Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio

Jolie and I had the chance to tag along with my husband on a business trip near Akron, Ohio, outside of Cleveland. Now this may not sound exciting but after living in Ohio for 4 years, we decided we really need to see more of the state we live in!

Unfortunately for us it was raining the first full day we had to explore, and it was a Tuesday and almost everything is closed on a Tuesday.  Wierd, huh. Anyway, we had a little break in the rain that gave us enough time to explore a little of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  It’s the only national park in Ohio.

The highlight of this park was the walk to Brandywine Falls.  It is a short walk and about 40 steps included but not too much for the toddler!

I think this was Jolie’s first waterfall as she was so excited when we reached it! We were able to see it upfront and overtop.

No Niagara Falls or Victoria Falls but that’s one thing about having kids is you remember to appreciate the beauty in everything.

Earlier we had visited the Hunt Farm Visitor Information Center on the side south of the park to figure out what we could do in the rain. We nearly missed it as it certainly looked more like a house!

I was very surprised when we stepped inside as they had a nice playroom for kids with an activity area full of fun surprises.  Jolie liked the different furs of animals she could touch and play with, and of course she wanted to draw.  It was a perfect break from the rain outside!

Although we didn’t do too much on our feet due to the weather, the views overall were beautiful: lush, very green (considering how dry Ohio has been this year), and even the surrounding towns had its own sweet character.

Tips:
- If visiting Brandywine Falls, do not bring a stroller as there are too many stairs.  Also note the railings are sturdy but I held on to Jolie’s hand the whole time as I was worried she would just tumble over in between them.
- There are a couple vineyards in the area so if you don’t have kids with you, go for it as we saw signs for tastings as we drove around.
- Bring a raincoat.  I had not thought ahead about this and Jolie kept asking for hers and was very upset that mommy forgot it!
- “Cuyahoga” is pronounced Ki (like Hi)-uh-hoga so you don’t feel so out of place when visiting!

 Related Articles:
- Ohio State Parks
- West Virginia State Parks
- Alum Creek State Park