Soul Rejunification

I leave Fort Wayne and head sort of east to the little town of Wapakoneta, Ohio, the birthplace of Neil Armstrong. That is not why I am here, Wapakoneta is the home of the Temple of Tolerance. The name itself has called me here. It is located in the back yard of a small suburban home. Or so you think. You go through the gates and it actually takes up most of the block. I was amazed at how you could wander thru all of these pathways and they just went on and on.  I found visiting the Temple very peaceful and meditative.

“Jim Bowsher’s master work is undoubtedly The Temple of Tolerance. Developed as a refuge for young people battered by dysfunctional family dynamics or other destructive relationships, Jim spent nearly two decades moving and precisely placing innumerable rocks, many massive, along with other ornamental features, to construct the Temple grounds. The meandering pathways surrounding the central Temple reveal countless surprises, including a cottage built in the shape of a barrel, the door from a jail cell that once held members of the Dillinger gang, and peaceful alcoves for rest and meditation.

Jim has called The Temple “The physical manifestation of a philosophical concept—more a state of mind than a place.” The Temple’s role in the surrounding community embodies Jim’s guiding belief that all people are born with a natural capacity for goodness. ” From Jim Bowsher's website

The Temple of Tolerance

In This Tube Is One Shell Casing For Each American -
Military Man And Woman From Ohio Who Died -
In A War from 1812 to ... 

One of the pathways

View from the top of the Temple.
There were many shrines to various people and causes.  This one reads:
The Broken Chain of Enslavement To Self-Centered Self Serving Bigoted Beliefs

Many seating areas - I read that on weekends, many musicians show up and jam

I belong to an organization called Harvest Hosts (HH). HH has contracted with various businesses and farms to allow RVers to stay for one night. Besides the yearly membership fee, it is free to camp at these sites. You are supposed to buy something at the Host and you can only stay one night. The first one I stayed at was Der Dutchman, which is an Amish Restaurant. This is not going to be good. I spent way too much on eating dinner and breakfast in the restaurant and also buying a few little souvenirs.

I moved on to Sand Hollow Winery. It was a lovely stay, again I spent way too much on wine and pizza. This is not a cost saving way to travel. What was cool about Sand Hollow was that it is located on 80 acres and there are trails meandering thru the woods. We were there on a Saturday and they had a musician (Mark Camden) playing. Mark plays Native American flutes which do not have the brassy sound of flutes as we know them, they are a mellow peaceful sound. As Miko and I wandered thru the trails, the flute music drifts out and it was such a soul healing experience.