What makes Edon sights so special is the silent story that lies between the old wooden houses and the wide fields. I remember strolling through the dusty main road with my friend for the first time and immediately listening to the crumbling of the old rails – that was the year when the railway arrived here in 1855 and the small village came out of nowhere. The name comes from a tiny place in New York, which the founders secretly sent home because they needed a little nostalgia.
Edon is located in the heart of Florence Township, embedded in the rural Williams County, and you can feel it right away when you take off the I‐75 motorway and the signs “Welcome to Edon”. No wonder the locals here are a bit cynical about tourism – they know the road better than any guide. I usually take the bus to Bryan and then the short jump by car over US‐20; that's faster than you think, and gives you the feeling of being a real insider.
People here have a dry smile, which says: “We have seen all this a hundred times, but we still show you.” And that's exactly what my favorite moment is: the honest conversation with an older lady who tells me how the annual harvest festival was really before – not an Instagram filter, just real land life. Thus, every encounter becomes a small, unexpected sight that you do not find in every guide.
With the map tool, you can plan the ideal location for a photo online in advance – taking into account the sun's path and the surroundings.
Here's how it works:
Advantage:
You can assess light, perspective and location before visiting the site – ideal for photography, sunrises and sunsets.
To find the exact point where the sun disappears behind the skyline, use the azimuth display on poi-travel.de. In Edon, the sun travels further northwest below the horizon in summer, while in winter it takes a more southwesterly angle. With the embedded line on the map, you can determine your tripod position down to the metre.
The first place I have to mention is the crunching relic Fort Defiance in the city of the same name, only half an hour drive from Edon – a piece of history that sprays more dust than shine, but a great photo motif for everyone who wants to fill their Instagram feeds with “authentic” pictures. I once stood there in a summer rain, while an older gentleman explained with a dusty hat that the cannons were never really fired; that was less romantic than I imagined, but the view over the Maume River is really great.
A short detour to the south leads you to Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, a true wonder of nature that extends over countless wetlands and sandy dunes. Here you can stroll for hours through hiking trails that look more like a botanical labyrinth than a typical park. I once discovered a sign that pointed out that the area is home to over 200 rare plant species – a fact I hardly wanted to believe until I saw some of these strange flowers. Parking is usually easy except for the weekend when the families with picnic baskets flood the field.
If you have enough of green areas, take a look at Maumee River State Park near Grand Rapids. The river here is wide enough to push a small boat, and the water has this slightly turbid glow that gives you the feeling of being in the middle of the West. I rented a kayak there and almost paddled up the entire route, just to see that the sign “No swimming allowed” was not just a joke – the flow is stronger than you think.
For those who prefer motor noise than bird whip, this is Defiance Speedway A must. The dragstrip is famous for its loud, fast cars and the audience that looks more like a rock show than after a motorsport event. I was there on a Friday night when a local driver put a 0‐60 sprint in under four seconds – no joke, that was faster than my last online ordering process. Parking is a labyrinth of empty trucks, but this is part of the charm when you look at it with a cool beer in your hand.
A little culture? The Williams County Historical Museum in Bryan offers a collection of artifacts ranging from old land machines to photos from city founders. I found an old typewriter there that worked – a real treasure for nostalgics. The museum is small, but the guided tours are surprisingly informative, and the staff is friendly as long as you don't talk too loud about the exhibitions.
Directly next to the museum lies the Bryan Lake Park, a quiet place where you can spend a few hours fishing or just with a book on a bank. I caught a huge carp there that was almost as big as my bike, and that was the highlight of my day – until I realized that I didn't really master fishing and the fish almost escaped again.
Whether you are looking for history, nature, adrenaline or a bit of local culture, the surroundings of Edon have more to offer than you would suspect at first glance – these are my personal Edon Attractions, which I can put to the heart of any traveler who is willing to wander a little off the beaten paths.
This guide invites you to stroll with me through the tiny, but self-willing Edon, as if after a long working day we put ourselves in the rear corner of a pub and talk about what really matters – namely why the old library building here is actually the coolest piece of wood and brick in the whole county.
I have Edon Public Library discovered for the first time because I was looking for a parking space that was not blocked by the weekly peasant market party. The building is a bright red, slightly weathered jewel from the 1930s, which houses more books than most people in their living room. Inside it smells like old paper and after the quiet sum of an air conditioning system that tries to expel the heat of the summer – a perfect place to waste a few hours while the locals are discussing the weather outside. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the entire village flows to the market.
A short walk down the main road leads you to Edon Historical Society Museumhoused in a former classroom. I have to admit, I was skeptical if a small museum in a village that has hardly more than a few dozen shops has anything to offer at all. But between the old school benches and the yellowed photos from the 1900s you can feel the pulse of history – from the establishment of the place to the stories of the first railway, which never really held here, but nevertheless brought some excitement. The museum is free, and the staff is so friendly that they almost give you the feeling that you are a distant relative who finally looks over.
If you're looking for a place to get rid of your excess energy, then the Edon Community Park That's right. I once made a picnic there, while a local high school football team trainer loudly explained the tactics for the next game – a spectacle that smells at the same time after real village community and loud, unblown small talk. The park has a small lake, a playground stand that makes more squeaking sounds than it should, and a baseball field that is overrun in summer by the kids of the place. There is plenty of green space here to make a campfire as long as you get permission from the town hall before – this is the next highlight.
The Edon Town Hall is another one of these buildings that you can simply overlook if you don't look closely. It is a simple, two-storey brick house that has been hitting the administrative heart of the village since the 1920s. I took part in a public meeting where an elderly man from the neighborhood passionately debated whether the new street lighting was too bright. The whole thing was a parade example of how seriously the residents here take their little everyday problems – and at the same time how easy they philosophize about life when the meeting is over.
A short detour to United Methodist Church reveals another piece of Edon's architectural heritage. The nave is made of red brick, the roof has a slightly sloping profile that reminds of the times when every craftsman put a bit of pride in his work. I have seen a Sunday concert there, where a local jazz ensemble improvised – a strange, but amazingly beautiful contrast to the traditional worship services.
For those who like to browse, the Edon main road a small paradise of antique shops, second-hand shops and a single bakery that seems to have the best cinnamon chick recipe in the region. I found an old, handmade wooden toy that is supposed to come from the 1950s – a perfect souvenir that not only bears the dust of history, but also the light irony that I buy as a tourist a piece of childhood that was never really childish here.
Another must is the Edon Farmers MarketEvery Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm the village turns into a colorful drive. Fresh vegetables, homemade jams and a stand where an older gentleman offers his self-drawn tomatoes, which are supposed to taste “as from the garden of the gods”. I once tried a piece of pumpkin bread that was so dry that I almost felt I had to “save it with a sip of water from the nearby well”. Nevertheless, the experience is a real insight into what the village holds together.
And then there is still the annual Edon Summerfest, which takes place between July and August and turns the whole village into a colourful spectacle of live music, rides and a barbecue competition where the locals are fighting for the title “Best BBQ master”. I was there last year, and while I was standing in a snake for the famous “Corn Dog”, I heard a conversation about the “good old time” that brought me to the smile and to the head shake at the same time – because yes, who needs a festival when you talk the same year?
If you now think that this is too much, let me tell you that the Edon Attractions not only consist of buildings and events, but of the people who fill them with their own, slightly cynical, but cordial way. I've found more than just a few nice photo motifs here – I've discovered a piece of Ohio that doesn't care what it looks like from the outside, and that's somehow exactly what you're looking for when you want to escape the bustle of the big city.
Villages, towns, districts, places and Vacation destinations you should visit.
©copyright by POI-Travel.de
info@poi-travel.de
