By Marie Elium
Suddenly, it’s fall.
The season’s show-stopping colors remind us of everything that’s great about living in Ohio. That’s the good news. The bad news is that if you didn’t make reservations months ago for an autumn trip, it’s too late now.
But you have other options that don’t require overnight accommodations. Procrastinators, we’ve got your back. Remember going for a drive when we were kids? It’s still fun, especially when the fall scenery glides by the car window. The Ohio Department of Development has put together a handy list of car-friendly itineraries that are perfect for leaf-peeping.
Stop by ohio.org and poke around the website for suggestions based on season, section of the state and interest. Below are a few of their recommendations and a couple of favorites from those of us at Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond.
Pack a snack, buckle up and enjoy the ride. The scenery is free.
- Oberlin
Ohio has wonderful small towns that are lovely year-round, but fall means school, and what better place to celebrate autumn than in a college town? Oberlin’s downtown streets are lined with ginkgo trees with their funky, fan-shaped leaves. However, the time that the trees really shine is in autumn, when they turn a brilliant yellow that casts a vivid glow to their surroundings, especially on sunny days. Then, seemingly without warning, they drop all their leaves at once. Don’t miss the show.
- Ashtabula County Covered Bridges
The 37th Annual Covered Bridge Festival is October 9-10. You don’t need a festival as an excuse to enjoy visiting some of the county’s 19 covered bridges. Find a map and descriptions of each bridge at coveredbridgefestival.org.
- Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park & Whipp’s Ledges
Known locally as Nelson Ledges, the park is located outside of Garrettsville on State Route 282 between State Route 303 and U.S. 422. With rock formations like ‘Old Maid’s Kitchen” and “Devil’s Icebox,” the park stirs the imagination with its fanciful names and fall foliage set against moss-green outcroppings. Over in Hinckley Reservation, Cleveland Metroparks Whipp’s Ledges has a trail that wends its way around soaring towers of sandstone. It’s a dramatic way to see nice leaf colors.
- Great Seal State Park
If you’re hankering for a mountain view, this is as close as it gets in Ohio. The park’s hills are the inspiration for the images on The Great Seal of Ohio, and that’s where the park gets its name. Located just north of Chillicothe, Great Seal State Park is on the edge of the Appalachian Plateau. On a clear day, hikers can see Columbus from one of the overlooks.
- Amish Country
Of the state’s 88 counties, Holmes is not only one of the most picturesque, it’s also the center of the world’s second-largest Amish community. Head down about 80 miles south from Cleveland and take a ramble through Millersburg, Winesburg, Charm and Killbuck… and don’t be shy about venturing off the main thoroughfares. The winding roads reveal bright red barns, haystacks and neat-as-a-pin farmhouses. Watch out for the slow-moving buggies while taking in the colors.
Marie Elium’s least-favorite season is fall because it means summer is over. She does, however, like the fall colors, especially among the ginkgos.