Lehman's Store and Safari at The Wilds

One of our family adventures was to Northeast Ohio Amish country. We visited Lehman’s store in Kidron, Ohio. Their slogan is “Being Old Fashioned is Always in Fashion.” They have many interesting products, including items used by the Amish. After about an hour of exploration, I bought some old fashioned candy and went to the porch to join the old fellas waiting for the ladies of their houses. My wife waits patiently while I visit book stores and camera shows, so I can wait while she shops in stores that she finds interesting.

On the way home we spent the better part of the day at The Wilds. The Wilds is a nature conservatory located on nearly 10,000 acres of land in Muskingum County. The land was once a strip mine and has been reclaimed. The rolling hills are perfect for a variety of wild animals.

We parked our car and took a bus to the welcome center where one can choose a tour, either in a reclaimed school bus or in an open-air vehicle, which turned out to be a reclaimed school bus with the top cut off. We chose the more daring open air tour. 

As we waited I saw a man get off the bus who was totally prepared for safari. He was wearing the khaki shirt and shorts outfit complete with Australian Bush hat, binoculars, and walking stick. I’m not sure what type of daring adventure he was expecting, but I thought it was kind of funny that he was shuffled onto a bus with 50 or so screaming grade school kids.

As we boarded our open-air vehicle, we were informed that if we dropped something over the edge, it would not be retrieved. Inside the gate no one was allowed outside the tour vehicle. I secured my camera neck strap and checked the fasteners. I’ve posted a couple of photos I took that day. 

The driver was very friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. While there were several types of animals roaming freely, and I’m sure many of which could be deadly, there were none that could jump into the bus. We later toured, on foot, several cages that housed the more predatory species. 

I’ve thought several times about the guy who was so prepared for a safari and wondered how he made it through the tour. As his bus pulled out of the visitor’s center, I couldn’t help but think maybe he would have been safer outside the bus.