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Hocking Hills: Cedar Falls and Conkle’s Hollow

When my mom suggested we go somewhere for a short trip this summer, the things most on her mind were 1.) a swimming pool and 2.) waterfalls. The waterfall requirement was the main reason that Cedar Falls was the first stop on our Hocking Hills nature adventure, despite me having already researched the local attractions and having decided that Conkle’s Hollow and Ash Cave would be our best bets for truly accessible hiking.

Pro tip: if your knees can’t tolerate stairs, hiking Cedar Falls may not be in your best interest.

  • Wide angle from the creek at Cedar Falls
  • King of the Falls
  • This Swallowtail landed on the stream bank and let several hikers photograph it close up
  • Grammy and Connor waited up on the trail for me to take pictures
  • View from the creek approaching Cedar Falls
  • All the tourists were photographing this turtle and the fish
  • Informational plaque at Cedar Falls
  • Family Selfie at Cedar Falls
  • Connor and Grammy at Cedar Falls
  • Now they tell us…
  • Grammy standing with her walking stick next to a wooden bridge. A sign next to her says "Accessible Trail" and shows icons of a hiker and the modern Wheelchair Symbol.
    Conkles Hollow looks much less strenuous
  • I didn’t use the selfie station as designed
  • The caves along the gorge are reminiscent of the ones farther north at Whipps Ledges back in Medina County
  • Sandstone cliffs of Conkles Hollow
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The Chalets in Hocking Hills

Rather than trying to find things to do around my Mom’s place this summer, she suggested that the three of us — she and Connor and myself — go on a trip and see some nature. I suggested Hocking Hills, since it’s only a few hours’ drive, and I decided to take a chance on romance and book an Airbnb for the first time. The Chalets in Hocking Hills were more expensive than a hotel would have been, but having an A-frame to ourselves was totally worth it.

  • Arrived at The Chalets in Hocking Hills
  • View of my mom from the loft
  • View of Connor in the loft
  • Connor on the bed in the loft
  • The kitchenette had everything we needed
  • Connor volunteered to load our cooler contents into the fridge
  • View from the comfy couch in the main living space
  • Grammy called this the paint-by-numbers deer
  • We didn’t spend as much time in the hot tub as we’d anticipated
  • Composition from the loft
  • Natural light streaming in through the window
  • The stairs up to the loft were very narrow
  • Connor enjoying some game time
  • Deer sighting from the car
  • The view from the balcony
  • Grammy thought I was just taking pictures of the trees
  • I see you!

We visited Cedar Falls and Conkle’s Hollow, enjoyed some local restaurants, and did a lot of driving. More photos to come, but for now I’ll sum up the trip by saying that we’ve already decided that this needs to be an annual tradition from now on.

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Chicago 2024: Part One

  • Admiring the view
  • Marina City
  • Sunday Dinner at Giordano’s
  • View from Room 1410
  • On The Big Bus Tour
  • Chicago Hot Dogs = No Ketchup!
  • Photoception Part One
  • Photoception Part Two
  • View from the Willis Tower
  • Another view from the Willis Tower
  • Heading to The Ledge
  • Ledge Selfie
  • Our feet as seen by me
  • Our feet as seen by Aaron
  • Taking Connor’s picture on The Ledge
  • Connor on The Ledge
  • Monday Lunch at Luke’s Italian Beef
  • Pikachu at Luke’s Italian Beef
  • Family selfie at Navy Pier
  • The guys at Navy Pier
  • Walking in downtown Chicago
  • TIME
  • No skateboarding?
  • Stickered-up sign
  • Record shopping at Reckless Records on The Loop
  • Bitch, please.
  • WTF happened in the back issues?!
  • Millennium Park was closed for renovations
  • Walking up Michigan Avenue
  • Connor at the Apple Store
  • Welcome back to another gaming video…
  • Dinner on Sunday: Shang Noodle
  • Pork buns at Shang Noodle
  • Mapo tofu at Shang Noodle
  • Family selfie outside Shang Noodle
  • Dessert at Ghirardelli
  • Dessert at Ghirardelli
  • Connor’s Cookie Crumble at Ghirardelli

We went on our first city vacation as a family this year, and we managed to get Connor sold on the idea of city vacations being a thing in the future.

For Connor’s first foray into the world of freeform roll-your-own city vacationing, we spent three nights in Chicago. Aaron and I hadn’t been to Chicago since our first visit some 14 years ago, and that was a couple years before Connor came on the scene. This time around, our only real agenda items were 1.) taking a hop-on, hop-off bus tour, 2.) eating at Ann Sather’s again, and 3.) trying Italian beef, all of which we successfully crossed off the list.

The gallery above features highlights from our arrival on Sunday, including deep dish Chicago pizza at Giordano’s; and our initial explorations on Monday, including our Big Bus Tour, a trip up the Willis (Sears) Tower, lunch at Luke’s Italian Beef, a brief (cold and windy) stop at Navy Pier, an afternoon shopping excursion, warming up inside the Apple Store, dinner at Shang Noodle, and dessert at Ghirardelli.