What's an adventure without a little misadventure? Our first day of traveling had a little bit of a soft start. After pulling out onto the highway, it seemed like Charlotte was a little tired. She didn't scream to stay at 70 MPH and she slowed down considerably on hills. It didn't take long for us to surmise the problem (we'd experienced the exact same thing before) - the exhaust cooler wasn't fully attached. Apparently when we did our electrical repair the hose wasn't well connected and the clamp didn't hold. With the pressure from the turbo spooling up, the hose opened up and let in a bunch of air, messing with the fuel-air mixture. We pulled over at a rest stop, fixed up the hose and clamp and were on our way in two shakes of a lamb's tail!
After we got cruising, we made our way westward through Pennsylvania. After a few hours, we decided to spend the night at a Flying J. It was our first time spending the evening at a truck stop and it presented its own challenges - because it's a 24-hour store, the lights never go off in the parking lot, it was a little loud, et cetera. But we got our rest and were ready to make our way into Ohio.
Our first stop in Ohio was Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which features a waterfall, interesting rock formations and a bat cave. To get to Brandywine Falls you just have to walk the boardwalk path, which leads straight to some of the best views. After viewing the falls, we decided to hike the nearby trail that led us down below the falls and crossed over the river. From there, we moved on to the Ledges area of the park. The Ledges were a remarkable feature of the park, with massive slabs of sandstone cantilevered over the valley below.
The following day we explored a bit of Cleveland and its waterfront. As fans of cemeteries, we decided to check out Lake View Cemetery, which is home to many famous burial sites. The one that interested us most was the Haserot Angel, which appears to have wept black tears. We had a lovely morning strolling the grounds, and finished our tour at the grand burial site of James Garfield.
From there we headed down to Euclid Beach Park, the site of a former amusement park right along the shore of Lake Erie. Although the rides are gone, there are many plaques and images dedicated to the former amusement. Aside from those commemorative items, the park also pays tribute to that history in some beautifully themed signs. But the real stunner for us was our first view of a Great Lake! What a beautiful and extraordinary sight! The vastness was incredible to see, we now really understand why they’re nicknamed inland seas. After an afternoon of cemeteries and parks, we headed on to our evening's accommodations: Buccia Vineyards and Winery. We tried a sampling of their wines as well as a wine slushy!
We spent a little more time in Cleveland the next day. We took a lovely walk in one of Cleveland's many waterfront parks - what have been referred to as their "Emerald Necklace." For the first time we also met up with a friend from home! Our friend Anna happened to be in the city for work and we were able to arrange some time spent in the company of a dear friend. A highlight was the entirely unique Cultural Gardens - a series of small installations dedicated to many world cultures. Some of the gardens were very simple, while others incorporated statues, fountains, lighting and waterfalls. We only explored a small portion of this garden, but what we saw was well worth the visit. Anna was able to join us for a delicious Lebanese lunch in the University area of the city before heading back to the east coast. After saying our goodbyes, we visited West Side Market and drove over Hope Memorial Bridge, whose pylon statues have lent their name "Guardians of Traffic" to Cleveland's baseball team.
After our time in Cleveland we decided to stay in a small municipal campground in Stow, Ohio. The rates were extremely reasonable and every site had access to at least 20 Amps of electricity (a standard wall outlet). Besides offering nice accommodations at a reasonable price, we also made fast friends with our neighbors and enjoyed our evening chatting with them. As much as we love the free boondocking sites we find, there is a wonderful community aspect to staying in campgrounds. We have met some really wonderful people in our travels and are considering adding more campground stays to our planning, as a result. It’s lovely to be able to chat with other travelers and get some local recommendations or hear about the highlights of their wider travels. We both also love seeing the different ways people travel - from large RVs to little pop top campers, it’s interesting to see how others travel and what they prioritize.
Columbus was our next destination and it was one of those cities that surprised us with its charm and beauty. In spite of some sudden and intense storms, we really liked walking around. We hunkered down in the bus for the worst of the storm and then resumed our roaming. We even viewed the Scioto Mile during and after the rains, which was a fun comparison! The Topiary Park, which is based on the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat was extremely unique. Seeing such a famous work interpreted so beautifully in topiary is surreal, as it allows you to become immersed in the piece.
Having explored a bit of the city and getting drenched in a torrential downpour, we decided to try some local beers. And how better to try a variety of local brews than at a self-serve taproom? We had a little experience with a self-serve taproom in St. Augustine, but the novelty had not worn off. It's a fantastic idea that really gives you the opportunity to try as much of anything as you'd like as the beers are charged by the volume of your pour. Having tasted some of what the state has to offer, we headed out of the city and into the greener areas of the state.
The next day we hit the trails at Hocking Hills State Park. Some of the trails were quite crowded, making us really appreciate that most were one way only. Our first little jaunt took us to Rock House - a spectacular sandstone cave that features windows and doorways and has served as a shelter to many throughout the ages. One of the most crowded trails was to Old Man's Cave - an overhang cave in which a fellow nicknamed "Old Man" once lived. We then took the trail to Cedar Falls which was named based on the misidentification of Hemlock trees growing near the waters. Our final stop in the park was Ash Cave - a truly breathtaking overhang cave that should serve as a concert venue. Fortunately for us, one of the other hikers brought a flute and serenaded us with some lovely melodies. In addition to the massive overhang, there is a small waterfall, basically a small column of water, that falls off of the overhang into a shallow, sandy pool. Between the views and the dulcet tones, this was our favorite stop at Hocking Hills. We had an interesting day here, each individual site required minimal hiking (1-1.5 miles) but it made the most sense to drive to each trailhead. There are longer trails that connect some points, but we opted to do several small hikes to ensure that we saw some of the most recommended views.
While we were parked at WalMart we were approached by a gentleman just starting a conversion on a van. We discussed the process and the freedom that it affords and he told us we must put our kayaks in in nearby Indian Lake. After some time paddling we headed over to scale Ohio's high peak-Campbell Hill. Campbell Hill was a unique high point experience for us as it is a drive-up. We parked mere inches below its extreme elevation (1,550 feet) before ascending to the USGS marker and a marble monument which indicated our arrival at the precipice of Ohio.
Our final stop in Ohio was at White Shutter Winery and Brewery. We settled ourselves in and then grabbed some drinks in the yard. We were fortunate enough to have arrived on a night with live music, so we enjoyed our wine and beers while listening to some local musicians. Capping off our Ohio trip with Campbell Hill and a night of drinks and music was the perfect sendoff. And the travels continued!
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