Heading West!

 Unfortunately, I had another crappy night sleep. It was hard sharing a room again. Wary eyed we got a big cup of coffee and began our quest west. Debbie saw an interesting place to visit in Ohio so we headed there. It was supposed to be 4 hours away, but being a seasoned traveler I know it usually takes longer than planned. When we got near there, the exit was closed to construction with no detour signs to help us through it! We had to figure it out for ourselves! Because we were tired it was really frustrating. After dealing with the traffic and confusion it created we finally got back to where the exit was closed and we found the park. Since it was so late we figured we would get a hotel before hitting Hocking Hills State Park. Of course, because we were so tired, everything that was pet friendly was booked due to a soccer convention, so we had to double back to Lancaster in order to find something! By the time we got to the hotel, we were completely frazzled. No way to see the park that day!

The next morning we headed back to Hockings Hills. It was free to get in with a beautiful visitor center to greet us. The weather was hot but manageable. As soon as we hit the trail we knew it was worth the visit. It was nature at its best. And not too crowded! We were in a beautiful gorge with tall ledges on both sides. It was maintained perfectly and had many, many stairs!

We did the Old Man’s Cave first. A two mile trail named for an old recluse who made the cave his home in the 1800s. Asher loved it! 

The many stairs we climbed reminded me I need to hit the gym when I get home! It was a magical place! 

We still had time so we went to Ash Cave. How could we resist a cave with the same name as my dog? So glad we did this after the first cave. It was a short walk, but so incredibly beautiful! We were stunned. Can’t believe we never heard of it! The Indians used to have meetings here. The ground was covered in ash from the campfires, hence its name. I wish I had time to paint here!

I definitely want to return here when I have more time! There was so much to do around here that we didn’t have time for!