Delphos and Heading North

I have a soft spot for the Delphos section of the Buckeye Trail; my family is from Delphos. My parents were born and raised in the small town that calls itself, America's Friendliest City.

When I think of Delphos I remember lazy summer afternoons that lasted forever (in a good way), the call of crickets, fishing in the canal that ran past my grandparents' backyard, eating cherries from Grandpa Koester's tree and late nights listening to my aunts and uncles debate while eating Jack's Pizza. I remember exploring what seemed to a young child, closets and a basement filled with treasures, the smell of grandpa's cigars and grandma's crafts in the front porch. 

So any drive for me along the Buckeye Trail that starts or ends in Delphos is a good thing. A few weeks back, Darryl and I were in Delphos to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday (my aunts did a smashing job pulling off the surprise party) we drove up early, affording Darryl a day to hike and me to explore.

I dropped the hiking man off here, on this quiet (I sure desolate feeling to those who are only accustomed to big cities) road and country cemetery. 

While he headed south, making his way back to Delphos and well deserved lunch at that Rustic Cafe, I headed North, with the plan to make it to Florida, Ohio- just because it is fun to say, I drove to Florida and back this afternoon... 

EAT- Would have been nice but a quick glance told me it had been a long, long time since anyone has savored a sandwich at this little spot. Nevertheless, it made for a great excuse to get out of the car and take a few photos.

Hiking or driving the BT you have to learn to explore with a sense of curiosity and be open to seeing things in a new way, otherwise, you would find yourself bored and missing the true beauty of the trail.

A railroad crossing- we pass over these countless times without a second thought- and why should we? But when I am Blue Blazing, I have a hard time not getting out and walking about the tracks a bit and taking a few photos. The tracks are reminders of great travel adventures. Blue Blazing allows us to slow down, and look at common things, like railroad tracks with fresh eyes.

Will you become enamored with everything you see- railroad crossing, old canal locks, tilting barns and ghosts towns, not likely- (I seem to be though) but you will find a lot of things that are more interesting and intriguing than you ever gave them credit for, just by slowing down and giving these forgotten, old relics a second glance.