Greetings from Winter Wonderland…or better known as North East Ohio. The first snow of every winter is just simply beautiful. There is almost no way to actually describe what the first snow of winter looks like, smells like, and feels like. It’s just so clean, so crisp, so pure and bright!

But the novelty quickly wears off… remember snow only stays around when the temps are below freezing (that’s 32 degrees folks)..the salt and dirty snow gets on everything including but not limited to: your clothes, your car, your garage, your house, your pets, the list goes on and on friends…  and my personal favorite you can’t spend much time outside without frostbiting your face off. Oh the joys of winter!! It’s no surprise my friends don’t come visit!

But, let’s slow down. I’m currently in the honeymoon phase with my first snow of winter. So let’s try and keep a positive outlook, so far we’re getting along really well, we’ve gone on a couple great dates, and hopefully I don’t break up with winter by next week!!

So, in my current state of embracing winter,  I’ve come up with a jam packed nature day…if for some reason you end up in Northeast Ohio in the dead of winter! (There are worse thing in life ya know?!?)  Oh, and when I say jam packed please remember that the sun sets around 4:30pm and if you aren’t dressed properly for this type of weather you can get frostbite in as little as 10 minutes…I warned ya!  With that said, I do have an inside safe haven for you to warm up in on this adventure packed day!!! Let’s get started.

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Brandywine Falls

Okay so Brandywine Falls, in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, is a spot I visit every time I come home. It’s a lot of fun to see the falls during each season. Right now it’s pretty cool because the water is freezing which then creates a frozen icicle waterfall!

Brandywine Falls is very easy to get to. There is a very short trail accessible to the falls from the parking lot. And signs to help you get there.  There are other trails around the falls if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and looking for a hike. Up to you in the blustery blustery wonderland.  The Stanford Trail (out and back) can give you a good 3 mileish hike if you’re in the mood.

After you’re done exploring the 65 ft falls, that back in 1814 surrounded a village including a whiskey distillery, a dozen homes, and a woolen mill you can head indoors to one of my favorite outfitter stores.

Appalachian Outfitters

After you explore the falls hop in your car for a short drive to Appalachian Outfitters. Right on the border of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, at Appalachian Outfitters, you can find fantastic gear for backpacking, paddleboarding, camping, climbing, hiking, and just frolicking outside. Ha! They have events throughout the year. Classes for hiking, biking, first aid, etc. A list of events in located here.

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Kendall Lake

Once you got some new duds and you can feel your fingers and toes yet again, it’s time to venture back into the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

There are a lot of very accessible trails but one of my favorite things to do is check out Kendall Lake. The walk around the lake is roughly a mile and I love to listen to my mom talk about her and my aunt ice skating on the lake when they were little kids.  I just love the nostalgia of the lake and the beautiful location. Any time of year it’s absolutely gorgeous. This is also a location for cross country skiing, with rentals available!

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Additional Resources

• More about visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Why not try your luck at cross country skiing?!?
• Head downtown to the Christmas Story House
• Check out my favorite CVNP town Peninsula

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Ok, go freeze your butt off now and have a little fun.  Winter won’t slow you down…Adventure awaits.