stroller friendly

A Museum Without Walls Beacons You To Hike Cincinnati’s National Historic Landmark

March 4, 2019 by admin

Spring Grove Cemetery And Arboretum

If you like history and sculptures, then Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is where you want to go for a spring hike in Cincinnati.

Spring Grove hosts over 1,200 species of trees, shrubs, and ornamentals. The collection continues to grow including a patents for new species. In fact, Spring Grove is more like a massive laboratory for universities, nurseries, and growers to test new species.

For more detailed information, Spring Grove is Hike #35 (pages 198-203) in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles Cincinnati.

One of the many statues memorializing a lost loved one at Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. The paved drives make hiking with toddlers a lot easier.

Since the very beginning of the cemetery grounds extreme care has been given to creating a beautiful landscape.

One of the unique features of Spring Grove Cemetery is that all roads are gentle curves. This further enhances the aesthetic of the land.

However, my favorite feature of Spring Grove are the stunning sculptures at the memorials.

Beauty abounds throughout Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. Over 1000 species of trees, shrubs, and ornamentals decorate the grounds.

Gothic Architecture

While strolling the ground, look the Dexter mausoleum, which is a private family Gothic Revival mausoleum and chapel that was constructed around 1866. It is near the edge of Geyser Lake so you can also enjoy the views of the small lake.

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum has a Self-Guided Walking Tour that covers some of these locations.

If you love Gothic architecture, look no further than Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. Take your time looking at the Dexter Mausoleum and you’ll begin to see more of the fine details.

Johnny Appleseed

Sit for a while at the Johnny Appleseed statue and enjoy the serenity on this sunny spot which honors John Chapman.

His missionary work in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Kentucky changed the landscape and the people.

Chapman collected seeds from cider mills, grew the seeds into saplings, transplanted the saplings into nurseries, and maintained the nurseries. And, then distributed his crop throughout the region.

Visit Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum

There is a lot to see at Spring Grove and there are several hills whihc will help you stretch all of your muscles. Here is a map of Spring Grove.

For more detailed information, Spring Grove is Hike #35 (pages 198-203) in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles Cincinnati.

Take your time and enjoy the scenery, your company, and the day because a cemetery certainly puts your life in perspective.

Be thankful, rejoice, sing out loud, and hike whenever you can.

Hiking in Summer with Kids

May 31, 2016 by admin

Summer Break is Here

Breathing hot humid air down our backs and striking up an unexpected thunderstorm or two. But, that doesn’t mean you should cower inside with the ac blasting.

Take your kids on a hike. Any hike will do. But, here is the important part. The part we adults have a problem with, an addiction to, we just can’t help ourselves…stop leading!

Ah! Yes, you read that right.

STOP LEADING

What does that mean? Stop leading the hike. Let the kids lead. Let them go first. Let them be in charge.

STOP DEFINING EVERYTHING

Stop telling your kids what they are seeing and instead you ask them lots and lots of leading questions.

Phenology Book is a field booklet to get them started.

You have a lot of experience with this if you have ever had a three year old.

Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?

Just go on a hike and enjoy watching and learning from your child.

Ask them what they think the tree should be called. When my kids were little a lot of trees were named Steve.

Ask them what they would call a cicada? My kids said cicadas should be called Noisy with big red eyes.

Need to find a hiking trail that is great for kids just getting started?

Sharon Woods‘ trail around the lake is paved, pleasant, and mostly flat.

Beaver Creek Wildlife Area is mostly a boardwalk over the wetland. There are a lot of insects, birds, and mammals here but since it is a wetland the best time to go is early in the morning before it heats up.

Gilmore MetroPark is full of birds and water. This is a trail that heats up through the day so go early.

Caldwell Preserve is wooded and a cool retreat on a warm day. Trails do go up and down hills but nothing a rambunctious child can’t easily handle.

Cincinnati Nature Center is also wooded and hilly for many of its trails plus they have the Nature’s Playground.

If you need more help on getting started hiking buy my book through this link and let me know who to inscribe it to.

Ah! Spring!

April 18, 2015 by admin

I’m thankful spring is really here! Of course, the number one pursuit this time of year is the ephemeral bounty of spring wildflowers.

Here are some places that are my favorites to head to and take a gazillion pictures.

Germantown MetroPark — Great place to see lots of trillium and trout lilies.

Cincinnati Nature Center — Daffodils and more spring from the ground by the thousands.

Blue Licks Battlefield State Park will surprise you with a variety of colors:

California Woods — Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Virginia blue bells, spring beauties, mayapples, the list goes on and on and changes almost daily.

Sharon Woods — The paved trail around the lake is a cornucopia of spring wildflowers and perfect if you have a issues with mobility or are taking the wee-ones out for an adventure.

Keep in mind not all wildflowers are divas. Some are beautiful plain Jane’s hiding right at your toes!

Hike Often. Live More.

Spring Grove

October 28, 2014 by admin

My mother and grandmother used to drag us around from cemetery to cemetery looking for the tombstones of long lost relatives.

Perhaps that’s why, I’m not totally wigged out in a cemetery. In fact, I find cemeteries rather …err … peaceful.

Spring Grove Cemetery is located in the mid-section of Cincinnati and is the final resting place for many loved ones including 19^th-century cholera victims and Civil War generals, as well as notable burials.

Spring Grove Cemetery began with a recurrence of the cholera epidemic and concerns over proper internment facilities. Members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society created a cemetery association with the goal of finding a suitable location to create a parklike setting to bury the dead.

The planners researched and visited renowned cemeteries throughout the United States and Europe. Spring Grove Cemetery’s impeccable landscape speaks to the amount of thoughtful consideration that went into designing the grounds.

In 1845, the original 220 acres of Cemetery of Spring Grove was dedicated. The name officially changed in 1987 to the Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. The grounds contain an enormous collection of native and exotic plants

Spring Grove Cemetery was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2007, joining four other cemeteries in the nation that hold this distinction. Today, the cemetery covers 733 acres, of which 400 are landscaped and maintained.

There are several trails which are basically pre-determined pathways using the same roadways as the cars.

On a trip to Spring Grove, I diverted from my usual path and went on a search for unique sculptures.

I was not disappointed. Here are some photos of the amazing art you can find at Spring Grove.

As always be respectful of the grounds but take time to appreciate the work and love that went into these memorials to lost loved ones.

Click on any of the images to see a large photo.