June 6, 2019 Weekend Update & Road Closure

The days are just flying by now that it’s almost summer! Check out the WEEKEND UPDATE from the Hocking Hills Tourism Association. Lots to pick from!

Beginning Monday, June 10, there will be a road closure on Big Pine Road. Since this will block the quickest way to drive to Conkles Hollow and Old Man’s Cave from Marsh Hollow, we thought visitors would like to know. The road will reopen by 4 pm on Thursday, June 13.

We can help you find a work around if needed.

Last minute specials – all year long

red check sofa at Shadyside Cabin

If you have flexibility in your life, you can take advantage of our last minute specials which run all year long:

You will see the above image on our home and other pages. It’s always current and lists seven days worth of last minute specials. The price will be automatically adjusted when you begin the booking process. If it’s within the next 5 days, you will need to call John at 614-499-8205 to reserve your cabin.

This is a great way to check out our cabins at a lower price!

Breakfast at the Village Cafe

Yesterday,  our little Bobo had an appointment at the groomers in Laurelville (with the clever Natalie at Love on a Leash). It’s not worth it to drive home so I usually have breakfast while I’m waiting. I decided to have a relatively healthy breakfast so went to the Village Cafe for their BIG bowl of oatmeal,  served with brown sugar and milk. I always get a well buttered English muffin to top things off. The healthy part comes in using only a teaspoon of the sugar.

There’s a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu at the Village Cafe. I particularly like their chicken salad sandwich,  and the daily specials are pretty good. Service is prompt and friendly.  Always. Hours are generally 6 am to 9 pm, but it’s always a good idea to call ahead: 740-332-6415.

Located on State Route 56 in the village, but official address is 16039 Water St., Laurelville.

There is no public pool in the Hocking Hills

Recently we’ve been approached by visitors looking for a pool at Marsh Hollow. The park people have been visited by people looking for the public pool at the old dining lodge. These pools do not exist. In our case, there never has been a pool at Marsh Hollow. As for the one at the lodge, when the lodge burned down the pool went away too. So no pools at these locations!

Recent interest in these pools can be traced to a blog entry I wrote in 2009 about the old pool at the now burned down lodge. I recently updated it to say that it no longer exists but apparently  people are reading cached pages that have not been updated. Not sure how people translated that post into Marsh Hollow having a pool, but we never had one.

One more time: there is no public pool at the old Hocking Hills Dining lodge, which burned down about 1 1/2 years ago. There has never been a pool at Marsh Hollow.

Visitors can swim at Lake Logan, which has a public beach. If you are camping both the KOA and Hocking Hills State Park campgrounds have pools, but you must be camping there to use them. There are also public pools in Logan and Nelsonville.

One last time: there is no public pool at the old Hocking Hills Dining lodge, which burned down about 1 1/2 years ago. There has never been a pool at Marsh Hollow.

 

TripAdvisor Excellence!

All three of our properties – Pinewood, Shadyside and The Cottage – have been awarded TripAdvisor’s Certificates of Excellence for 2018. While we’ve qualified in previous years, it’s always nice to be recognized for our hard work. In addition, TripAdvisor has given Pinewood the prestigious Travelers’ Choice Award. If you read Pinewood’s reviews, you’ll understand why. Please note, while we like our listing at TripAdvisor, please book through our site (this site) to avoid booking fees!

A very short wildflower walk

image of spring beauty

image of trout lily

Trout lily

Although it would have been interesting to photograph any wildflowers brave enough to pop up through the snow, I haven’t been too inspired to go on any wildflower walks in the chilly April we’ve been having. However, things have warmed up nicely and our fields are filling up with dandelions, spring beauties, violets and bluets. Up in the woods, the May apples are sprouting everywhere although they won’t bloom until May.

On today’s brief walk along the creek, I saw countless spring beauties and cut-leaved toothworts. The trout lilies are up too. I like their nickname: adder’s tongue.

Rue anemone are not quite as numerous, at least yet. Their creamy white “petals” are actually sepals. They can have 6-10 of these “petals.”

image of rue anemone

Rue anemone

The photo at the top of this page is a spring beauty. They are everywhere, with colors ranging from white to almost purple. Deer must not like to eat them as opposed to our domesticated lily leaves which must be a favorite deer snack.

John, our operations manager, went morel hunting yesterday. He’s got a patch he’s watching closely. Hocking County will get a lot of rain today and tomorrow, with further warming, so they ought to start sprouting like crazy later this week. Happy hunting, John!

Mary at Marsh Hollow

Icy and snowy roads

kids dog on bridge

In the winter, Wagner Road can be a little tricky to drive, especially if your route guides you over the steep Thompson Road ridge. We suggest that you check with us at 614-499-8205 for current road conditions.  While the state and county roads that connect to Wagner Road are usually cleared, our little township road may not be in similar condition.

In bad weather, it is best to route your arrival through Laurelville and follow State Route 56 to Big Pine Road, then onto Wagner Road. This avoids crossing Thompson Road.

This advice applies to both arriving and departing guests. Let’s be careful out there, people.

Last minute specials

kids dog on bridge

Winter is a great time to visit the Hocking Hills and Marsh Hollow: the crowds are gone, the rates are lower and it’s the quietest time of year. On top of that, we offer last minutes specials, generally for 1-6 days in advance. The last minute calendar is updated every day, so even though this post was made on January 4, the table below is current:

Call John at 614-499-8205 to book one of these great deals. Two day minimum, pets are welcome!

Mary at Marsh Hollow