NELSONVILLE & ATHENS, OH (Cheri & Mark)

We knew we were going to Athens, Ohio, but heard that nearby Nelsonville has a more Victorian vibe, so we stayed there.

The town still has a functioning central square, probably because it isn't surrounded by big-box stores.  There are several nice tributes to servicemen hanging from light posts.

​The city was first funded by coal and brick making.  At its peak, the Nelsonville Brick Company was producing 25 million bricks every year.  It was one of five brick companies in town.

This is a shot of one of the sidewalks; we got more shots to include in a "Stuff Seen At Our Feet" post later.

Not surprisingly, Cheri stopped a couple of times at the Mae-Lynne Makers Studio.  You will probably see Mark wearing a Revolutionary War-themed shirt in  some upcoming post as a result!

We were taking pictures of the side of one building when we saw this one at the back of the parking lot.  Vegetation gone wild is no oddity in the South, but this building caught our eyes.

We drove around the block a couple of times, trying to see what the building functioned as, but couldn't find the front, so maybe an old-time ADU (additional dwelling unit)?

There are quite a few public tributes and references to labor issues in the area, which makes a lot of sense, given the importance to the region of work that requires much effort and sweat.

​This sign is in Nelsonville.

This mural, and the  caption below, are in Athens:

It may be that most people who eat breakfast out in the area are going for familiar companionship, as menus reflected a standard theme.  When I go out for breakfast, I prefer something I wouldn't likely cook at home.

If we go back, I want to try HangOverEasy, in Athens:

The smell of frying bacon being fanned into the air probably brings in  a lot of customers!  I don't drink, and my bacon is beef, but the vibe looks fun.

This sign, placed by the labor mural and across from the diner, provided information about two successful Black Americans:

We saw this building as we were turning around:

"StewMac" provides a huge area of tools and supplies for building electric guitars.  While Mark was taking this picture, Cheri found a YouTube tour of the plant and the company's own YouTube channel.

​Since we weren't going out for a full breakfast, we stopped a couple of times at FullBrooks Cafe in Nelsonville, a great little coffee and baked goods shop on the edge of the main town square.

Cheri really liked the blueberry bagel!

We left town on the back roads, Cheri navigating with one of the large atlases we love to use to get places while avoiding the main roads.

We barely saw this at the edge of the area as we were turning a corner to leave town:

Mark tried, but was unable to find out just how long ago the business shut down.  Nature is definitely working on reclaiming the land.

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