53 Days of Summer- Shawnee Prairie Preserve

Great Adventure in Great Outdoors!

This place. OMG. Make time to check this out because it is 100% worth your time. Located in Greenville, Ohio, Shawnee Prairie Preserve and Nature Center was beautiful. As a photographer I was IN LOVE.  I couldn't decide what I loved more, the log cabins and fences or the wildflowers. It was just picture perfect. 

We started inside at the welcome center where a wonderful greeter told us about the trails outsides and the classrooms inside. We decided to walk outside first. It was hot, but the kids loved it. They have an entire section of the part dedicated to kid activities and encourage those to pick up logs/sticks, ect. and rearrange. Along with a huge sandbox and cool underground tunnel, it was hard to keep the kids moving.  We started back into the woods, but about 100 yards in I was getting eaten alive and I didn't bring bug spray so we turned around. When we got to the log cabin and fence line, the kids started to react their favorite cartoon westerns.  

When we went back inside the nature preserve building to cool off and go to the bathroom, we got to check out some of their displays inside. You can see from the pictures, the kids liked watching the bee's make honey and Olivia became a turtle whisper. They had reptiles and other displays throughout that the kids liked looking at and touching. There was even a space to sit and bird/nature watch through the two-way glass. It was really neat. 

Before pulling away, I made the kids stand in front of the beautiful wildflowers. I want to dress them up and bring them back to take pictures. It's really that beautiful.  So if you are looking for a day trip that's free and worth the drive- check out Greenville!

62 Days of Summer- Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve

Indians Still Live Here?

Remember me telling you that Jeremy and I were on vacation and gave my parents and Jeremy's parents instructions to A. Keep our kids alive B. Do something each day to put on the blog and C. take pictures for me to put with the post. Well I'm happy to report both grandparents nailed it!

I grew up in Seneca county. Yet when I got these pictures I was like, "where the heck is this?!" So naturally I Googled it.  Here is what I found from the website:

Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve was created in 1997 when Dolly and Alma Garlo initiated the gifting of 256 acres of their family farm to the park district. The park is a living legacy in memory of doctors Olgier and Maria Garlo and their son Alex. 

Well the good news is that I graduated high school in 1997, so I left for college that year and haven't lived full-time in Seneca County since, so that is my excuse for never seeing this amazing spot. 

Because I wasn't there and mom and dad took them, I asked Olivia what she thought of it.  She carefully explained the beehive-looking wood structure and how you could climb around the outside of it or in the middle of it. Then she pointed to the swing picture and said it was just nice to swing and look at the water. But then she said, "I'm pretty sure some Indians still live there because I saw their teepees!" So apparently there are some teepees and if there are any of those set up, someone MUST live there. LOL. I don't have any pictures of the teepee's so I have NO idea if she made it up or if there are some actually on the property. That one you'll have to go to find out for yourself!

From the pictures and the stories, this is a must stop place the next time I head up to my parents house. Might dress the kids up and try to get some new pictures. The scenery from the pictures that mom shared look beautiful and the kids said they would go back. Win-win for all!