When on a long drive, do you ever look longingly at the homes you’re passing with their warm lights glowing through the windows and wonder what the people inside are doing? These moments are most beautiful at dusk, driving down a country road, just as the sun is setting below the horizon.
I drive a lot. Mostly back and forth between Findlay and Cleveland, on the backroads, across the Ohio countryside. One of my favorite things to do is drive through the small towns, through the town center and pass the homes of locals. I love watching the lights glisten through the window, seeing children playing in the yard or the elderly couple walking to get the mail. I’m left wondering who they are, what life do they live? Are they sitting down for supper as a family? Relaxing after a long day of work? Or are they laden with worry? Struggling with a medical issue or finances? Every home, every life, every town is special and unique.
These curiosities are what motivate me to drive through these small towns and stop, if I can, at a local restaurant, coffee shop or mercantile. And that’s how we landed in Hayesville, Ohio, population roughly 500.
We were returning home from my best friend’s joint bachelorette/bachelor weekend at Mohican State Park in Loudonville, Ohio when I asked Doug if we could take the backroads home. It was Sunday, the day of rest, and the sun was shining and warm, so why not take the leisurely route home? It was about lunchtime when we drove right past a rather unassuming pizza parlor on the corner of an intersection and before we could think twice, Doug was turning us around and parking in the lot.
Village Point Parlor is as quaint as its name with a fun, chic atmosphere inside. It’s a wide open space full of family style tables with bright red seating and walk up bars for ordering. The walls are adorned with lovely paintings of cows, perfect for a place like this. Once you’ve ordered off of their delicious menu (I recommend the BLT Pizza), grab yourself a cold beer, or an old fashioned soda if you’re like me, and settle in to enjoy the people watching while you wait. In our case, we watched an entire girls lacrosse team pile in with their bright pink uniforms and proud parents. Several of the girls squished into an over-sized booth and began chatting about their lives. Then, our lunch arrived. Our pizza was made fresh, came out quickly, was the perfect temperature, and tasted sublime.
After lunch, we decided to walk across the street to the Village Point Market and window shop. This market is straight out of a magazine, it’s so beautiful! The displays are gorgeous, the Sandwich Board has a lot of options, their Fresh Deli has tons of delicious items to offer and their gift section is delightful. You can even grind your own almond or peanut butter! Nostalgia was found everywhere from the Throwbacks rack to the milk jug decorations in the windowsill of the eatery. These are exactly the kinds of places that awaken my soul. I love wandering the aisles being reminded of the days long passed.
Finally, the sun was lowering on the horizon and it became time to go. But we decided on one last treat! Back to the Pizza Parlor we went to visit their sweet, cute little ice cream bar where they sell Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. They offer a lot of flavors and we even got to sample a few! We made our choices, they let us order ½ and ½ for a double flavor mix, and we hit the road.
It’s spontaneous stops like these that bring me alive and make me feel connected. It gives me a glimpse into the lives of the people and the heartbeat of the town. When is the last time you took the detour? What happened when you did?
I hope next time you find yourself on a road trip, you take the backroads, make the stop, and if you ever find yourself near Hayesville, OH, eat the pizza.
