h1. Murphin Ridge Inn Visit April 2013 Apr 19 - 21, 2013 - with a visit to Shawnee State Forest on Sun, Apr 21. http://murphinridgeinn.com - "blog":http://www.murphinridge.blogspot.com/ "weather forecast":http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.7945166&lon=-83.54519340000002&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=West%20Union%2C%20OH%2045693%2C%20USA 750 Murphin Ridge Rd West Union, OH 45693 - "map":http://goo.gl/maps/ptPn7 ph 937-544-2263 more. * check-in: between 3-8 pm * check-out: by 11 am * rm 2 * "dinner":http://murphinridgeinn.com/dinner.htm reservations 7:30 pm both evenings * ridge full country breakfast included in the room and cabin rates * "breakfast":http://murphinridgeinn.com/breakfast.htm served mon-sat, 8-9 am and 8:30-9:30 on sun * tue-sat, "restaurant":http://murphinridgeinn.com/restaurant.htm dinner served by resservation from 5:30 to 7:30 pm ?? * box lunches may be ordered at dinner to pick up at 11 am the following morning h2. Directions two options: * "I-75":http://goo.gl/maps/0GvAS * "or 23":http://goo.gl/maps/2flgW - (maybe for "drive":http://goo.gl/maps/gyj0k home) h3. I-75 route * I-75 south (187 mi - 2h 36m) * Take exit 16 to merge onto I-275 E toward I-71/Columbus - About 19 mins - 20 miles * Take exit 63B to merge onto OH-32 E/James A. Rhodes Appalachian Hwy toward Batavia - About 48 mins - 47 miles * Turn right onto Tater Ridge Rd - About 10 mins - 4 miles * Turn left onto Co Rd 1/Wheat Ridge Rd - About 1 min - 0.4 miles * Take the 1st left onto Murphin Ridge Rd - Destination will be on the right - About 2 mins - 0.7 miles h2. Dinner Menu Murphin Ridge Inn Spring Menu h3. Starters Baked Ricotta 6 house-made ricotta | local preserves | black pepper | crostini Chilled Pea Soup 5 carrot | radish | lemon | mint Daily Soup 5, Seasonal Salad 8 ask your server about our daily offerings h3. Entrees Crispy Pierogi 14 yukon gold | asparagus | caramelized onion | scallion | dill | pecorino Duck “Potpie” 18 braised duck | new potatoes | spring onions | english peas | roasted garlic | puff pastry Charle’s Bare Ribeye 29 12 oz ribeye | fingerling potato| herb-roasted carrots | ramp butter Seafood MP daily seafood selection | roasted mushroom grits | wilted greens | golden raisins | bacon vinaigrette Murphin Burger 15 gruyere | shaved onion | bibb lettuce | horseradish aioli | hand-cut fries Soup & Salad 13, 18 large size soup and salad topped with your choice of chicken or seafood h3. Beverages Murphin’s Own Raspberry Iced Tea $2.50 Assorted Soft Drinks $2.50 Murphin Sunset – Premium Vodka with Cranberry and Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice $5.50 Murphin Lemonade - Our own Lemonade infused with vanilla and mint $4.00 - With Premium Vodka added $6.00 Coffee - Roasted for us by Seven Hills Roasting Co. in Cincinnati, Oh $2.75 Hot Tea - $2.50 h3. Sweet Endings Your server will describe tonight’s sweet selections for your perfect good night. All desserts at Murphin Ridge Inn are house-made by our chef daily. The choices vary according to the bounty of the season. – Enjoy! $6.00 h2. Breakfast We lovingly prepare from scratch baked goods and delicious house specialties, such as: Breakfast is served Monday - Sunday 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. (diff from above info) * Foggy Bottom Pancakes, * Cream Biscuits with Sausage Gravy, * and Farmer's Scramble. * Granola made at our Ohio B&B inn, * freshly squeezed orange juice, * and fresh fruit complete the menu. h2. Local Attractions "attractions":http://murphinridgeinn.com/attractions.htm h3. Parks and Recreation *Serpent Mound,* built by the Adena people between 800 B.C. and 100 A.D., is famous worldwide as the largest and finest serpent effigy in the United States. Nearly a quarter of a mile long, the mound appears to represent an uncoiling serpent. A museum on the grounds features exhibits of the mound and the geology of the surrounding area. For more information call 937-587-2796. *Adams Lake State Park* permits fishing and boating (non-powered and electric motors only) on their 47-acre lake. Picnic tables and restrooms are located throughout the 95-acre park. An adjacent prairie, rich in natural diversity, provides hiking trails. Contact Adams Lake Nature Preserve at 937-544-9750 *Chaparral Prairie* features a ¾ mile hiking trail and is located about 3 miles northwest of West Union on Hawk Hill Road, just off Chaparral Road. 937-544-9750 *Davis Memorial,* an 88-acre nature preserve with rugged dolomite cliffs, numerous species of rare plants, rich forests, and prairie openings, is located near Peebles on Davis Memorial Road, 2 ½ miles east of Steam Furnace Road. *Edge of Appalachia Preserve* nature preserve is owned and managed by the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History & Science and the Nature Conservancy. *Lynx Prairie Preserve* contains over 250 species of plants, many typical of prairies and grasslands west of the Mississippi. Peak bloom is in August. A trail entrance is located behind East Liberty Church off Tulip Road, near Lynx. *Buzzard Roost Rock Preserve,* named for the turkey vultures or "buzzards" that soar overhead, offers scenic vistas from this overlook in the hills high above Ohio Brush Creek. A gravel parking area is at the eastern end of Weaver Road, off St. Rt. 125. 937-544-2188 The preserve’s Eulett Center is available for community and business meetings, educational programs and more - located on Wagoner Riffle Rd. off St. Rt. 125 south of West Union. *Hilltop Golf Course,* an 18-hole course, is open year-round. For reservations and cart rental call 937-549-2904 h3. Amish Stores and Businesses (These businesses are Amish owned and operated.) *Hillside Bird’s Nest* is a birder’s haven where one can find window feeders, thistle sacks, hummingbird supplies, suet, assorted birdhouses, books, seed and more. There is something for everyone’s feathered friends. *HillsideFabric & Books* has an assortment of housewares, greeting cards, and miscellaneous baby items. Both are located at 35 Port Road off Wheat Ridge Road. *J&L Greenhouse* offers Hanging Baskets, Annuals, Starter Plants & Bulbs, and *Keim Family Market* offers Amish baked goods, cheeses and lots of things made from trees! It is located just off the Appalachian Hwy (St. Rt. 32) at 2621 Burnt Cabin Road, near Seaman. (Try the Cashew Crunch!) *Miller’s Bakery, Bulk Food and Furniture* features Amish home-baked breads, cookies, cakes, pies and rolls, a large selection of cheese and bulk foods, as well as handcrafted, solid oak furniture and wooden items. Miller’s is located at 960 Wheat Ridge Road. *Miller’s Country Store* specializes in outdoor furniture including porch furniture and swings and is located on Unity Road. *Murphin Ridge Building Supplies* is located on Murphin Ridge Road at its intersections with Wheat Ridge Rd. There are also a number of pallet shops and lumber mills in the area. *Raber’s Shoes and Saddlery *specializes in Red Wing shoes, shoe repair, horse related items, such as saddles, bridles, halters, custom saddles, chaps and holsters. Raber’s is located at 5212 Unity Road, off St. Rt. 32. h3. Specialty Shops M*urphin Ridge Gift Shop* is located upstairs in the Dining House. As long as we are here, it is open for you to browse through our collection of local artwork, sensual spa products and some of our favorite books to read. You can also pick up some Murphin Ridge memorabilia as a memento until you’re back on the Ridge. As It Was In The Beginning Antiques* specializes in primitive collectibles and toys. The shop is located at 4192 Unity Road, off St. Rt. 247, just north of West Union. 937-544-2867. *Blake Pharmacy* on the Square features an old-fashioned soda fountain complete with a 5-cent Coca Cola. Blake’s is located on the Square in West Union. *Family Traditions Antiques* specializes in antiques, dried floral arrangements, primitive furniture, books, glassware, chairs, picture frames, grapevine wreaths, and more. Family Traditions is located at the end of Poole Road off Wheat Ridge Road. *Indian Spring Primitives* specializes in Antiques in a beautifully appointed shop with a very knowledgeable dealer. Located on Wheat Ridge Road. *Good Seed Farm* provides a totally different garden store experience at this peaceful farm in the Appalachian foothills. There you will find rustic barns filled with garden essentials, premium quality perennials, shrubs and trees. Good Seed is located at 5228 Old State Rt. 32, at Storer Road in Peebles. 937-587-7021. *Hilltop Designs* features antiques, vintage clothing, dried flowers, and regional crafts. The shop is located at 9764 Tri-County Road Winchester. 937-695-5545 *Granny’s Place* features country and primitive decor. The shop is located at 2586 Burnt Cabin Road Seaman. 937-386-1890 h2. Edge of Appalachia Ohio Birds - "Edge of Appalachia Preserve":http://www.ohiobirds.org/birdingsites/showsite.php?Site_ID=37 Ohio eBird Hot Spots - "Edge of Appalachia Preserve":http://ohioebirdhotspots.wikispaces.com/Edge+of+Appalachia+Preserve Nature Conservancy - "Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve":http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/ohio/placesweprotect/edge-of-appalachia-preserve-system.xml Cincinnati Museum - "Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve":http://www.cincymuseum.org/nature Wikipedia - "Edge of Appalachia Preserve":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Appalachia_Preserve q. Edge of Appalachia Preserve is a series of ten adjacent nature preserves located along the Appalachian Escarpment in Adams County, Ohio. Four of the ten preserves, Lynx Prairie, Buzzardroost Rock, Red Rock and The Wilderness, are National Natural Landmarks. The preserve is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy and the Museum of Natural History & Science. It is the largest privately owned nature preserve in Ohio. The area encompassing the Edge of Appalachia Preserve was first studied by ecologist Emma Lucy Braun in the 1920s. The Edge of Appalachia Preserve is among the most biologically assorted areas in the Midwestern United States. The preserve is predominantly wooded with over 13,000 acres (53 km²) of forestland. Over 100 rare species of animals and plants are found within the preserve. The Edge of Appalachia Preserve contains 30 ecological communities, eight of which are classified as rare throughout the world. Among its rare plants are the Canby’s mountain lover and the northern white cedar. The Edge of Appalachia Preserve is also home to the rare green salamander and Allegheny woodrat. q.. YouTube - "Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHbDZNkt1M4 q. Cincinnati Museum Center reaches far beyond the doors of Union Terminal. As you travel east through Adams County in south-central Ohio, the rugged hills of the Allegheny Plateau rise abruptly above the countryside. Here, at the Appalachian escarpment, sprawls one of the most biologically diverse collections of natural systems in the Midwestern United States. We have come to call it the Edge of Appalachia Preserve, and we have been working with out collaborative partner, the Ohio Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, to protect this area for more than 50 years. q.. YouTube - "Cincinnati Museum Center's Edge of Appalachia":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWKxzNNVJbk #travel - #blog_jr