Hocking Hills – Tuck Some Memories Away for Next Winter Archive Spring 2008
Okay, so remember last January when you couldn’t wait for winter to end? I do. It started somewhere between the time the high from Christmas wore off and the moment I was standing in a puddle of cold, muddy slush at the local gas station pumping another forty bucks into my brown-sludge flecked vehicle. I don’t think it was particularly chilly that day. Nor was it snowing hard enough my kids missed a day of school. It was just simply one gray winter day like a whole bunch of others smooshed together with the idea that a real summer day with 78 degree temperatures and warm sunshine affectionately touching my cheeks was a good 5 and a half months away.
That was the day I openly groaned that summer was too far away. And I did so loudly enough so the few other folks pumping gas could hear my complaint. No one rolled their eyes my way so I took it that they, too, were fed up with winter. One man dressed to the hilt in a blue and gray parka and a fuzzy, fake-bunny fur Elmer Fudd hat grunted in agreement while he scraped the ice off his windshield.
“So. . .do you think we’ll complain winter is too far away when summer is here and it’s ninety degrees in the shade?” I asked the Elmer Fudd hat.
“Probably.” He answered.
He doesn’t say anything more. But right
then an intense wall of frigid wind swept down along the roadway, taking
away my breath. And a memory
popped
into my head. It was one of hiking along the worn path in Old Man’s Cave
with the sweet smell of hemlocks in the air and the heat of a summer
breeze stifled by the coolness of the gorge. And right then, I thought
of summer in the Hocking Hills and the nippy air, dark skies and snow of
winter faded away. For a moment last winter, I got a faraway look in my
eyes and forgot about winter for just a while.
I kind of wonder where those faceless gas-pumpers are now and midway through summer. It is 98 degrees and I can bet they are sitting at the pumps listening to somebody whine about the lack of rain, the bugs and the ninety-eight degree temperatures. I imagine the man in the parka is now wearing Bermuda shorts and a colorful Hawaiian t-shirt. He is probably nodding in agreement at somebody complaining about the humid temperatures. There is no wind. There is only relentless heat beating on the tops of the cars.
Regardless, winter ended. Summer is here. I hope everyone gets a chance to come out to the Hocking Hills. Maybe then when January rolls around again, you can stand at the gas station with a faraway look in your eyes while your gloves are fused to the metal gas pump in an icy embrace. You can stare into the gray sky and remember the sound of your boots clomping along the cool trails at Ash Cave while a gentle, cool breeze pats your cheeks. Or recall lounging away an hour in a bubbling cabin hot tub underneath a canopy of pines. For just a moment, you’ll forget that nearly half a year will have to pass for summer again and think of a wiling away a couple days down in the Hills.
Tuck A Few Extra Memories Away For Winter – Rent a Cabin and Stay the Night
Lots of people come to the Hocking Hills and stay the day. Once they get here, most of them wish they had made reservations to stay the night. There’s just so much to do. It’s tough to leave with all the hiking, shopping and outdoor adventures to discover. In fact, with all the discounts available for seasonal travelers to the Hocking Hills, luxury cabin stays are more affordable than ever!
Please remember to mention these discounts at time of reservation. Limitations may apply, so check with cabin owners first.
