Shipping up to Boston (Ohio)

Ruh-roh-RAGGY

With hot tea steeped and my day pack ready, my sister and I set off on a two-hour drive north to meet a good friend of hers in Cuyahoga Valley National Park; Ohio’s only national park.

Designated a national park at the turn of the 21st century, Cuyahoga was a national recreation area for 26 years prior. It is a bit different than many other national parks I have been to. With no entrance fee, this park fells much less enclosed than many others. Another difference is that there isn’t a huge typical sign at the entrance, and there are even little towns and neighborhoods right in the middle. This leads to a very unique experience.

We arrived at our trailhead just as the sun was coming up around 7am. Throughout our day hike, we covered about 10 miles and connected the Slate Run Trail, Lake Trail, and the Cross Country Trail, none of which being necessarily hard.

The flowers in this area had just started to bloom and it was without a doubt the highlight of the morning walk. Mayapples, Virginia Spring Beauty, Trilliums Bloodroots, and Lilacs abounded. It was also fortunate that our friend is an avid birdwatcher and was able to point out a variety of types. The bluebirds are always my favorite.

After finishing up our hike, we decided to head to the nearby town of Hudson and grab some breakfast and coffee. Finding local coffee shops is a big passion of mine and it is 10X better when you find one to relax at after an early morning. Heartwood Coffee hit the spot. After our nice coffee break it was time to find the infamous “Helltown.” So, with the top down on the car and the warm breeze blowing, off we headed!

“Helltown” is actually known as Boston Township. The legend behind it started in the 70s when the area was bought by the Government. With the small town in decline and the valley becoming a recreation area - the local homes and businesses were bought and boarded up, with some just left the way they were. If Scooby Doo taught us anything it’s that there are always “ghosts” in abandoned towns. As the town continued to sit vacant legends grew that a cult had taken over, serial killers roam the area, and a chemical spill created toxic monsters that attack those who roam there in the dark.

Our first stop was in the town of Peninsula, which to our surprise, was PACKED. When you hear “ghost town” this is not what you expect. There was a bar with outdoor seating that had people waiting down the sidewalk for a seat and others walking along the canal, tow path.

In this town was a church that I heard about that I wanted to see for myself. Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church is a small building in the center of town that, legend has it, is used by a cult for nighttime services. Now I am not writing to disprove any legends, but it looked to me like a normal church with just a slightly odd design. While looking at the church, the man who owned the house across from it began speaking to us and was happy to tell us about some of the stories of the town and where we could find some other neat areas to see. He was a super friendly gentleman, a retired firefighter, who I would have loved to learn more from if we weren’t already 3/4ths through our day.

While driving in Peninsula we found a gravel lot at the end of a road called Bishop Lane. I parked my car and we got out to find a few train tracks that lead through an old abandoned train yard. Spook stuff, I know. The best part was that some of the old train cars from the 1950s were still there! And open for anyone to go in and explore. No one else was in the area so we had the entire place to explore ourselves and were able to walk through everything from the box cars to the passenger cars. I may be a train nerd, but I think most would find this pretty cool. Walking down the tracks to the bridge the goes over Cuyahoga River, there was also a small waterfall that was a nice touch.

The next stop was sadly the scariest part of the trip. We were continuing our way through the town and stopped at the old high school that is now the town museum.

It is a really cool building that looks like it is straight out of Scooby Doo.

Well, while standing in the empty parking lot, a full grown adult in a batman costume began to ride towards us from the back of the building. (Again, the whole parking lot was empty and there was nothing behind the building.) I normally would think nothing of this and would just think maybe he is dressing up to make people happy around town. This guy however, kept riding closer and closer.

At this point, I smiled and did the “guy nod” and got nothing in return. Thinking this was kind of odd but hoping he just isn’t a friendly person, I just made sure to keep an eye on him as he got closer but pretended nothing was up. It wasn’t until he was about 20 feet away that he got off his bike. He paused, looked us up and down, and got back on his bike to ride off. I still have no clue what that was all about. But at least it gave me a fun story I can tell about how I thought I was going to be robbed by Batman.

Our last stop of the day was to see…”The End of the World.” A side road near the Visitor Center of Cuyahoga, Stanford Road, leads to a permanently closed road that requires walking to get to the end. The gentleman we talked to in town told us that they shut down the road decades ago as the residents of the homes in the area left and the road was no longer worth its upkeep.

The walk isn’t long but it is all up hill. The start of the road is flooded to about mid-calf deep so visitors have to divert to the field next to it unless they feel like swimming in some algae covered water. On the way up this 2 or 3 mile walk we saw a few snakes and some hawks flying above the entire time. It was so hot at this point, that the old tar on the road was melting onto my Chacos. After about 30 minutes, we finally came to a section so steep that you couldn’t see where it ends. This is why is has been called the “End of the World.” This area past the road closed sign is also where a lot of the legends of “Helltown” are supposed to take place, so a walk here at night would be something super neat (the park is open 24 hours so you’re good to go.) 

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is definitely a must see if you live in Ohio or the surrounding states. I know it doesn’t have the views that you see out west or down south. But, what it is missing, it makes up for with its charm, people, and ~spooky~ legends.

This Alone

One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.

-Gilbert Chesterton

“Is it really worth it?” The thought running through my head in late November 2018. I was nearing the end of my stay in Boulder. As I prepared to pack up and move east, I was debating what I wanted to do for my final big hiking trip out west.

Thoughts of seeing Telluride, Mesa Verde, or the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park were high on my mind… but one thing that I knew I would regret not seeing and may not have time to again, was the peaks of Maroon Bells.

You may not have heard of Maroon Bells, but I can guarantee you’ve seen a picture of them at some point. The rumor is, they are the most photographed mountain in the United States - topping even Mount Rainier in Washington, and Denali in Alaska.

Located about 20 minutes outside of Aspen, both peaks (there are two) are part of Colorado’s infamous 14ers. A total of 58 in the state, these peaks rise over 14,000 feet in the air, making for a tough climb with some technical gear, if you were to reach to the summit.

It starts to snow in October when you live 9,000 feet up, so I probably don’t have to explain why late that November most of the roads west of Denver were either shut down or under the tire chain law (chains that I did not own). So, that morning I decided to take a busier road that are plowed more and headed west about four hours to the famous range.

In early November the road that takes you directly to Maroon Lake (situated in the valley between the two peaks) closes and the only way there is a 12 miles round trip hike or taking a private tour. Being the loner I am, the hike sounded a lot better.

When it comes to travel, I like to get up early, I tend to pack light, and I really don’t mind walking anywhere.

Come 3 AM, my alarm clock was blaring. I grabbed my day pack with some water, trail mix, and my thick flannel and hit the road in my 2005 Toyota Solara; fingers crossed it would make it up and down the mountains.

Just as the sun was coming up I found the blocked off road up to Maroon Lake next to T-Lazy-7 Ranch, parked my car on the side, and began my walk.

This wasn’t a hard hike. That said, the way up is a steady incline on asphalt covered in ice and snow. I had some crampons to give me traction. But, if you’ve ever used any kind of micro spikes before, you know that when you hit sections of ground not covered in ice, they aren’t the most comfortable thing to be walking on. And, without them it wasn’t safe.

6 miles up doesn’t sound like a lot on paper. But for some reason, I felt like I was walking for AGES...

On your left hand side you are graced the entire way up by open valleys and small mountains (compared to the peaks of the Bells) that I can only imagine in the fall would be absolutely gorgeous with the leaves changing colors. It wasn’t until halfway up that I turned around and saw endless snow-capped mountain peaks.

This alone made it worth the trip.

Moving up a few more miles, I saw two large snow machines, I guess I would call it? They were almost like buses that had about 10 people in them with traction on their wheels to run through the ice along the road. The driver of this sled poked his head out the window while driving past me in this instance, told me that he would leave some hot chocolate and water for me at the top of the trail when I get there, and drove on. I gave a waving thanks and kept trudging on.

After about 2 hours, I could see it. I could see the famous peaks rising up over the trail and could finally see the snow-covered lakes at the base of each. And boy was it worth it. It truly had to be one of the coolest views I have experienced. But it wasn’t just the view that did it for me. It was all the sound, or I should say lack of. Luckily for me, that snow sled, machine, thing passed me going down the other way, which meant I had the amazing area all to myself. The snow, the mountains, the lake, and the quiet.

There is a short trail that leads along the lake in the valley between the bells that I attempted to walk around, moving till the snow was to deep. I looped back, cleared off a bench, sat down, and took it all in.

I sat there for a good hour, overwhelmed in a feeling that seemed surreal. I found the hot chocolate the awesome guy left for me, and started my 2 hour hike back down the mountain just in time for a late lunch in Aspen.

Always Sunny

Change the way you look at things… and the things you’re seeing will change.

I’ve been to Philadelphia a few times. I love the food, the culture and especially the history… although I have to say, I’ve never quite understood the value of a Phili cheesesteak.

G.S. and I decided to take a day trip up to Phili in early November and I was excited to show her a city I had loved. We woke up early, packed some snacks and hit the road. As much as I love to drive, traveling can be hard. The process itself can be tiring and is always riddled with expectations, not all of which are achievable. Seeing as I had already experienced Philadelphia, G.S. was pressed to make this trip together stand out. She built this massive (and overly detailed...) itinerary. If I had to guess, it was to make up for the fact that she felt left out.

We started the day rushed to fit everything in and in desperate need of a bathroom (something her multi-page itinerary neglected to track). We traipsed obligingly up the rocky steps, over to the liberty bell and then finally to Reading Terminal Market for some MUCH-needed lunch.

As we opened the door to the Market, dozens of people came teaming out. It was packed. Each stall we passed smelled better and was busier than the last. After over half an hour of trying to wade through the crowd and make up our minds about what we were hungry for, we were both defeated and starving.

I’m not much of a decision maker when it comes to things like this. I enjoy experiencing new food and I prefer accommodating the people I am with to making the decision myself. In this case, G.S. was so excited for lunch in this iconic market, but it was not what she and I had needed. What we needed was nourishment and a chance to take a breath.

I pulled her back out the doors we had come through and down a few streets to a local Indian restaurant. We ate a feast. And when we came back out, we saw a new Philadelphia.

Throughout the day, G.S.’s research and gaze showed me a side of Philadelphia that I hadn’t seen before. But, up to that point she had been so hungry to see everything that she was missing the beauty in any of it. She needed my perspective as much as I needed hers.

After resetting over our Indian feast… we trucked back out in the cold to finally SEE Philadelphia and had the most amazing time. The love sign looks smaller every time, and the free mason buildings look larger, the capitol glistens and there were enchanting pockets of culture and history peppered everywhere. It just came down to perspective.

Travel can be really draining, and hard for a couple to navigate – but from our experience, it’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia…

The Hills are Alive…

I learned that the richness of life is found in adventure. . . . It develops self-reliance and independence. Life then teems with excitement.

- WILLIAM ORVILLE DOUGLAS 

In the early 1940s, the von Trapp family settled in Stowe, Vermont on a gorgeous farm - the sweeping mountain vistas reminiscent of their beloved Austria. In the summer of 1950, they began welcoming guests to a rustic, family home/lodge. The original structure has since been replaced by the new Trapp Family Lodge; a large alpine lodge situated on 2,500 acres. The entire property is still owned and operated by the von Trapp family. This fall G.S. and I visited the grounds during a trip to Vermont.  

Lots of Austria and a little Vermont

One of the most interesting dichotomies I have experienced in my travels is how vastly different some places are… and how strikingly similar others can be. It is so important to leave our comfort zones and to seek to learn something we can’t find within ourselves. Different is good… new is exciting. But, there are things about our heritages and our homes that follow us everywhere we go.

What the von Trap family went through before arriving in America is a type of strain that I can’t imagine feeling. For them, new was needed. In the early 40s they traveled around the U.S. as a singing group before setting in Stowe. As we packed our car for the journey, G.S. couldn’t stop speculating ‘why there?’

Stepping our of our car and on to the foothills surrounding the Trapp Family Lodge… we had our answer. Vermont’s natural beauty was so rich it took our breath away. Those hills were alive in a way that is matched solely by their brethren in Austria. A richness that was mirrored by the aesthetics and offerings of the lodge itself.

The von Trapps relied on their family, they remained faithful to that bond and they built a new home that screams the richness of their love and culture to all who step foot on the property.