Y Bridge City

It’s Springtime and there is no better way to enjoy the warmer weather than to get out and explore. I don’t know about you, but I love the fresh blooms, sunny weather, going for walks, and enjoying ice cream during the spring. Another fun thing to do for me is to take adventures in cute, charming towns. I love being able to get out with my husband and take a small road-trip to a city we’ve never been to. We will literally spend all day exploring what that city has to offer. It’s so fun and a good way for us to spend quality time. If you are like my husband and I and enjoy short road trips to surrounding Cincinnati cities, I have a charming town for you. I recommend taking a mini day trip to Zanesville, OH. It is a quick 2-hour drive away from Cincinnati. It is located about 50 minutes outside of Columbus, OH. It is a very small and quiet town, but it has some fun and chill activities that you can do. It honestly feels like a mini getaway. Also, the hospitality of the locals is unmatched. They are some of the sweetest people you will meet. I have partnered with Ohio. Find It Here. to bring you all a fun and charming town to visit during the Spring. Come and spend a day with me in Y Bridge City, also known as Zanesville, OH.

Irie Mon!

A fun day trip starts with a delicious meal! We started our trip off with Lunch at Tapas Caribbean Kitchen. Tapas is a restaurant serving up some yummy Jamaican food. It is also Jamaican owned and operated, so you know the food is tasty and authentic. Their motto is “If you can’t make it to the islands, you can make it to Tapas.” My husband and I felt this. It was certainly like eating authentic Jamaican food in the islands. The food and drinks were flavorful. We ordered their “Delectable Entrees” which come with Rice & Beans and Cabbage. You can also switch out sides from one of their other side dishes. We had Jerk Chicken with Mac & Cheese and Cabbage, and Oxtails with Rice & Beans and Cabbage. We also had their homemade Passion Fruit Juice and Ginger Juice. Both meals were hearty. The sauce that comes on the Oxtails was delicious. It was like a brown thick Jamaican gravy. MMM! Trust me, you will leave full. The Passion Fruit Juice was delicious and sweet. The Ginger Juice was very heavy on the Ginger with a slight sweetness. As you can see the meal was the perfect fuel to jump start our afternoon.

Y Bridge

You might be thinking “Y Bridge”, what does that mean or why is it significant? Have you heard of it before? Maybe or maybe not. Well – the meaning is in the name. It’s a bridge shaped in the letter “Y”. The Zanesville Y-Bridge is a historic Y-shaped three-way bridge that spans the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum Rivers in downtown Zanesville. This is one of the best-known attractions in Zanesville. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The flow of the Muskingum River had been regulated by a series of dams and locks. Before the regulation, serious floods often occurred, washing away the earliest bridges. The current Y-Bridge is the fifth in the series of bridges since its original construction. It is a unique structure and pretty cool to see. The area that surrounds the bridge makes for a picturesque backdrop. There is a small, little water drop that looks like a baby waterfall. There is also a railroad bridge right next to the Y-bridge. There is a pedestrian sidewalk on the bridge. Make sure to stop and take pictures.

King of Bronze!

Get excited and WOWED, because I did! Did you know there is a world-renowned bronze sculptor and his sculpting studio located in downtown Zanesville? If you did not know, let me share! His name is Alan Cottrill. You might be thinking, “Ok, what kind of bronze sculptures?” Yes, the little ones that can sit on your mantle in your home, but I’m talking about the life-sized full sculptures you see on college campuses or at Capitol Hill. Alan studied and trained in New York City at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. He studied Anatomy at Columbia Medical Center; as well as traveled abroad to study the world’s greatest sculptures in person. When Alan touched clay for the first time he declared “this is the mistress I’ve traveled the world in search of.” To meet and see him and his work in person was astonishing. I was in total WOW the entire time I walked around his gallery. His work is amazing and very well crafted. He does all his work at his art studio in Zanesville. I even got to see the wax room. He gave my husband and I a mini tour and told us the process to make a life-sized bronze statue from start to finish. He is a very talented individual. His work has been featured all over the world. Some of his most notable work is at Ohio State University (OSU) and Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. If you want to meet the master mind behind so many of the world’s best bronze statues and see his work in person, I highly encourage you to stop by Alan Cottrill’s Sculpture Studio & Museum. You will be in for a treat!

Ice Cream, Please!

If you are like me and enjoy a cold treat on a hot spring or summer day, you must stop for ice cream. One of Zanesville’s best kept ice cream parlors is Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl. This is a small, country town diner serving homemade ice cream and treats for over 70 years. This is the diner that adults came to as kids and now bring their children and grandchildren too. The inside looks just like an old ice cream parlor or diner. They also sell a large assortment of chocolates and nuts. They even have diner classics like burgers, fries, and chicken tenders. This place is perfect for the family and all ages. My husband and I wanted to cool down and just talk over ice cream. He got a Strawberry Shake, and I got a mini–Banana Split. A good time was had, and some good ice cream was eaten 😊

A stop on the Underground Railroad

Now we are going back in time for a moment. If you like history, visiting Prospect Place is a good stop. A 29-room mansion built in 1857 by abolitionist and former railroad president George Willison Adams. Adams was also a member of the Ohio General Assembly and an important nugget of history about the home is its place as a stop on the Underground Railroad. There is a lot of history within this home and leading up to the construction of this home. George Adams’ father, George Beal Adams, was a Virginia Plantation owner with over five hundred acres of fertile hill country in both Faquier and Loudon Counties. His father passed away and George Beal, inherited the estate and became the Plantation owner. Well – Mr. Adams was uncomfortable with this lifestyle because of one reason: slavery. Mr. Adams served in the Revolutionary War and was exposed to the idea that all men were created equally. Well as you know back then, this idea went against the slave economy of Virginia and the south. Mr. Adams felt to hold another man as a slave was a sin against God. He was married with seven children. George W. Adams was his youngest. He packed his family up and left Virginia. He sold the plantation and freed all his slaves. He wanted to create another life for him and his children free from the slave holding curse of his ancestors. He used the money from the plantation sale to buy land in Ohio. Fast forward some years and now the Prospect Mansion was built. It was burned and rebuilt. George W. Adams and his father, Mr. Adams, dedicated their life to a better future for all mankind. They used the house to help runaway slaves make their way to freedom.

This was very interesting to see. The house is currently being restored, so now is probably the best visual of how things might have really been years ago. You can even tour the basement where the slaves on their way to freedom would stay. If you are a history worm, this is a good stop for you.

From the Y Bridge to the Johnson’s Mill Salt Creek Covered Bridge

If you haven’t noticed, Zanesville is home to some historic bridges. While I mentioned the Y-Bridge earlier, now we are stopping by the Johnson’s Mill Salt Creek Covered Bridge. Completed in 1846, this 87-foot bridge is the only remaining pure Warren truss covered bridge in the world. It is pedestrian traffic only. This bridge spans over Salt Creek in Perry Township in Muskingum County. It is being preserved as an important illustration of the fine craftsmanship of the early bridge builders of Ohio. This bridge is a cute little bridge that spans over a quiet and peaceful creek. It is a good place to come and just relax and enjoy nature. It is also nice for a small picnic.

A Cold Brew

Who doesn’t like a cold brew on a hot day? After visiting the Salt Creek Bridge, my husband and I decided to stop by Y Bridge Brewing Company. Y Bridge is a small mom and pop brewing company. The inside is very bright and funky. All the beer making process is done in house to include, mixing, making, fermenting, and canning. They have fun flavors like Peaches N’ Dreams, Peanut Butter Porter, Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter, Boo Boo Strawberry Shortcake and more. They have plenty of beers with different IPAs that you can choose from. I am a sour girl, and they did not have any sours. My husband had a glass of Parker Hayze. He really enjoyed his cold brew. They are also pet friendly.

Let’s Wine Down!

Now we are talking! I am a girl who loves her wine. I am not a huge beer drinker, but wine is mine and my husband’s thing. After checking out the brewery, we stopped by Headley Inn Winery & Vineyard. Headley is a small family owned and operated winery. They make their wine on site in small batches. They even have a small cabin outback that you can rent out to stay. The winery has a homely feel and a cute outside area. They have a variety of wines to choose from. My husband and I shared a wine flight. We did two red wines, one white wine, and a fruit wine. I am more of a white wine drinker. I picked a white wine that was semi-sweet and a fruit wine. My husband had two drier red wines. The flight was good and a good way to try a few different options. From red to white or sweet to dry, they have the perfect bottle to wine down your evening.

Taco Saturday

Now it’s supper time! If you know me, you know I love Mexican cuisine. Before we left, we decided to have dinner at La Cabra Craft Tacos. La Cabra is a cute taco spot with limited indoor seating and an outdoor patio. They are serving up delicious tacos and nachos. They have different taco options to choose from such as tacos, nachos, and salads. I had a taco flight, and my husband had a taco salad. We also shared the salsa flight. Also, if you know me, you know I love a good flight. It’s a great way to be able to try multiple options at once. I’m always here for that. The tacos I had in my flight were the Americana, Barbacoa, Shrimp, and the Angry Chicken. They were all different but delicious.

This is the end of my mini day trip to Zanesville, OH. Zanesville was a fun city to visit with different activities to see and do. There is something for all ages to enjoy. If you decide to stop by Zanesville, please let me know in the comments or on Instagram. I enjoyed my experience and exploring this charming town. This concludes my 2023 partnership with Ohio. Find It Here. I hope you have enjoyed all the great finds shared in each season’s blog post. Be sure to check out the previous month’s post as well as both Pursuit of Delights and Ohio. Find It Here. on Instagram. Take care and until next time – tootles!