Author: Mary

April 2024: looking for spring wildflowers

Mary
blue and white violet wildflower

This morning Mae (canine companion) and I took a 2 mile walk along Wagner Road, then back through the woods on our hill trail. It wasn’t specifically a spring wildflower walk but we found enough of them to write a report.

What spring wildflowers we found

Check out the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildflower report every week through spring. And print your own Ohio spring wildflower checklist.

And if you are really interested in wildflowers in the spring, check out my blog posts from the past:

Mary at Marsh Hollow

ROKU is coming to Pinewood and Shadyside Cabins

Mary
crescent moon with shooting stars and text ROKU is coming

ROKU is a winner!

We’ve been so pleased with ROKU at The Cottage that in early April we are installing it at both Pinewood and Shadyside Cabins. I first wrote about ROKU in February of this year so please check out my blog post HERE for more information about what it offers.

How we came to this decision

While ROKU is a great way to access streaming and live content, we also had a financial motive. Both DISH and DirecTV have increased their prices beyond what is reasonable. We had to reduce our current package but ended up paying the same as we did last year. We started looking for alternatives and decided that ROKU would be a great fit for Marsh Hollow. Our team tries very hard to avoid raising prices and this small step (which we think you will like very much) is one way to reduce costs.

Our internet service has become faster and more reliable over the twenty years we have been in business so we now feel confident we can offer our guests access to internet streaming services. This means that we will discontinue our satellite service, but will continue to provide Blu-ray players along with ROKU.

One final benefit: unless guests decide to use the Blu-ray player, one remote will control everything! Remember to bring your app logins and passwords if you intend to use Netflix, Prime, etc. during your vacation. There is a LOT of free content on ROKU. If you do login to your own accounts, don’t worry because the system will automatically erase your information on your check out day.

Thank you for your interest in Marsh Hollow. We hope to see you soon! And if you have any questions, please contact Mary at mary@marsh-hollow.com

Mary at Marsh Hollow

New! ROKU at The Cottage

Mary
television set for use with ROKU

Wow! ROKU impresses us as a streaming option for our guests at The Cottage. In the past, guests could log into their own streaming accounts, such as Prime Video, hulu, etc. But it was always a worry that they would forget to log out and it was a little bit complicated to make access easy. We now have added ROKU in “Guest Mode” to our Cottage TV,  This will automatically log out guests at 11 am on their check-out date. And erase any personal information they may have entered. It’s so easy to use, plus has tons of free content, including LIVE free content.

ROKU is a simple device attached to the television. We have set it as the default connection so it launches when the TV is turned on. Generally, the TV will be on when guests arrive, we will have entered their check-out date and selected a music channel to welcome them to The Cottage. But if it’s off, then using the ROKU remote to turn it on and start streaming is as easy as pie. The ROKU remote turns on/off the TV and the soundbar. Unless you decide to use the Blu-ray player, it’s the only remote guests will need to use.

Want to learn more about Guest Mode and ROKU? Check out this great article from ROKU.

The Cottage still has a small video collection and Blu-ray player. As always, we will include instructions for using it in our Guidebook binder.

While ROKU has been around for quite awhile, it’s new to us and we already think it’s great!

Mary at Marsh Hollow

Spring wildflowers in the Hocking Hills

Mary
log cabin with violets in foreground

Introduction

Hocking Hills is a beautiful place to visit any time of year, but spring is especially special. The wildflowers are in bloom, the waterfalls are flowing, and the birds are singing. Here are some of the best places to see spring wildflowers in Hocking Hills:

Where to see spring wildflowers

  • Ash Cave: Ash Cave is a large recess cave that is home to a variety of wildflowers, including Virginia bluebells, columbines, and wild geraniums.
  • Old Man’s Cave: Old Man’s Cave is another popular spot for wildflower viewing. Here, you can find wildflowers such as trillium, trout lily, and spring beauty.
  • Cedar Falls: Cedar Falls is a beautiful waterfall that is surrounded by wildflowers, including purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, and blazing star.
  • Conkle’s Hollow: Conkle’s Hollow is a deep gorge that is home to a variety of wildflowers, including Dutchman’s breeches, jack-in-the-pulpit, and mayapple.
  • Rock House: Rock House is a natural rock formation that is home to a variety of wildflowers, including columbine, Virginia bluebells, and wild geraniums.

In addition to these popular spots, there are many other places to see spring wildflowers in Hocking Hills. Just be sure to keep your eyes peeled and you’re sure to find some beautiful blooms. In fact, Marsh Hollow Cabins is hosting a variety of flowers today (April 26): spring beauties, mayapple (not blooming yet but foliage is abundant), wild geranium, hepatica, violets, both purple and white, large trillium, bluets and more!

For more information about where to go and what to see, visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildflowers web site.

How to enjoy

Here are some tips for enjoying the spring wildflowers in Hocking Hills:

  • Visit in the spring (April-May). This is when the wildflowers are in bloom. But the Fall also has some gorgeous color, especially asters and goldenrod.
  • Don’t forget that trees also have flowers in the spring. Tulip poplars have large yellow/orange blooms. The pawpaw tree has dark, inconspicuous flowers that are easy to overlook.
  • Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be doing some hiking!
  • Bring a camera. You’ll want to capture all of the beauty.
  • Be respectful of the wildflowers.
  • Don’t pick them or trample on them.

Writing this post gave me the opportunity to look back at a wildflower post I wrote in 2007. My goodness time flies.

Enjoy the beauty of nature!

Mary

Mary at Marsh Hollow

Keurig brewers at all cabins!

Mary

We frequently are asked if we have a Keurig brewer in our cabins. All cabins have always had standard drip coffee makers. Our Florida vacation rental had BOTH kinds of coffee makers. We thought that was very smart and accommodating to guests who have differing brewer preferences.

Therefore starting today, our guests will find both a Keurig mini brewer and a standard drip brewer in all three of our cabins. A word about the mini brewer: you add the water for a 6-12 oz. cup, then brew. You will need to wait for the water to heat each time you want to make a cup of coffee. So if you are staying in a cabin with more than 2 coffee drinking guests, you will probably want to use the standard pot because the mini brewer does take awhile to heat up each single serving. That 6th guest at Shadyside, for example, might be waiting quite a while for his/her coffee!

Hocking Hills Comfort Food Cruise 2023

Mary
Family at Mams Rusted Skillet

Introduction

Although the Hocking Hills Comfort Food Cruise is now in its 8th year, this was the first year we drove it.  It was a lot of fun and we had many delicious eats along the way. The cruise will be available next weekend (March 11 and 12, 2023), so it’s not too late to join in the dining adventure. There are twelve stops in total. The cost is $20 and you have two full weekends to visit any of the 12 stops. For complete information, including links to the stops, please go to the Hocking Hills Tourism Association’s Comfort Food Cruise web page. I’m only going to write about the seven stops we were able to squeeze into our afternoon of driving and dining.

What you might want to know

But first, some tips/advice:

  • We left at least a $1 per person tip everywhere we visited.
  • Opening and closing times vary among stops, so plan your tour carefully.
  • Some stops run out of what they planned to serve.
  • Nature sometimes interferes with the best laid plans. The Hocking Hills experienced a pretty big storm on March 3 and power was out in the rural/park areas until mid Saturday morning. That meant the Inn at Cedar Falls sent their triple berry cobbler way over to the Urban Grill to serve, and the Rock House Restaurant was not available at all. I assume that on Sunday, everything was back to normal.
  • You can enjoy your comfort food at each stop or get it “to go.”

The beginning

Our first stop was at the Hocking Hills Tourism Association‘s Welcome Center in Logan. We purchased our Comfort Food Cruise cards, got our souvenir ice cream scoops and map. We had already planned our route so immediately left the Welcome Center and headed to Jack’s Steakhouse.

Our route

Jack’s is an institution in the Hocking Hills but we haven’t been there for a while. We were seated upon arrival and it wasn’t long before our beef noodles and gravy over mashed potatoes arrived in a styrofoam cup with a plastic spoon. Actually, disposables were common on this cruise. We also asked for water which arrived promptly. While there wasn’t much actual beef in the dish it was still delicious, I suspect the potatoes were not homemade. Might be wrong about that.

The next stop was at the Urban Grill, which is actually at the Hocking Hills Golf Course club house. It is a very nice facility. We had quite a wait for our ultimate grilled cheese but it was served on a real plate, with metal utensils. It wasn’t quite what we were expecting but it was still very, very good. There were two types of cheese (only one was melted), bacon, tomato, lettuce, pickle. This was a full size sandwich. Unfortunately, they had run out of the Inn at Cedar Fall’s triple berry cobbler, but we will go for that next weekend.

After much discussion, we decided that we did have time to stop at Hocking Hills Frozen Yogurt. We were all glad we did. Friendly service, lots of yogurt and a multitude of toppings.

The Home Tavern was a must stop for all of us: pulled pork sliders and white mac & cheese. Oh my goodness – the ultimate comfort food! Both were tasty even beyond our expectations. Very friendly and good service as well.

We had planned to stop at Tacie’s Sweet Treats, but they had run out of goodies an hour and half before they were supposed to close. I think this might be their first year participating in the Comfort Food Cruise. We’ll try them again next weekend. That broccoli cheddar soup just sounds too appealing to skip.

We were all getting pretty full by then but no one wanted to miss Treehouse Treats & Treasurers, which served a generous junior scoop of ice cream, in a cup or cone. I got the salted caramel. It was so good I had to eat it all of it. My companions did the same. Are you counting? We have now already had two good sized desserts and we were headed to Laurelville for our final two stops.

In Laurelville, we arrived at The Ridge Inn just in time for their meatloaf and mashed potatoes. We’ve had their meatloaf many times over the years so most of us ordered ours “to go.” We needed to save room for the final stop at Mam’s. Service at the Ridge Inn was wonderful as usual.

The final stop: Mam’s Rusted Skillet for their hamburger slider and fries. They serve local beef which is what makes their burgers so delicious. Crispy, hot fries – yum! Again, excellent service. The photo at the top of this post was taken at Mam’s. I don’t think we could have squeezed in any more food on this tour. There was napping when we returned home and no one needed dinner.

That leaves five more stops for us next weekend: Rock House Restaurant for evergreen garlic fries, Hocking Hills Coffee Emporium for Danish and coffee, Hocking Hills Diner for banana bread French toast, the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls for triple berry cobbler and Tacie’s Sweet Treats for broccoli cheese soup.

In closing

For complete details on all of the locations mentioned in this post, please go to the Comfort Food Cruise web site.

The Tourism Association is now planning a September Comfort Food Trail, so stay tuned for more delicious food in the Hocking Hills.

Mary at Marsh Hollow

Doughnuts at The Ridge Inn

Mary
Felted doughnut display

The Ridge Inn in Laurelville has great food but their doughnuts (and doughnut holes) alone are worth a stop. I think I’ve written about this before but not everyone will search through blog posts to find this important information.  Unfortunately, they are only available Friday-Sunday, after 11 am. If you are headed to the Hocking Hills, call ahead to order at 740-332-0300. They often sell out so calling ahead is always a good idea. The restaurant is on State Route 56 at 16178 Pike St., Laurelville. The doughnuts are the most delicious fluffy, glazed doughnuts you will ever enjoy.

The photo above includes a cute display of a felted doughnut and doughnut holes, plus a cup of coffee. The display changes seasonally an is created by a server’s mother.

My friend and I meet at The Ridge Inn every month. We were there last week to enjoy a late breakfast, but too early for doughnuts. I am picking up my order of 2 dozen doughnut holes this afternoon – ready to share with good friends! By the way, my friend says the doughnuts (and holes) freeze well too.

Mary at Marsh Hollow

Old Man’s Cave is now open!

Mary
Ohio State Parks logo in stone

Old Man’s Cave, part of the Hocking Hills State Park, has reopened! Many thanks to the Park staff for working so hard to get all of the trails open.

Please wear ice spikes/cleats and carry a hiking stick as these trails can still be very dangerous. Speaking from experience, the tunnels, steps and bridges are particularly challenging when there’s ice.

Do you want to see any of Hocking County’s amazing ice formations, check out our AMAZING last minute specials at https://www.marsh-hollow.com.

Mary at Marsh Hollow

More Hocking Hills State Park trails open

Mary

From Ohio State Parks:

🥾 TRAIL UPDATE 🥾 Thanks to our hard working staff and mother nature, many trails in the Hocking Hills region have reopened! Those include the trails at Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve as well as Cedar Falls, Rock House, and Ash Cave in Hocking Hills State Park.
The only trails/areas remaining closed at this time are:
• Cantwell Cliffs (all areas closed)
• Old Man’s Cave (trails to the cave and along the gorge from Upper Falls to Cedar Falls remain closed)
• Whispering Cave (part of Old Man’s Cave)
• The Rim Trail from Cedar Falls to Rose Lake
• The fisherman’s parking lot will also remain closed
If you intend to hike in the region, we urge CAUTION as some trails may still be slippery and Yaxtrax or ice spikes are STRONGLY recommended. Stay safe!
The scenery will be stunning, but please be careful out there!
Mary at Marsh Hollow

Hocking Hills State Park closed due to ice

Mary

From the Hocking Hills State Park:

🚨SAFETY ALERT 🚨 Hocking Hills State Park is closed until further notice due to unsafe trail conditions. Visitors are asked to not enter the park for any reason.

We are keeping a close eye on conditions and will get the park back open and let you know just as soon as it’s safe!

Note from Mary at Marsh Hollow: Rangers are issuing tickets to hikers who disregard the closure.