July 11, 2017, Mansfield, OH-

The second of three Ohio communities to which I paid particular attention, today, lies in the Heartland of Buckeye country. Mansfield is in the center of a trapezoid, whose points are Dayton, Toledo,Cleveland and Columbus.  It has a few very forested, almost wild looking spots- as do many places in Ohio, which accounts for the Buckeye Trail, circumnavigating the state.  I didn’t stop and photograph those areas, this time, because the road that cuts through them has no pull-offs and traffic was fairly heavy.

Mansfield is a good place to get perspective, on how a family friendly downtown might be, and to get a solid, old-fashioned American lunch.  There is a coffee shop downtown, that looks quite interesting, but I was coffeed-out, after Van Wert, so another time will do.  Mansfield, nonetheless, is giving life its best shot, and towns like this are a good reason why Ohio is back.

Who can argue with a Carousel, in the heart of downtown?  The only other place I’ve seen this, is Luxembourg-Ville.  Lots of littles were having a fun ride, this noon.

For lunch, one place stood out, right away.

It is a tease, but this is how Coney Island Diner used to be.

Still and all, a great meal can be had, across the Midwest, for under $ 12, including tax and tip.  That’s huge, for someone on a strict budget.

Lastly, Mansfield’s youth want all to know that they are proud of their city, and they have a vision.

My next stop would be more focused on art and history:  Canton.