PawPaw festival in Athens - Burr Oak & Strouds Run

[TheBigSpud]

Loaded the bus and headed down to Athens, OH for the weekend to vist our OU freshman, camp, and go to the annual pawpaw festival. The drive seems to go on and on with no direct route it seems, but the weather was perfect and we had a great time.

The pawpaw festival had a big turnout and the campground there (Lake Snowden) was full and overflowing. So, we spent the first night at Strouds Run next to Athens and the remaining two at Burr Oak a little further North. Both have really beautiful lakes, but I thought the campground was so-so at Strouds ($20) and off we went to Burr Oak. There we found a great campground just outside the state run portion on the westside of BO that had big private sites for free.

This area has tons to keep you busy - haunted insane asylum, indian burial mounds, passenger train through the hills, hunting, fishing, and camping all around. Also, the quaint town of Athens with cool restaurants (recommend Casa Nueva for mex) and bars. A big difference from the cornfields of BGSU. Having a bus is a big attraction with the Athens crowd.

Another recommended trip.


Strouds and Burr Oak


Athens


The festival


and, of course, PawPaws

[Tinker]

Very nice Pete. I wished I had known that was going on. Not to far from where I live, Pataskala. sounds like you had a very good time.

[TheBigSpud]

Ya Bruce, I was thinking that bus pictured in the parking lot might actually be yours, but the curtains didn't seem right.

[wwebner]

Strouds Run is a great camping spot. I'll bet that there was almost nobody there.
So,wth is a pawpaw
Bill

[Six Volt]

Paw Paw is a fruit! Here's the festival info http://www.ohiopawpawfest.com/

I went to OU '74-'78 and lived in Athens during that time period. Hanging out at Strouds Run was a regular springtime routine. Burr Oak Lake, Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills, Wayne National Forrest, Lake Snowden and Dow Lake on the other side of Strouds all have some great things to offer. I was down there Wednesday and Thursday. I should have hung around and come out to the festival. The annual Ohio Brew Week is also there in July. I always wanted to get a campout together for that, but am fearful about LEAKOILERS driving at night on those country roads. Got to find a place in town. Glad you enjoyed Athens. It's one of the most beautiful colleges in the U.S. and a great little town as well!

[obsoleteman]

The Pawpaw is a Native American Fruit found in the Appalachian Mountains. it has large seeds that would make great game pieces or sling shot ammo. It has a taste a bit like a bannana and a smoother texture. The Pa. Dept. Of Ag. recognises this as a (small scale)commercial crop. there are Name Brand Paw Paw sold in Pa.
I have found one good groove in Cuyahoga County, but the deer own it.

[TheBigSpud]

Taste great!!! - kind of like a banana/mango custard. Made some ice cream with some last week. And yes, they do grow up here.

[obsoleteman]

If you think you have found a PawPaw tree, the leaves feel and look like an avacado leaf. They are hard to start from seed(Perhaps PawPaws have control issues too?), but reproduce much like th raspberry, sending new shoots up from the root. This is one reason why they are found in groves, and often transplant quite well.
Everyone laughed when Chris Chmiel started his PawPaw business and fest. I told him,"let them laugh. You will either fail or have the success that they envy. Go for it and at least you will not wonder 'what if' on your death bed." Before Chris got in on the ground floor, he first needed to build the floor. He is truly a business pioneer.

Taste great!!! - kind of like a banana/mango custard. Made some ice cream with some last week. And yes, they do grow up here.