More from Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

NOTE: Be sure to read the 3 items at the bottom of this blog post.  Thanks!

If you have missed seeing my posts from our trip to Hocking Hills State Park, near Logan, Ohio,  in October, 2012,  with friends, NEAL and Patti Treadway,  click HERE.   We had such a great trip --and I'm still trying to get through my photos.  Today,  I'll share with you our crazy hike through the Cedar Falls area,  and also to Ash Cave.  Hope you enjoy the pictures and collages.. Be sure to click on them for enlargements.  AND I apologize for such a long post today.. I am trying to finish up that trip!!!!

The picture above shows more of the gorgeous Autumn Colors we experienced while in Ohio.  We were there at a PERFECT time... Hooray!!!!

We were hiking now (following our time at Old Man's Cave) on the trail to Cedar Falls.  We knew there wouldn't be much water at the falls --but the  whole area was pretty.  Top Left: Patti, Neal, George;  Middle--ME--trying to hold up a rock!!! ha;  Top Right:  George and Neal;  and Bottom: Patti and Neal.

Here is CEDAR FALLS---even though there wasn't much water coming over the falls... If you want more information about Cedar Falls and this area,  click HERE.

This is a great picture of the rock formations in the Cedar Falls area...

AND THEN--- Miss Betsy led the group down the 'wrong' trail ---obviously --IF you look at the pictures!!!!!  I thought we were taking a short-cut... HA HA ----not the case though...

Here's one more collage showing the rugged trail we took (actually--not a trail I don't think).....  We were beginning to look for either a horse or a helicopter in order to get outta there!!!!!! ha ha ha  (OH--the memories we will have after this hike!!!!!!)

NEXT,  after getting back to our car SOMEHOW,  we then drove to ASH CAVE for some more hiking.  Ash Cave is not really a cave ---but a HUGE rock overhang.  For more information on Ash Cave,  click HERE.    You can see a photo of what the waterfall should look like with some WATER...   The picture above is looking back into the rock formations under the overhang.

This is a collage of us ---as we wandered around checking out the area.  Top left: Patti and Neal; Middle:  Me;  Top Right: Neal, Patti, George

Here is a picture of the almost waterless waterfall.  I would love to be there when there is alot of water coming over the falls.

You can see how vast the cave is in these picture.  George is in the one on the left and I am in the one in the middle.  Neal is checking out the water droplets from the waterfall.

This picture was taken from under the overhang... You can get some idea of the vastness of this 'cave'... The horseshoe cave is 100 feet deep,  90 feet high and measures 700 feet from one end to the other.  It's HUGE.

This ends our time at Hocking Hills State Park.  Hope you enjoyed seeing all of the beauty in that park... I will have one more post from that trip ---showing you the lake we visited late that afternoon,  and some photos from our trip home the next day.

George and I have such a great time with Neal and Patti.  The four of us have the same interests --and we just enjoy being together.   I hope we get to do several more trips together in the future!!!!

SOME EXTRAS:
1. Be sure to check out Theresa's blog  (TexasWisGirl) on BLOGGING.  Click HERE.   That gal really gets the comments ---so if you want to do it her way,  check it out.  She's the expert.

2. I am featured today on Ann's Snap Edit Scrap BLOG....  She asked me some questions which I answered for her.  Check it out --and leave her a comment.  Click HERE.  Thanks,  and thanks to Ann for inviting me to participate.

3. Because so many people these days enjoy SHORT blogs,  I am starting a new one which will contain only one picture plus explanation.  I hope that you will enjoy the new blog --and follow me on it beginning on WEDNESDAY this week.  I will alternate blogs --so you  will have some choices.  Tune in to THIS blog on Wed. and I will provide the URL for the new one.  Let me know what you think...

Have a wonderful day.

Hugs,

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Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Neal and Patti;  George and Betsy

Continuing our October trip with friends,  NEAL and Patti Treadway,  the next morning we first went to  OLD MAN'S CAVE, the most popular area of the Hocking Hills State Park, near Logan, Ohio.  If you missed any of the other posts from this trip,  click HERE.  Besides this one,  there have been 5 other posts.   Hope you enjoy our photos from this gorgeous place.  If you want to know more about the history of Old Man's Cave,  click HERE.   Be sure to click on the photos to see them larger.

Above is a picture of the four of us taken at Old Man's Cave ---near the Upper Falls.  Speaking of waterfalls,  there is a Lower Falls and an Upper Falls in Old Man's Cave.  We have been there two different times --and there was no water much (other than a trickle) coming over the waterfalls... However,  even without water in the falls,  this is a gorgeous area.

George took this picture of me standing on one of the bridges ---while I was busy taking my own pictures... The trail all along this area is FABULOUS...  It's not a cave ---but you are down in a canyon-like area as you walk, or gorge.

Here is a collage showing more of the beauty in that area...  It's another one of those places you have to visit in order to really know what you are experiencing.  Photos are okay---but being there is much better.

I love the reflection in this photo, taken at Old Man's Cave.

This is a picture of four friends having a great day.  Top:  Betsy,  and  Betsy and Neal;  Bottom: Neal and Patti, and George.

Neal and Patti are climbing the steps after we left the Lower Falls area.

Here is more of the great trail at Old Man's Cave.  Our visit was in October --so you can see many fallen leaves.  AND--in some of the pictures,  you can see the Fall Colors.

Above is a collage  of friends hiking in Old Man's Cave.  Top:  Neal and George;  George and Neal/Patti;  Bottom:  Neal, and Neal/Patti.

Here is a good picture showing some of the left-over Fall Colors inside the Old Man's Cave area.

This shows some of the cliff that we had to come down in order to get to the bottom of the little gorge area.  However,  the trail down was not hard since we obviously did not climb straight up and down a cliff.  As I've said many times, there is a great trail in this area.

Here's another photo of the tiny bit of water in the area --and all of the vegetation.  I love seeing the tree roots like that.  (I'd love to visit here after a huge rain --when the water is flowing through this gorge area.)

You can tell by my smile how much I enjoyed hiking in this area.  Hope you can get there sometime yourself!!!!

Finally,  here's a final picture of four friends enjoying a beautiful area.   Being here and hiking on a gorgeous Fall day was fun ---but being with GREAT friends was even better.

Have a wonderful day.

Hugs,
Hugs,

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Blue Ridge, Georgia Trip

While looking through some old photos,  I came across some that I decided to share with you today.  In October of 2005,  the "Getaway Gang"  ---made up of childhood friends:  Susan Hollifield Daugherty,  Reida Rankin, Nita Holding Wilson and me,  took one of our annual trips --this time to a cabin on top of a mountain in  Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Many of you may know about my trips with these special friends.  I have blogged about these yearly trips quite a bit in past.  The four of us grew up together and when we graduated from high school,  we all went our separate ways..

In 1992,  when we all turned 50,  we decided to get together for a few days to 'catch up'... That turned out to be a fabulous reunion ---so we decided to continue doing it most every year until a few years ago.  We lost one of us (Susan) in 2011 to Breast Cancer.  Since she died,  the three of us just haven't been able to get together anymore.  I hope that we do someday.  I miss our 'get-togethers'---and I miss Susan TERRIBLY.  If you want to see some of my other blog posts of my time with these wonderful friends,  click HERE.

Even though the pictures were taken from an OLD camera in 2005,  some of them are worthy for the blog I think.... The picture above is one of the sunrises we saw every morning  from our cabin on that mountain.   I love this photo showing the fog in the valley below...

Be sure to click on the pictures for enlargements.

Here is a picture of our wonderful little cabin we rented that week.   The little cabin was decorated with bears.  Someone was very creative--as there were bears EVERYWHERE in that cabin ---even the light fixtures!!!

This is the road to our cabin... I got out and walked in the area one day... There were a few other cabins in the area --but we were on a dead-end road.  (I'd love to own that cabin!)

This is not a great picture,  but I wanted you to see some of the mountain ranges in that area.  Blue Ridge is a great little city in the mountains in North Georgia...

Here's one more photo of our neat little cabin.  Isn't it pretty?  The weather was perfect--and we enjoyed sitting on the deck ALOT during that visit.

Here's a collage of the four of us.  Top left:  Reida, Susan, Betsy;  Bottom left: Nita and Susan;  Top right: Susan, Nita, Reida.

AND--here's another collage of us from that trip. Bottom left:  ME in the tub;  Bottom right:  Reida, Nita (standing), and Susan.  The middle picture is dark --but at the table, you can see Nita, Susan and Reida.

Here are two more photos of those glorious sunrises.  There is nothing better than seeing a sunrise or sunset... Our cabin was in a perfect location to enjoy these..

UPDATE:  Please say a prayer for friend, Reida... She has MS --and has been in the hospital recently.  

Finally,  here is a photo of PINK CLOUDS (not taken on this trip)....  When Susan died,  she told us all that she would be sitting up there on a Pink Cloud--waiting for us to join her.  Every single time I see a pink cloud these days,  I think of Susan... She was a wonderful woman --and is SO missed!!!!  OH--how I love her!

Have a great day ---and take time to HUG those people whom you love.

HUGS to you,

Blue Ridge on Dwellable

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CONKLES HOLLOW, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Goodness Gracious... What happened to January????  Time is flying when you are having fun I guess....Are you having fun????  I always have fun ---well,  most of the time... I still want to see some SNOW...ha ha

Today, I'm continuing to share more from our trip to Hocking Hills State Park near Logan, Ohio from October 15-17, 2012...  We met our good friends,  NEAL and Patti Treadway from Indiana there --and the four of us had a marvelous time together.

If you missed some of my other posts from that little trip,  you can click HERE to see 4 other posts.   Today,  I am sharing our time at CONKLES HOLLOW, in the state park.  When GEORGE and I first visited Hocking Hills in Early September of 2011,  Conkles Hollow was my favorite place... The greenery and lushness of that area was absolutely fabulous. I felt as if I was in Heaven!

This year, however,  I was a little disappointed since we were there in mid October --and much of the lushness had disappeared ---since it was later in Autumn.   BUT--it was still pretty,  just not as pretty as it was in early September.  To compare the photos from the two trips,  you need to click HERE to see the 2011 photos...

Today,  I'll share our 2012 pictures with you... Even though it wasn't quite as pretty,  Conkles Hollow is a beautiful place and I still recommend it --if you get to Hocking Hills sometime.

The picture above shows you some of the ferns and beauty around the area.  Be sure to click on all of the photos for enlargements.

George captured the photographer at work.... Note that I'm wearing my camera vest and carrying my water jug.... This girl is always prepared....  HA

This area really is a 'hollow'---with high cliffs all around...  One thing different from the 2011 trip was getting to see the Fall colors around....  AND Fall in Ohio was marvelous when we were there.

The path through the area was really nice...  You can also tell that it's fall because of all of the leaves on the ground!!!!

George is tall (about 6'4") ---so he almost had to bend over to get around the corner!!

Here is a collage showing your some pictures of that beautiful area...

Here is a picture George took of me on the trail...

Here's another collage showing the caves in that area.  There are two waterfalls there (Reckworth Falls and Lower Falls--which is inside a cave) ---but there was no water  (except for a tiny bit inside the cave) here again on this trip.

The picture on the bottom left was taken from INSIDE the cave looking out.  AND--the two on the right side were inside the cave --where George and I looked hard to find that tiny waterfall.  We could hear it trickling --but it was hard to see it!!!

Finally,  I'll close with a neat picture of the pretty ferns in that hollow.  The ferns are what I remembered most from that first trip there in 2011.  SO gorgeous...

After leaving Conkles Hollow,  we stopped and took pictures of this gorgeous little church as we passed by.  Isn't it pretty?????  

WELL---that was our first busy day together...  I finished the day with 16,351 steps on my pedometer --which is about 5 miles...  The four of us celebrated by eating some delicious BBQ at Millstone Barbecue in Logan...

More to come... It was a GREAT day --and just being with Neal and Patti made it even nicer!!!!  Have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

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UPDATE:  7 a.m  We finally got some SNOW here (about 1-2 inches)... BUT--it's 10 degrees outside.... I'll share photos later... 

Hugs,

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