mill creek parks- youngstown ohio

      one sunday mom and i made a right on easy street and headed north as we do sometimes with no particular place in mind. we headed out to st rt. 62 , seeing how far it would take us. we didn't drop off the face of the earth as one heading east might imagine , but we did drop into a valley outside of youngstown and happen-chanced on this beautifully preserved old water mill. we saw it from the arched concrete bridge and instantly we decided to turn around and check it out. running up a back street i found their parking lot. 

      at this point if you have handicapped people in your party it is necessary to review handicapped information. they give a phone number to call and have other facilities where they can let you drive to the door of the mill. mom and even i was hurting while trying to negotiate the stairs from the parking area. it is a wonderful mill and is enjoyable to visit.  Home | Mill Creek MetroParks - this is the link to mill creek's website offering far more information than i can provide .  upon leaving they allowed us to drive across the covered bridge to access the mill entrance and this allowed me to pick mom up there. again check with personnel first. it is a beautiful park and is a must see if you are in the youngstown area. the covered bridge although it is new has a classy line and provides a commanding view of the mill stream . 

    this is the waterwheel at the heart of the mill and is buried in its base allowing year round use of the mill and minimal chance of damage due to freezing. it has a massive overshot wheel with water provided by sluice gates higher up.  the natural falls was a perfect location for this type of mill. this section of the mill i do believe is handicap accessible and requires climbing and ascending a stair.
       the sound of water falling all around lets you become aware of the power to be harnessed by this mill. information abounds that describe milling operations this type of mill would handle.

         the picture to the right  is a view out of the top of the mill . this picture shows you the mill stream feeding the sluice gates in the picture above . the lanternmans mill is but a small part of the total mill creek real estate to be explored. bridges and cabins. as well as lakes and trails to spend a whole day wondering around. butler art museum is one of the first museums in the united states and is not far away either, if you would want to include in one day. but either is a day in itself.
      making a right off easy street as we came in from the south, and headed up the lane and met babe in the drive and we knew we had a good day in. not bad when you have no particular place to go.