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Kayaking on Michael J. Kirwan Reservoir
West Branch State Park, OH, June 2026 Towards the end of the stay at West Branch State Park, we reserved a spot for kayaking with a naturalist. The parks in Ohio are more expensive than some other states, but this is one of the benefits of the Ohio State Park system. Some states have more…
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Lake Fairfax Park, VA to West Branch SP, OH: Information and Driving Directions
Ravenna, OH, June 2026 The drive to West Branch was 339 miles, which is ore than our normal drive. We both thought it was interstate the entire way, so it was very doable. In the future, we plan reduce the drive. I76 through Pennsylvania was not fun, and it did not have a lot of…
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The Portage Hike and Bike Trail
Ravenna, OH, June 2026 About 10 minutes away from West Branch State Park, you can find The Ravenna Community Playground. Not only is it a giant playground, it has a bathroom, lots of parking, and access to The Portage Hike and Bike Trail. The main trail is nine miles from Ravenna to Kent, but the…
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Cinderella Bridge on the Gorge Trail
Mill Creek Metro Parks, OH, June 2026 We decided to start with the west gorge trail on the other side of the creek. From the mill, you walk east a short distance to find Lanterman’s Mill Covered Bridge. While not as fanciful as the Cinderella Bridge, it is a very nice and well maintained example…
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Lanterman’s Mill
Mill Creek Metro Park, OH, June 2026 Youngstown has the Mahoning (not Majong) River flowing through the middle of the town. Mill Creek winds northwards through the west side of town until it empties into the Mahoning River. Most of Mill Creek is either a Metro Park, Preserve, or Sanctuary. It also has several scenic…
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Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum
Youngstown, OH, June 2026 Kate looked up things to do in the area, and she found two places that looked interesting. One of them was Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum, and the other was the Lanternman’s Mill in Mill Creek Metro Parks. Both of these are in Youngstown, which is 45 minutes southeast of West Branch…
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Thrive Together Farmers Market
Ravenna, OH, June 2026 Currently, we are staying at West Branch State Park which is located by Ravenna, Ohio. My internet search indicated that the “Thrive Together Farmers Market” was every Tuesday from 3 to 6 pm. The farmers market is sponsored by the Portage County Health District and this was the 2nd year of…
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David Berger National Memorial
Beachwood, OH, June 2026 David Berger was an American / Israeli Olympian who completed for Israel in the 1972 Olympics. David Berger along with 10 other Israeli athletes were murdered by heavy armed Arabs who stormed their dormitory. The Arab goal was to use the Israeli athletes as leverage to get Israel to release Arabs…
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Ohio Amish
Mesopotamia, OH, June 2026 Kate proposed going to 2 spots in one day. The Ohio Amish community by Mesopotamia, which houses the oldest running General Store, and the James Garfield National Historic Site. John Pointed out that going to the David Berger Memorial would be near an alternate route back, and we should consider adding…
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Frankenstein’s Grave
Canton, OH, June 2026 Somehow, we found out that Frankenstein’s grave is in Canton, OH. We think it was one of us searching lists of things to do in the area. It turns out that this was right beside the McKinley memorial, so there was no reason to miss it. The West Lawn Cemetery was…