The Top 5 Must See Sights of Aruba (That Are Actually in Wooster, Ohio!)

[arubabeach]

You work hard. And you deserve a break! So you’re planning the perfect getaway to an island paradise—Aruba! With its sparkling white sand, crystal blue waters, and diverse cultural history, there’s nowhere in the world that could provide as rich an experience…right?

[occidental_grand_aruba_honeymoons]

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While playing paddleball with your beautiful wife on Aruba’s pristine shores, you just might work up an appetite. Hey, why not swing by the Guggisberg Cheese Factory, birthplace of Baby Swiss Cheese?

From the owners:

Sample our cheeses and see for yourself why people visit here from all over the world. In addition to Award Winning Cheese, our gift shop also features local and European Style Meats, Authentic Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks, and all the necessary cheese accessories. Visit us today!

Rich in fat yet austere in flavor, Guggisberg cheese is a perfect meal for any German immigrant looking to express his fear of the Lord through stoic asceticism. But hang on, don’t book that ticket to Boca Catalina just yet. What if we told you that the Guggisberg Cheese Factory is actually located in Millersburg, Ohio, just minutes from Wooster?

[guggisberg-cheese-factory]

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Your exceptional children have spent an idyllic morning laughing together and building sand castles in the soothing Caribbean breeze. You promised the headmaster of their highly competitive boarding school that you’d find a few educational experiences to make up for the classes they’ll miss. So what exotic indigenous peoples are available to enrich your children’s appreciation of global diversity? How about The Amish?

Descended from Swiss Anabaptist luddites, the Amish developed an affinity for plain clothing, simple living, and the notion that the stage of technological advances reached in the early 18th century is, morally speaking, the only acceptable stage. If you’re lucky, you may hear a few of them speaking Pennsylvania Dutch to one ano—oh darn, did we spoil the surprise? That's right, these peculiar natives won’t be found in Aruba, they're just a short drive from Wooster, Ohio! Charm, Kidron, Massilon, and Millersburg, Northeastern Ohio is your oyster!

[theamishinfrontofguggisberg] Hey, here are some Amish smiling in front of the world famous Guggisberg Cheese Factory!

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After a lazy mid-morning by the palms, you turn to your beaming wife. She looks as beautiful as the day you married her, bronzing as she soaks up the finest sun the Bahamas has to offer, she intertwines her fingers with yours and tenderly presses them — lunch? You've come a world away to discover a depth of culinary variety that could only be found in a foreign land. Well, look no further than Ryan’s. On any given day you’ll find scores of options, a menagerie of meats, 26+ side dishes, a veritable cornucopia of vegetables, and pounds of deserts awaiting your arrival. All of this arranged as per the “serve yourself” custom of the locals. But if you want service like this, you’ll have to pack that beach gear away and get on a plane BACK to the Akron/Canton airport because Ryan’s is RIGHT HERE in lovely Wooster, Ohio.

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---#4---

Your son has mastered water skiing and wake boarding in just 3 short days. Your daughter has spent most of her time tubing and exploring the abundant turquoise waters with nothing but her snorkel and a childlike sense of wonder. You and your wife have watched on with glad hearts and broad smiles from your banana boat. But none of this will be coming home with you, so it's time to hit up the souvenir shops. You may want to drop by Everything Rubbermaid. Yes, Everything Rubbermaid is a store that exclusively sells products made by the corporation that built this town. The store was established in 1993, exactly 10 years before Rubbermaid relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, pulled out of Wooster, laid off thousands of local factory employees, and wrought havoc on the local economy. Believe it or not, to bring home your own neat little piece of this history you'll actually have to be in Wooster, Ohio!

[everything-rubbermaid]

---#5---

You take one last parasail ride as a family over the inlet where you shared so many memories during these past two weeks. You survey the serene landscape from above, feeling sentimental as you pass over the bungalow, the fire pit, the now familiar fishing boats—you wave at Ricardo and he waves back—a pelican soars just close enough for your daughter to pet it and share a brief but unforgettable moment of eye contact. You thank God for your healthy, smiling family, their skin freshly exfoliated by the briny ocean air, newly tanned by the warm tropical sun, you embrace each other in an hour long safety harness assisted four way hug. What could top this?

Why not come back to the Guggisberg Cheese Factory? Or more specifically the Guggisberg Cheese Factory Model Train Display. Did you notice it the first time? It's right above the front door to the gift shop. And, you guessed it, it's just a short drive from Wooster, Ohio.

[guggisbergtraindisplay]

Wooster, Ohio: 10 stars Why spend your money somewhere else?

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ2E9lYHiSU[/embed]

[Paid for by the Wooster Department of Tourism]