Ockey Family Adventures: Ohio Day 8

We rolled out early today because we had a full day planned in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It's only about a half hour from our house, so we didn't have to go far. Our first stop was the Beaver Marsh. We were really hoping to see some animals. We weren't disappointed!

As soon as we got out of the car, we spotted a snapping turtle right on the trail. There was a second one within 50 yards. We didn't get too close, but we did watch them for a while. They kind of freeze up and go into defensive mode, so they didn't do much while we were around, but as soon as we walked away, they disappeared into the tall grass. We walked about a half mile at the Beaver Marsh, and we saw those turtles, and two different kinds of frogs. There were also plenty of birds including some pretty woodpeckers and baby wood ducks sitting with their mama on a log.

We were pretty excited to see a snapping turtle.

We have read about snapping turtles and did not want to mess with them.

It was awesome that they were right on the trail.

We found some in different places along our hike.

The marsh was a really lush place to hike.

It is so green back East!

Cute little babies.

We saw a few different frogs.

We saw this woodpecker. Mark would know its name.

I don't think Dad was ready for this picture, but Dax sure was.

Next we tried to drive to the covered bridge, but a large tree was down in the road due to the storm last night, so we couldn't get to it. Instead, we went to a long hike called Brandywine Falls. It was a little muddy through the dark trees, but we saw a lot more fun animals. There were little orange chipmunks and coal black squirrels running through the wet underbrush. It was really pretty, and the weather was nice and cool. Best of all, when we arrived at the falls, it was really roaring and beautiful. The only bad part was that there was a parking lot right next to the waterfall, but it was closed for repair!

There was a lot of mud on this hike, but we stayed pretty clean.

Mom loves walking through the green forests here.

There were quite a few bridges on this trail.

Seth loves to pose!

A black squirrel

Brandywine Falls was impressive.

We had more hiking to do, so we started out on another long, steep hike called Blue Hen Falls. There was a lot of up and down on this one, and it actually crossed the road. There was even a closed parking lot within a hundred yards of the trailhead again! So after we enjoyed the nice double waterfall, Dad walked the road back to the Visitor Center so that the kids could get a ride back.

At the Visitor Center, we turned in our Junior Ranger booklets. Then we made the drive from the otherside down to the covereed bridge. It was a short stop, but there aren't many covered bridges around anymore.

We saw another turtle by the Visitor Center.

Mom's hair is a wavy mess in humid places.

This trail wasn't tough, just long.

The waterfall was awesome.

We finally made it to the covered bridge.

Mom wore a shirt to match the bridge (on accident).

We saw some baby groundhogs on the way to the bridge, so it was worth it!

We stopped at a pretty little lake for lunch. We had sandwiches in the parking lot and then walked around admiring the bluegill in the lake and the baby geese along the shore. It is so green and lush, and we aren't used to the muggy air, particularly after a storm.

Dax was still eating his lunch in this picture.

This lake was a nice spot to rest for a minute.

Dax is always looking for fish.

The geese all hissed at us if we got too close.

Our last long hike of the day was called the Ledges. This was a trip along the foot of a ledge, maybe 30 feet at its highest point, that was pretty green with moss. The trail walked right along the foot of the cliff as it looped around in a circle. The highlight of this hike was a pileated woodpecker, which we've been seeking for a long time. It was amazing how big it was, at about 20 inches long and a 30 inch wingspan. It was about twice the size of a flicker.

This was the hike we were most excited for.

There was so much green!

The Ledges were awesome.

We loved this hike!

Woody the Woodpecker right there!

Mom and Dad enjoyed this National Park.

We thought the mossy rocks were so cool.

We made a few other stops at Cuyaghoga Valley. There was another bridge, an ancient lock from the Erie Canal, and a few overlooks. Then we made the final walk of the day, a short one to a waterfall. This one was called Bridle Veil Falls, and it was a little chute that looked just right for sliding down. Of course, you couldn't slide, but it looked fun.

Mom is always looking for flowers.

The old lock was actually really cool.

You could walk inside and above.

More bridges

We saw a cardinals a few times, but Mom could never get a great picture.

Last waterfall of the day. It's more of a cascade.

The boys got to walk to the top of the waterfall.

After dinner, we drove downtown to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All of us thought it was awesome! There was a special exhibition for the Beatles, which was so cool. We just watched the rooftop concert, so the boys thought it was fun to see Ringo's coat and John's guitar. We went slowly through much of the museum, looking at donated artifacts from all of our favorites. The entire first floor was memorabilia, and several of the other floors, too. The artifacts were organized by city, so Mark liked Seattle best, but Dax and Seth were excited about Los Angeles.

On the second floor, it was all interactive. We nominated our favorite bands for the Hall of Fame. We designed and printed our own stickers. We played free pinball. They even had a large instrument section, so the boys played electric guitar, keyboard, and drums. It was so fun to be a rockstar for a few minutes.

I don't know who was more excited: Mark or Dad.

I think Dad was most excited!

We all loved the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Seth wanted a picture by everything.

Mark wore his Nirvana shirt, so we took a lot of photos by Nirvana things.

Dad just wanted to read and see everything about the Beatles.

Dax found these cool Run DMC displays.

The boys made Mom take a photo by something since she is the least Rock N Roll person.
They chose Tom Petty for her.

Seth has the facial expressions to be a rocker.

Mark played some of his favorites.

The third floor was all about the inductees. You could watch their ceremonies, or just explore the dates and details of who inducted each group. Floor 4 was all about Pink Floyd's The Wall, and it was pretty small. There was also a large theater showing American Bandstand.

The fifth and sixth floors had the "legends" of rock. We saw a lot more artifacts on this level. Led Zepplin, Bon Jovi, and some of our other favorites were featured on this floor. The very top of the museum spiralled up to a small, intimate display. There were 4 guitar gods talking about their craft. Tom Morello, Eddie Van Halen, and Keith Richards talked about their techniques and the instruments that were on display. Mark said he loved watching them talk about how they play the guitar. We all loved the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Even though we got in late, it was an awesome day!