Off The Beaten Path Attractions | Ohio

The state of Ohio is filled with interesting attractions for visitors to enjoy. In the big cities there are museums and fun attractions. Throughout the countryside there are parks, beautiful landscapes and plenty of recreation for visitors to explore. Here are a few of the destinations and attractions that visitors to Ohio will want to be sure to explore.

Covered Bridge Scenic Byway

Visitors to Ohio won't want to miss the chance to explore the beautiful scenery of the state. The Covered Bridge Scenic Byway is a fun drive that takes visitors on a scenic route through the Ohio country. The byway travels a little over 40 miles and passes underneath  a few of Ohio's covered bridges. In addition, this byway takes visitors to Ohio through the beautiful Wayne National Forest.

Hocking Hills State Park

One of Ohio's most stunning State Parks is Hocking Hills State Park. The Sandstone throughout the park has been weathered and eroded creating some excellent attractions for visitors to explore. Some of the park's must-see spots are Ash Cave, Old Man's Cave, Cantwell Cliffs and Rock Cave. This park has plenty of hiking, biking and other recreational opportunities for visitors to enjoy as well.

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park

This National Park protects and allows visitors to explore some of the archeology of Ohio. Hopewell Culture preserves the Hopewell earthworks, which were built and used by the native cultures of the Ohio River Valley for ceremonial and cultural reasons for hundreds of years. Today visitors to the park can explore the fascinating mounds that pepper the landscape of the Park, in addition there is a museum for visitors to learn about the historic cultures of the region as well as plants and wildlife native to the region.

Lake Erie Shoreline and Islands

Another of Ohio's beautiful destinations is the Lake Erie Shoreline and nearby islands. Along the shoreline visitors will find sandy beaches, plenty of opportunities for water recreation, boating, relaxing and much more. Visitors can take the ferries to visit some of the islands, including South Bas and Kelleys islands. The Lake Erie shoreline also has nearby state parks and other recreational areas where visitors can enjoy wildlife watching, birdwatching, hiking, biking and more.

National Aviation Heritage Area

Dayton, Ohio is the historic home of the Wright Brothers and is also considered to be the "Birthplace of Aviation." The National Aviation Heritage Area protects and honors the leaders in US aviation history.  Visitors to the Park can lear about the Wright Brothers work in Aviation at the John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers Aviation Center, where visitors can see the original Wright Flyer III. In addition, visitors can learn about the continuing developments in aviation at the National Museum of the United States Air Force and National Aviation Hall of Fame. Throughout Dayton there are hundreds of planes and other important pieces of aviation history.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

This Cincinnati destination is a powerful and moving visit. At the Center, visitors will see a variety of exhibits that tell the story of slaves escaping to freedom on the Underground Railroad and tell the story of modern slavery. With both permanent and temporary exhibits, this museum has a vast amount of information to share. One exhibit to note is the slave pen, moved from Kentucky to the Center.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

This fabulous attractions located in Cleveland is an ideal spot to enjoy learning about the history and evolution of rock and roll. Visitors to the museum are greeted by the distinct architecture of the museum, including an amazing glass pyramid. The museum's exhibits are filled with iconic pieces of Rock and Roll history, including items from Michael Jackson John Lennon and many more.

Ohio | Fun and Funky Things to Do

The beautiful state of Ohio is filled with fascinating places to visit. Those travelers that enjoy stopping at some of the more funky and fun attractions should try to visit some of these excellent destinations.

American Sign Museum

The American Sign Museum is the only sign museum in the country and is a great place to stop and learn all about the history and manufacture of signage in the country. The museum's exhibits include a wide variety of signs including neon signs, historic signs before neon, exhibits on the history and manufacture of signs and much more.

Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival

The town of Avon holds an annual Duct Tape Festival, and if you happen to be in Ohio over Father's Day weekend this is definitely an event to attend. The Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival has all sorts of fun events and activities celebrating all of the uses for Duct Tape. This festival includes a parade, fashion, games and more.

The Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society Museum

This Cincinnati is filled with fascinating artifacts, stories and more about the law enforcement in the Great Cincinnati area. Throughout the museum there are fascinating exhibits filled with different artifacts and stories about the regions law enforcement.

World's Largest Basket

Dresden, Ohio is home to the World's Largest Basket. The town is filled with basket attractions beyond the World's Largest Basket. Visitors to Dresden will find a Welcome Center with a Gift Shop, The Longaberger Homestead and touring the manufacturing campus of Longaberger Baskets is also a fascinating experience, and there are plenty of other basket related and other activities to enjoy in the area.

World's Largest Rubber Stamp

Cleveland is home to the World's Largest Rubber Stamp. This impressive object is located in Willard Park. The stamp lies on its side and the stamp pad says "Free." The "Free Stamp" is an excellent piece of public art to enjoy while visiting Cleveland and is a must-see in the collection of world's largest things in the United States.

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Oklahoma Quick Facts

Uniquely Oklahoma: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Must See: Turner Falls Park and Turner Falls in Davis
Most Unusual: Waikrua Rattlesnake Hunt
Highest Point: Black Mesa, 4,973 feet
Food to Try: Fried Okra and Black-Eyed Peas

What to Do:

1 Visit the site of the 101 Ranch in Ponca City

2 Experience the wild frontier at the Fort Washita Fur Trade Era Rendezvous

3 Have some outdoor adventure at Red Rock Canyon State Park

4 Take in the atmosphere at a rodeo

5 Visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

6 Learn about wind energy during a visit to Weatherford's wind farm

Off The Beaten Path | Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a great mid-western state. Throughout the state there are world class destinations and attractions that you won't want to miss during a vacation to the state. Here are a few of the state's must see destinations.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Located near Sulphur, Oklahoma, this recreation area is a beautiful Oklahoma destination. The recreation area is divided into two districts the Platt Historic District, which comprises the former Platt National Park, and the Lake Arbuckles district. Throughout the park visitors will find beautiful examples of natural formations. Visitors will find the freshwater springs of the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer, the Lake of the Arbuckles, and more.

Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory

Stretching across 17 acres in Oklahoma City, the Myriad Botanical Gardens has over 1000 different species of plants within the conservatory. The Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory is a fantastic architectural attraction, with an amazing collection of tropical plants from around the world. In addition there are beautiful outdoor grounds for visitors to enjoy.

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

For those visitors to Oklahoma that are interested in Western art and culture. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum has an impressive collection of Western art, and is one of the best places in the nation to go to learn about Western history. Some collections include rodeo art and history, Cowboy collections, Western art and more.

Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum

This fascinating museum gives visitors the opportunity to look into the pharmacies and drugstores of the frontier times. The museum has medicinal treatments from the time as well as tool and other artifacts from early drugstores. In addition, the Apothecary Garden has medicinal herbs and plants that were used by early pharmacists, and the garden is also a nice park to explore during your time in the town of Guthrie where the museum and garden are located.

Robbers Cave State Park

Located in the southeast of Oklahoma, Robbers Cave State Park can be found in the San Bois Mountains. Visitors to the park can enjoy all sorts of fun recreation, including rappelling, hiking and more. While enjoying the lakes, cliffs and other sites of natural beauty, visitors can learn about the history of the area as a hideout for outlaws like Jesse James and others.

Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center

One of the most important archaeological sites in the nation, the Spiro Mounds were built hundreds of years ago. Within the Center there are twelve mounds, which were used for ceremonial purposes, homes and more. Archaeologists have uncovered significant pieces of culture through the artifacts found within the mounds. Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the culture and the history of the mounds at the exhibits and on the interpretive trails through the area.

Wichita Mountains Byway

This beautiful drive is a great way to experience the remaining area of Southern Mixed Grassland while seeing some amazing wildlife, and winding through the Wichita Mountains.   As visitors travel through the Wichita Mountains they will see the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, which started as a wildlife preserve created by President Theodore Roosevelt in order to save the American bison from extinction.

Oklahoma | Fun and Funky Things to Do

Oklahoma is a wonderful state to visit in the United States. Visitors that enjoy exploring some of the more unusual destinations in a state should stop at a few of these fantastic fun and funky destinations.

The Blue Whale

Located in Catoosa, this gigantic concrete blue whale is a local icon and a Route 66 icon. Although it fell into disrepair for a time after the original creators closed their attraction, the Blue Whale has been restored by the town and is a fantastic stop along Route 66 and for visitors to Catoosa. Visitors to the Blue Whale can explore the attraction as well as enjoy a picnic lunch and see the remains of the remainder of the attraction.

Will Rogers Memorial Museum

Fans of Will Rogers should be sure to visit the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore. The museum contains an amazing exhibits filled with Will Rogers artifacts. The exhibits include memorabilia, photographs from throughout his career, a saddle collection and the Rogers family tomb. The Museum also has a selection of original art and much more.

Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World

One fascinating destination in Oklahoma is Beaver, which is known as the Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World. Each year in April the town hosts the World Championship Cow Chip Throw. Here people come to compete in this spectacular throwing contest and in addition, visitors can enjoy the variety of memorabilia and other commemorative items throughout the town.

Waurika Rattlesnake Hunt

Each April the town of Waurika holds an Annual Waurika Rattlesnake Hunt. Throughout the weekend of the event there are many interesting events held. The main event is the Rattlesnake Hunt, with prizes awarded to those with the longest snake among other things. In addition to the hunt there are other festivities, including live performances, a carnival and even opportunities to eat snake meat.

Route 66 Great Transcontinental Footrace

Visitors to the town of Foyil can stop to see the statue commemorating the winner of the Route 66 Great Transcontinental Footrace. This race was held in the 1920s, the contestants in the race ran the entire length of Route 66, from Los Angeles to New York, covering a distance of over 3,400 miles. The winner of the race, an Indian, Andy Payne, ran the entire length in just over 573 hours. The statue in Foyil commemorates the long and impressive journey of Andy Payne.

Oregon Quick Facts

Uniquely Oregon: Cannon Beach and the Pacific Coast forest
Must-See: Old Man of the Lake, a log that’s been bobbing vertically in Oregon's Crater Lake since at least 1896
Most Unusual: Prehistoric Gardens at Port Orford
Highest Point: Mount Hood, 11,161 feet.
Food to Try: Tillamook cheese, hazelnuts, and marion berry pie

What to Do

1 Watch a play in Ashland

2 See the sand dunes

3 Ski Mount Hood

4 Go hiking in the Sisters Wilderness

5 Count the bridges and microbrew pubs in Portland

6 Watch the Oregon Ducks take on the OSU Beavers

Off the Beaten Path | Oregon

Oregon is a state full of natural wonders and amazing outdoor spaces. Throughout the state you will find interesting places to visit. It is a state full of amazing spots to camp, hike, swim and enjoy all sorts of outdoor recreation. Here are just a few of the amazing spots and sights that Oregon has to offer its residents and visitors.

Three Sisters Wilderness

This wilderness area is one of the more popular areas in Oregon. Three Sisters is located in the Deschutes and the Willamette National Forests. There are 242,000 acres of wilderness in Three Sisters, with 260 miles of trails, including 40 miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Much of the wilderness area is composed of dense forest. Three Sisters Wilderness Area is a great destination for hiking, wilderness camping and much more.

Ashland

Located near the California border and the foothills of the Siskiyou and Cascade Ranges. Ashland is best known for the annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival has an eight and a half month season, which shows eleven plays plus many other activities. Attendance at the Festival can reach over 400,000. Visitors to Ashland also have the opportunity to enjoy the Ashland Independent Film Festival in April or attend the Food and Wine Classic in November. Ashland is also home to Southern Oregon's first park, Lithia Park, which covers 93 acres right off the downtown plaza. Lithia Park has Japanese Gardens, tennis courts, duck ponds and much more.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

The awesome sand dunes at Oregon Dunes are the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America. The dunes stretch from Florence to Coos Bay and stand 500 feet above sea level. Visitors to the dunes can enjoy lots of off-highway vehicle riding, as well as hiking, fishing, horseback riding, canoeing and camping. As visitors wander to the dunes they can come upon dense tree islands, wetlands and even lakes. Those visitors that enjoy water sports can have fun sailing, water-skiing, swimming and even scuba diving on the over 30 lakes and streams in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Siskiyous Mountains

A coastal mountain range in southwestern Oregon, the Siskiyous are a part of the Klamath Mountains. They are some of the wildest mountains in the region, and even the weather is wild. The western canyons in the Siskiyous Mountains can get up to 100 inches of rain in the winter. Much of the Siskiyous Mountains are located within the Rogue River-Siskiyous and Klamath National Forests. In addition, the Pacific Crest Trail follows a portion of the range's ridge. Visitors can enjoy all sorts of recreation including wilderness camping, fishing, hiking , white water rafting and cross-country and downhill skiing in the winter.

Coos Bay

Coos Bay is an important port city on the southern coast of Oregon, and it is also the largest city on the Oregon Coast. The city is full of museums, art galleries, live theater and even festivals. In addition, visitors can enjoy golfing, sailing, canoeing, scuba diving, fishing and more at the area's nearby parks: Sunset Bay State Park, Shore Areas State Park, Cape Arago State Park. Coos Bay is also a great destination for crabbing and clamming, which are allowed year-round. Storm and whale watching are also fun activities that visitors can enjoy at Coos Bay.

Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake is one of the most unique areas in the country. Most of the year the park is covered in snow -- the summertime window is very  brief, lasting only from July to October. During the short summer, visitors can enjoy the Rim Drive, hiking, camping, fishing, swimming in the lake and even take a boat tour of the lake. The park offers interpretive programs where visitors can learn about the history of the park and the very interesting volcanic past of the lake. During the long winter, which lasts from October to July, the Rim Drive is mostly closed, but visitors can still enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the trails.

Cannon Beach

This is a very popular resort town on the northern coast of Oregon. The delightful little town of Cannon Beach is just west of Highway 101, and its downtown area is full of relaxing little shops, galleries and more. Visitors to Cannon Beach will probably spend most of their time on the beautiful sand beach. Haystack Rock is the most recognizable sight in the town, as it is the large haystack-shaped rock standing in the water just off the beach. During low tide, visitors can enjoy exploring the amazing tide pools created by the rock formations around Haystack Rock. Visitors to the beach can also participate in sand sculpting, or horseback riding on the beach, and even flying a kite. When visitors need a break from the beach they can explore the rainforest that stretches right down to the beach.

Oregon | Fun and Funky Things to Do

Oregon is a beautiful state. Throughout the state there are a stunning variety of natural wonders and destinations to visit. Travelers looking for a few spots that are a bit funky and a lot fun should be sure to find some of these destinations.

Lava River Cave

The Lava River Cave is located in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument within the Deschutes National Forest. Throughout the Monument there are many fascinating volcanic formations. The Lava River Cave is a mile-long lava tube. Visitors take a self guided tour through the link of this amazing natural wonder.

Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

This museum is an excellent destination for aviation enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in seeing airplanes up close. The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum has all sorts of aircraft ranging from the historic to modern, big and small. Visitors also have a chance to see he Spruce Goose.

Prehistoric Gardens

Located in a rainforest, the Prehistoric Gardens are a great spot to really learn about prehistoric times. The Prehistoric Gardens are filled with full size replicas of prehistoric animals. These gardens are the vision and creation of one man. Visitors are sure to have a great time exploring the rainforest, seeing life-sized dinosaurs, and learning all about these ancient creates.

The Oregon Vortex

The Oregon Vortex is one of those unique mystery spots where the laws of physics don't seem to apply. Visitors can explore, learn about the history and much more during a visit to the Oregon Vortex. This destination also has a fun souvenir shop where visitors can grab something special to remember the visit.

Astoria Column

The Astoria Column is locate in Astoria, it commemorates important points in history, industries and people in the west. Astoria is the oldest American settlement on the west side of the rocks. In addition to enjoying the history of the town, the Astoria Column affords visitors unique views of the surrounding area at the top. Visitors can climb the tower, marvel at the amazing scenes depicted on the column and enjoy the breathtaking views.