Happy Friday the 13th! Recently, my wife and I returned from a five-day stay in Hocking Hills. I don’t remember the last time we took a proper vacation. But, it was nice to take time off. Last year or so, Rachel mentioned that she wanted to go to Hocking Hills. Neither of us had ever been, so we kept our expectations relatively low.
When searching for a place to stay, we had a few requirements. First, we didn’t want to share the space or amenities with anyone else. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we tried to remain as isolated as practical. This crossed off traditional hotels/motels as well as bed & breakfast places off our list. Fortunately, there is an abundance of cabins and such.
Next, we wanted some sort of internet connection. We knew that cellular service would be spotty. (It turns out that it was non-existent in most places.) And, since I was still teaching, I needed to respond to students and grade papers promptly.
Finally, not knowing how hot and humid it might get, we wanted air conditioning. We probably would have been fine without it. But, it was important enough that we didn’t want to worry about it.
After searching for a place, we found the Briarwood Couples Cabin. It is effectively a single-room cabin (with a bathroom). I’m sure there are other beautiful options. Frankly, we were overwhelmed with the possibilities and just took the first cabin that met our requirements.
Since we didn’t have a plan (and didn’t do much research), we just searched out nearby places to hike each day. Definitely, there is an abundance of places to hike. But, with a fear of heights and enclosed spaces, it was difficult to find trails we felt comfortable and able to hike on. On more than one occasion, we turned back. Yet, we were able to get a few miles of hiking each day and see something new and different.
Now that we’ve been back home for about a week, we’ve nearly recovered from our vacation. This means back to grading and job searching for me. Overall, it was a fun trip, and we’re looking to go again soon.
In chronological order, here are some pictures I took:
I kind of wished that I took more pictures. However, I was more focused on trying to enjoy the vacation. Rachel took more pictures than I did. She organized all our photos on her Facebook page.