Council on Aging to offer 1-day bus trips

VW independent/submitted information

Over the last several years, the Van Wert County Council on Aging (COA) has had many requests to resume offering one-day bus trips.  

After some consideration and help from its volunteer group, the COA has decided to offer a day trip on Tuesday, September 24. The trip will be to the Holmes County area of Ohio, and will begin with a visit to the Smucker’s factory in Orrville. After the Smucker’s tour, the bus will then take attendees to the P. Graham Dunn Factory Store in Dalton.  P. Graham Dunn, which was started in a chicken coop in 1976, designs and creates unique carved and laser-created items.

After the Dunn tour, the trip will stop for lunch at Dutch Kitchen, where participants will be served an Amish-style meal. Dutch Kitchen also offers a large bakery, with a number of items for sale. After a hearty meal, the trip will end with a visit to Lehman’s Hardware, also in Dalton. Lehman’s started as a small hardware store serving the Amish community and has grown to be one of the largest hardware stores in the world. 

The cost for the trip is $89 per person, which includes travel costs, lunch, and all tips. It is recommended that participants bring a bag for goodies they receive at each stop. It is anticipated that the bus will fill up very quickly, so spots can only be held with payment. The COA will begin accepting payment Thursday, August 1, with all 50 available seats likely filled by August 24.  

The COA is also planning a bus trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan, on Friday, December 13. Cost of that trip will also be $89.

For more information regarding the Holmes County or Frankenmuth trips, call the COA at 419.238.5011 or email travel@coavw.org.