Explore Ohio Blog

Harbor North began its journey in 1972. It is located at Battery Park Marina in Sandusky Ohio. They started the business as a broker of used boats. Gradually it turned into a store, sailing school, charter program and new boat sales and service place. It is a all in one place for anything related to sailing.

Harbor North attracts people from all over the country. People come here to meet friends, enjoy a vacation or a weekend, enjoy boating on Lake Erie and leave all the stress behind them. Groups of people sail away to Pelee Island in Canada or to Cleveland. People who are seeking real adventure sail off to Caribbean Islands.

At Harbor North you will find different types of new and used boats. Most common types are Hunter, Hanse and Sunfish sailing boats.

Harbor North is Ohio’s biggest and probably the oldest sailing school. If you are a beginner, want to learn the basics, no one can teach you better than the experts here. Or if you just want a refresher, you can take any of the advanced courses.

They have a huge storage facility. There are over hundred floating ships, all with water and electricity. Lots of parking. Restrooms and shower facility available. Up to thirty thousand pound haul out capability. They have winter storage facility as well.

Contact Information
400 Huron Street
PO Box 504
Huron, OH 44839
Phone-(419)433-6010
(800)451-SAIL
Fax-(419)433-4602

For more information visit- http://www.harbornorth.com/default.aspx

Hocking Hills attract many visitors each year by its spectacular beauty. The appearance changes with season but the beauty never fades. Whether you like hiking, biking, backpacking, bird watching or just want to capture some beautiful sights in the frame, this is the place to visit.

Hiking at the Hocking Hills State Park is now better than ever. There are six unique trails. Some of the trails are stroller accessible. They are all unique and beautiful. You can go for hiking in the winter as well. All the trails, walkways and bridges have improved a lot in the recent years. Hocking Hills State Park has the tallest tree of Ohio. The biggest cave of the state is also here.

You have twenty three miles of backpacking opportunity in the Zaleski State Forest. This place is open to visitors as early as six in the morning and closes at eleven at night. You can take a horseback ride, that is only allowed through the forest roads.

If you are into photography or trying to sharpen your skills, you are in for a big treat. You can capture the beautiful waterfalls with rocky edges or the wildlife of the forest. You will find deer, wild turkey and sometimes black bear to take some rare shots.

Contact Information
Hocking Hills State Park
19852 State Rt 664 S
Logan, OH 43138-9537
Phone- (740)385-6841

If you want to meet the three million year old human ancestor, called Lucy or hundred and fifty million years old four legged dinosaur type animal species, you have to visit Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Back in 1830 this museum started in a small wooden building. The museum has come a long way and it is considered to be one of the finest natural history museum in US.

With a nice blend of astrology and geology, they have created an environment where you can get a feeling of how the solar system works, the earthquake and the feel of volcanic rocks. These are all done in an interactive environment.

Another gallery have a collection of numerous precious stones and gems. See those bright and shiny diamonds and rubies. Learn about the raw minerals and how these precious stones are made out of them.

You will know about the earth hundreds of millions years ago. See who used to live on this planet, walk through the forests that created coal and other important resources that we cannot live without.

There is lot more to see and learn. This is truly and exciting experience.

Address-
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
1 Wade Oval Drive
Cleveland, OH 44106
Phone- (216)231-4600
Fax-(216)231-5919

Hours of operation-
Monday - Saturday- 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Wednesday- 10:00 AM-10:00 PM
Sunday- 12:00 PM-5:00 PM

Admission-
Adults-$9 (19 years and older; $5 after 5pm Wednesday)
Youths- $7 (age 7-18)
College students with id- $7
Seniors- $7 (60+)
Accessibility (wheelchair) - $6
Children- $6 (age 3-6)

For more information visit here

If you are looking to have some fun experience with the entire family, look no more. Jack Hanna’s Fall Fest is bringing you just that. In this harvesting season join Jack Hannah and all his animal friends in the festival f harvesting season. It is an event for everyone in the family. There will be something to enjoy for everyone.

Have you ever seen how basket is made from different fibrous and pliable materials? They make it from anything that will bend and form a shape. The commonly used materials are pine straw, hide, grasses, animal hair, wood and thread. People do it as a profession or as a hobby. Who knows, after watching some basket weaving and pumpkin carving you might want o pick up these fascinating arts as a hobby.

There will be many events to entertain the kids. All your favourite seasonal treatments will be there as well. There will a special appearance by Jack Hanna on September 13 and 14. Also Dora the explorer will visit on September 20 and 21. If you want to be apart of a contest, September 20 and 21 there will be a Flapjack Flipping contest you can participate in. The Hastily Assembled Blue Grass and many others will provide entertainment for you and your family.

Event- Jack Hanna’s Fall Fest
Date- September 20 2008- September 21 2008
Time-9 AM-5 PM
Ticket- Regular zoo admission rates apply. Free for Columbus zoo and Aquarium members.

Contact Information-

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
9990 Riverside Dr.
Powell, Oh 43065
Phone- (614)645-3550
Toll Free- (800)-MONKEYS
Fax- (614)645-3465

Salt Fork State Park is at the heart of Guernsey County, a combination of open meadows, beautiful valleys and green forested hills are wrapped around by gorgeous blue streams. This beautiful park has something for every taste.

Salt Fork Park covers an area of more than seventeen thousand acres and water areas of almost three thousand acres. It has a huge collection of different plants and animal life. White tailed deer, red fox, squirrels and wild turkey are the locals of this park. There are many songbirds like cardinals, Kentucky warbler etc.

The forest also has a collection of trees. Maples, towering oaks, walnuts, beeches and chestnuts. Some of these trees are more than hundred and fifty feet tall. In the fertile soil below there are variety of roses.

There are over two hundred sites where you can do camping. There are heated shower facilities, modern toilets, boat launching and docking facilities available. The more beautiful areas has grills nad tables or people who want to picnic. If you would rather get wet, the twenty five thousand feet beach is one of the longest swimming area in entire Ohio.

This park is a wonderful getaway from our regular life.

Contact Information
PO Box 7
US Route 22 East
Cambridge, OH 43725
Phone-(740)435-9000
(740)439-2751
Fax- (740)435-9096
For more information visit here

Cedar Point Lighthouse in Ohio s standing right beside Lake Erie. Some history, lots of stories and mind blowing natural beauty is what makes this place so attractive to visitors.

 

Even though Cedar point is also famous for the tall, fast and scary roller coasters. When it was time to expand the park area, they found open space to the North west corner. This lighthouse was standing among many other abandoned structures. It took a great vision to make the decision not to smash this historic building to ground.

Cedar Point was famous for its pitch dark nights, mist, fog and sudden gales. It was frequently ravaged by hostile storms. All these resulted in the loss of so many lives that something had to be done. The result was this light at Cedar point in 1839. Even though the building was there way before, it took seventeen years for the light to be added.

The light house keeper, known as Ritter, saved a lot of lives. Even though his life was in danger while at work. Once he got really close to die, but was lucky enough to be saved by the people at the shore. But his dog was found dead.

Today this old lighthouse is standing as a tourist attraction, as a witness of many heroic life savings and tragic deaths.

Contact Information
Cedar Point
1 Cedar Point drive
Sandusky, OH 44870
Phone-(419)627-2350

Ohio is well known for its historical sites. All of them attract thousands of tourists every year. From museums to cultural centers, from memorial houses to tombs, Ohio has a rich plethora of historical collections to satiate your appetite for the ancient world.

The Adena Mansion & Gardens is one among them. There is a magnetic charm about that pulls huge crowds every year. Originally, the estate of the sixth governor of Ohio, the Adena mansion spreads over an area of 2,000 acres. This palatial building was completed sometime between 1806 & 1807 & is one of the only three buildings designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the first professional architecture of America that is standing even today.

Apart from the outbuildings & the formal gardens, one can also find a newly constructed museum here one can come across the exhibits depicting life in Ohio in the 1800s.

Hours:
November – March : CLOSED
April – October :
Mon - Tue : Closed
Wed - Sat : 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Sun & Open Holidays : 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
(Memorial Day, Labor Day)

Admission:
OHS Members : FREE
Adults : $8.00
Children 6 -12 : $4.00
Children 5> : FREE
School Groups : $3 / student

Contact:
Adena Mansion & Gardens
Box 831 Adena Road
847 Adena Road
Chillicothe, OH 45601
Phone:
740-772-1500
800-319-7248 (toll free)

Originally built in 1852, the Buckeye furnace is one of those old iron furnaces that played a major role in the development of the iron businesses. It is a matter of great pride of every citizen of Ohio that such a thing has been preserved for the posterity. It definitely adds to the rich history of the country.

Similar to the Hanging Rock Iron Region in the southeastern part of Ohio, the Buckeye Furnace is a reconstructed charcoal-fired iron blast furnace with original stack. Spread over an area of 270 acres, this furnace last went out of blast in 1894. With a reconstructed casting shed, the charging loft is placed right above the furnace. Iron ore, charcoal & limestone are all loaded into the furnace along with the engine house containing a steam-powdered container.

This historic furnace now serves a visitors site, attracting quite a few tourists every year. This place also offers different educational programs.

Hours: June - October
Mon - Tue : Closed
Wed - Fri : Only By Appointment
Sat - Sun : 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Admission
OHS Members : FREE
Adults : $4
Children 6-12 : $3
Children 5> : FREE

Contact:
Buckeye Furnace
123 Buckeye Park Rd. T-167
Wellston, OH 45692
Phone:
(740) 384-3537
1-(800) 860-0144 (toll free)

The name itself suggests that this museum has been named after Neil Armstrong, the first man to set his foot on moon. Located in Wapakoneta, this museum holds out the story of Ohio’s role in the history of the journey to space.

This museum attracts many tourists every year. A lot among them are students of astronomy, who find significant materials regarding their research work. Various items have been put on display out here. For example, a F5D Sky Lancer, the Gemini VII spacecraft, Apollo 11 artifacts & a moon as well. Various light & sound programs are organized to enlighten the audience regarding the mystery of the universe.

The Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum is located just west of 1-75 at exit 111 (Bellefontaine Street) in Wapakoneta in the Auglaize County, the museum is open to the public on from Tuesday to Saturday leaving out national holidays of course. Special wheel chairs are also available for handicapped people.

Hours:
Mon : Closed
Tue - Sat : 9:30AM to 5:00PM
Sun : 12:00PM to 5.00PM
Open Holidays : 12:00PM to 5.00PM
(Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day)

Admission:
OHS Members : FREE
Adults : $8.00
Children 6 - 12 : $4.00
Children 5> : FREE
School Groups : $3.00 / student

Contact:
Armstrong Air & Space Museum
PO Box 1978, Wapakoneta,
OH 45895-0978
Phone: (419) 738-8811
1 (800) 860-0142 (toll free)
FAX: (419) 738-3361
E-Mail: rmacwhinney@ohiohistory.org

Fort Amanda was originally built under the command of Lt. Col. Robert Pogue during the fall of the Kentucky troops in 1812. In 1813, this fort was increased to almost double its size under the command of Capt. Daniel Hosbrook. During the second phase of construction, a fifth blockhouse was added along with many cabins & storage buildings.

Known as the major supply depot, Fort Amanda is located on the banks of the Auglaize River. Ensign William Schillinger’s dairy gives a daily report of the weather conditions & the activities taking place at the fort. This & various other documents give us the names of the different persons stationed at the Fort at different times.

Located on the western bank of the Auglaize River, admission to Fort Amanda is free all through the year. Since some historical structures pose certain difficulties for the handicapped people, free wheel chairs are available out here. For further details contact:

Fort Amanda
c/o Johnny Appleseed Metro Park District
2355 Ada Road
Lima, OH 45801
Phone: 1-800-283-8713 (toll free)