We visited Akron Zoo this morning. We planned to visit the zoo, rain or shine. The sun did not make an appearance; neither did the rain.
This was our first visit to Akron Zoo. As members of Erie Zoo we can visit over 100 other zoos and aquariums across North America free or at a reduced rate. Our Erie Zoo membership afforded us entry into Akron Zoo at a reduced rate–50% off the published rate.
I took many pictures, while at the zoo, and decided a slideshow would be the proper medium to share some of those pictures with you.
Akron Zoo Memories
Stay tuned! I have a few more details and photographs of our Ohio vacation to share with you via one more (possibly two) blog post(s).
Today is Bob’s first day of retirement from Betts Industries Inc., after 35 1/2 years service.
Bob started work at Betts Industries on November 26, 1984 (first day of buck season). Since June 2020, when he was laid off work because of COVID, Bob has been in practice for retirement. This week-long stay in Ohio is our first vacation in retirement.
I am using the words of a friend (thank you Debby) who wrote about retirement a few weeks ago. Debby’s words struck home with me. Debby wrote that the most luxurious part of retirement is that we can go as long as we want. There is no job to return to. There are no vacation days trickling through our fingers. The only thing determining the length of a vacation trip is us.
We are excited about this new chapter in our lives!
We ate lunch at The Brew Kettle in Hudson OH. I ordered Fish and Chips; Bob ordered a pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries. Bob had a couple beers too. One beer was a celebratory drink.
Late this morning we drove to downtown Hudson. We parked along the street and walked a couple blocks along N. Main Street, between Church and Owen Brown Streets, stopping often for photo opportunities.
I am standing in the village green, looking across N. Main Street.
Hudson’s Clocktower
I took a selfie in front of the Hudson Clocktower.
Looking up N. Main Street toward Owen Brown Street
We saw flowers in abundance, during our walk.
Drawing a hopscotch design on the ground outside one of the stores
The Learned Owl Bookstore Sign
I believe this tiny door was at The Learned Owl Bookstore too.
Sign for the Open Door Coffee Co.
Colorful Piano Outside the Western Reserve Music
Isn’t downtown Hudson pretty? Perhaps on our next visit, we can visit some of these shops. Even though we spent a week in Hudson, there wasn’t enough time to do everything we wanted to do!
This morning we went for a short bicycle ride. We drove to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We parked in the parking lot across from the Hunt Farm Visitors Center. We rode from the parking lot to the Everett Covered Bridge and back. We rode both the towpath and Everett Road. Total bicycle miles: 2.12 miles.
We parked at the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail parking lot, located off Bolanz Rd near Riverside Rd, across the street from Hunt Farm.
Our destination was the Everett Covered Bridge.
Bob rode more miles than me, as he had to ride back to the parking lot twice. The first time he went back for his helmet. The second time he went back for the GoPro, which was lying outside on the back of our car.
After returning to the parking lot and loading the bicycles back onto the car, we drove to Brandywine Falls. This was our second visit this week to Brandywine Falls. We wanted to see the effect of the recent rain on the waterfall.
We viewed the waterfall first from the very top boardwalk (no stairs involved). We didn’t view the waterfall from this vantage point, during our first visit.
Brandywine Falls
We decided to walk down the stairs for a closer view of the waterfall.
Brandywine Falls (Long Exposure)
Our recent rainfall did increase the water flow, as evidenced by these two pictures.
First visit to Brandywine Falls
Today’s visit to Brandywine Falls
From Brandywine Falls we drove to downtown Hudson. I will share photographs of downtown Hudson in my next blog post.
As I wrote in my previous blog post, we visited Chagrin Falls this morning.
We left Chagrin Falls shortly after 10:00 am and drove to Bedford Reservation. Bedford Reservation is part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
This map, obtained from Google Maps, shows where Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Bedford Reservation, Chagrin Falls and our base location, Hudson, are all located in relation to each other.
We made two stops in Bedford Reservation. Our first stop was at Bridal Veil Falls. We parked in the Bridal Falls parking lot and walked across Gorge Parkway to a trailhead. A short walk down the boardwalk steps, over a bridge and along Deerlick Creek, leads to an overlook of Bridal Veil Falls.
Boardwalk trail to Bridal Veil Falls
Boardwalk trail to Bridal Veil Falls, with bridge over Deerlick Creek.
I used the bridge to cross over Deerlick Creek. Bob walked across the creek bed. Bob is standing at the top of Bridal Veil Falls.
Bridal Veil Falls
Don’t you just love the sound of a waterfall?
Our second stop was at Tinkers Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook.
Tinkers Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook (April 2017)
Tinkers Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook (June 29, 2021) Tinkers Creek is way down there, somewhere.
Tinkers Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook (April 2017) Tinkers Creek is visible in this picture.
This overlook would sure look beautiful in the fall, with nothing but trees and sky in view.
Tinkers Creek Gorge Overlook was our last stop, before heading back to our air conditioned rental Airbnb. Today had been very hot and humid.
Even with the heat and humidity, Bob rode another 5 miles (10 miles round trip) on the Bike and Hike Trail this afternoon. The temperature was in the low 90s, with the heat index reading 103 or 104 degrees.
And, yes, I took some more pictures at our Airbnb.
Three eagles (two adults and one juvenile) on tree stag in wetlands at Airbnb
Eagle soaring over wetlands at Airbnb
Eagle soaring over wetlands at Airbnb
Our Airbnb host, John, with Kiwi
One picture of Kiwi isn’t enough …
Kiwi seems to be saying “OK, Linda, you can stop talking pictures now”.
This blog post completes Day 5 of our vacation in Ohio. Stay tuned! I have two more days to share with you!
This morning we drove to the picturesque village of Chagrin Falls, which was about a 30-minute drive from Hudson.
There are two vantage points from which to see the Chagrin Falls waterfall. A boardwalk leads down to an observation platform from each vantage point.
This is the view of Chagrin Falls, as we were walking down the boardwalk to the first vantage point.
This is a long exposure image of Chagrin Falls from the first vantage point.
Bob and I at Chagrin Falls
This is the view of Chagrin Falls from the second vantage point. You can see the boardwalk for the first vantage point (opposite side).
After viewing Chagrin Falls from both vantage points, we sat on a park bench along South Main Street for about an hour waiting for the Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop to open. Besides popcorn the shop has coffee and custard ice cream. Eating custard ice cream at 10:00 am? Yes, why not! Why not?? How disappointing to learn that the custard machine was not working properly 😦
We left Chagrin Falls and drove to Bedford Reservation, which is part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Our visit to Bedford Reservation will be the subject of my next blog post.
We walked down to the edge of the wetlands this morning. There was an adult bald eagle sitting in the snag on which we have seen one or two eagles often throughout the day, since our arrival on Friday afternoon. The lighting wasn’t good in that direction, so I didn’t take any pictures of the eagle. I did take pictures of a dragonfly and turtles.
Dragonfly at Wetlands at Airbnb
Turtles at Wetlands at Airbnb
It is hot and humid, even at 9:00 am. When I returned to the house, I was drenched in sweat from my neck up.
About an hour later, while sitting in the living room, I saw an osprey flying over the wetlands. Good thing I got my camera and went out on the deck. The osprey provided a bit of excitement, at least photographically.
An osprey flying over the Airbnb wetlands sees something of interest.
The osprey soared low in the sky over the Airbnb wetlands. I lost the osprey shortly after I took this picture, as it dove into the pond behind one of the buildings near the pond.
I stayed on the deck, camera in hand. Within seconds the osprey returned into view.
The osprey snagged a fish; a small bird gave chase.
Late morning/early afternoon we drove to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, to the Ira Trailhead, and walked ¼ mile to Beaver Marsh. What a HOT and HUMID walk that was! We didn’t see much in the way of wildlife. We saw a great blue heron, snapping turtle (no picture), red wing blackbird and tree swallows.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Beaver Marsh Great Blue Heron
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Beaver Marsh Red-Winged Blackbird
I captured a few pictures of tree swallows, as we spent the most time watching their acrobatic flight.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Beaver Marsh Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow
Two Tree Swallows
We returned to our rental Airbnb and ate lunch. I ate a picnic lunch indoors, and Bob ate Ramen Noodles that he found in the kitchen.
A storm rolled through around 5:00 pm.
It would have been very nice, if this storm had taken the heat and humidity with it when it left. That didn’t happen, though.
The temperature did drop 20 degrees, from 90 (with a heat index of 103) to 70. It didn’t take long, though, for the heat and humidity to return.
The Beauty Around Us 