I take it for granted that people have at least heard of the Hocking Hills, even if they don't know exactly where it is (it's about 40 miles southeast of Columbus on SR 33). I suspect most everyone else thinks that way about where they live, too (after all, who in hasn't heard of Thickety Creek, Ohio?). I know where Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland are, and even know where Pickerington and Athens are, but don't have any idea where some of the smaller towns are in relation to Hocking County. We may be closer to one another than we realize. By the way, I'm always on the lookout for someone wearing a MandolinCafe cap, and if you happen to see me wearing mine stop and say "hey".
I'm in Preble County - bordering the Indiana state line 30 miles west of Dayton; 60 miles north of Cincinnati. You're a couple hours from me - we were tramping around in Old Man's Cave a couple months ago. =o) Beautiful area with all the rolling hills; we try to get there a couple times a year.
Yah, there are some purty sights in this area. I growed up here but didn't go to Old Man's Cave until I was in my 30's! There's a lot of history around here, including a Medal of Honor winner buried in a local cemetery and a white oak tree that's reported to be over 600 years old. Now that I'm older I'm a lot more interested and aware of things that happened in the past, and it seems scandalous that we weren't told those things in school! Next trip you guys make over here, holler and we'll treat you to a good steak!
Lord have mercy, don't mention steak to my husband or you'll find him on your doorstep every weekend! lol
Ah the Beautiful Hocking Hills. One of my favorite places to visit in Ohio. Oldmans cave makes it almost worth paying Ohio's over priced camping fees! I live about two hours west of Hocking Hills in Northern Brown County. 50 west will take you very close to me around Fayetteville Ohio.
Lord have mercy, don't mention steak to my husband or you'll find him on your doorstep every weekend! lol We like beef, too! Ah the Beautiful Hocking Hills. One of my favorite places to visit in Ohio. This is a popular area, but I've never understood why. Can't see the forest because of the trees, maybe. It IS home, though, and I have no desire to leave again. They'll plant me here when I pass on. I've been to the Missouri Ozarks, and that's some beautiful country. Same up around Olean, NY. Those areas took my breath away!
When you live on flat farmground, you appreciate hills more.
That's a true statement, Tracy, fer sure fer sure. Some of the flatlanders I know don't like the hills, and can't believe where we plant corn. I have a bud who is a flatlander and if his dog ran off he could watch it run for a couple of days before it got out of sight. And I was once asked how I could live here because there was no view from the porch... nothing but trees and hills. Sigh! Methinks we get used to and accept whatever area we grow up in!
My wife and I spent a wonderful weekend in the hills in a far away secluded cabin. Very Nice...Im only a couple of hrs west of there in Sardinia Ohio.
Frank, I'm about 15 miles east of the Athens County line off of SR 550. I either take 550 over to 33 or go over through Glouster and up into Perry County and over to get to "The Hills". Scotti, Diana and I spent our honeymoon in a cabin between Logan and Laurelville. Very very nice.
I live in Pickerington located between Columbus and Lancaster, just of Rt 33. I'm less than a 2 hours drive from anywhere in Ohio and, unfortunately, usually have to travel to find any event that features the mandolin - other than an occasional workshop during the bluegrass weekends at Denison University or a weekly jam session at the Bluegrass Musicians music shop. There are a few mandolin players in the area, but only few and mostly leaning toward bluegrass, which seems to be the mando's strength in the USA. I play fiddle/mandolin in a trio - "Achording to Tradition". Generally speaking, it is not a popular instrument around here - and not really graciously accepted in either the local Celtic or hard-core old time music jam sessions, which are very common and very popular in Columbus and its surrounding areas (so I pull out my fiddle and continue playing...). Many, like myself, started playing the mandolin because we were violinists/fiddlers and the instruments are certainly first cousins - then we got hooked ;-) Roger Mace
Athens ain't too far away. I've seen a couple of Athens mandolin sites on the net, but about all they say about mandolins is that they have some. I need to set aside time for a trip down there and peep things out, but plan a trip to Chilli first so's I can check out BBB Music (have you been there or heard of them?). When are the jams up at that Bluegrass Musicians store? I've seen in the on-line yellow pages that there are a couple of other bluegrass type businesses in the same area as Bluegrass Musicians. Have you been to any of those? Only thing I know about Pickerington is where it is. We ain't too far apart. I'll be watching for "Achording to Tradition"... cool name, by the way... for any of your gigs. Will you guys be at the Washboard Festival this year? I live within walking distance of downtown and go each year, but miss the afternoon and evening shows. I'm hoping there will be some mandolin vendors there this year. I've never stopped to think about the mandolin being a popular instrument or not, but now that you bring it up I gotta agree. Dad played a lot of country stuff when I was growing up, and they had a mandolin picker sit in now and again, but the mandolin was never a regular feature. Dad mostly played tenor ban** but was also a real good guitar picker. As a lad I was more interesting in playing guitar, and that suited dad just fine. Today I realize that guitar players are a dime a dozen and I often regret not starting out on a mandolin or even a ban**. By the way, although off topic, dad and his buddy were known as "Nit and Wit". They had business cards made up that read thusly: If an old man wants to date a young girl, that's his business. If a young girl wants to date an old man, that's her business. If an old man and a young girl want to get married, that's their busines. If you look on the other side of this card, that's our business. [Flip card over] Nit and Wit Music for all occasions Phone (whatever the number was back then) Dad can't remember where they stole that idea from, but I've never forgotten it. They did a lot of Hank Sr style music but also did some bluegrassy type stuff. They did Homer and Jethro stuff, too.
Frank, the Saturday jam at Bluegrass Musicians' Supply is either 11:00 a.m. or noon, I can't remember which. I'm sure you can call up there and find out.
O-tay on the jam info. Thanks!
I thought I'd jump in on this, I'm about a little over an hour north of Columbus off of Rte. 23 near Fostoria. I do my deer hunting at Tar Hollow State park near Chillicothe, Ohio. I've never been to Bluegrass Musicians Supply but I've always meant to go. I'll be down in Hopedale Mickeys mountain playing in July, probably the closest I'll get to southern ohio this year. Although, I'm gonna try to go to Southern Ohio indoor fest again. I met Darrin there a few years ago got to check out his Poe, nice instrument! Going to Nova country stage this weekend which is North Central Ohio. I guess that's about it.... D.
You can arrive at Bluegrass Musicians anytime after 10 AM when it opens - players start to straggle in - and the jam builds and continues until everyone leaves - usually in the mid-to-late afternoon. Coffee is usually available ;-) We (Achording to Tradition) will be playing for an hour or so at the (perhaps first and last) Dulcimer/Old time Music Festival in Coshocton, Ohio this coming Saturday. The Roscoe Village, which used to support several monthly summer festivals, has all but shut down. They are only having one festival this year - the October Apple Butter Stirring Festival. So some local musicians will be having this new Dulcimer-centric festival in downtown Coshocton in hopes to keep it alive. Roger
Here's our usual gig: http://themannarestaurant.com/events.html Roger Roger
Thanks for the link, Roger. What time do you guys normally start?
We ususally get tuned up about 6PM and are underway by 6:30 PM, before the dinner rush begins to start, and then wind down by 8:15 to 8:30 PM when most of the diners have left to attend the main show at the Midland Theater (or whatever the weekend event is at the time). If anyone happens to stop in for a drink or dinner, please let me know you are there ;-) Roger
Newark is close and an easy trip, but Friday is difficult for us. If/when we ever do get over that way we'll certainly let ya know we're there.
Hi all, I live in Ross County. Its nice to have found a group for Ohio pickers.
I travel to Columbus for business and would like to know where people are meeting. I usually stay at the Hampton Inn-West or sometimes east. If there are get togethers please let me know. I also belong to the Ohio pickers group so we can connect there as well. Ohio seems to be a tough state to find Mando folks!
There are probably a dozen or so mando players in the Columbus area but they seem to either have their own agenda (mostly bluegrass groups) or are private/busy. I have tried a couple times with others to get a mando group/orchestra together but it hasn't worked out - several express interest but do not show up. You can check out the Bluegrass events a the Bluegrass Musicians Supply on S. High St. - they keep a very good list of evets and have a couple open jam sessions evey week. ROGER
Hello to all, I'm on the far West of greater Cleveland. North Olmsted to be exact.
Hi, Monroe....just off I-75...halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati. Just getting started but real enthusiastic.
Thread is dead I reckon.
...or maybe the thread's just resting. Hi Karon. About a year ago, I had sent you some contact info about jams in the S. Dayton area. Have you been able to connect? I recall you had just started. Still pickin at it? Happy New Years. UncleDave from Centerville
