TRAVEL ITINERARY #4

The Piqua Historical Area State Memorial
Contact: (937) 773-2522 or (800) 752-2619
Open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day; Wednesday thru Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday and Holidays, 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.; September and October, Saturday and Sunday hours only.

Website: http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/nw13/index.shtml

Here’s What You’ll See:

The sites, sounds - and even the tastes - of yesteryear can be found at the Piqua Historical Area State Memorial, one of Ohio's, and America’s, most popular memorial sites. Located on 174-acres, the memorial contains the most comprehensive museum on the Woodland Indians, a working canal boat, a restored 1815 farmstead and dozens of festivals and events catered to history buffs and weekend adventurers alike. On any given weekend from Memorial Day through October, visitors can watch everything from Vintage Baseball games to War of 1812 re-enactments. Festivals such as The Heritage Festival, that brings more than 100,000 people to Piqua each year, provide craft demonstrations, home-cooked foods and activities and live entertainment fit for the entire family. Taking a mule-drawn canal boat ride along a restored portion of the Miami-Erie Canal is a unique experience offered by Piqua. For one price, visitors can enjoy the entire spectrum of the memorial, including a tour of the farmhouse of famous Piqua Indian Agent John Johnston. The farmstead includes a springhouse, the oldest log barn in Ohio and a reconstructed cider house. 14 miles from Sidney.

Brukner Nature Center
Contact: (937) 698-6419

Website: www.bruknernaturecenter.com

Here’s What You’ll See:

Local wildlife, and wildlife enthusiasts, have a friend in Brukner Nature Center. Bordering the scenic Stillwater River and fen wetland, Brukner Nature Center is situated on 165 acres of rolling hills, deep ravines and thick forests, including a magical pine forest that makes visitors feel like an ant in the grass.

The center has been educating the community on animal rehabilitation and nature for more than 27 years and contains a complete rehabilitation center, treating more than 1,600 wild animals each year. With a restored 1804 log house, herb gardens, animal and wildlife displays, hiking trails and a bird vista situated three stories above the ground and in the trees, visitors to Brukner have endless options for learning about nature and enjoying its many gifts. Special programs at Brukner are offered throughout the year.
25 miles from Sidney.

United States Air Force Museum
Contact: (937) 255-3286
IMAX Theater at the United States Air Force Museum
Contact: (937)253-IMAX

Free Admission and Free Parking at the museum
IMAX Theater does charge an admission fee

Website: www.wpafb.af.mil/museum

Here’s What You’ll See:

Come visit the World's Largest and Oldest Military Aviation Museum! Afterward, be sure to check out the unbelievable sounds and images of Dayton’s IMAX theater.
45 miles from Sidney.

Fulton Farms
Contact: (937) 335-6983
Open:
April-August
Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.;
September-December
Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Website: www.fultonfarms.com

Here’s What You’ll See:

In late spring the vast fields of Fulton Farms gleam red with the season‘s first strawberries, and in the fall, an endless landscape of orange pumpkins await carving and baking. The largest contiguous farm east of the Mississippi, Fulton Farms specializes in a variety of produce. An easily accessible farm market allows visitors to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables, gourmet foods, Old World ornaments, among other unique gift items. The market cafe inside the same location, offers Boston Stoker coffees, espresso, soups, desserts, ice cream, yogurt and homemade bread. Coinciding with each season, visitors to the farm can pick their own strawberries in early June, take a hay ride to find a pumpkin in October or brave the weather to take down their own Christmas tree in November and December. 25 miles from Sidney.

Biking
Hop on your bike and follow the path of the Great Miami River and the Miami & Erie Canal as it meanders through beautiful Miami County. Bike paths run along the Miami River levee in both Troy and Piqua and at Piqua’s Lock Nine Park. Take note that Tipp City’s new bike path is nearing completion. Biking is also permitted on state routes and township roads. Cyclists are asked to observe traffic rules and use extreme caution.

Experience the gentle rolling country on wheels – where parks and historic sites will soon be connected by a system of paved, well-maintained bike trails. With the City of Piqua leading the way, Miami County will soon become connected by a unified bike path. To be known as the Miami County Bikeway, plans are in the works to connect Tipp City with Piqua, with other connections eventually taking cyclists to Cincinnati, Yellow Springs and beyond. Piqua already has a 13-mile “loop” in place that takes cyclists through both the city and country. The proposed bikeway begins at the southern Miami County border, connecting to the Montgomery County Metro Parks trail system that could one day connect to Cincinnati. Entering Tipp City, trail users will pass through four parks, the historic downtown district and right past the Great Miami River. Much of the trail is planned to follow the old Miami-Erie Canal tow path. Reaching Troy, the path will make its way through the city and its attractions before reaching a long stretch of country where it will meet the existing Piqua trail.