After a short discussion on how we should occupy our first Sunday of July, Dave and I decided to consult my list and knock out another destination. After traveling up to the Cleveland area, I wanted to venture to another part of the state. I had two destinations in Loveland that I wanted to check out- The Loveland Castle and Memento Mori. On Sunday, July 7th, Dave, his daughter Ari, and I hopped in the car and traveled about 100ish miles southwest. Loveland takes about 90-120 minutes travel time, depending on your starting location.
Our first stop was Loveland Castle.
http://www.lovelandcastle.com/
The Historic Loveland Castle & Museum Chateau Laroche was built as an expression and reminder of the simple strength and rugged grandeur of the mighty men who lived when Knighthood was in flower. It was their knightly zeal for honor, valor and manly purity that lifted mankind out of the moral midnight of the dark ages and started it towards the gray dawn of human hope. Present human decadence proves a need for similar action. Already the ancient organization of Knights have been re-activated to save society. Any man of high ideas who wishes to help save civilization is invited to become a member of the Knights of the Golden Trail, whose only vows are the Ten Commandments. Chateau Laroche is the World headquarters and Residence of the K.O.G.T.
Did you know that The property the Castle is Built up on was payed for by the North Side Christian Community Church patrons And Harry D. Andrews in the mid 1920’s During the 1920’s The Cincinnati Enquirer News paper offered 20 by 100 foot Camping Lots along the little Miami river in which is now Symmes Township. If you paid in advance for a years subscription you were offered a camping lot. Sir Harry acquired 11 lots on which the Chateau Laroche stands on today
Now, this castle is neat to visit and explore, but what really blows my mind is that the majority of the structure and gardens were constructed and maintained by ONE DUDE.
ONE.
DUDE.
The property has some really breathtaking views, both inside and out. There are spiral staircases, a dungeon, paintings, suits of armor and weaponry.
My favorite part of the castle is walking outside, enjoying the plants and aesthetically pleasing stones and sculptures.
Our second destination, Memento Mori, was a six minute drive into Loveland. Now, when we drove into town, we had to turn around and drive back and forth a couple of times before we realized Memento Mori was actually tucked into the back end of the building. Once we saw it, the store front was hard to miss.
About Us
http://www.mementomoriohio.com/about-us/
We search the world for unusual , morbid or shocking items that may skirt the normal human`s sensibilities or items that are rarely known to exist and can cause surprise or fear in many that view them. Never has there been a store in Cincinnati or even Ohio like this . We carry everything from Victorian mourning wreaths to human bones ….and all in between. Some of my items can be seen on the TV show “Oddities” on the Science Channel
We also will buy pretty much anything…
The store’s overall space is small and there are some tight turns because it is PACKED with so many unusual items- antiques, taxidermy pieces, art, old advertisement, jewelry, photos of serial killers, items from Anton LaVey- the list goes on and on.
We were a bit overwhelmed with the merchandise. I was delighted- this is my kind of joint.
As I purchased my very own Memento Mori, Dave asked Greg, the owner, if there were any local restaurants worth checking out. As a personal rule, I don’t like to visit chain restaurants when traveling. I firmly believe that we should check out and support local businesses whenever possible. We were in luck because Greg had the perfect suggestion- The Schoolhouse Restaurant. It was a 15ish minute drive to to restaurant from Memento Mori.
The building is obviously older but well maintained. It was surprisingly large, as was the property. We could see that there was an area outside for outdoor dining, if patrons wish to do so.
The dining room was fun. Every table had a Lazy Susan in the middle. The menu for the day was listed on the large chalkboard that stretched across the wall.
Stairs that lead to the bathroom 
The entry way
Each of us ordered an entree- I ordered the Chicken Parmesan. It was good albeit NOT what I’d call an “authentic” Italian dish. Sides were served family style and we received decent portions for each. The food definitely had the home-style feel to it, like your grandma would cook.
After we finished our meal, we decided to check out the shop they had out back. Ari was excited to see the animals, but we didn’t get much action from the goats as it was a bit warm outside.
The General Store did not “wow”me. They had some interesting items and there was a small town shop feel to it, but it also had random knick-knacks that put me in the mood of a thrift store.
Overall, our trip to Loveland was a success. I got my doses of weird and historic, as well as supporting local businesses.
Auntie TT's Travels 