Spent part of the day in Jamestown, New York which began as a lumbering camp with pioneer settlers clearing forests to create farmland. The railroad arrived by the Civil War and within a generation or two, Jamestown became a bustling city with textile mills, world-renowned furniture factories and a rich cultural life. This Victorian was built in 1885 for George Tew who was the president of the National Bank.

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Jamestown was named after James Pendergast. His grandson, also James, was an attorney and real estate developer and felt strongly that there should be a free public library. Although he died young, his family made his dream a reality and this library, that opened it's doors in 1891, still stands today and is said to serve over 900 patrons daily.

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I couldn't resist taking a picture of these lovely three petal trillium were growing by the road.

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Little did we know when we stopped in Randolph, NY that we would be in the middle of another Amish community. We had fun driving around looking at the different farms and watching the buggies clopping down the streets.

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After talking to two young sisters (14, 16) at one of the farms we stopped at, we learned that there are small one-room schoolhouses throughout the area. Children attend through eighth grade and then work on the family farm. When we drove by the schoolhouse the first time, the children were outside playing - we then saw children walking home carrying their lunch pails and bags. Driving by the schoolhouse, the teachers buggy was still in the yard so I expect she/he was inside doing what teachers do after school.

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It seems as though Monday is always laundry day in Amish communities.

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The Grand River is one of the few rivers that has qualified for the designation of Scenic & Wild by the Department of Natural Resources. Here in Ashtabula County its winding course runs through beautiful wooded areas and some farmland as well as under the Riverdale covered bridge.

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I was thrilled to find out that this area was home to some covered bridges so off we went to find a few. The Riverdale covered bridge is a 140-foot "town lattice" bridge spanning the Grand River. It was originally built in 1874.

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At 156-feet, Mechanicsville covered bridge is the longest single span bridge in Ashtabula County. It's design is Howe truss with an arch. The arch is 15 layers of 2X8 lumber and is encased by large beams which form the X's of the Howe Truss. Built in 1867, it is believed to be the oldest of the county's covered bridges.

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It was fun seeing some of the quilt blocks on barns here.

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We found it interesting that here the bridges are named after the street they're on instead of people as we've experienced in other places we've traveled. The Doyle Road bridge was built in 1868 and is a Town Lattice design, 94-foot covered bridge. It crosses Mill Creek which is a tributary of the Grand River.

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Today we took a ride to Ashtabula, a neat old town on Lake Erie. Here we saw some beautiful mansions .

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Here in Ashtabula we got to watch this unique Strauss Bascule bridge in action. It was constructed in 1925 and spans the Ashtabula River. It's lifting actions depends on electric motors and a massive concrete counterweight. It is one of two of its type that remain in service in Ohio and was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

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Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse stand guard at the mouth of the harbor. It is 40-feet tall and constructed using concrete and steel. It was built in 1905 and automated in 1973.

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We are missing watching our ducklings at home but are having fun watching all the Canada goslings around us.

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The Grand River Light is located in the village of Fairport Harbor on Lake Erie. The lighthouse was built in 1871 and has a 60-foot tower with a detached keeper's house. It was decommissioned in 1925 and replaced by the Breakwater Light.

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I'm still in awe of how huge the Great Lakes are. They look and act so much like the ocean without tides.

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