Ohio Hikes and Sights

What is this messy little thing called? Puffball? Earthball? Small little fungus growing in the moss and when it is about to shrivel up you can get a puff of dark smoke (spores?) out of it.

🏟️THEN VS. NOW: The Legendary Ohio Stadium! See the incredible transformation of "The Shoe" from its very first days to the modern powerhouse it is today!

On October 7, 1922, the Ohio State Buckeyes played their first-ever game in this iconic arena, shutting out Ohio Wesleyan 5-0 in front of 25,000 amazed fans. Fullback Johnny Stuart secured his place in history by scoring the stadium's first-ever points with a clutch field goal! 🏈

From 25,000 fans on day one to over 102,000 screaming Buckeyes in 2026, the energy in Columbus has never changed.Go Bucks! 🔴⚪

🤯 FUN FACT: Did you know Ohio Stadium is officially known as "The House That Harley Built"? Universal excitement over OSU’s first three-time All-American running back, Chic Harley, completely outgrew their old stadium. His electric playing style in the late 1910s single-handedly inspired the university to raise over $1 million from fans and alumni to build the massive stadium we love today!



⬇️ Geat article on the history!
https://www.dispatch.com/picture-gallery/sports/2023/08/03/aerial-photographs-ohio-stadium-columbus/12313572002/

Little Eastern Box turtle spotted today. Buckeyes for scale. 🐢

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Never take them from the wild: It is illegal to remove native turtles from nature.

Wild turtles suffer: Wild box turtles have a small home range and will spend their lives stressed and searching for home if moved. 🥺

🦇You can explore the caves at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary (formerly Seven Caves) in Bainbridge by visiting Marble Cave and McKimie Cave, which are open seasonally from approximately July 1st through November 15th. These caves are open during Appalachian Forest Museum hours (9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily).

📸There is a strict limit of 10 people at a time. And they may be closed during programming at the museum so check their schedule before going. It’s very narrow and dark so bring a flashlight and watch your head so you don’t bash into the same rock twice like I did. Try not to touch the walls or ceilings to preserve the cave.

✨Highland Nature Sanctuary is part of a vast preservation system of Arc of Appalachia. No pets at this location.

The dates are limited in order to protect endangered bats. 🦇 

Scioto Grove Metro Park has beautiful trails through the woods and meadows. We stuck to the meadows to see the flowers and avoid the mosquitoes in the woods. With all the rain we’ve had, you can’t stop walking or mosquitoes will get you. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Johnson's Island in Sandusky Bay, Ohio, served as a Union military prison exclusively for captured Confederate officers during the American Civil War from April 1862 to September 1865.

Over its operational lifespan, roughly 10,000 to 15,000 men were processed through the stockade, including hundreds of Confederate officers, generals, and a small number of political prisoners or spies.

A total of 206 to 267 Confederate soldiers and officers who died of disease or illness while imprisoned are buried in the island's Confederate Stockade Cemetery.