Dayton & Yellow Springs, Ohio
Since our trip to and from Detroit took us right through Dayton, Ohio, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to spend time hanging out at our favorite spots. You can read about our trip to the Van Gogh in America at the Detroit Institute of Art here.
Book Shopping…
Arriving in Dayton, our first stop was book shopping!! We wandered around Half Price Books keeping an eye open for that must have, unusual book. I love never knowing what treasure you might find in a Half Price Books. We always bee line for the collectible section. This time I found a book I would love to have, but couldn’t quite justify the price; Stephen King’s Dark Tower: The Gunslinger for $800! It looked like an older copy, but it was in a locked cabinet so I couldn’t get any details without bothering en employee.
Next, we visited Barnes and Noble where I picked up Josh Malerman’s latest release, Daphne. My husband spotted a book with Bear Grylls on the cover. Upon further inspection, I learned it’s a new autobiography, Never Give Up: My Life in the Wild. We love watching Bear’s TV shows (Man vs. Wild and Running Wild) and I’ve read a couple of his books that are really good. (The Kid Who Climbed Everest and Facing the Frozen Ocean) So, in the stack it went. My husband picked out beautiful special Barnes and Noble editions of Alice in Wonderland and The Raven and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe.
We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse and then checked into our room at the Hilton Garden Inn. While enjoying a relaxing evening in the room watching TV, we decided to walk over to the nearby Smoothie King. The Pumpkin D-Lite smoothie is awesome! It tastes exactly like pumpkin pie!!
Yellow Springs
The following day started with breakfast at Bob Evans. (I love Bob Evans and there isn’t one conveniently located near our home, so I pretty much only get to eat at one when we visit Dayton.) A big breakfast was necessary for all of the hiking we did in nearby Yellow Springs.
Glen Helen Nature Preserve…
We love walking through Glen Helen Nature Preserve. It only costs $5 to park your car. There are several hiking trails; we love exploring and seeing where the different trails take us. There are two places in Glen Helen that are my favorite; a long, flat stretch of gorgeous tall trees that offer a magical canopy and the town’s namesake, Yellow Springs. While Glen Helen was relatively busy, we had several moments of being alone, in which we could simply enjoy the sun coming through the tall trees and listen to the sound of the wind blowing, birds singing, and squirrels running through the leaves covering the ground.
Downtown Yellow Springs…
We found our way out of the woods and into downtown Yellow Springs where we delighted in browsing through all of the unique stores. I first learned of Yellow Springs from author, Jessica Strawser. I met her at the Kentucky Book Festival a few years ago where she advertised her book Not That I Could Tell as set in Yellow Springs. When I asked her to tell me about Yellow Springs, she described it as a “hippy dippy little town.” Jessica couldn’t have described it better; it’s a beautiful town full of nature and people who promote kindness and inclusion. Dave Chappell lives here and has gone above and beyond to help this small community, especially during COVID. The small business owners show their appreciation for his efforts to bring revenue to Yellow Springs, especially during COVID.
There are many eclectic shops and eateries throughout the downtown area. There are two bookstores: Epic Book Shop and Dark Star Books and Comics. We spent a lot of time rummaging through the new and used books at Dark Star Books. We found some really cool, early editions of Stephen King’s The Shining and The Dark Tower III: The Wastelands. They also had old Reader’s Digest and Fantasy & Science Fiction magazines showcasing Stephen King. For the first time, I found a few of Tabitha King’s novels from the 1980’s, in hardcover. My husband picked up an old Edgar Allan Poe book that is almost 100 years old. He also purchased some quirky bumper stickers that are perfect additions to his art studio.
A return to Dayton left us with time to wander around the Fairfield Commons Mall and dinner at Olive Garden. One last evening of relaxation at the hotel. Since it was our last night on vacation, and we don’t have Smoothie King where we’re from, it was necessary to celebrate our vacation with another Pumpkin D-Lite smoothie.
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