Portland Indiana steam show

I am heading out to America on 14th August to the Ferguson Expo in Vienna, Ohio. I also hope to visit the Portland Indiana steam show the following weekend. Is this a good show?
My plans are to fly into Philadelphia and drive over some on Wednesday evening and arrive in Vienna on Thursday evening, and maybe tour a bit of Hershey en route. We then hope to stay the second week around Celina OH so as we are within easy reach of Portland for the following weekend. Are there any tractor wreckers/salvage yards in that area, or any agricultural fairs or even any fun things for my children to do (aged 14,13 and 10) Theme parks, zoos etc.
Thanks in advance.....Sam

Pittsbrugh zoo would be close to your route.

Portland has great shows, biggest in the area. And, if you stay at Celina, Ohio then head west on state route 29 (which changes to state rt. 67 when you cross the line into Indiana) and go about 9 more miles you get to Bryant. There is a huge combine "graveyard" there just west of the US 27 intersection. Going south on 27 from Bryant to Portland is a short drive, maybe 6 or 7 miles.

I suggest you google "Portland Indiana steam show" (or tri-state engine show)

The Portland, Indiana show is advertised as the biggest of its kind in the world.
I used to go and set up in the swap meet area, but don't go to the summer show anymore.
I'm sure you will enjoy it, it takes two good days or more to see everything.
The reason I don't take in the summer show is I can't take the hot weather and the motels there want to sock it to the people on rates.

You asked about fairs but I think both the Darke & Allen County Ohio fairs are in that period. If driving the York PA area has some neat tours plus you will be close to the Amish in PA.

Sam when you head over to Celina you can detour to the north and take the kids to Cedar Point Amusement park. That is up around Sandusky,Ohio. That is right on Lake Erie. It has some of the best roller coasters in the world. They call it the Roller coaster capitol of the world. I have taken my family several time to it. They had a blast.

Also there is tons of stuff around the lake to do. You would really find much more around there to do than down at Celina, Ohio.

https://www.cedarpoint.com/

Also here is a Web site that lists things to do in Ohio.

http://www.thingstodo.com/states/OH/nw.htm

I do not know of much around Celina, Ohio. You are on the middle of the western Ohio grain belt. It is mostly large fields of Corn and soybeans. Not knocking Celina, it just is a smaller farming town in the middle of not much else.

At Bluffton Ohio there is a Large tractor salvage yard. Anderson Tractor, to the southeast of Bluffton. Randy and Gary, the owners, are great guys to deal with. Their Dad used to have quite the tractor collection and even had a museum for awhile. I think he has died now but I bet that they still have his tractors. Give them a call. If they still have them I bet that they would be glad to show them to you.

http://www.andersontractorinc.com/default.htm

Just a few miles to the east of them is a large combine salvage yard. Spallinger's Combine salvage yard. Jim is the owner and a real good fellow. He used to live right there at the yard. I don't know if he does anymore or not.

http://www.spallingercombine.com/

Check some of this out. Maybe the kids would love to see a big amusement park and the wife the lake.

kenny wood amusement Park in Pittsburg PA,
Pro Football Hall of Fame- Canton Ohio
Rock and roll hall of fame- Cleveland Ohio
Akron Zoo- Akron Ohio
Columbus Zoo- Columbus Ohio
The Ohio State University- Columbus Ohio
There is lots of stuff to do Im sure there will also be some fairs going on as well as tractor pulls.

JDseller, I have been to Andersons and it is a great yard, like Arnie said "I'll be back!" We are thinking of a chalet to rent and I would love to go to lake Erie but it is a long drive down to Portland for the weekend and we need to rent motels and the house would be sitting empty while I am still paying etc as they only rent for a week. It looks like Celina is the closest place to Portland to rent anything?
Sam

Sam a easy day trip from Celina would be the National Air force museum at Dayton Ohio. It is only about 70 miles from Celina. That would just be a long hour drive. Go east to Wapakoneta and hit I-75 south. The museum is a great place.

The Wright Brothers lived in Dayton. The museum is only 7-8 miles from where they lives and worked. There is a lot of neat stuff on early flight there. Then you have the late jet type stuff too.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/

So you could drive down spend the day and drive back to Celina. Remember distances are traveled faster here than you are used to. An hours drive here will cover maybe twice the distance you are used to.

Kennywood and the Pittsburgh zoo are good day spots, but they are pretty far off from where you will be staying. Hershey Park is great. I live about 40 minutes from Kennywood or the zoo.

You will probably take the PA turnpike to New Stanton, PA, and then take route 70 west to Western Ohio. You will pass through Washington, PA. The Washington County Fair will be going on through that week. It is a smaller county fair, but, there is typical fair food, a trolley museum with trolley rides on the fair grounds. Lots of show animals, live music, rodeo, etc.

Again, it's a good place to stop for half a day, but not near where you will be staying.

A really nice place you could spend a full day is the Air and Space Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The things to see there are historic and amazing. It's really close to I-70.

Cedar Point is only a few hours from Celina. I make day trips there from here all the time. There is also a water park near it called Kalahari water resort. Your family will not be disappointed with Cedar Point. It really is something to consider heavily. It sure beats staring at endless corn and bean fields.

Bluffton, Ohio has a huge combine spares yard.

St. Marys state park will be a great place to go swimming or fishing or rent a boat. It's a huge lake, but, most places in the lake, you can stand up and yoru head stays above water. It's only about 5 feet deep, but almost 14,000 acres. I love fishing there. I haven't been there in a couple years, but you might want to check. They had closed the swimming areas a couple years ago because of toxic algae. It's still a great place to rent a boat for a day.

I hope you have a great trip.

I would add my vote for the Air and Space Museum of the Air Force. It is great, and best of all, FREE...

Portland is a big show with a lot of parts for sale, tractors on display and gas engine display. They have some steam engines there but not a big steam show. You will enjoy it. You should go to Half Century Of Progress show in Rantoul, IL also, runs same time as Portland is about 4 hours from Portland, lots of old equipment out working in fields. There are a couple other shows that have a lot of steam not too far from Portland. Darke County is one , I think within a couple weeks of Portland depending on how long you will be here. Just ask one of the guys with a steamer at Portland, they will tell you where the shows are at.

I believe there is also a very nice truck museum right around Celina, I haven't been there yet but know a couple guys who have, said it was very impressive.

Sam, Wave when you are about to go thru the first set of tunnel's on the PA turnpike westbound. Hershey is nice. There is a massey dealer nearby. MM Weaver is their name. There is also a massey salvage yard in Newville Pa. Nolt's Equipment.

You should come on over to Rantoul, Il to The Half Century of Progress Show Aug 22-25. Big show with 300 acres of crops plus exhibits. Then the Farm Progress Show at Decatur, Il Aug 27-29. Some antiques, but lots of exhibits of new and big stuff plus field demos. Check the web sites for more info.