September 14, 2010

Whenever we go through Ohio, there is one place we always stop. Mansfield, OH is the home of the Richland Carrousel Park, a must see for any carrousel lover. People, young and old, come from everywhere to see and ride the carrousel. Weddings, birthdays, company parties and celebrations of all kinds take place inside the block square park.

Another attraction of Mansfield is the Mansfield Reformatory. Built in 1886, the reformatory was home to thousands of prisoners, 600 at a time. The building was used until 1990 when a modern facility, located behind the reformatory, was built. The reformatory is now open to the public for tours during the summer and is considered by ghost hunters to be one of the most active haunted places in the United States.

Our last stop of the day was the Butterfly House in Whitehouse, OH.

The large gardens (totally enclosed) contain about 30 species at any given time.

Since the butterflies only live about 2-3 weeks, new species are introduced each week. While you walk through the gardens, you can expect several to light on your head or clothing.

We are staying in Birch Run, MI tonight. Tomorrow we will be driving up the Lake Huron coast and will be staying in Oscoda, MI.