Oil and Vinegar, Brokensword Apiaries Honey, Center Street Meat Company, and Mark’s Homemade Ice Cream.

After making purchases at The Market we headed over to The Stalls.  This part of Pickwick place is two stories packed with quality items handcrafted by local artists and makers.  There were some fun antiques to check out, vintage toys and games, and a large variety of unique gifts and décor.  I found the Christmas sign that I hung up as soon as I got home.  In addition, I got a hand towel for my oven door, an apron for John, and jellies for stocking stuffers.  It was fun to check out the different stalls and see what they had to offer.

We talked for a little while to the manager of Pickwick Place.  She said they opened just before the beginning of Covid-19, which made the first couple of years a challenge.  They were lucky enough, however, to be able to order a large shipment of toilet paper.  She credits being able to sell toilet paper when no one else had it as keeping Pickwick Place open through the worst part of the pandemic.  Now the wide selection of items offered keeps people coming back.  The items offered for sale change with the seasons.