I began my most recent vacation on May 26 at Ohio’s Shawnee State Park. I had originally reserved a pet-friendly cabin for Jane and me from Tuesday after Memorial Day through Saturday. But then Jane got a job as a census taker, and she had to use her paid time to train. That left me with the choice of canceling the reservation or using the quiet time to study. I chose to keep the reservation and study.
The Shawnee State Park is in Scioto County Ohio near Portsmouth (on the Ohio River) in the foothills of the Appalachians. It is surrounded by the Shawnee State Forest, the largest state forest in Ohio. The park is located on the Appalachian plateau. I sometimes think of the area as being hilly, perhaps worn-down mountains, but it is just a raised plateau that is eroded by water activity. The park was named after the Shawnee, a native American group associated with the Ohio Valley. Some people believe that the Shawnee were descendants of the Fort Ancient culture and the more ancient Hopewell culture. Activities currently available in the park include golf, fishing, swimming, hiking, and boating. The park’s marina is located on the Ohio River nearby.
I arrived during the middle of the week, during the national pandemic health emergency restrictions. The governor had just opened parts of the state park system but the lodge was still closed. When I arrived, the parking lot was empty. It was spooky. I registered and went to my cabin. The cabin area was nearly deserted. For the next 4 days, it was quiet.
The cabin was comfortable and spacious enough for two people and two dogs. The only thing that was small was the bathroom which was still adequate with a shower, toilet, and sink, There was a fully functional kitchen and most of what you need to prepare and eat a meal is there already, silverware, plates, pots and pans, and so on. The cable television worked just fine (basic only). The wifi was adequate although I didn’t try streaming. Cell phone service was spotty and unreliable at the cabins. The heating and air conditioning worked just fine. There was a screened-in porch/balcony where I could sit comfortably and listen to the woodland sounds when the weather was suitable.
I spent the first three days studying and reading, I even did a little writing for this blog. I took a couple of short trips into town for supplies and a few short hikes on the trails in the park. The trails in the park are well taken care of, and during this pandemic time, not very crowded during the week. Jane came on the fourth day. We hoped to stay an extra day so that she could enjoy the weekend in the country, but on Friday, the cabin area started to get a little congested. By Saturday evening, it seemed like all the spaces were occupied, and some of them were pretty noisy too. With the noise and a desire to not get home and have to rush to work the next day, we decided not to stay the extra day.
If you’re wondering what there is to do besides enjoying being out in the country, Portsmouth is about 15 minutes away and the shopping area about 25 minutes away. You are not very far away from Huntington and even Cincinnati. Also, you’re not very far away from Athens if you’re into college town activities. Last year when we came here, we went to a couple of nearby prehistoric American archaeological sites including the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and the Serpent Mound.
I suppose that it is not reasonable to hope that an area like this could be quiet on the weekend, and I would keep that in mind when making reservations. I think the moving in on Sunday and out by Friday is probably a good way to handle things. This is what we did last year when we came in late September. Of course, it was late September, past the peak season and that made a difference. All in all, given the price, the need not to board the dogs, and comfortable facilities, I think that this is a good way to spend a week in the country.