Amy's Creative Pursuits

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Thunder over the Ledges: A Moody Trek in Cuyahoga Valley

This is part five of a travel series of our midwest road trip covering four states and two national parks. We began our journey in Lake Geneva Wisconsin. If you missed it, start HERE!

Our second day in the Cuyahoga Valley began with a stormy one. We looked at the radar and it appeared the storm would be over by the time we hit the trail, but to our surprise, it started to thunder and pour right when we started hiking. Thankfully, we were close enough to shelter and we were able to wait it out until the worst part of the storm was over, but we still ended up hiking in the rain for a little bit. It actually ended up being kinda cool. The skies thundered above us and the forest seemed as dark as night. For a while, I was a little bit concerned as it was so dark I was afraid we'd get lost...and we did! But more on that later, for now let's talk about the historic Ledges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park!

The Ledges Trail is the most popular attraction in the park. It is a moderate 1.8 to 2.2 mile loop that winds past massive, moss-covered Sharon Sandstone and conglomerate rock formations and has narrow rock passages, and towering cliffs. The terrain is rocky and uneven, so I recommend walking sticks. The elevation change is -105 feet and it takes about 1.5 -2 hours to complete if you don't get lost 😆.

Now you're probably wondering how did we get lost if it is a loop? I don't know, we're idiots I guess. It always cracks me up how often my husband and I get lost when we're such experienced hikers. I think I need to pay for the AllTrails app. I see a lot of hikers use it when we are on trails and they always seem to know their way around. But in my defense, there were a lot of network of trails and it seemed every sign said "Ledges Loop" so maybe that's how we messed up.

But getting lost in the woods isn't always a bad thing, as we saw an area we might not have seen if we went the right away. We ended up seeing a lot more cool rock formations going the wrong way. We also hiked the most "boring" part of the trail (if you could even call this part boring, I mean just look at this scenery) in the darkness and the rain, and by the time we reached the best part of Ledges it stopped raining and the sun came out!

Hiking the Ledges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park takes you out of the ordinary Midwestern landscape and plunges you into a prehistoric, moss-covered world. This trail is widely considered the crown jewel of Northeast Ohio hiking. Surrounded by towering hemlock trees and massive rock walls, you will quickly forget that you are just a short drive from Cleveland and Akron.

Here is a short video where you can hear the thunder and rain that we experienced in the forest.

Eventually we came across this map and realized that we hung a right at the start of the trail instead of a left and that is how we missed the most massive interesting ledges seen at the bottom of the map. I could clearly see the "loop" on the trail map now, but somehow we ended going all the way around till we reached the Octagon Shelter on the top of the map, but we saw more ledges that way as that's the grey color you see on the map.

Once we knew where we were, we decided to head back to the start of the trail, and this time go left instead of right so we could see the most famous ledges.

First we went back to the very start of the trail and lo and behold I saw the map we missed when we started! I always take a photo of a trail map before we start our hike, but because of the pouring rain, I think I was distracted. Oh well, it gave us the opportunity to use the potty again at the shelter before we headed out.

This time, we turned left at the start of the trail and I knew instantly we were exactly where we were supposed to be as I saw lots of pictures of the ledges when planning this trip and the scenery was looking familiar. By now the rain had ended and the sun was peeking out, so it was the perfect time to be here. It turned out getting lost wasn't such a bad idea, as if we had been here when it was dark and rainy we wouldn't have seen or enjoyed it as much.

Stepping down the massive rock staircases drops you directly to the floor of the Ritchie Ledges. They are 30 foot tall sandstone cliffs formed 300 million years ago according to some scientists or thousands of years ago according to creationists. The air down here feels entirely different-a cool, damp microclimate where green ferns burst from rocky fissures, and thick coats of moss carpet the stone walls.

Moss always interests me, but after a rain it is truly spectacular as the colors are so vibrant. Just look at the moss on the rocks!

Every twist in the trail reveals new green ferns and cool microclimates.

If there are too many photos of me in the scenery, sorry but hubby had the camera this time. I think having a person in the photo is a good thing anyway as it gives you perspective of the size of these rock formations.

The trail is mostly dirt, but there are also stone and wooden steps and bridges that add interest.

The trail goes around the front of the ledges, but you can get off the trail (without getting lost) to get inside these massive rock formations.

I love the ferns growing on this rock. How do they do that? Oh, and see little ole me walking on the path in the distance? Yup, having a person in the photo gives you perspective. Ledges is amazing! It sure felt like I was walking through a prehistoric forest...especially after it rained!

Look at this narrow gap! You can squeeze through to see what's inside if you dare!

This opening was a bit more spacious so we went through this one.

And this is what it looked like on the inside.

These cool stone steps led us up and back and out of the Ledges trail.

The Ledges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers an unforgettable journey through ancient rock formations and mossy forests that leaves a lasting impression long after you finish the hike. Whether you seek a quiet afternoon in nature or a lost-in-the-forest adventure like us, this loop proves why Ohio's only national park is a true Midwestern treasure.

See you next week with how we finished our day in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Have A Great Day! Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

For more posts on our Midwest Road Trip, check these out:

A Gilded Age Getaway: Our Boat Tour of Lake Geneva's Black Point Estate

The Best of Indiana Dunes National Park: Tackling Dune Succession and Mt. Baldy

Exploring the Best of Cuyahoga Valley: Brecksville Reservation and the Towpath Trail

Chasing Waterfalls in the Cuyahoga Valley

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

That's a Wrap on Summer! Here is a look back at my favorite moments.

Well that's it folks, summer is over. Today is the first official day of fall and in lieu of a craft post for Tuesday, I decided to celebrate the first day of fall with a look back at our summer.

We actually don't do much in summer because of our garden. Hubby needs the weekends home to work on landscape projects and of course we have a massive lawn that can't go two weekends without being mowed. I don't water my vegetable or perennial gardens unless they are newly planted and we are going through a dry spell, but I do need to water hanging baskets and pots daily so we can never be away from home longer than a night or two. We travel in the early spring or fall and try to do one weekend getaway a month in the winter.

So with all that background, here are the highlights of my summer, which is probably not as exciting as some of yours!

E-Bikeing

I got a E-Bike as my combination birthday/Christmas present and it sat in my craft room for five or six months before I was finally able to try it. I was a nervous wreck to ride it the first time, but I watched a lot of videos and read the manual from cover to cover because I was so afraid to break such an expensive bike. Eventually I got the courage to take it out, and after the initial learning experience, I fell madly in love. These bikes are game changers, especially for older people like me!

For months, I just took my E-Bike out on the country roads near my house. The roads are as beautiful as any bike trails I've ever been on and have very little car traffic. It is very hilly where I live as I reside in the Driftless Region and often with a regular bike I'd have to get off and walk the bike up a hill. Not with this E-Bike, I scoot up those steep hills no problem.

Since then, I've been able to transport the E-Bike and taken it all the way to Ohio to get on some cool bike trails there, and I've recently gotten together with a friend and we rode bikes in her hometown trails.

Gardening

Of course as I already explained, gardening takes up most of my summer. I am in the garden everyday I'm home and it doesn't rain. I have almost an acre of perennial gardens plus a large vegetable garden. Most of the flowers are naturalized wild flowers so they are not fussy like roses, it's just a constant battle of weeds, or cutting down old flower blooms, staking, and fighting off the critters that want to eat everything. Everyone always wants to know how much time I spend in the garden and that depends on the time of the year. In the spring and fall I could spend eight hours a day in the garden, but in the summer I am only in the garden in the morning. I don't like the heat plus I need my afternoons to process all those vegetables! I can, freeze, and dry my produce.

Perennial Garden

All my regular readers will know hubby has been working on a new landscape project for about five years now😀. It takes him a long time to do a project when he's only home on weekends. He keeps saying "How much stuff he'll get done when he's retired". I think he forgets how much older he will be, but we'll see.

Anyhow, our old wood retaining walls and staircase down to the lower yard deteriorated and needed to be replaced. This summer level two was completed and it turned out beautifully. He does do amazing work. So many of my friends, neighbors and family always want to "borrow him" and I always have to say "no, he can't even finish his own projects".

Vegetable Garden

He also got a good start on the lowest level which we hope will be completed next summer. This will be a stone patio seating area with pots and hanging window boxes. I'm dreaming of a little bistro set with long vines coming down from the railing above. Do you have any suggestions?

The Grandchildren Visit

My daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren come to stay with us for one week every summer. They usually come for the Fourth of July but this year they came in June because our son-in-law had a conference in the Green Bay Area. We met them in Green Bay and hung out with the kids and my daughter while our son-in-law was at his conference. The highlight of the weekend was the Green Bay Botanical Garden which had an amazing children's garden.

Green Bay Botanical Gardens

We also went to High Cliff State Park and climbed a tower which had amazing views of Lake Winnebago, and the kids enjoyed swimming in the very cold lake water.

High Cliff State Park

We left Green Bay when the conference was over and came home to spend the rest of the week. One of the highlights of our week at home was to go to the Coulee Region and attend the Norskedalen Midsummer Fest. That was a fun day of wagon rides, butter churning, donkey rides and more!

Norskedalen's Midsummer Fest

4th of July

For the 4th of July we were alone, which was odd as we haven't been without grandkids on the 4th for a long time. We didn't do anything special during the day, but at night we went to our town's park and enjoyed a Christian family concert and then the fireworks.

Blueberry Picking

Every year after the 4th of July it isn't long until the blueberry fields are ready for picking. We have so many blueberry fields in our area, but for some reason I can't get the bushes to grow in my own backyard...go figure. So we go picking and we pick enough to last us for one full year. I freeze them and use them in smoothies and some baked goods, but mostly smoothies.

We've tried a number of different blueberry fields and we found a simple one near town that offers the best prices for one being so close to a town. There are cheaper ones, but if you have to drive an hour to get there it doesn't make financial sense.

They had the most beautiful wildflower blooming when we were there. The photos don't do it justice.

Christian Concert

Perhaps the biggest highlight for me this summer was getting to see one of my favorite Christian bands play live in Concert: For King and Country. This was a real treat, as they don't tour that much anymore (other than Christmas concerts) because they have been focusing on movie projects.

As you can tell by the photos it rained one of the days, making it a little miserable. Thankfully the rain ended before the headliner in the evening, but by then our clothes were pretty damp. We tent camped, which I thought was pretty fun, but hubby complained about being uncomfortable so if we go against next year, we have to buy some cots. We chose to camp on the festival grounds because it is an hour from home and we didn't want to drive that far late at night only to get up the next morning to drive back as it was a weekend event.

We got to the gate before they opened and waited in line. Once the gates opened hubby made a run for it and got us the best unreserved seats. I was so proud of him!

The concert was amazing! For King and Country is so theatrical; they really put on a good show!

And it doesn't hurt that Joel Smallbone is so cute! 😉

Wisconsin/Illinois/Ohio Roadtrip

This year we took our fall vacation in August because I saw my grandchildren a month earlier than I usually do and I didn't want to wait five months to see them again. My adult son watered my plants for me so the only thing I had to deal with when I got home was pick a lot of tomatoes and oversized zucchini and cucumbers.

I am currently doing a travel series on this roadtrip and I have a new post every Wednesday, so I don't want to spend too much time talking about it here. Since the priority of this trip was to visit the grandchildren, we did a roadtrip close to their Indiana home. Our first day we went on a Lake Geneva boat ride with friends, then we hiked the dunes in Indiana Dunes National Park, the trip concluded in Ohio where we did lots of things including Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Illinois/Ohio Road Trip

Lake Geneva Boat Ride with Friends

And just like that, summer was over. It always goes by so fast and ends too quickly in my opinion. Our winters drag on forever here in Wisconsin, so I really treasure the warm months.

Now it is fall, and I'm picking and processing the last of the garden vegetables. We have three fall getaways planned and I'm praying for good weather as it's been raining a lot. Ya'll know I'll be blogging about those fall getaways! I might have to interrupt my current travel series to do that as I don't like sharing fall photos when it's not fall.

I'm sure all of your summer adventures were much more exciting than mine, so I'd love to hear from you. How was your summer? What did you do?

Have A Great Day! Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

Thursday, September 17, 2026

One Simple Trick to Brighten Up Your Favorite Sage Green Dress

Ageless Style is a monthly style challenge and link up for women of all ages. Each month we pick a different theme and style an outfit based on that theme. This month's theme is "Pop of Color" and was picked by Joanne!

This month's Ageless Style theme is "Pop of Color" which is the perfect theme for early fall as the world is certainly "popping with color" right now. It's always too warm this time of year to pull out the flannel shirts and jeans, but I still like to look like "fall" so I do it with color. I put away the whites and brights, and switch to neutrals and earthy colors. I found this adorable shift dress on Amazon that is just the perfect sage green yet is cool and comfy for the hot temperatures we are still experiencing. But I can also see wearing this dress into the fall/winter by adding a cardigan/jacket and tall boots.

The muted sage green is earthy, calming, and acts as the perfect neutral base. But I wanted to add some fall color to this otherwise dull look so I used an easy styling trick: adding an intentional Pop of Color.

Adding a vibrant accent to a soft, muted tone creates an instant focal point. It makes your entire outfit look thoughtful, stylized, and incredibly chic without feeling overwhelmed by bright hues.

By introducing just one deliberate, high-quality pop of color into your look, you can completely elevate the soft undertones of sage green, creating an outfit that feels fresh, modern, and intentionally styled.

Here is exactly how to pull off the look:

Choose Your Accent Color:

Fiery coral/terracotta, blush pink/dusty rose, rich burgundy/plum, sorbet yellow/pale peach, and deep navy are all accent colors that go great with sage green.

I chose this fiery coral handbag to bring some "fall" pop of color into my otherwise very neutral outfit.

Pick One Accent Area

I chose a handbag as my accent, but other ideas could be:

Footwear: Try a bold heel or a colorful sneaker

Accessories: Think a bright neck scarf or statement earrings

Additional Layers: A colorful jacket, cardigan, or shawl

Don't have any colorful accessories? Why, even a bright, bold lipstick like a rich plum or deep berry would do!

Whether you are heading to a weekend brunch, church, or fall festival, a sage green dress paired with a fiery coral handbag or any pop of fall color, is the ultimate formula for effortless chic. This look perfectly balances the calm, earthy serenity of sage with a bold, high-energy pop of color. By stepping outside the box of traditional neutrals, you create a sophisticated yet playful outfit; so add a pop of color to your neutral outfit and step out with confidence letting your vibrant style do the talking!

Now be sure to link up with us and check out what the other ladies in the group are wearing as well.

Have a Great Day! Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!