This was one of the most relaxing vacations we have had. The pictures speak for themselves on how beautiful the area is. We went the first week of October which was about 2 weeks early for all the fall colors, but the trade off was the State Park was not busy! We hiked through different caves, trails, and walks each day and maybe saw 3 other couples at the most on any given time. Two weeks later and we wouldn't have been able to get the pictures or enjoy the scenery without crowds of people.....for us, a good trade off!
Our cabin was set way back in the hills.....a 3 mile drive down and up and around a one lane road with drops on either side. I always wondered what we were gonna do if we met up with another car....fortunately we didn't.
As you can see the cabin was VERY nice! It had a gas grill and hot tub on the back deck, satellite tv in all 3 rooms, and a well furnished kitchen. In fact, they included a blender so we thought we would show our appreciation and whip up some margaritas! We ran into a slight road bump when we went to buy the fixin's and found out we were in a "dry township" The lady at the Wal-mart checkout was happy to provide us with details on the closest place for alcohol! And who said Wal-mart associates weren't helpful AND knowledgeable!
The following pictures show some of the trails we walked through the State Park. We sure got a good workout walking down into the hollers and then the climb back out. The only part I didn't like was walking along the rim of the caves....only did that in one area and from there is was get me down to the bottom! And of course the beauty could best be seen while walking along the paths at the bottom. (Especially since I wasn't about to look down when walking the rim.)Because there weren't any other hikers around, I was able to get a few shots of both of us by putting my camera on a rock, setting the timer, and making a mad dash to Max's side for that perfect pictures. We became pretty good at it too!
If you are looking for a vacation where you can truly relax....we highly recommend Hocking Hills. As with scenery pictures they never do the place justice, but these give you an idea of how quiet, peaceful and secluded the area is. We will definitely return to the area....and hopefully next year get a bigger cabin and bring along the family!
One last thought, Things we were happy NOT to find in Hocking Hills:
Ripley's Believe It or Not
Miniature Golf on every corner
Bargain T-shirt shops
Homemade fudge shop
Native souvenirs made in China
Go-Cart rides
Bungee jumps off cranes
As you probably guessed, we are done with the Gatlinburg trips....we just don't take to the tourist traps anymore.
It didn't take Jaden long to fall in love with her little sister!
