Posted in Hiking, Park visit

Ice Column at Mohican State Park

I am reluctant to go hiking when the high temperature for the day is a single digit, so that's really put a crimp in our hiking plans for this winter. However we took advantage of a warm spell last week to book a couple nights at the lodge at Mohican State Park. Once there we did one of our favorite hikes that took us by Little Lyons Falls and Big Lyons Falls on the west side of Clear Fork with the return route following along the creek on the opposite side. As a reward for finally getting outside Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking

Mohican State Park in Winter

Although we normally aren't free on a weekday, we happened to be at Mohican State Park on Friday, March 4th. We were staying at the lodge for Bob's birthday. Snow had fallen the previous night, so we had our first opportunity to see what Mohican looked like in winter. What a beautiful sight! Here is a GPS trace of our hike. We began in the north at Pleasant Hill Dam, traveled south along the westerns side of Clear Fork branch of the Mohican River. After hiking through the Mohican Covered Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, History, Northeastern Ohio

Malabar Farm Maple Syrup Festival – 2016

We attended the 40th Annual Malabar Farm Maple Syrup Festival on Saturday March 5th. From the parking area participants queued for a ride by horse drawn wagon to the festival which was centered around the Malabar Farm sugar shack. There were a variety of wagons available for transporting visitors, some with benches and others with hay bales for seating. The wagons were 2HP - each being drawn by two large draft horses. The horses and wagons were provided by volunteers from the Central Ohio Draft Horse Read more ➜
Posted in Flowers, Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Fowler Woods State Nature Preserve

Fowler Woods is a 187-acre, state nature preserve located in Richland Coundy in northeast Ohio. Originally the preserve featured a handicap-accessible, 1 ¼-mile boardwalk, but in 2014 much of the boardwalk was closed to the public due to safety concerns.  The boardwalk passes through mature forest, buttonbush swamps, and an area that was once farmland, but is now reverting to forest. Sadly the lower, wetland region within this area that is now barred to the public.  The preserve used to be one Read more ➜
Posted in Park visit

Northeast Ohio Fall Foliage 2013

This past weekend we went back to our favorite spots for fall foliage in northeast Ohio: Mohican State Park and Malabar Farm. At Mohican we stopped at Pleasant Hill Dam. We photographed the foliage in the Clear Fork Gorge on one side of the dam and along Pleasant Hill Lake on the other. Lots of people were taking advantage of the wonderful weather to sight-see, hike, or boat on the lake. We then drove over to Mohican Lodge for lunch and a short walk from the lodge over to the lake. We Read more ➜
Posted in Park visit

Putting the “Farm” into Malabar Farm

Previously I've discussed Louis Bromfield's home at Malabar Farm, the Bacall/Bogart wedding that was held there, and the beautiful fall foliage. Today I'd like to address the farm itself. While facing the big barn with the mural, you'll note a small sign pointing toward a downward ramp to the left. If you go down this ramp, you can check out the farm animals like the attractive rooster above. Below are a few more animals in and around the barn. Typically there are some Read more ➜
Posted in History, Nature, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Malabar Farm

Malabar Farm State Park was once the home of Louis Bromfield (1896 – 1956). He was a novelist and screenplay writer. His very first novel (The Green Bay Tree) was a critical and commercial success. His third novel (Early Autumn) won Bromfield a Pulitzer Prize. He was good friends with movie star, Humphrey Bogart (deemed to be the greatest, male film star of all time by the American Film Institute). When Bogart and Lauren Bacall were making their wedding plans, Bromfield offered them the use of Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Mohican State Park

Mohican State Park is one of my favorite places for hiking. The park contains a scenic gorge with the Clear Fork branch of the Mohican River flowing through it. The park is 1,120 acres with the 4,795 acre Mohican Memorial State Forest adjacent to it. Recreational opportunities abound with several campsites, hiking trails, horseback trails, fly fishing, and boating all available. If that's not enough, nearby there are canoe liveries, the 18.6 mile Butler to Mansfield bike trail, and the Read more ➜