Hot fun in the summer time? Any recommendations? (Columbus, Cleveland: rentals, hotels)

[sheena12]

We usually take a two and a half hour drive to a favorite resort hotel in upstate NY. It's fun and beautiful. Also, priced moderately.

They are not opened this summer. Which we understand, but it leaves us without a vacation.

This year we are thinking of vacationing in Ohio. Will either of these places be open?

Hocking Hills? We do not have camping equipment.

Is it very rustic?

What about Put-In-Bay? Geneva on the Lake?

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by sheena12

We usually take a two and a half hour drive to a favorite resort hotel in upstate NY. It's fun and beautiful. Also, priced moderately.

They are not opened this summer. Which we understand, but it leaves us without a vacation.

This year we are thinking of vacationing in Ohio. Will either of these places be open?

Hocking Hills? We do not have camping equipment.

Is it very rustic?

What about Put-In-Bay? Geneva on the Lake?

Hocking Hills is an excellent choice. There are many cabins located there. Check out "Vacation rentals" at TripAdvisor.com and at other property rental websites. Many cabins also are listed under "Hotels" with TA ratings and reviews. If you want a cottage and an inn, check out the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls (I've never stayed there, but I've heard good things about it). Apparently, they now have yurts as well.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...ogan_Ohio.html

https://innatcedarfalls.com/?utm_sou...gn=TripAdvisor

I believe this is the TA travel forum for the Hocking Hills.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForu...ogan_Ohio.html

One observation about Hocking Hills State Park. There are several water features which are best visited during rainy season or after a rainfall. Here's a good trip report from several years ago written by a nearby native.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...ogan_Ohio.html

Personally, I most definitely would want to see "Tecumseh" while visiting the Hocking Hills, but the Sugar Loaf Mountain season has been cancelled for this year. You'll likely want to return to the Hocking Hills in the near future.

You could use your Hocking Hills cabin as a base to explore both east and west. Top attractions to the east would include the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and Adena Mansion & Gardens (if open), Ohio's Monticello, in Chillicothe. To the west, Wayne National Forest has some interesting trails.

Before booking, you might want to make certain Hocking Hills State Park and Wayne National Forest will have open rest rooms and perhaps other facilities.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wayne

The area is very rustic, with even some trails even bordering on wild. There are other very good state parks in the area, such as Great Seal Park and Tar Hollow State Park.

Normally, there are many attractions available.

https://hockinghills.com/

I wouldn't be a fan of camping there, as in a normal season the campgrounds are fairly packed, especially the state park campgrounds. If you're set on camping, I might check out one of the other nearby parks.

I also would recommend perhaps driving along the Ohio River and exploring Cincinnati for 2-3 days, especially the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the adjacent National Underground Railroad and Freedom Center.

You easily could spend 3-4 days very enjoyably in Dayton, especially if you are aviation and auto history buffs. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is the top-rated Ohio attraction by TripAdvisor reviewers. It's spectacular.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...The.World.html

You could explore both Malabar Farm State Park and Mohican State Park on your return trip from Dayton. The Mohican Region is just off I-71 southwest of Mansfield. Leaving I-71 north of Columbus and taking Ohio Route 95 through Fredericktown, Ankenytown and Butler would give you a nice exposure to rural Ohio. Definitely take Route 603 north from Malabar Park to Route 30 for your drive home. You'll bucolic farms on fields on the rolling Allegheny foothills. Check out the Mohican Region here:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...Day.Trips.html

Read about the Lake Erie islands in the above article. I don't believe I would want to visit Put-In-Bay during the COVID-19 epidemic as my hunch is that social distancing will be difficult. If you want an island visit, consider instead perhaps Kelleys Island. Definitely read the linked Chicago Tribune article.

Also consider visiting the Columbus Zoo and perhaps Zanesville and the nearby "The Wilds," where you also could experience an Ohio safari while overnighting in a yurt.

I would be interested in the name and location of the lodge that you visit in NY.

Geneva-on-the Lake would be excellent for wine tours and to see Ashtabula County's bridges. Perhaps also consider a B&B/inn in Willoughby or Painesville (e.g., the Steele Mansion) in Lake County. Attractions would include Lake Erie beaches (Headlands State Park, Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, Fairport Harbor (lake kayaking offered there), and Lake Erie Bluffs), Lake Metroparks (such as Chapin Forest, Penitentiary Glen, and the Lake Metroparks Farmpark, one of the best in the U.S.), Garfield National Historical Park, Holden Arboretum, also one of the best in the U.S. Lake County also provides easy access to the Garfield Monument in Lake View Cemetery and Cleveland's University Circle attractions.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...Cleveland.html

Let us know what interests you and we perhaps could provide additional information.

Good luck!

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Hocking Hills is an excellent choice. There are many cabins located there. Check out "Vacation rentals" at TripAdvisor.com and at other property rental websites. Many cabins also are listed under "Hotels" with TA ratings and reviews. If you want a cottage and an inn, check out the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls (I've never stayed there, but I've heard good things about it). Apparently, they now have yurts as well.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...ogan_Ohio.html

https://innatcedarfalls.com/?utm_sou...gn=TripAdvisor

I believe this is the TA travel forum for the Hocking Hills.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForu...ogan_Ohio.html

One observation about Hocking Hills State Park. There are several water features which are best visited during rainy season or after a rainfall. Here's a good trip report from several years ago written by a nearby native.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...ogan_Ohio.html

Personally, I most definitely would want to see "Tecumseh" while visiting the Hocking Hills, but the Sugar Loaf Mountain season has been cancelled for this year. You'll likely want to return to the Hocking Hills in the near future.

You could use your Hocking Hills cabin as a base to explore both east and west. Top attractions to the east would include the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and Adena Mansion & Gardens (if open), Ohio's Monticello, in Chillicothe. To the west, Wayne National Forest has some interesting trails.

Before booking, you might want to make certain Hocking Hills State Park and Wayne National Forest will have open rest rooms and perhaps other facilities.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wayne

The area is very rustic, with even some trails even bordering on wild. There are other very good state parks in the area, such as Great Seal Park and Tar Hollow State Park.

Normally, there are many attractions available.

https://hockinghills.com/

I wouldn't be a fan of camping there, as in a normal season the campgrounds are fairly packed, especially the state park campgrounds. If you're set on camping, I might check out one of the other nearby parks.

I also would recommend perhaps driving along the Ohio River and exploring Cincinnati for 2-3 days, especially the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the adjacent National Underground Railroad and Freedom Center.

You easily could spend 3-4 days very enjoyably in Dayton, especially if you are aviation and auto history buffs. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is the top-rated Ohio attraction by TripAdvisor reviewers. It's spectacular.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...The.World.html

You could explore both Malabar Farm State Park and Mohican State Park on your return trip from Dayton. The Mohican Region is just off I-71 southwest of Mansfield. Leaving I-71 north of Columbus and taking Ohio Route 95 through Fredericktown, Ankenytown and Butler would give you a nice exposure to rural Ohio. Definitely take Route 603 north from Malabar Park to Route 30 for your drive home. You'll bucolic farms on fields on the rolling Allegheny foothills. Check out the Mohican Region here:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...Day.Trips.html

Read about the Lake Erie islands in the above article. I don't believe I would want to visit Put-In-Bay during the COVID-19 epidemic as my hunch is that social distancing will be difficult. If you want an island visit, consider instead perhaps Kelleys Island. Definitely read the linked Chicago Tribune article.

Also consider visiting the Columbus Zoo and perhaps Zanesville and the nearby "The Wilds," where you also could experience an Ohio safari while overnighting in a yurt.

I would be interested in the name and location of the lodge that you visit in NY.

Geneva-on-the Lake would be excellent for wine tours and to see Ashtabula County's bridges. Perhaps also consider a B&B/inn in Willoughby or Painesville (e.g., the Steele Mansion) in Lake County. Attractions would include Lake Erie beaches (Headlands State Park, Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, Fairport Harbor (lake kayaking offered there), and Lake Erie Bluffs), Lake Metroparks (such as Chapin Forest, Penitentiary Glen, and the Lake Metroparks Farmpark, one of the best in the U.S.), Garfield National Historical Park, Holden Arboretum, also one of the best in the U.S. Lake County also provides easy access to the Garfield Monument in Lake View Cemetery and Cleveland's University Circle attractions.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...Cleveland.html

Let us know what interests you and we perhaps could provide additional information.

Good luck!

Thanks so much, my friend! Your responses and wealth of local knowledge never fail to disappoint.

We were already leaning Hocking Hills as opposed to the other ideas.

It's the outdoors which has to be fairly safe, and it looks like a great place to visit. I will check out all of your suggestions.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by WRnative

You could explore both Malabar Farm State Park and Mohican State Park on your return trip from Dayton. The Mohican Region is just off I-71 southwest of Mansfield.

S/B southeast of Mansfield.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by WRnative

You could use your Hocking Hills cabin as a base to explore both east and west. Top attractions to the east would include the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and Adena Mansion & Gardens (if open), Ohio's Monticello, in Chillicothe. To the west, Wayne National Forest has some interesting trails.

I need to pay more attention to directions when posting and editing my posts. The Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and Adena in Chillicothe are southwest of the Hocking Hills. The Athens Unit of the Wayne National Forest is east of the Hocking Hills. Tar Hollow State Park and Great Seal State Park are west of the Hocking Hills.

You also might want to check out Lake Logan State Park (and perhaps the Lake Logan Dam) and Logan, just to the east of the Hocking Hills.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Logan_State_Park

BTW, Millstone BBQ is a favorite for many Hocking Hills visitors.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...ogan_Ohio.html

BTW, it sounds like some of the top natural attractions at Hocking Hills are closed until July due to the COVID-19 epidemic, perhaps not surprising given the popularity of the Hocking Hills, especially on weekends. Plan to visit the parks early in the morning to avoid the likely crowds AND to find parking!

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainm...nd-cabins.html

https://www.explorehockinghills.com/