"Have you been to that national park in Ohio?" I asked Julie.
"No, but we're going this weekend," she said.
"So are we!" I said. We laughed so hard. What are the chances? I hadn't even heard of it until this year, and we were going the SAME weekend? Julie came up with the idea that we should surprise our kids and just show up at the same time. This added an extra element of fun - waiting to meet up with them was like Christmas morning!
We all met in the breakfast area of the hotel (we stayed in a Hampton Inn in Richfield) and our kids just stared at each other like ... what's going on? Then we all laughed and ate breakfast together. Our kids have all known each other since they were born, and we've been on tons of hikes together, but not yet in Ohio!
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Blue Hen Falls
We parked at the (closed) Boston Mill Visitor Center. The signs were amazing. They not only told where the trail started, but how long it was and what to expect. This is not the norm at a lot of trails, when you're just winging it and hoping you're going the right way.
After a lot of beautiful woods and hills, you practically stumble onto the falls - because you're on top of them! We immediately took off our shoes and went right under the falls, then left them off to walk downstream. The walk downstream was also beautiful and we went for quite awhile. We climbed out and went back on the path above the water. Our kids chattered the whole way and it was a blast.
Brandywine Falls
More falls? In Ohio? Yes! After lunch Julie and her girls left for Pittsburgh, (they had gone on these two hikes the day before) and they told us this one was the best. We could barely get parking in the lot next to it. (8176 Brandywine Rd) We had to circle until someone just happened to be leaving, and there isn't somewhere else close to park. I guess it'd be better to do this one in the morning, because the parking is so limited, and it wasn't that way at the visitor's center.
We first followed the wood boardwalk that led to the outlook over the falls. It was really pretty, but also very crowded. The boys were telling me this wasn't what the Mitchells said to do. We needed to get in the water to really see them. So we backtracked to the beginning of the trail and went on the path right out of the parking lot that was marked by three large boulders.
Right away, there was a rather steep path to the river. It looked like where water ran off. It was not a trail...but it was great! We descended quickly, took off our shoes, carried them, and walked in the river toward the falls. This was my favorite part of the whole park. It was shallow, it wasn't that slippery, and there was a cool destination!
We saw a snake on a rock, there was beautiful scenery all the way, and we were by ourselves. It was perfect. We got to the falls - beautiful. Then we just were able to get closer and closer until ... we were standing right at the base of the waterfall! Amazing.
To go back, we just climbed up to the original boardwalk overlooking the falls.
The Ledges
We GPSed to The Ledges Shelter, 701 Truxell Rd. It started on a paved path right out of the corner of the parking lot. We took the path with arrows pointing to The Overlook.
There were interesting huge rocks, lots of trees, and a nice trail. We got to the overlook, sat on the edge, and ate a snack.
I knew it was a loop, so I was thinking we'd loop around, but Ty pointed out that you could see our parking lot from just past the overlook. We walked across the grass and ... yep! There it was, right there. There was a wedding party getting their picture taken. Pretty place and a nice hike. We ate great and cheap ice cream at Country Maid Ice Cream (you should go!) and headed off to...
Nickel Plate Beach
I searched online for a long time trying to find the nicest beaches on Lake Erie, and this one kept coming up. It was only an hour from the park, and we got there at about 5:00 p.m. The teenagers were just arriving, there weren't many people, and they didn't have anyone to take the money to park there. (Usually $6, but there wasn't anyone there the next day, either, so I don't know if there's ever anyone there.)
What they did have were signs warning us that this beach had dangerous currents, didn't have a lifeguard, and you were probably going to die. And a red flag. I knew all this due to reading about it too, but I just told the boys not to go in past their waists. There is also a buoyed area to swim.
The beach itself was great! And not scary. There were waves to jump in, nice sand, and we had a really good time. Lake Erie gets a bad rap sometimes. There were seagulls, which some people don't like, and I did get peed on by one flying overhead. (Almost never happens! My grandma once told me it was lucky. Ha!) I did see some dead fish on the beach, and they were still there the next day, so I'm guessing there's no beach cleanup in the morning like some beaches have. But we liked it enough to go the next morning and play in the waves again!
That night we ate at Costa Azul Mexican Restaurant on their outdoor patio, and I had to call three hotels before I found one with a room - the Baymont! Surprising, but we were very close to Cedar Point. The hotel receptionist told me she only had two rooms left, because of the popularity of the park. Good for them! I love Cedar Point, and hope to go again soon.
Marblehead Lighthouse State Park
We were at Nickel Plate Beach by 9:00 a.m., and we played there for awhile before it started to drizzle. So, we packed up and drove to Marblehead Lighthouse. We couldn't go in, but we watched some people fish, saw Cedar Point from that point, and hopped along on the shore on giant rocks. You could also see Kelley Island from here, which my dad had just talked about going to in the past.
East Harbor State Park
Pro - we saw a mink. It was not afraid of us. Con - They used giant, slanted cement slabs to separate the land from the water. It made the beach unattractive, and anywhere the water went against it, you couldn't go in there, because you'd slam up against the cement. There were a couple places with a few feet of sand, and everyone had to go to those places, so then it was awkward because you don't go that close to people on a beach. There was a lot of fishing going on at other places in the park, so if you like to fish, go here. If you like to swim, do not.
It was exactly a four hour drive from my house to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and I'm so surprised I just recently learned of it, and I'm so glad I did! Round on the ends and high in the middle, OHIO!
