You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't heard of the Appalachian Trail: a 2,200-mile hiking trail that winds through 14 states, from Georgia to Maine. The Buckeye Trail is lesser known, but a dedicated group of volunteers are working to change that — not only by spreading word about the scenic route that travels the perimeter of the state, but by continuously working to maintain and improve it. The first 20 miles of the Buckeye Trail were dedicated in 1959 in Hocking County by the fledgling Buckeye Trail Association, whose members continued their work until the trail was completed... Continue reading

Maybe you're a lifelong Ohioan. Maybe you're about to marry one. Or maybe you just inherently know that Ohio is wonderful. If you fit any or all of those categories, are planning a wedding and want to pick a venue that distinctly says Ohio, here are a few places to consider: 1. Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Nothing says "I love you" like vows spoken from within Ohio's signature glass pyramid on the shores of Lake Erie, laden with treasures ranging from John Lennon's Gibson to Bono's American flag-lined jacket worn at the 2002 Super Bowl. With the... Continue reading

Nifty news, cats and chicks! It's not quite a time machine, but when you walk into Ohio History Center's "1950s: Building the American Dream" exhibit, you can step back in time — from the Woolly Willy on the bedside table to the polio vaccine kit to the 1957 Chevy Bellaire parked right in the walkway, complete with a shiny Airstream trailer. Whether you're reliving your childhood or wondering what life might have been like before Roombas and smartphones, the exhibit is a great hands-on learning experience that makes history applicable, fun and amazingly alive. Near the entrance to the exhibit,... Continue reading

By the time March rolls around, even the hardiest of Ohioans can find themselves weary of gray skies and freezing temperatures. But take heart! One of the best things the Buckeye State has to offer in the month of March is maple syrup. So kiss your Mrs. Butterworth’s goodbye (at least for awhile), hop into the car and head out on the Ohio Maple Madness Tour. With nearly 50 stops at farms, shacks and sugarhouses throughout the state, Ohioans who choose to embark on the tour will have plenty of opportunities to treat their palates to the sweetness of the... Continue reading

In ancient culture, Native Americans traveled to Flint Ridge seeking that valued stone — flint — known for its hard and brittle qualities that made it especially useful for crafting tools and weapons. Today, Flint Ridge State Memorial is a place we can visit to learn what that process may have looked like, enjoy the beauty of nature that still characterizes the area, and even walk on top of the flint chips trod upon by Native Americans many years ago. According to the Ohio Historical Society, Flint Ridge is “a chain of long, narrow hills extending from a few miles... Continue reading

Having lived in Newark more than seven years, I never think twice about passing a prehistoric monument on my way to the grocery; the fact that I’m driving past an ancient ceremonial center of the Hopewell culture usually is lost in the rush of traffic. Thus the time I set aside recently to visit the Great Circle Earthworks and museum was one I especially treasured, as I was able to pause and truly appreciate this historical gem practically in my backyard. The Newark Earthworks are the largest set of geometric earthen enclosures in the world, according to Bradley Lepper, Curator... Continue reading

Chances are you’ve been an agritourist without knowing it. This definition from the Ohio Tourism Toolbox website sums it up pretty well: “Agritourism is the crossroads of tourism and agriculture -- where the public visits working farms, farmers' markets, wineries, community festivals, or other agricultural enterprise to experience the out of doors, enjoy entertainment, participate in educational or recreational activities, shop at a country store or stand, eat locally grown or locally prepared food, and perhaps make overnight stays for an authentic experience.” Sound familiar? If so, congrats! Keep up the good work supporting local agriculture and economy. If not,... Continue reading

Cake and ice cream is a standard birthday combination, but Velvet Ice Cream probably won’t need to bother with a cake this year--because it would have to be big enough to accommodate 100 candles (and isn’t that some kind of fire hazard?) The fourth-generation, family-owned ice cream business draws more than 150,000 visitors to its Utica facility every year, and 2014 could be a record-breaker. The Mill marked Opening Day on May 1 (its official 100th birthday) and already is gearing up for its annual Utica Sertoma Ice Cream Festival Memorial Day weekend. Velvet’s home base along Ohio 13 in... Continue reading

Moonville Tunnel It’s not hard to find a haunted house, forest or corn maze in Ohio, and while every venue promises thrills and chills, a few haunted spots offer a little something extra: Spooky local legend and lore. These Ohio towns annually share the legends of real people, how they lived (and maybe, some say, still do) and their legacies. Reservations for most walks are required and fill quickly, so book soon! Haunted Hocking Hills An infrared view of Hocking Hills' Ash Cave The Hocking Hills region offers local history buffs a number of options for spooks this month, including... Continue reading

Along the 14 miles of the Kokosing Gap Trail, my dad and I recently got to climb aboard a locomotive, cross a college campus, take in some gorgeous scenery and even get a little exercise. Not bad for a couple hours, right? The paved rail-trail runs from Mount Vernon to Danville in Knox County and provides a nice, flat, scenic route for cyclists, joggers and walkers alike--we even saw a few rollerbladers out enjoying the gorgeous early-autumn weather. We left from Mount Vernon, the home of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, whose downtown is filled with quaint shops--ranging from antiques to... Continue reading

Talk about a close encounter! - Within 10 minutes into our drive through Port Clinton’s African Safari Wildlife Park, all four people in the car were having a blast, feeding llamas, sharing pleasantries with some bison and seeing zebras graze in the distance. And that was just the first 10 minutes... At one point, I turned toward the back seats to grab a few photos of our four-year-old (with some help from her aunt) holding out a cup of food for a crowd of curious antelope clustering around the window of our little SUV. While taking the photo, I felt... Continue reading

When we began planning a summer trip to Atwood Lake Resort & Golf Club, I pictured the distant, forlorn-looking building I’d previously seen from our sailboat as we passed by on Atwood Lake. My dad had told me the lodge was closed, and it always made me a little sad to see it abandoned there in such a gorgeous location. With that picture in mind, my first reaction upon walking into the Atwood Lodge lobby earlier this month was surprise--the good kind. It’s been almost a year since Atwood reopened for business, making a dynamic comeback from nearly being torn... Continue reading

Brya Long, daughter of Long's Retreat Family Resort founder Eric Long, laughingly told to me upon our arrival earlier this month that it feels like the retreat is in the middle of nowhere. And that may be true, haha - But there are so many family fun activities within the resort that you won't even miss your cell phone reception! When we arrived at Long’s on a misty Friday evening, we were greeted at the camp’s main office (which also serves as a store and souvenir shop) by friendly staff. We stayed in one of the deluxe cabins, which are... Continue reading

Perfect spring weather, exercise and a bit of family bonding: My dad and I had it all for our first-ever trip along the Richland B&O bike trail on a recent Saturday in May. We mapped a route from Butler to Mansfield and back--about 37 miles round-trip. It was the first bike trip of semi-significant length (well, of any length) I’d made since the birth of my daughter in February, and while I was itching to get back in the saddle, I was a little nervous about how I’d hold up. We prepared to depart from a parking lot in Butler,... Continue reading

The last (and only) time I’d visited Alum Creek State Park before our stop there on a recent weekend was as a participant in the bicycle leg of the Greenswell Triathlon, and while that occasion left me with a nice impression of Alum Creek, I didn’t exactly have time to slow down and take in the scenery. We ambitiously traveled there with our 2-month-old and 3-year-old daughters for some family-friendly hiking, and left quite impressed with the various options for what you can do there. In terms of hikes that are accommodating to families of young children (including the kind... Continue reading

It did, indeed, feel like an old-fashioned Christmas. Saturday, Dec. 1, was my first time attending Roscoe Village’s Christmas Candlelighting. I didn’t know what to expect aside from the fact that it would probably involve something Christmasy and, most likely, candles. It did, of course, but there was much more to it. During each of the three Christmas Candlelighting events in Coshocton’s historic Roscoe Village, folks are invited to stroll through the downtown Roscoe shops to take in bits of history (a blacksmith shop, old-fashioned general store, canal boat replica) and/or browse gifts from Christmas present (chic scarves and jewelry,... Continue reading

It’s been awhile since I read Charles Dickens, but after departing Cambridge recently following a tour of his namesake Victorian Village, I found myself in the mood to sit down with a cup of coffee and “A Christmas Carol” (not the Mickey version). Cambridge’s Dickens Victorian Village is a slice of Victorian life visitors can enjoy at their own pace while they take in the sights and sounds of the downtown area – a mix of past and present, as women in long dresses and fancy hats mingle with (in a manner of speaking) jeans-wearing tourists learning about life in... Continue reading

A visit to the pumpkin patch: It’s not just for the kids. That’s part of the beauty of Pigeon Roost Farm, located on U.S. 40 in Licking County, about 25 miles east of Columbus. Of course, there are pumpkins: Big, small, orange, yellow, white, green, bumpy, smooth. There’s also a great selection of squash and pie pumpkins to be used in baking, as well as goodies like kettle corn and bulk Halloween candy. There’s a market with cute autumn décor and a place to purchase costumes. There are chickens, goats and rabbits. And there are loads of places for kids... Continue reading

It was by accident that we ended up visiting Blue Rock State Park last weekend. The original plan had been to head to Perry State Forest, but because Yours Truly didn’t pay close enough attention when looking up directions, Blue Rock was where we ended up. No worries — I bet Perry State Forest is wonderful, too (we’ll get there one of these days), but stopping at Blue Rock was a happy mistake. The 322-acre park adjacent to Blue Rock State Forestin Muskingum County is a haven for hikers, campers, fishermen (and fisherwomen) and folks looking for a nice, quiet... Continue reading

When our family wants to take a hassle-free sailing jaunt somewhere close enough to reach in a couple hours, but large enough to have a bit of breathing (er, sailing) room, we usually end up at Atwood Lake. I use the term “we” loosely, as the main sailor (and boat owner) in our family is my dad. But he’s nice enough to let us join him on an excursion every now again, and by the time this summer’s temperatures started rising, we were ready to give our almost-three-year-old a taste of sailing. Atwood Lake is located in Tuscarawas and Carroll... Continue reading

My husband and I graduated from Kent State University in 2007. Aside from an occasional brief trip back in the last few years (including for our engagement photo session), we hadn’t spent much time downtown until we arrived in Kent this month for a reunion of Daily Kent Stater staffers. Our first glimpse on the ride into town from Route 43 was a surprise. The structures that will soon house the Davey Tree Company were taking shape atop what, as best we can remember, was the former site of a few unattractive buildings. Water Street and Franklin Avenue were lined... Continue reading

In light of recent news events relating to escaped exotic animals, I thought it would be good to give Muskingum County some good PR. It’s a pretty cool place, and it's too bad that reporters at The New York Times and CNN--who popped in for the sad story--missed out on the fact that Muskingum County (Zanesville, specifically) is the site of the Longaberger Homestead and the World’s Largest Basket; has a Y-shaped bridge that’s on the National Register of Historic Places; and is home to several state parks where outdoorspeople of all sorts (hunters, fishermen, hikers, campers…) have a number... Continue reading