Dawes Arboretum: Explore 1,800 acres of plants, trees at Newark nature preserve
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Dawes Arboretum

Explore 1,800 acres of plants, trees at Newark nature preserve

I’ve driven by the Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio, many times while traveling to and from my husband’s hometown two hours east of Columbus. I’d often think to myself, “One day I’m going to visit that place.”

I recently fulfilled that desire on a hot weekday in July, driving the 30 miles from Columbus to explore the arboretum’s 1,800 acres. I found an abundance of plant collections and gardens in an attractive, rustic setting.

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My first stop was the visitor’s center, where I picked up a map. There are 8 miles of hiking trails and a 4-mile auto trail looping around the property. I decided to walk the auto trail, part of which was closed for grounds maintenance. I put my son in his stroller, and we ambitiously set out to explore the more than 16,000 plants and trees.

At times the place looked like a cross between a golf course and a cemetery. It was spacious, well manicured and peaceful. I felt a little guilty walking all over what seemed like private property. But I adhered to the arboretum’s motto: “Explore. Experience. Enjoy.”

There were surprises at every turn. Colorful butterflies landed on white hydrangea. Geese squawked alongside a lake with an island, which was accessible via a bridge. Closely planted shrubs spelled out the words “Dawes Arboretum.”

Other highlights included a seasonal garden, a cypress swamp and a Japanese garden with a serene lake and stepping-stones. They say the Japanese garden is especially beautiful in the spring, when the cherry trees are in bloom. (View the flowering schedule here.)

Beman and Bertie Dawes founded the arboretum in 1929. The couple loved trees and nature, and lived on the property with their five children.

Beman Dawes became wealthy while working in the gas and petroleum industry. He was the founding president of the Ohio Cities Gas Co., which later was known as the Pure Oil Co.

Bertie Dawes loved gardening, fishing, bird watching and photography. Both died in the 1950s. The Arboretum continues its founders’ mission of education, conservation, research and maintaining plant collections for the public to enjoy.

The property is huge, but I conserved enough energy to climb a 36-foot observation tower to view the “Dawes Arboretum” hedge lettering. Measuring 2,040 feet long, it’s one of the largest of its kind in the world. Beman Dawes thought it would be an interesting landmark for pilots as they arrived and departed nearby Port Columbus Airport.

Mission accomplished.

Dawes Arboretum is located at 7770 Jacksontown Rd. SE in Newark. It’s free to visit and open 7 a.m. to dusk every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Visitors Center is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Guests are welcome to picnic on the property, except near the Japanese Garden. Dogs, on leashes, also are welcome.

Tours of the Daweswood House Museum are offered weekends at 1:30 and 3 p.m. and cost $2 for adults, $1 for children.

For more information, visit www.dawesarb.org or call 800-443-2937.

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Franklin County Fair

Hilliard kicks off Ohio’s fair season in early July

Get a savory taste of a traditional fair before the granddaddy Ohio State Fair takes over Columbus later this summer.

The Franklin County Fair in Hilliard, a suburb west of Columbus, is one of the earliest in the state’s fair season. It’s also one of the lengthiest, stretching eight days in July at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, 4100 Columbia St.

The Franklin County Fair dates to 1917, making it one of Ohio’s oldest county fairs.

The 80-acre fairgrounds come alive each year with the usual fair fixings, including candy apples, elephant ears, fresh-squeezed lemonade and Italian sausage sandwiches. The midway bustles with skill games and exhilarating rides.

More than 45,000 people attend the Franklin County Fair each year, says Melissa Brinkerhoff, who’s on the board of the Franklin County Agricultural Society, which runs the fair.

“It’s inexpensive and small enough that families with small kids and with strollers can easily get through it in a day,” Brinkerhoff said.

During a tour of the location a day before the fair started, I caught a glimpse of a horse named Andy, which Brinkerhoff’s son, Brad, shows through the 4-H program. Brad is one of more than 700 youngsters who will showcase animals including rabbits, goats, cows and sheep.

The fair also has a tractor pull and demolition derby, as well as ongoing entertainment including Nojoes Clown Circus and Jesse & James Mutts Gone Nuts Show, which features a cohort of rescue dogs.

A unique characteristic of the fairgrounds is an onsite historic village called Weaver Park that includes a log cabin, one-room schoolhouse, chapel, outhouse and covered bridge. It’s operated by the Northwest Franklin County Historical Society, which also is housed on the grounds. The society will be open from 1-7 p.m. each day of the fair, except July 24.

This year the society is proud to showcase its renovated 1923 C&O red caboose and 1800’s mobile voting booth.

“The villages make a great stop for families to have an impromptu picnic,” Brinkerhoff said of the grassy area surrounded by tall oak trees.

General admission to the fair is $6. Learn more at www.fcfair.org.

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Kingwood Center

Thousands flock to majestic grounds each spring for colorful blooms

Every spring people want to know when they can witness the full splendor of 20,000 tulips at Kingwood Center, a former estate that’s now a 47-acre public park in Mansfield, Ohio.

Tulips have been Kingwood’s main attraction since the grounds opened to the public in 1953, one year after the death of property owner Charles Kelley King. The annual display draws thousands from around the state. Many visit on Mother’s Day. Some pack picnic lunches and plop down on the lawn with their families for a peaceful afternoon among the spring bloomers.

In truth, predicting when Kingwood’s tulips will come forth is an inexact science. Ohio’s fickle weather patterns make it a guessing game. Senior gardener Charles Applegate said the best chance to see them is typically the last week of April or the first week of May.

“If it stays sunny, dry and cool, the blooms will last longer,” says Applegate, who’s worked at Kingwood since 1965. He says the reason people get antsy to look at flowers this time of year is simple: “People have been through a cold winter and they want to see color. And the tulips are very bright. Unfortunately, they’re temporary.”

King would have enjoyed this scene. The recreational gardener, who made his fortune in Mansfield working with the Ohio Brass Company, requested that his property be used as an educational institution for the advancement of horticulture and gardening after his passing.

The Kelley King Trust operates Kingwood as a nonprofit business, and it is open to the public for a nominal fee nearly year-round. The property includes a 1926-built French Provincial mansion housing a horticultural library and many original furnishings. Greenhouses contain seasonal floral displays and a variety of unusual plants for sale. The center’s greatest delight, however, is its gardens, which produce an abundance of flowers, trees and shrubs that bloom from early spring to late fall. The headliner is the annual tulip display, which spreads over 55 beds.

“We always want it to be perfect,” says Bill Collins, Kingwood’s head gardener. “When the spring flowers are blooming and the tulips are out, it’s just spectacular here.”

Kingwood’ tulips hail from Holland. Bulbs are selected at their prime and shipped to a distributor in Cincinnati. Each October a staff of nine gardeners plants thousands of tulip bulbs. Using a hand-held trowel, each gardener digs a 5-inch-deep hole for every bulb, and the planting takes about a week.

Tulips do best in a sunny, dry and cool climate. In those weather conditions, the colorful display can last up to three weeks.

Kingwood annually holds a Spring Flower Festival in early May. The all-day event includes vendors, entertainment, workshops, lectures and plant sales.

For more information, visit www.kingwoodcenter.org.

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Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Wildlights

Wild animals plus millions of lights makes visit to zoo merry, bright

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is making the holiday season even brighter this year with its “green” Wildlights display, running now through early January. It’s one of the best ways for central Ohio families to spend a holiday evening if it’s not raining or too frigid outside.

The two million shiny lights in this years’ display illuminate more and use less electricity than traditional bulbs because they’re LEDs (light-emitting diodes). They also last longer.

But nevermind the technical stuff. The zoo’s annual holiday display wows visitors with its fun animal shapes, musical choreography and intensity. The lights are strung among the zoo’s eight geographic regions, where more than 5,000 animals are housed.

It’s a pleasure to walk through this light show, not drive by it or through it. The grandest display is around the zoo’s pond. The lights reflect upon the water, creating a brilliant scene. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a late autumn snowfall, which no doubt would yield a magical backdrop.

The zoo also is planning special activities in conjunction with the lights display such as Santa’s Reindeer Corral, where guests can meet four of Santa’s reindeer friends that reside at the zoo, and Animals on Safari, an energetic animal show with performing dogs, cats and other creatures. Kids also can decorate a cookie in Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen and get their photos taken with Santa.

If you’re chilly, there are plenty of indoor exhibits to duck into. We enjoyed visiting the elephants.

The Columbus Zoo is a wonderful place to visit because of encounters such as these. Recently the USA Travel Guide named it the No. 1 zoo in the country. A lot of the publicity comes courtesy of Jungle Jack Hanna, the director emeritus whose many public appearances through the years have propelled the zoo into the national spotlight.

The zoo is located just north of Columbus in Powell at 4850 W. Powell Rd. Wildlights hours are 5-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 5-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 5-9 p.m., Sunday. The zoo will be closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

For more information, visit www.colszoo.org.

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Pigeon Roost Farm

Pick pumpkins, pet animals, play outdoors

Nothing says autumn like a well-groomed pumpkin patch. When the calendar turns to October, I always go looking for a place to pick up a few jack-o-lanterns to be.

This year my family discovered Pigeon Roost Farm, along Rt. 40 in Hebron, Ohio. Seeing my 2-year-old daughter’s face light up as she wandered among the pumpkins and frolicked at the farm’s extensive playground assured me we had hit upon a gem.

The 80-acre farm, located at 4413 National Road SW, offers a cornucopia of fall delights that draws nearly 35,000 visitors a year. Most pumpkins cost 35 cents a pound. You can pick your own in the field or select a pre-picked specimen or two. Just stack them in one of the many provided self-serve wagons, which doubled as a stroller for Rosie.

Ralph and Janice Jutte run the farm. They opened it to the public in 1980 to teach their children to work hard. Back then the business was a self-serve melon stand positioned under a tree. They later named it Pigeon Roost after the carrier pigeons that frequented the area in the past.

“It’s our intent to provide a positive farm experience and give younger generations an opportunity to spend time on a working farm,” Ralph said.

The farm has a bounty of beautifully displayed pumpkins, gourds and squash, straw bales and corn shocks. There’s an old barn full of crafts for sale, and another offers creepy toys including bloody fingers, plastic vampire fangs and rubber bugs. Other items for sale include honey, bath products and a variety of snacks.

There are lots of friendly animals at the farm, including goats, chickens, rabbits, sheep, turkeys, peacocks and even camels. We chuckled at Billy Goat Hill, a raised wooden plank where about a dozen goats jostle for position. I did have a brief run-in with Martha the pigeon, the patch’s mascot, who briefly mistook me for a roost. But I survived.

We were very pleased with the accommodations for children. At the top of that list was the Great Pumpkin Fun Center, a playground with more than a dozen attractions, including a corn maze, a hay tunnel, a pick-your-own pumpkin patch and two side-by-side slides that follow the grade of a hill. Admission to the playground is $6, free for those under 2 years old.

Pigeon Roost is open daily from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., from September through November. There’s a $3 charge for weekend hayrides. We visited on a Monday, when business was brisk but the farm wasn’t too busy. We can’t wait to return.

For more information, visit www.pigeonroostfarm.com.

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Lynd Fruit Farm

Pick your own apples among 500 acres of orchards

You forget just how good an apple is supposed to taste until you take a bite out of one picked fresh off the tree.

I recently sank my teeth into a crisp Gala apple while picking a bag for my family at Lynd Fruit Farm in Pataskala, east of Columbus. The apple was crisp and sweet and reminded me why everyone is so gung-ho about pick-your-own farms.

My daughter, Rosie, and I pulled into the crowded parking lot at Lynd’s, 9090 Morse Rd., one recent Sunday afternoon. The market offers a variety of fruits, vegetables and fresh-baked goods. They had lots of pumpkins and Halloween crafts, too.

I asked for crisp apples to munch on, and one of Lynd’s employees told me to drive a quarter mile down the street and turn in a driveway. We came to a brown barn, then followed the arrows into the orchard. Our available bounty was Gala and Golden Supreme apples, both sweet, firm and juicy.

Lynd’s goes back seven generations, offering 500 acres of orchards with a dozen varieties of apples for the public to pick from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Lynd’s also sells apples to Kroger and Wal-Mart. The public picking runs from early September to early November and typically includes a dozen varieties.

We paid $16 for a 20 lb. bag. Lynd’s takes credit cards as well as cash. We took our time, filled the bag and paid as we left. An employee said you can sample apples as you pick them.

We drove down a dirt road past rows and rows of apple trees. Ones available for picking were designated by colored tape strung from tree limbs at each row’s entry. We chose a row where the trees were plump with apples. The trees were a little taller than me, so I could reach the apples at the top, while Rosie picked apples toward the bottom. We both selected the prettiest apple we could find, and took a bite. They were warm, crisp and delicious.

We filled our bag in no time, then took some extra time wandering through the orchard. Rosie relished in running down the long paths between rows of trees. It was less worrisome than her taking off in a department store.

I enjoyed the freedom of being in the open air amid nature’s bounty.

Lynd Fruit Farm is located at 9090 Morse Rd., Pataskala. For more information, visit www.lyndfruitfarm.com.

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Huntington Park

Lawn seats score home run for legroom

It took nearly all summer, but my family and I recently visited the new Huntington Park, where the Triple-A Columbus Clippers play. After spending time there, I can understand why many of the games are sellouts. It’s a beauty of a brick ballpark and a great place for a family night out.

Huntington Park, nestled in the vibrant Arena District within a deep fly of Nationwide Arena, opened this spring as a replacement for Cooper Stadium. That west-side venue was built in the 1930s and had seen its day. Huntington Park’s opening coincided with the Clippers’ new affiliation as the top farm team of the Cleveland Indians.

It’s made quite a splash. It was recently named the “2009 Ballpark of the Year” by BaseballParks.com. Huntington Park can seat 10,100 fans, and the bells and whistles are amazing for a minor league park:

• There are plenty of places for fans to roam, including 1,200 lawn, picnic and standing room positions.
• Seating includes 32 suites and 42 loge boxes behind home plate.
• You can even watch the game through fencing along Nationwide Boulevard without paying to get in.
• There’s a 110-seat club bar on the second level behind home plate, another long bar in the outfield building and a rooftop terrace with plenty of seating and food by Rooster Wings.
• The outfield has a fountain for kids to play in. Lockers are available in the Left Field Building to store a change of clothes.

We found that one of the best places for families with young children to enjoy the new stadium is in a lawn seat. It’s considered General Admission and costs $7 for adults and $4 for seniors and children ages 12 and younger. Our infant son got in free and slept most of the game.

The lawn section is filled on a first-come-first-serve basis. Fans can bring their own blankets, but folding chairs are prohibited. Coolers, glass bottles and cans aren’t allowed either, but you can bring small bags or backpacks of food items and beverages in plastic bottles. Strollers also are permitted, but shouldn’t obstruct other fans’ view or block passageways of other guests. Cameras and camcorders also are welcome.

Don’t forget to bring your glove, baseball cap and sunglasses. The sight of the setting sun over the other side of the ball field nearly blinded us until about the fourth inning. Foods and beverage costs were a little high for a minor-league game, more in line with going to a Blue Jackets hockey game rather than hanging out in Cooper Stadium.

Gates open 90 minutes before the start of the game. That’s when we arrived and found a $5 parking spot nearby. Arriving early also provided prime pickings on the grass patch. We laid our blanket down and enjoyed the view of the new stadium with a fine view of downtown Columbus.

Huntington Park has several levels of ticket prices and specials. Refer to www.columbusclippers.com for more details. If you can’t go to the park in person to buy tickets you can purchase them through TicketMaster or the Clippers’ ticket office at 614-462-2757.

For more information, visit www.huntingtonparkcolumbus.com.

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Inniswood

Metro gardens offer magical places for kids to explore

Inniswood Metro Gardens in the Columbus suburb of Westerville is a scenic nature preserve that’s delightfully kid-friendly. The 121-acre site at 940 S. Hempstead Rd. contains colorful flower gardens, easily navigable walking trails and – best of all – a children’s area where kids are encouraged to frolic about a storybook maze and a secret garden.

I recently took my daughter Rosie to Inniswood to escape the summer’s heat. We headed for one of the park’s six walking trails, some of which wind through the woods. We walked along a boardwalk trail called Frog Talk Walk that extends a tenth of a mile and ventures through the woods, past an herb garden and alongside a small pond where you’re sure to see and hear a frog or two. The path is especially good for toddlers because the boardwalk has raised sides to deter them from wandering off. The path also is great for strollers.

Rosie and I then walked among the park’s 10 feature gardens that showcase more than 2,000 species of plants and flowers, some of which attract big, bold-colored butterflies. The Woodland Rock Garden features a cascading waterfall that rushes down a manmade stream alongside a winding path. It’s a favorite spot for picture taking.

Children will enjoy the Sisters’ Garden, named in honor of Grace and Mary Innis, whom the park is named after. The sisters lived on part of the property before it was turned into a park in 1972. They enjoyed gardening and wildlife, and their joys have been translated into a magical place for kids to explore. They can walk across a wobbly bridge, investigate marbles inside a wall of the secret garden or cool off in a misty spray at the garden’s entrance. They’ll also enjoy climbing a ladder into a tree house and playing in Granny’s House, which is a miniature-sized playhouse that has furniture and portraits of frogs painted on the walls.

Inniswood is open daily from 7 a.m. to dark.

For more information, visit www.inniswood.org.

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