I know, I was shocked when I heard the news too, a castle, in Ohio? What!? And how have I never heard of it before? It is a little hidden treasure in Loveland Ohio, which by the way is just the cutest town!
Our little Knight was beyond ecstatic to visit the castle; he packed his shield, sword, & helmet and sat on the edge of his seat till we arrived in Loveland. The girls were pretty psyched too! It was a rather quick trip to Loveland from Toledo, with potty & coffee stops it took us 4 hours. It could easily be a fun day trip, who doesn’t love a good ROAD TRIP!! Woot Woot!! Or you could make a fun mini-vacation out of it and visit other local fun spots like we did. (We stayed at the Hilton Homewood Suites (now that’s a true vacation for moms….there is an indoor pool & workout space, kids can sleep on pullout couch in separate room from parents, there is a full kitchen so you can grab food from grocery store, or on weekdays you can get an awesome breakfast & dinner, oh, almost forgot the best part, .50 cent wine, SCORE!!) it was like having a wife, haha! Someone else to make the beds, cook the meals, clean up, simply amazing! I wish I could live there. Lol!)
When we arrived in Loveland our first stop was lunch. We found a nice pub called Paxton’s that was delicious! We highly recommend the food & clean restrooms…which I had the fortune of visiting 4 times between the 3 kiddos, and by the 4th time I actually had to pee, lol!
And there is a true gem next door to Paxton’s, Loveland Sweets!! If we weren’t all suffering from a massive Easter candy hangover we would have been all over that!
Loveland Sweets is a purveyor of hand-crafted chocolates, caramels, marshmallows, and ice creams. Their house-made candies are prepared in small batches using only the finest ingredients. They also offer an extensive line of quality panned chocolates, fine domestic and European chocolates, gummis and novelty candies as well as seasonal specialities. Their ice cream is made on the premises, and flavors change frequently allowing them to feature ,among other things, fresh local fruits during the peak of berry and peach season.
And next time we go back I want to eat here…..in the passenger car….
The Works is owned and operated by Scott and Jamie Gordon, both of whom were born and raised in Loveland. They share a keen interest in seeing the historic district of Loveland not only succeed, but thrive. That interest, along with their desire to build a unique, family friendly restaurant serving up great food was the driving force behind the creation of The Works.
The building in which The Works resides has historical significance in Loveland, which is one of the major reasons why Scott and Jamie decided on approaching the City of Loveland about their idea. This landmark was built in 1905 and served originally as a water filling station for steam locomotives. Later on, the building served as the firehouse and public works building. Scott and Jamie’s first hands-on experience with the facility was back in high school during class float building activities.
As if the wait and anticipation from the drive & lunch wasn’t enough we then had some trouble actually locating the entrance road to the castle. The castle is located at the end of a very steep and winding road, with private property signs all over the place, good thing we live on the edge. LOL! We took a chance and went down that questionable drive and sure enough at the end was the castle!
Brief History:
The Castle is based on tenth century castles in Europe. It was built by Harry Andrews, a World War I veteran who objected to the use of guns and machines in modern warfare. He preferring the sword of old. So how does a US Army vet get through the first mechanized war if he objects to firearms? Harry was a nurse. Discharged after suffering meningitis (during which he was declared dead), Andrews spent six months in Europe after his discharge visiting castles. His imagination stirred, he settled to the Cincinnati area to found (or, as the Order puts it, reactivate) the Knights of the Golden Trail, an order open to any man willing to help save civilization. As part of his dream, he built Loveland Castle.
The Order currently owns and operates the Castle. A popular tourist attraction, it’s also rented out for weddings and for Scout functions. Open all year for tours, it is only available for private functions during warm weather months. It is possible to spend the night in the Castle. However, before making your reservation, keep in mind this is a working tenth-century-style building. There is no heat or electricity, and the only bathroom is a porta-john in the parking lot.
We so enjoyed our self guided tour of the castle! The kiddos called it an exciting adventure! The grounds are so beautiful too, we will have to go back when the flowers are in bloom, I am certain it will be absolutely breathtaking!
When we go back I would like to attend a drop-in class at Cincinnati Circus & Flying Trapeze, I am interested in the Aerial performance or Aerial fitness class, how cool would that be? I would also like to stop in the antique shop….I saw a couple potential future Pinterest projects screaming my name as we drove past the window.
I would also like to rent bikes from Loveland Bike Rental and take a casual ride along the Little Miami River with the kiddos (maybe pack a picnic) or perhaps make it a day trip with the hubby & rent the tandem to wine sampling at the Valley Vineyard in Morrow….um, yes please! I can’t wait to go back!! Eee! I have totally fallen in love with the little town of Loveland!
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 