#caesar creek state park

[middleland]

Smallmouth Buffalo by Picsnapper1212

Via Flickr:

The smallmouth buffalo is one of the longest-lived fishes, capable of living more than a century. It is a species of Sucker that is native to the Mississippi River, its tributaries and surrounding waters. This one was about a foot long although they grow to be much larger. It was still alive when I took this picture, but apparently injured and floating down Caesar Creek in SW Ohio.     

[moonville-tunnel]

caesar creek lake - 2021

[keanuquotes]

Dogstar 2024 Tour Dates: 06/05 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg 06/07 – Nuremberg, DE @ Rock im Park 06/08 – Nürburg, DE @ Rock am Ring 06/09 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rockhal 06/11 – Zürich, CH @ Kaufleuten 06/13 – Nickelsdorf, AT @ NovaRock 06/14 – Hradec Kralove, CZ @ Rock For People 06/15 – Berlin, DE @ Huxley’s Neue Welt 06/18 – Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall 06/19 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town 06/23 – Gardone Riviera, IT @ Festival del Vittoriale 06/24 – Udine, IT @ Castello di Udine 06/25 – Zagreb, HR @ INmusic Festival 06/27 – Kragujevac, RS @ Arsenal Fest 06/29 – Bologna, IT @ Bonsai Garden 06/30 – Turin, IT @ OGR Sonic City 08/08 – Indianapolis, IN @ Indiana State Fair 08/09 – Charles Town, WV @ Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races 08/11 – Lexington, KY @ Lexington Opera House 08/13 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz 08/14 – Richmond, VA @ The National 08/16 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Resort Casino 08/17 – Bethlehem, PA @ Wind Creek Event Center 08/18 – Waterloo, NY @ del Lago Resort & Casino 08/20 – Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe 08/22 – Windsor, ON @ Caesar’s Windsor 08/23 – Hammond, IN @ Horseshoe Hammond Casino 08/24 – Columbia, MO @ Rose Music Hall 08/27 – La Vista, NE @ The Astro 08/28 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater 08/30 – Quapaw, OK @ Downstream Casino Resort 08/31 – Norman, OK @ Riverwind Casino 09/03 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Event Center 09/06 – Reno, NV @ Silver Legacy Resort Casino 09/07 – Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Music and Arts Festival (Britt Festival Pavilion) 09/08 – Forest Grove, OR @ McMenamins Grand Lodge 09/10 – Airway Heights, WA @ Spokane Live 09/13 – Redding, CA @ Redding Civic Auditorium 09/14 – Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento 09/15 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst 09/17 – Ventura, CA @ The Majestic Ventura Theater 09/19 – Valley Center, CA @ Harrah’s Resort SoCal 09/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas 09/21 – Maricopa, AZ @ Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino

[julietookoff]

Up North Trip

March - July 2024

As usual I was planning my next geo-trip. I ordered a Bluetti power station to use for my CPAP while Jeep camping. Corny wired it right to the car battery to charge while driving. I cut a 4" upholstery foam to fit the Jeep and zipped it inside one of my sleeping bags. I left for a few days with Corny's folding bike. At my first stop, I bought a Florida Annual State Park pass. I cached around Ocala and Lake City. I found many of the oldest geocaches in several counties. The Bluetti worked like a charm - it will last me 3 nights without a charge. I have since discovered it will be fully topped up within a few hours of driving.

I got back home and we had a new carwash open right next to our Taco Bell. We took advantage of the free vacuums and floor mat washer.

One of our builder's son-in-laws is building a house across the street from us. The day they were pouring the foundation, someone's husky got loose and went for a romp in the cement pond. He stuck his snout right into the cement! The guys chased him away and he came over to our yard to stretch out on his newly cemented belly. It is a bit bigger than our house and a lot more expensive. They had an issue with the back yard (a giant pit), so they fenced it in. Now the problem isn't visible unless you peek over to the neighbor's side of the fence.

We hit a great storage auction in Clearwater at an A/C facility. We got a nice clean fridge for Shorty, a rattan guest bedroom set for us, a phone for Corny and a floor lamp for me, among many smaller finds.

We were getting ready to take the fridge up to Shorty, so I packed my kitchen bin with my pepper grinder, spices, garlic chopper, stuff like that. We decided to leave the CrockPot at Shorty's house this time so we don't have to pack it every trip. Corny replaced it soon after I got home and I regained my will to live/cook again. I was stuck on refried bean nachos for a week or so.

I finished making some pillows for my sister to match her pretty blue/yellow flower napghan. We gave them to her on her birthday.

I left home March 28th and finished geocaching in all the GA counties. I skipped out on any Easter dinner and ate at a Panda south of Atlanta. I visited the Atlanta capitol around 7am. There was plenty of parking and a ton of cops around at that hour. I started the Tennessee State Star with the bike. The weather didn't cooperate - it was a cold, grey drizzly day. I bought some leather gloves but it was still too cold for bike riding. I'll have to catch the Star some other time. I took a library day and headed north to Kentucky. I put on two pairs of pants in the morning but it was so cold I never took off the outers. It was such a pretty drive in the country. In southeast Ohio I ran into some flooded roads.

^big holly trees

^Cowduck and a travel bug duck

^swim to the cache?

I'm pretty sure I passed the Serpent Mound. As I drove by I thought "Why in the world would a farmer want his field like that? WTH was he growing?" Later I saw a brochure at a rest area and what I saw looked just like it!

I met Corny at a rest area off of I-71. We continued to Caesar Creek State Park campground for two nights. We watched the eclipse at a Wapakoneta Wally's. None of my pictures turned out.

We got to Shorty's house April 9th. He was putting the finishing touches on a freshly remodeled bedroom with a new queen size mattress. That was my bedroom for the length of my stay! He treats me so well . . .

We were meeting Shorty at the Taco Bell next to his workplace whenever possible. We frequented Wally's, Sam's and Martin's for groceries to cook for Shorty. Our feeble selves helped put together some of his new IKEA furniture.

We ate at Franky's Tacos, Cane's, Fazoli's and of course Allie's. On one of Shorty's days off, we all checked out the Potowatamie Zoo (just blocks from his house).

I discovered a China Tree clearance/glitch: one cent Spring Mix Dots. I went back to the store several times and accumulated about 20 boxes.

In April I had an enlightening phone call with my brother. Now I know why my sister and mother have treated me like shit for the last 5-10 years.

My Dad and brother made their first visit to Shorty's house and got an informative tour. We had an awesome meal at Longhorn and warm cookies for dessert at Insomnia cookies in South Bend.

4/24 Corny and I worked in the barn, loading a 6x8' U-Haul with our junque. We treated R & A to Salvatori's Italian for letting us store our crap in their barn for 10 years. We didn't get it all this trip, but the better portion of it. Raccoons had tunneled through some of Corny's boxes, so they will have to be repackaged next time we get up there. We didn't have time to work on repacking as the U-Haul had to be returned to Florida in four days. It was too hot to work in the garage by the time I got home to Florida, so my treasures await . . .

Corny didn't want Bruno's pizza because it IS pretty expensive, but dang. I ordered some for Shorty and me a couple days after Corny left! We finished watching "Fallout" and started on "Colony".

I went to the Vera Bradley outlet sale at the Coliseum and bought a few things. I escaped spending just around $50 for three items.

I was in the process of getting ready for a Michigan county run when a distant relative died. I postponed leaving for home and didn't get back until May 31. I was up north for 2 months. Corny had just gotten home and unloaded the U-Haul when he heard about the funeral. He and Poco came back up north in the van. I went to the viewing but stepped out for the funeral.

We stayed in the van at Dad's house a few nights and helped as much as we were allowed. I made Mexican lasagne, buttermilk brownies, and chicken noodle soup. We left earlier than expected due to some drama.

Whenever we went out with my brother, an activity was required in addition to the meal. One visit we went to a Chinese buffet, Costco and Franke Park.

May 16, We all left Shorty's house. Corny and Poco headed south in the van and I headed north to Michigan in the Jeep for a week. I slept in the Jeep except one night at a hotel in Saginaw. I cached in every county up to and in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) and most of the way back. My favorite parts were on Jeep trails to old abandoned mines. I explored the old Ford village and dipped into Wisconsin for a few counties. I stopped at several garage sales for swag. The bugs were amazing. Before even getting out of the Jeep, I had my own personal swarms of black flies and mosquitoes, attracted by the engine heat/sound. I got to see an amazing tick parade when I undressed at a McDonald's restroom one day. A great trip, but I didn't finish all the Michigan counties. I will have to come back with the folding bike because the MI State Star is along a bike path near Lansing.

We made one more trip to go see Dad; we ate at a mexican place in Huntington - Chava's, and watched the acrobatic swifts eating bugs midair at Roush Dam. We spent over an hour at a Wally's. Shorty found some $70 boots on clearance (his size!!!) for $17! God is Godd. I found an $87 icemaker. My life has changed! I haven't had a decent cold drink of kool-aid since Oldsmar (2012).

I missed a few Survivor episodes due to my travels but one day soon I will re-watch them all. I geocached my way home via Alabama.

When I got home I downloaded my geocaches and a few days later, I couldn't find my GPS. I went back through all my travel stuff, geocaching stuff and Jeep. I thought I must've left it at a restaurant or it fell out of the Jeep or something. It was so near my birthday, Corny got me a new identical one. Two days later I found the old one, hidden deep in a corner of my big fanny pack. Oof. Well now I have two spares :0)

I planted two packs of tomato seeds June 3: Roma bush and Beefsteak vine. A couple days after I left them out overnight, somebody started eating holes in the leaves. I started spraying them with dish soap/water and bringing them in at night. We shall see if they survive. (edit: they didn't)

My favorite movies since getting back home are Quiet Place, Furiosa, Watchers, and Kingdom of Planet Apes.

We went to Texas Roadhouse on our 1st Anniversary and to a movie and Carrabbas on my birthday.

Life is Godd!

We fit out.

[tencrowns]

More vacation snaps. :) The D20 gaming bar in Dayton; the pioneer village near Caesar Creek State Park; Sugartree Mill; National Museum of the United States Air Force.

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Hatton Lukens Park

Harveysburg Rd.

Harveysburg, Ohio 45032

Hatton Lukens Park is approximately 1/2 mile from Caesars Creek Lake in Massie Township in the northeastern section of Warren County. Located on E. Rt. 73 at the Village of Harveysburg, 5 miles from Waynesville, and 3 miles from I-71, the park is approximately 12 miles west of Wilmington, Ohio and near Clinton Massie schools. On November 5, 1974 Miriam Lukens and William A. Lukens conveyed 35 acres of land as a memorial gift in memory of Eleanor Hatton, sister of Miriam Hatton Lukens. The land was to be used exclusively for a bird/wildlife refuge wilderness area and wild flower sanctuary. In 1989 the wildlife sanctuary was traded back to Miriam Lukens for 35 acres of real estate on Harveysburg Road in the Village of Harveysburg for the purpose of a Warren County Park.

An 80-foot wide roadway easement was granted to Peter Carroll for the purpose of an exit from the Renaissance Festival. Mr. Carroll entered into an agreement to pay the real estate taxes each year on the Hatton Lukens Park. This is a permanent agreement. Phase I development began with the development of a 10 acre tract of land, consisting of 1 baseball field, 2 soccer fields, split rail fence, roadway and parking lot. Phase I cast $89,000. In 1993 a picnic shelter and basketball court was constructed. In 1995 a second shelter and playground was added. In 1996 a fenced-in double horseshoe court was constructed. In 1997 a sand volleyball court was constructed, and in the year 2000 a roadway and parking lot was developed to the rear of the park. Since that time field use and development have been ongoing and use is intense. The present uses of the park are sport fields and picnicking.

The Hatton Lukens Park is primarily a sport complex located on 35.515 acres. The park has a small stream running through the southwest section of the park. Most of the land is generally rolling terrain. Wild turkeys, deer and other wildlife are often seen in the early morning and late evening. The park backs up to the Caesar Creek State Park and provides parking and access to the Caesar Creek mountain bike and trail complex There are three types of soil found in this park, Fincastle, Brookston and Russell. The Fincastle soil is used for field crops commonly grown and typically occurs on uplands. Brookston series soil has very dark, silty clay loam surface, layers are about 12 inches thick, and again this type of soil is used for farming. The Russell series is dark grayish-brown silt loam about 7 inches thick, well suited to cultivate crops. The park is generally rolling, located in the northeastern section of Warren County with run off going into Caesars Creek Lake.

[dr-julius-sumner-miller]

I went on a brief backpack camping trip with my friend Cole this past week. I’m really glad we took the the time to get out there.

This was at Caesar Creek State Park along the perimeter loop trail. There were a ton of really neat fossils in the creek running along that shale cliff.

[fenrislorsrai]

Saw-whet Owl by Picsnapper1212 Via Flickr: This is the first Saw-Whet Owl I ever saw. I went out one night with researchers and watched them trap these little birds in mist nets. This one has just been released back into the wild after having been banded, weighed, sexed, and measured. Not much bigger than a robin.

[cedar-glade]

Caesar Creek State Park, Ohio

[middleland]

Wild Potato Vine by Picsnapper1212

[moonville-tunnel]

horseshoe falls, caesar creek state park

[thunderstrolls]

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Running water at the Caesar creek state parks spillway. This is from when I was 17, phone camera wasn’t as good, hands not as steady.

June, 2017.

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Little Miami Scenic State Park

8570 East State Route 73

Waynesville, Ohio 45068-9719 The Little Miami Scenic Park is located within the beautiful and historic Little Miami River Valley. The Little Miami is a designated federal and state scenic river. It is protected because of its high water quality, panoramic setting, and the many historic sites that can be found along its banks. The Little Miami State and National Scenic River offers a trip into one of Ohio's most beautiful and historic areas. As the river twists and bends, visitors will discover many natural wonders such as steep rocky cliffs, towering sycamores and elegant great blue herons on the wing. The Little Miami State and National Scenic River offers bikers and paddlers a trip into one of Ohio's most beautiful and historic areas. Visitors can traverse the 50-mile linear park by water, on the Little Miami State and Natural Scenic River, or on land via the Little Miami Scenic Bikeway Trail.

A trail meanders with the river through four counties encountering rolling farm country, towering cliffs, steep gorges and forests along the way. This steep gorge offers evidence of the erosional forces of glacial meltwater. Outcroppings of dolomite and shale are now exposed. Mammoth sycamores border the river's edge where great blue herons reside. Because of the relatively cool sheltered climate in the gorge, eastern hemlocks and Canada yew are able to survive here. Birdwatchers delight in the abundance and variety of colorful warblers and other songbirds in the park. The shaded slopes offer a variety of woodland wildflowers for visitors to enjoy. More than 340 species of wildflowers are known in the river's corridor. Virginia bluebells, bellworts, wild ginger and wild columbines are only a few to be seen in the park.

The Little Miami River Valley is historically significant to the state of Ohio. The wooded lands were home to several early Ohio Indian cultures. Nearby are the largest and best known earthworks in the state known as Fort Ancient. Fort Ancient was built by the Hopewell Indians who inhabited the area from 300 B.C. to 600 A.D. In more recent history, this area was inhabited by the Miami Indians and the Shawnee. After the War of 1812, the Indian threat dissipated and the area attracted settlers. Numerous mills were developed on the river bank and several still stand today. Clifton Mill near Yellow Springs is still in operation. By the mid 1800s, the river corridor was bustling with grist mills, textile mills, stagecoach trails and a railroad line. Indian mounds and relics, historic buildings, grist mills and stagecoach trails can still be found in this historic river valley. The Little Miami Scenic Park became a state park in 1979.

Camping is limited along the developed portion of the trail. Several privately operated canoe liveries along the river offer camping for those backpacking or hiking long stretches of the river corridor. Other overnight accommodations can be found in the various bed and breakfast locations and motels in Lebanon, Morrow, Loveland and Milford. Smallmouth and rock bass provide excellent catches for anglers. Fishing is permitted from boats and from shore at the canoe access sites. A valid Ohio fishing license is required. Two picnic areas with shelterhouses are offered at the staging sites along the route. One area is in Morrow, the other is in Loveland. The shelterhouses are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Little Miami State Park introduces a new concept to the state park system--a trail corridor. This non-traditional approach focuses on offering numerous recreational pursuits--bicycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, rollerblading, backpacking and horseback riding. The corridor also provides access to canoeing the Little Miami River.

From the northernmost canoe access point to the Ohio River, the Little Miami River can provide numerous levels of excitement: an historic journey, an environmental experience, a fishing or recreational trip. The Little Miami River is approximately 105-miles long, of which nearly 86 miles are canoeable. Those who plan to canoe or boat the Little Miami Scenic River must exercise caution because the river's immense power is often hidden. All rivers may become dangerous when water is high and flow is rapid from heavy rainfall. Streams such as the Little Miami are always dangerous at lowhead dams and where log jams or submerged trees create powerful forces in the current. Approved, properly fitting life jackets are required. All boats and canoes require a current registration sticker.

Little Miami State Park is approximately 50 miles in length. It averages 66 feet in width and runs through four counties of southwest Ohio (Greene, Warren, Clermont and Hamilton). This abandoned railroad right-of-way, converted for public use, boasts 47 miles of paved trail from Milford to Hedges Road. The remainder of the trail to Springfield is paved and operated by Greene County Parks and Recreation. Three staging areas (Loveland, Morrow and Corwin) have been located along the developed portion of the park. These include parking lots, restrooms, public phones and trail access points. These facilities are wheelchair accessible.

Three state parks are nearby including Caesar Creek in Waynesville, East Fork in Bethel (both taking their names from branches of the Little Miami), and John Bryan near Yellow Springs, Ohio. All three parks offer camping, hiking and fishing opportunities. Two state nature preserves, Clifton Gorge and Caesar Creek Gorge are close by. Both preserves offer unique geological and botanical features for visitors to enjoy. Spring Valley Wildlife Area operated by the ODNR Division of Wildlife offers hunting and fishing opportunities for sportsmen and is also known as one of the best birdwatching areas in southwestern Ohio. A boardwalk leads to a wildlife observation tower over the marsh. Caesar Creek also has a wildlife area available for hunting. Kings Island Amusement Park, located at Kings Mill, Ohio and Loveland Castle both offer interesting side trips in the area.

[leucrotta]

over the weekend I went down to Caesar Creek State Park to do some fossil hunting, and their visitor’s center is probably the best I’ve ever been to. you can touch everything! they had a table of skulls and drawers full of bones, shells, and feathers, all for visitors to pick up and inspect. also this lovely coy.ote mount.

[cedar-glade]

Plateau from the young section of the mesic oak-hickory upland forest of Caesar Creek State Park.

[goalhofer]

U.S. Daily Precipitation Records Tied/Broken 9/10/22

Gainesville, Alabama: 1.06" (previous record 0.85" 1960)

Unincorporated North Slope Borough, Alaska: 0.1" (also 0.1" 2021)

Unincorporated Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska: 0.54" (previous record 0.35" 1940)

Tempe, Arizona: 0.39" (previous record 0.32" 1980)

Anaheim, California: 0.28" (previous record 0.22" 2021)

Bishop, California: 0.71" (previous record 0.38" 1976)

Camarillo, California: 0.13" (previous record 0.02" 2011)

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, California: 2.78" (previous record 2" 1976)

Unincorporated San Diego County, California: 1.91" (previous record 0.27" 2002)

Santa Barbara, California: 0.18" (previous record 0.16" 1976)

Santa Catalina Island, California: 0.05" (previous record 0.01" 2003)

Santa Clarita, California: 0.08" (previous record 0.02" 1976)

Wasco, California: 0.2" (previous record 0.08" 1976)

Yosemite National Park, California: 0.7" (previous record 0.6" 1980)

Unincorporated Bartow County, Georgia: 0.27" (previous record 0.03" 1988)

Unincorporated Owyhee County, Idaho: 0.2" (previous record 0.1" 2002)

Morrisonville, Illinois: 1.17" (previous record 0.97" 1991)

Grant Township, Iowa: 0.7" (previous record 0.47" 1964)

Gonzales, Louisiana: 3.1" (previous record 2.24" 2000)

Unincorporated Lauderdale County, Mississippi: 1.71" (previous record 0.79" 2018)

Prentiss, Mississippi: 2.3" (previous record 0.76" 1944)

Lookout Mt. summit, New Mexico: 1.7" (previous record 1" 2013)

Asheville, North Carolina: 1.06" (previous record 0.9" 1965)

Greensboro, North Carolina: 1.03" (previous record 0.82" 1940)

Howards Creek Township, North Carolina: 1.12" (previous record 0.83" 2009)

Ochoco National Forest, Oregon: 0.1" (also 0.1" 2021)

Caesars Head summit, South Carolina: 1.28" (previous record 1.2" 2009)

Greer, South Carolina: 1.79" (previous record 0.92" 2006)

Unincorporated Spartanburg County, South Carolina: 1.45" (previous record 0.38" 1997)

Unincorporated Madison County, Tennessee: 0.72" (also 0.72" 1970)

Rocky Mount, Virginia: 1.2" (previous record 0.86" 2018)