After returning from the Blue Hen Falls which was only a 2.4 mile hike, we decided we had time and energy to hike another. This one was recommended by the park ranger as it was further in the park and away from the traffic.
Most of the other hikers followed the paved path, so I decided to cross the field and escape into what I thought was a road less travelled.
I was not disappointed! Always, as long as you have GPS, try a different route.
As soon as we went into the forest, I knew I was going to like this trail better. It led along a rocky height and when looking down you could see another trail.
The trees surviving among the rocks is so interesting to me.
George was dealing with some stressful business and I was trying hard not to let it effect my peace. So I sat along this edge of the overlook for a bit while he handled his calls.
He captured this of me looking up.
Just trying to get new perspectives wondering if our entire weekend was going to be dismantled by intermittent distractions of real life.
The skin of this tree stood out and I enjoyed looking down at its base admiring how far it had come.
I understood why they named this one “Ledges”.
Such a boy scout with his backpack of water and snacks. I never eat or drink while hiking, not sure why. Maybe I never pushed myself hard enough or long enough to need it.
Hoping we could enjoy the rest of the day.
Again with the trees and rocks. How they hold onto each other seamlessly.
We definitely enjoyed this trail more with the natural and quiet terrain.
Once we were down on the lower level, looking up at these monstrous rocks left me awestruck.
I mean seriously. How can you not be fascinated when you see this root system.
We were practically alone on this trail which surprised me since there were so many cars in the parking lot when we arrived.
Checking out the coloration and texture variety.
I decided to climb up the rocks. Sadly wishing I was alone to meditate and really soak it all in. Sometimes hiking with others is great because the conversations are wonderful and seeing through others eyes can be equally fascinating. Other times I need the space to be myself. George allows me this space to climb and be me as he patiently awaits below.
I truly enjoyed this trail and all it offered.
Reminded me a bit of the Red River Gorge.
Natural beauty. Never thin or made up.
But balanced and diverse.
With layers of interesting change and adaptation.
Every couple of feet there was something new to see.
A wonderful path to take.
Rocks are starting to get my attention as much as trees.
I wish I wore green to fit in better 🙂
We were nearing the end and I was happy we selected this one as a follow up to Blue Hen.
My determined never quitting partner in crime.
Can’t get enough.
Like they are holding hands and became one.
Looking up a the beauty which is free.
I of course climbed in to see what was behind this rock curtain. It was a secluded alcove that made me envision living back in time, seeking shelter and living with the land.
This of course started me wanting to road trip again. For months at a time, which led to talks of hope of van life one day. Maybe on a more upscale level and something more substantial that I could use over time. A girl can dream.
If you haven’t been here and love donuts and beer, this is a must see. We got there early, but by the time we left there was a line out the door! An adorably Key West themed decorated donut spot that also had local beers on tap.
Need I say more?
Perfect neon sign capturing the spunk and attitude of this charming spot.
Breakfast of champions. The chocolate covered one was a cannoli flavor and was not too sweet and perfectly captured.
My muse.
Seeing more and more signs about protecting kids instead of guns.
Locals and tourists alike flock here for donuts.
Another cute spot in Edgewater is the lakeside beach. We headed over and watched the kids play with the seagulls while adults worked out nearby. There were two beach workout classes going on at the same time, one was yoga and the other a boot camp. Very interesting to see them on the beach together. You would think it would have encouraged me but instead I just sat in our double wide fold out chair and soaked in the view.
Lake Erie is huge.
Selfie capturing the more ambitious adults in the background doing healthier things that eating donuts and drinking beer.
Road trip to Cleveland. For no better reason than it was drivable, offered hiking and breweries- what more could a girl ask for? After hiking most of the morning at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, George and I decided to grab something to eat in Ohio City.
Needless to say, we never left. This very walkable area offered a variety of breweries as well as the infamous West Side Market and Grandma Campbell’s cupcakes. We hit as much as we could and then some!
#1- Firs stop was the classic must see “Great Lakes” Brewery. Historic Cleveland. We did one flight and I wasn’t so impressed. I think I’m spoiled now by all the variety that is out there offered by the smaller companies.
#2- We walked into the Market Garden Brewery only to find out they gave tours and sold merch but the brewery itself was not there. The gal running the store told us about Nano, so we headed across the parking lot to check it out.
Cool glass blowing shop on our way.
Also some metal art of plants George couldn’t kill.
#3- Nano is a cute little place. I love how all the breweries in this city are unique. All of them sporting trans flags advertising their open mindedness and desire for like minded clientele.
Adorable bike rack right outside. Ohio City had tons of scooter and electric bike options. I really need to start downloading some new apps.
Inside was the typical sticker fridge and colorful beer chalk sign of choices.
We climbed our way to the balcony where no one sat and admired the peace and view. Noticed the plants were on a self watering system which I had never noticed before. Makes sense, but I wondered why I’d never seen them in action.
#4- The Bookhouse Brewery. With George’s love of books, I knew we would be hitting this one! I loved it immediately upon entering, but I ticked off the bartender by calling heavy metal music “angry” so I backed away and wandered the place to find the perfect seat while George got our drinks.
Love all the history in this place.
They actually explained the inside of the walls and the old wallpaper underneath. They salvaged some copper tiles and used it on the current ceiling.
We sat facing the amazing view of the Cleveland.
World Book Encyclopedias! Such memories. Those door to door salesman must have made a mint in the 1970s!
We need more of this in conservative Cincinnati. Businesses making a stand.
We passed some great murals while walking along our way.
I wanted to buy one of these utopian homes. I could see myself in such a place. If only I had the money. I’d own it and rent it out when I was traveling.
Loved the attention to detail adding color between the generic industrial colors of the recycled metal homes.
Love the pop up shops too.
Knew if Zoe and Sedona were with us, we would’ve ended up inside this original art store.
Check out the slide leaving the building. We were told that living in this part of town is more expensive than in the heart of Cleveland these days.
#5 -Saucy Brewery. Love how George carried my Campbell’s cupcakes around for me and my girls. It brought back a childhood memory that I wanted to share with them upon return.
These guys were playing beer pong using trash cans and basketballs. I was tempted to team up with George and take them on for a game.
Selfie moment.
Love is love.
The message was clear.
This was the indoor look at Saucy.
Ohio City, highly recommended to those visiting this area.
The support of all the local breweries.
#6- North High Brewing.
Always merch which is fun, but never a vee neck tee which I’m on the hunt for.
Loaded fries were just what we needed at this stage of our beer hop and a jar of pickles to keep us from cramping.
Such personality in the shops along the way. Had to admire.
#7- Had to take a quick dive into a game stop for a bathroom break. Looked like a fun way to spend the evening.
You can’t read this without singing it.
Day 2- We continued a bit of hopping but not in Ohio City. Checked out a few places surrounding the area but at a much slower pace.
#8- We ended up at Terrestrial Brewery where I had visited with Debbie on one of my hiking trips.
Cute glassware. Every brewery has stickers, tees, hats and glassware to sell as momentos.
#9- We drove across town to the East Side, Cleveland Heights, to check out a meadery.
Adorable place but not much surrounding it. More of a destination stop.
I didn’t care for the meads, but rarely do I. I’m more of a beer drinker.
#10- Nobel Beast Brewery. We headed back into downtown Cleveland making our way back to our Airbnb.
I loved the plants hanging from the ceiling. We met a single guy from Atlanta at the bar eating solo. He ironically just came from the meadery that we were at and told us about Moe’s which is supposed to be the inspiration for the Simpson’s tavern. We definitely had to check that out next.
#10- Moe’s . George having fun as we entered this pub being his animated self.
And sure enough this is where we ended our night. Eating a pizza with fried eggs on top. Not sure that was the best last meal idea but at the time was a perfect recommendation by our bartender. The Atlanta guy came in and sat with us here and I had a deep chat about what he wanted in life. I am sure he wanted to escape but engaged in conversation with me regardless. Southern people are so polite.
One of the main reason I wanted to go to Cleveland is for the hiking. I always see so many cool trails on social media and I wanted to check out a waterfall while there. I picked the Blue Hen Falls based on a recommendation.
The trail was slightly disappointing as it weaved down some roads and you heard the highway traffic most of the hike. Wasn’t quite like the tranquil forest I was expecting from a National Park.
Cuyahoga Valley is the only National Park in Ohio. I was here with Debbie before when I ran out of gas and we hiked the Brandywine Falls trail. I was having some PTSD when George’s tank went down to one bar for fuel, but being the gentleman that he is, he noticed my angst and fueled up so I could relax.
He captured this beautiful photo of the wildflowers right outside the Boston Mill Visitor Center.
In the summertime they offer train tours of the park. We were tempted to come back and do that but didn’t find the time in our short weekend stay.
There is a ski resort nearby. Not sure how active it is.
Was a lot of hills as it indicates. This trail was closed my last visit here and you could see the work they did rebuilding it to be safe.
As you entered the trailhead, you were immediately welcomed by steps.
A lot of them. I think I read in a review of this trail- 157 were counted by one hiker.
I don’t know why but this tree reminded me of a deer legs and hooves.
A newly built bridge to take you across a small creek.
Making the best of it.
When we finally arrived at the falls it was slightly underwhelming. But I was determined to climb down there. A couple of kids followed my lead.
A closer look.
Felt much better being down with nature instead of at a birds-eye view with a fence in between.
I was able to feel the temperature drop immediately.
The rocks were quite flat and dry. I was looking on Google maps thinking if we walked along the riverbed we would have a more scenic return.
I found my way down the rocks into the water where I laid my hand in and felt at peace.
George was not up for the rocky challenge so once I climbed back up he was already making plans for another trail.
Bye Blue Hen Falls.
It was tempting me to follow.
Was being kid like and playing with my shadow. Love my boxy shape and leaf-like hand.
Peaceful river beds.
Heading back in a civilized manner the way we entered.
George conquering the stairs while I rested.
The visitor center was open when we returned and it was charming. The rangers helped us to determine our next trail after hearing our complaints and desires.
A lot of history here.
I am sure there are many more trails to explore and it was already 11 am. Not enough time to do them all.
As we pulled down 69 Street off of Detroit Avenue to get to our Airbnb we noticed Italian flags draped across from house to house. A group of Italians walking together told us about the church festival going on this weekend. What fun! Definitely entertaining. Never quite seen anything like it before.
The telephone poles are painted.
The houses felt like a movie set complete with antique cars in the drives.
Tons of plants, flags and saints adorning their homes here in west side Little Italy.
Fire hydrants did not escape the theme.
The neighborhood was united. There was even a driveway up the block with chairs set out where they gathered for breakfast together.
Love the energy of their festival of the community.
As we were heading over the band walked down our street along with a police escort.
Unfortunately the church festival was not as much fun as the neighborhood decorations. We were woken up at 6:30 am Sunday morning with topless high school boys literally spraying and scrubbing the streets with brooms preparing for their last hoorah. In honor of one of the saints.
Culture is such an interesting thing that is passed on through the generations still to this day. Its one thing America is great at, having such a mixture of cultures in one place.
My Forth of July weekend was purposefully with very little on the agenda. I was looking forward to relaxing and squeezing in a much needed hike in nature. It’s been awhile since I encountered the calm that comes from forest bathing. Working three jobs is taking its toll on my spirit and I am feeling a bit lost and caught up in the monotony again.
Hence why I am looking for changes to my scenery. I’m currently house sitting a gorgeous place, taking care of their yard and labradoodle while they are sunbathing in the Baja. Sitting outside on their new veranda is good for my soul.
On AllTrails app I found another hiking area within a 1/2 hour drive from my home and I convinced my daughter Zoe to get up early and go exercise with me.
This is really a mountain bike trail which makes it an interesting terrain to hike on foot.
These trails are part of a state park. One trail is dedicated to a native from this area, Steven Newman, who walked around the world for 4 years solo. In recognition of his accomplishments they named the longest trail system in Ohio parks after him. Zoe and I were not up for that challenge. We took a 3+ mile route instead.
I felt immediate relief when being covered by the greenery at the trail entrance.
The roots exposed created a natural walkway. The trees behind the blue dotted one were hugging. I stopped to admire and Zoe instantly saw the same thing without me saying a word. The apple does not fall far from the tree as they say.
The first half mile I was literally forest bathing. Oohing and ahhing my way through, looking at all the greenery beautifully surrounding me. Taking it in. Not a soul in sight along the trail but us.
Made Zoe take a selfie with me before we got too far. She’s adopted my “Hike More, Worry Less” shirt that “apparently” shrunk on me. 🙂
The fallen trees always draw my attention with the art they create and the journey they still have to go.
The bark of this baby made Zoe feel “itchy”. I loved the dimension of it when I looked up.
It rained this morning before we left and I was admiring how these leaves still held onto the droplets.
Seeing these berries instantly sparked a reminder of the “Into the Wild” movie. Made me realize how little I know about nature and how I would never survive out in it.
We kept walking in hopes of not getting too lost. The trails at this park had some very long options and I wasn’t quite prepared for any more than a couple hours today.
I was excited when I heard water running and spotted these small drop offs along the river. I told Zoe I wanted to go down and walk in them, but she realistically said in it was too steep and knew I’d never make my way back up.
I grabbed onto one of the trees along the ledge and snapped some photos.
Rivers are amazing lesson givers.
Me holding onto dear life.
Always love a good natural arch over my pathway.
I googled mapped to have a better understanding of my terrain. Found out the little river ran into the William H Harsha Lake.
The bike trail metal sign was slowly being swallowed by the tree. Quite literally being eaten.
The trail zigged in and out creating a fun pathway for bikers.
This cool vine was sort of screaming from the tree with its heart shaped mouth.
It was like someone caught him and was holding on to his death too long.
Ferns were everywhere.
Occasionally we’d spot a shroom or two.
This tree was a show stopper and I literally had to climb onto its base.
We swung back around to civilization and came across a couple other hikers starting off their day while our hiking was nearing its end.
Many railroad like additions on the final stretch home.
This trail runner had stamina and a backpack of water to keep him moving.
We were finally at the trail’s loop end an hour and 1/2 later. I wanted to capture these interesting bird feeders which were along the entrance of both trail heads.
The benefit of remote work is you can do it from any location. Right? I don’t believe we were meant to sit in the same space, doing the same job, day in and day out, from the same location. Where is the joy in that?
Since I don’t have much vacation time accumulated with my full time gig, my summer is going to be arranged a little differently, with small journeys that are road trip-able. First up, Julie’s fantastic condo in the heart of the Windy City.
The view from her balcony cannot be beat! The weather continued to be absolutely phenomenal and I thoroughly enjoyed working at her place for a few days.
This city’s architecture is wonderful and I could not help but be a tourist whenever we were out walking.
One of my Cambly students, Yu Han, who I have been speaking with since 2019 was in Chicago working at a hospital near the university. She took a couple buses into the downtown area and met Julie and I out for dinner in Greektown. Meeting her in person for the first time was almost like meeting an old friend that you just haven’t seen for awhile.
Love this photo of us.
We decided to have Mediterranean food since Yu Han had never tried it before but was loving how in America there are so many different cuisines. The streets of this area had the Greek key motif on the sidewalks and statues along the way.
Even the planters were Mediterranean blue.
I have never been to this section of Chicago. There is always newness in a big city.
The restaurant was open aired and truly unique.
Gorgeous blue accents. It attracted an international customer.
Blue lights at the round bar with Greek key mirrored back.
I opted for a gyro platter which was piled with meat. Yu Han tried a mixed plate and slowly picked through all the dishes. She speaks fluent English and Julie and I were having fun watching her google search anything we didn’t know the answer to.
When we walked Yu Han back to her bus stop, we encountered the Greek columns and park set up at the start of their cultural section.
Was a cool site. I was on a business call and did my best to juggle the meeting and snap a few photos as well. This after a bottle of wine, was challenging.
I never knew there was such a big Greek community here.
Yu Han and Julie.
Being playful among the fish.
Adorable section of Chicago. Apparently they close off the street once a year and have a street festival.
After returning that evening, I opened one last beer (a very bad habit of mine) and sat admiring the night skyline from Julie’s balcony.
Sometimes a change in scenery is all you need.
Feels especially appropriate lately and makes me think -so I thought I would share this quote about change.
It was a Friday night, one of those few and far between perfect humidity summer eves, so I wanted to get out! Always looking for breweries we haven’t visited before and found ourselves at Gravely. We planned on bar hopping, but this place was so nice we decided to stay for the entire night.
Its fun being able to view the production when you visit breweries. I remember being fascinated by this when Rhinegeist opened in Cincinnati. Now its just a common site.
Gravely’s came with a cute guard cat.
This place had a music theme. The whole restaurant/brewery theme is great for remembering places and feeling a different vibe.
I enjoyed every beer I tried here.
Check out how they made this container look like a jam box from the 90s.
Gravely has a huge outdoor area with a food truck. As we were walking out we passed this site and one of the server’s explained that it used to be where they housed the barrels back in the old days. You could feel the cool air actually coming up from the tunnels. Loved that this place was built at one of the historic Louisville brewery locations.
My man wearing the first tee I ever bought him from Wall Drugs by the Badlands.
We propped ourselves up on the second level deck that overlooked the place. The nice thing is you didn’t have to leave your table for food or fresh drinks. You could set up a tab with a barcode and they brought it to you. Made for an excellent relaxing night.
Had an opportunity to work a wine festival with George, which gave us the excuse to make a weekend escape out of our visit to Maysville. It was the cutest town! So much history with museums, churches, shops and restaurants to try.
My only complaint, which would keep me from coming back, was the fact that they still allow smoking in the bars. After years of smoke free drinking its impossible to readjust to that scent that sticks to your clothes and hair for hours after. Definitely a deterrent for tourists who like to bar hop. Suppose they are supporting more of the locals by keeping it.
We met at Caproni’s Restaurant along the Ohio River. Found out later our Airbnb was conveniently right around the corner in a historic district.
The bar was beautifully renovated and the cosmos not too shabby! Definitely did the trick on a Friday after a nonstop work week.
I haven’t eaten a formal dinner out in ages! I went all out and was not disappointed.
We sat with a view of the river and the train roared by! There is something about trains and me lately, not sure what it is. I am starting to seriously be enamored by them.
I tried to snap photos as moved.
And then it was gone.
Love how every town these days has a mural. A fantastic way for a place to express themselves.
We found a bar that had outdoor seating with no one in sight to light up a cigarette, so we planted ourselves there and chilled out as it rained.
The next morning I admired the history, the rehabs and the small town walkability.
Did some boutique shopping and purchased a couple new tees. Notice the two flag choices in the window. Still very strange for me to see the fight.
Look at that tiny place with the hunter green awnings squeezed in between the buildings.
The doors and colors were so interesting to me.
A famous historic building.
Maysville is known as the birthplace of Rosemary Clooney who was a 1950s film star and relative to the infamous George Clooney.
Check out the mosaic on this building.
There was a parade and 20,000 people turned out for Rosemary’s movie premiere at this theatre in 1953.
Maysville is also filled with churches. They take their faith seriously. And their bourbon.
We went into the local museum which had old bootlegging equipment and all the history regarding Pogue boubon which is distilled in this area.
Was interesting to hear how people would transport the distilled spirits to New Orleans via a flat boat and then walk back.
Pogue bourbon was one of the few distilleries that survived Prohibition.
Then we went to the museum right next door that holds the largest miniature collection in the the world. I wasn’t sure what to expect. The details in this collection were beyond what I thought was possible.
Like museum dollhouses. Carved and woven in the finest details. You have to visit to understand.
This was a miniature jewelry store copying a famous one in Paris. All the gold and diamonds are real.
Was truly fascinating. I guess a woman in Maysville was a collector and donated all of it.
A tiny gazebo.
Clothes so small and yet still detailed and woven clearly.
They even had a miniature Cox building.
This is the historic row house where we stayed. Along the interior walls were photos and newpaper articles explaining the history of the fires that wiped out families within these structures. I was on the lookout for ghosts.
A beautiful capture of the bridge and the park in front of it.
We got set up on the brick road square. Gail, photographed here, was a trooper -pouring non stop with us for 4 hours. The festival was a non profit fundraiser to support the local theatre in Maysville.
A fantastic day to be outdoors with little humidity. It drew a non stop crowd.
By the end of the night, the fountain was lit and everyone faded back into the smoke filled bars. After serving over 500 people in the 6 hours of the event, I headed back to the Airbnb to put my feet up and crash!
While serving up Hive & Barrel at the Maysville Uncorked Wine Festival, one couple thought it would be an excellent idea to pair our meads with a small restaurant in Augusta named Beehive. Since mead is made from honey, it was a pretty cute suggested match.
Heading out Sunday, we decided to take a 20 minute detour along the Ohio River and check out the restaurant for lunch. I was told sometimes you need to make reservations, so I booked a table for 11:15 since we were both starving. Literally 15 minutes after they opened.
Google maps took us directly to the restaurant which was across the street from the town mural featuring their ferry which I later participated in.
Another beautiful day. With another river view.
The decor was so well thought out and themed.
A fantastic local pace with history and regulars.
We sat at our balcony table and watched the barges pass by.
We started with a deviled egg appetizer that was fried in a parmesan crust with bits of bacon on it. Never had anything like it before! I could’ve eaten all 4!!
My bourbon french toast was to die for. I usually don’t show food shots in my blog, as food is not my joy, but today it was!
Bee themes throughout.
Such detail. I love a well designed place.
As we were eating George Clooney’s parents walked in to wish someone a happy birthday. All the customers were excited and getting their photos taken with them. We did not. It was so funny as the Clooney couple was walking out, they looked over at my George and said “Hi George”. So causal and cool. My man, so humble and kind.
We ended up giving the bartender some mead to play with and after we walked around the block, the bartender waved us back in to try his concoctions. His cocktails were amazing! All the staff were raving about the meads and I would love it if they ended up buying some and highlighting it at their establishment. So fun seeing and sampling this bartender’s quick creativity.
Cute tourism welcome center.
As we walked around, there really wasn’t too much to Augusta. Old historic homes and a few antique shops which held off -hours.
I wanted to check out this garden, but then we realized it was someone’s back yard 🙂
Many of the homes along the river sported historic dates.
Nice little walkway as we headed back.
I decided to take the car ferry which went back and forth across the river taking cars from Ohio to Kentucky and vise versa. I needed to go back to Cincinnati and was currently on the Kentucky side.
When I drove onto the ferry I was the only car on board. A young man came up and asked for the $5.00 fee, but I found out they didn’t take cards, only cash, which I had none. I panicked and called George who I was hoping hadn’t taken off yet. Thankfully he went down and paid the man when the ferry returned. Such a gentleman, always taking care of me.
I drove home with this small bouquet of wildflowers in my cup holder. A beautiful reminder of the weekend.
Tonya Takes Thailand 