Weekend Getaway - or, Up a Creek without a Paddle

So, not having an idea of time range or even destination for a real vacation trip on the horizon, I opted to take a Friday off and head south to the Hocking Hills region in Ohio to see what that was like in summertime. I opted for a cabin in the woods, complete with hot tub on the outdoor deck and a fully stocked kitchen, along with a bbq grill and fire pits down along the valley floor. The spot, Campbell's Hollow (Brookside Cottage), was great - right next to the Buckeye Trail, so offered a little stretch of hiking at the end of each day as well.

I arrived on Friday, July 6th, and took a bit of a look-around in Logan, the nearby town. Even though many of the cabin rentals were booked because of vacationers around the 4th of July weekend, it was hard to tell by looking at Logan proper - the town was immaculate and eerily empty. I spotted the canoe/kayak livery that I was going to be hitting the next morning for some fun on Saturday, and hit the local Kroger for a few cooking items that I'd neglected to bring along.



I wrapped up the day with a snack in Logan and the historic walking tour through town. Upon finding a fantastic Bistro around 4:30 pm -nothing like eating upon white linen tablecloths, smelling of grime and sunscreen, wearing flip-flops, and being treated like a consummate customers in late afternoon with no crowds! - I devoured a smattering of appetizer dishes and cocktails before starting off on the walking tour, ironically, only a block away.

Logan is wonderfully sighted in beautifully rolling hill country, and after the appetizer extravaganza, I was getting the best light of the day. Additionally, the weather was perfect - temps in the 80's, super low humidity - and what I'd call Utah Blue skies.

There are lots of churches in Logan...

There was a particularly picturesque cemetery along the walking tour. I was more taken with its entrance.

Is this a jingoistic Jesus? Note the blue eyes, the Eagle at his shoulder.....
Better yet: to the tune of Purple People Eater:
It was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, eagle-wearing Jesus figure...

A place for happy cows.

After the walking tour, I made it back to the cabin in time to light up the grill and season some salmon filets. While waiting for the wood to burn, (yes - wood in the grill - the best way to go), I had to take advantage of the hot tub on the deck and watch the wildlife for a bit as dusk drew down the light of day. It was all just seemingly perfectly timed. Dinner was by candlelight, and by that time, any little aches and pains from kayaking by the unfit were melted away, and every inch of food was devoured. Any other timing would have found me taking the walking tour in overhead light too harsh for good photos, or not having enough space between appetizers after kayaking and the Great Salmon Feast, or missing the open-water opportunities on the river between the groups of other kayakers and canoeists. I was able to absolutely fill the day at a perfectly pleasant, relaxed pace and cram it full with almost everything I wanted to do, without feeling rushed at any particular time. Completely by accident! It was the highlight of the trip.

On Sunday, I took the scenic drive back, which took waaaay toooo long compared to the 'scenes' offered....nice to see once, but probably not warranting a second drive. I stopped for a gourmet type picnic lunch at Buckeye Lake State Park and enjoyed some spicy tuna salad, some baby greens and spinach salad with blueberries and walnut/raspberry dressing and olives, and some blue corn chips. It was just the right touch of cold foods on a hot day.

A building shot taken while stopped at a red light en route back home - just for the sake of its funky outside staircase.....

At any rate, a nice weekend getaway and recharge for the week to come.