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NO TANK TRIP - CARRIAGE RIDE
The traditional red barn was in pristine shape with the backdrop of farmland and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park as we turned into the drive. Outside the barn doors stood the most picture-perfect scene: A handsome, cream-colored horse with a extraordinary two tone mane already harnessed to the buggy. Inside the barn was such a stunning collection of antiques and collectibles of time gone by, we could hardly take it all in. A lovely white wedding carriage, a large surrey (with the fringe on top) while proudly displayed treasures hung from the ceiling and walls ranging from the bizarre to the touching. Wade Johnson runs the Brandywine Falls Adventure at Carriage Trade Farm and is the fourth generation keeping the story of the once thriving town of Brandywine alive. While we admired the showroom, a Norwegian Fjord Pony began to gently remind us why we were here. A thump, thump, thump to the fence said lets go. This was his first opportunity to shine too and he was chomping at the bit. Not only are these Fjord ponies striking in their looks, they&Apos;re ready to work and pulling a carriage is light work for this thousand pound animal. Candice, our driver and narrator, teaches in the Akron Public School system during the winter and is lucky enough to host these tours in the summer. The wind blew in our faces as the pony pranced and showed his docile nature was perfect for the job at hand. We learned a small, but once prosperous village stood on this ground. It boasted a saw mill, grist mill, a woolen factory and a distillery. Its whiskey soon became the legal tender for everyone from the teachers to the preachers. It was known as Brandywine currency. Bikers along the nearby Metro Park bike trail surprised us. We&Apos;d gone back in time for that 45 minutes. The tour ended with a Sassafras float to commemorate the root-beer scented Sassafras tree with 3 different leaves we&Apos;d seen on the property. Then it was off to Brandywine Falls. Just a minute down Brandywine Road and the bridge over 271 on the left was a parking area that lead to a boardwalk down to the gorgeous and surprisingly large waterfall where we enjoyed a picnic basket of wine and cheeses while watching a wedding party capture their special day. Carriage Trade Farm offers visitors a once in a lifetime experience in this gone, but not forgotten town of Brandywine and my first No Tank Trip was everything we&Apos;d hoped it would be. Vitals: $55 and only 20.9 miles from the WONE Studios (West Market Street).  Highly Recommended! CARRIAGE TRADE FARM 8050 Brandywine Road Northfield, Ohio 330-467-9000 on the Web: carriagetradefarm.com |
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