'Tis The Season For Winter Hiking

Photo by OHventures

If you're anything like me, the winter blues hit you hard and fast this time of the year (and it's not even technically winter yet). Save for all of the holiday fun and excitement buzzing around, motivation tends to set as early as the sun does. A lack of daylight hours and warm weather can really make one want to do nothing but curl up by a fireplace wearing a Snuggie and drinking hot cocoa.

But also, if you're anything like me, you would realize that the whole cozying up indoors scenario is for wimps! And you don't want to be a wimp do you?! The cold wintry weather in Ohio is inevitable...it comes year after year whether you like it or not. There's nothing you can do to change that, but you certainly CAN change your gloomy attitude and get your lazy bum outside!

Winter hiking is a relatively new activity in my life. When I was first introduced to the idea of winter hiking I was rather skeptical. I figured I'd just wait until the snow melted before I threw on my hiking boots and busted out the walking stick again. Alas, I just couldn't sit around and do nothing all winter. I was itching for an adventure, and needed a change of scenery - something different than the 4 walls of my office or the inside of the apartment.

So, thanks to the Central Ohio Metro Parks, I started winter hiking...and I fell in love.

Caving Photo Blog

Who: Alone, with a friend, or with a group
What: Caving (in commercial or show caves)
When: Any time of the year (except Christmas and Thanksgiving)
Where: The Ohio Caverns in West Liberty or Crystal Cave in Put-In-Bay
Why: To see crystals and rocks in a rare and majestic setting
How: Put some gas in the car and hand over a few extra bucks!

Photographs by OHventures. Photography is permitted in Ohio Caverns, but videography is prohibited.

Ohio Caverns

Photos by OHventures

  

Caving (or spelunking) is a pretty intense activity that requires a lot of experience, knowledge, equipment, and guts. Thankfully, there are such things as "commercial" or "show" caves in the world, including Ohio, that allow us everyday folk the opportunity to catch a small glimpse of the majestic underground world that we so rarely get to experience. Down there, it's a world of beautiful crystals and unbelievable rock formations.

The Ohio Caverns, located in West Liberty in Champaign County in Southwest Ohio is the largest of Ohio's caves (the largest geode in the world, however, is located in the Crystal Cave of Put In Bay). For a charge of $14 per adult (which I admit is a bit steep...but a good splurge to make), you are able to take a tour of this wonderous show cave almost any day of the year (they are closed only on Christmas and Thanksgiving). Tours are typically every 20 minutes or so, so reservations are not usually required. Depending on the size of your group, the tour will on average last about 45 minutes, spanning a mile of pathways.

Cleveland Rocks!

Photo by OHventures

To outsiders (non Ohioans), Cleveland is probably the most recognizable city in the state, all thanks to its three professional sports teams (Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns, and Cleveland Indians), Betty White's hilarious sitcom "Hot In Cleveland" and the hit TV show from the 90s, The Drew Carey Show, whose theme had everyone in America chanting "Cleveland ROCKS!" While it may also be known for the now infamous internet meme, "Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video" (with over 4 million views) and the unfortunate river-burning incident, Cleveland is more than just the butt of every joke.

The city of Cleveland is located on the Lake Erie shoreline in Cuyahoga County on the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio. It is the 2nd most populated city in the state (Columbus being the first). It has become unofficially known as the "Rock 'n Roll Capital of the World" and is heavily known for its astounding historical architecture and ethnic sectors of town, including a prominent Slavic Village and Little Italy.

Nowadays, Cleveland is taking some strides in the right direction. New state laws have made it possible for a casino to be built on the shoreline, as well as state tax credits for movie makers (which is responsible for bringing the upcoming film "The Avengers" to the city to film)! And, as always, there is great food and awesome music in Cleveland.

To find out just why Cleveland rocks, a day trip is most definitely in order. Below, read the Top 9 Things To Do When Visiting Cleveland.