COLUMBUS, Ohio — A candle company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that cultural hotbed, apparently doesn’t think much of Ohio.
A Twitter user noticed the Simple Nature company’s Ohio-scented candle this week, pointing it out in a [moderately NSFW] tweet this week that went viral.
The candle’s description: "Not much to see. Not much to do. Welcome to Ohio, the unscented candle.”
That lit a fire in Lydia Mihalik, the director of the government agency that oversees Ohio’s tourism-promotion efforts. (She’s also the former mayor of Findlay.) She waxed eloquent about Ohio’s olfactory pleasures in a 13-part tweet-storm on Wednesday. She even worked in the word “chandler,” a solid ten-dollar word if we’ve ever heard one.
You can check it out for yourself, but she lists:
- “Summer breezes at Marblehead on the Lake”
- “Wild Hyacinth at Hocking Hills State Park”
- “Fresh cut grass at Muirfield Village Golf Course, home of The Memorial Tournament”
- “Buttered Sweet Corn from the Millersport Sweet Corn Festival”
- “Hand dipped chocolates from Dietsch’s Brothers in Findlay”
- “Stadium mustard at Cleveland’s Progressive Field”
- “Barbeque sauce at the Columbus Jazz and Ribs Festival”
- “Campfire at Heuston Woods State Park cabins”
- “Mixed spices from Findlay market in Cincinnati”
- “Hot pretzels from the Dayton Hoopla First Four basketball tournament”
- “Fresh baked cookies at the Cookie tables in Youngstown”
“Just a few fragrant ideas from all around Ohio for your next attempt at a candle. Because no matter what you are looking for you can Find It Here in Ohio!” reads her final tweet.
Another Simple Nature scent description is slightly more Ohio-positive.
Cincinnati (oakmoss and amber): “With both an urban energy and southern charm, Cincinnati has a vibrant and unique culture that flows proudly from the Ohio River."
There’s Indianapolis (which, for the record, is also oakmoss and amber): “A city of fast cars, burgeoning culture, and thriving neighborhoods, the Circle City is so lit, we named a candle after it.”
And here’s Fort Wayne (apples, maple, bourbon): “The heart of the Midwest, where souls collide like rivers from afar. Welcome home.”
We reached out to Simple Nature, and heard back from the owner, Derek Miles Taylor. He said he’s a “one-man company who started selling candles as a hobby about a year ago.”
He was a good sport.
“I think I may be projecting some of my insecurities of being a Hoosier on Ohio,” he said.
Anything Mihalik missed? And what does Indiana smell like?