It was a beautiful weekend and my mother had come to meet me in Columbus for a visit.  I told her about the great wildlife that I had been seeing lately at Sharon Woods and she wanted to come along to see it for herself.  We are both nature lovers, so it only made sense that we should wake up before sunrise and head out for an early morning walk along one of the paved trails at the park.

It was a foggy morning and just as we were pulling into the Sharon Woods, we noticed a deer and her fawn to our right.  They were so close to our car and did not seem to mind, so I thought I would exit my car and take a couple of photos.  Slowly inching closer for the perfect shot, it was then that the mother gave me a hearty snort and a signal from her hoof warning me to keep my distance.  Realizing that she was not too pleased, I returned to my car hoping that I had taken some great pics.

Within minutes, the fog was lifting and we managed to stay on point with our hike which was not going to take much time.  We stopped to listen to the sounds in the trees and to identify some of the plants, insects and animals along the way.  The vibrant colors of butterflies landing against the greenery and blooms were a sign that spring had finally arrived.

With each step, the musical sounds of the birds  were coming towards us at every direction and we were surrounded by blue jays, orioles and cardinals.  The male cardinals  were easy to find with their bold red colors and we could see the females resting on the tree limbs nearby.

Schrock Lake was full of activity with ducks and geese paddling and chasing each other along the shoreline.  We found a front row seat on a nearby bench along the dock and watched the signs of spring before heading back to the trail.

We had just returned to the walking path when we encountered a wild turkey and her chicks.  This was the first time I had ever seen them at Sharon Woods, so I was happy that I had brought along my camera.  I’ve hiked many of the Columbus Metro Parks and Sharon Woods is one of my favorites, just for the simple reason to experience its wildlife.

Do you have a favorite Metro Park in Columbus?  I would love to hear where you like to spend time outdoors, so if you would leave your story in the comments, section, that would be great!  Many thanks for reading about my day at Sharon Woods and wishing you many Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

Sharon Woods Metro Park
6911 Cleveland Avenue
Westerville, OH  43081
Telephone:  614 315 5520

• Admission Fee:  Free
• Hours:  Daily from 6:30AM to 10PM from April through September and from 6:30AM to 8PM from October through
• Amenities:  Park programs, trails, shelters, biking, fishing, picknicking, and sledding
• Scenic View:  Early morning and dusk, there are several types of animals that roam the park.
• Length of Visit:  1 – 2 hours or more depending on the activity

Where to Stay:

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Columbus Downtown
50 South Front Street
Columbus, OH  43215
Telephone:  614 228 4600

Where to Eat: 

Yanni’s Greek Restaurant
6196 Cleveland Avenue
Columbus, OH  43231
Telephone:  614 890 4775

I had a light lunch here ordering the tzatziki sauce with pita bread.

Here are more of my favorite Columbus Classics:

• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream:  Known for her unique flavor combinations, Jeni Britton Bauer has made ice cream famous in C-Bus!
• North Market:  A one-stop shop for universal cuisine, Columbus’ North Market is worth a stop in the Short North District of the city.
• The Thurman Cafe:  The Thurmanator is the burger of all burgers at this longtime local cafe in German Village.  There may be a wait all burgers are made to order.
• Schmidt’s Sausage Haus and Restaurant:  While the sausage at Schmidt’s is the official food of Columbus, it’s the amazing Cream Puffs that have the locals lining up at the door.

What to Read: 

• Columbus: The Story of a City, by Ed Lentz
• Columbus, Ohio: A Photographic Portrait, by Randall L Schieber and Robin Smith
• Ohio in Photographs: A Portrait of the Buckeye State, by Ian Adams
• Secret Columbus, by Anietra Hamper

Photo Guide for Columbus: 

• Coffman Park: small ponds, bridges, white barn, pavilion, landscaping, public art
• Columbus Museum of Art:  the grounds, inside artwork and special exhibits
• Everal Barn and Homestead:  landscaping, white barn, beautiful lake
• Frank Fetch Park:  gardens, brick paths, beautiful trees and landscaping
• Franklin Park Conservatory:  beautiful gardens, artwork, flowers and special exhibits
• Gantz Park:  barn, beautiful trees,
• German Village:  brick streets, landscaping, parks, charming architecture, Old World charm, historical buildings
• Grove City:  brick roads, small town, shopping area
• Hayden Falls – wooden walking path, waterfall
• Historical Village of Hilliard:  a small village to include a schoolhouse, train car, chapel, log cabin, covered bridge, gazebo and granary
• Homestead Park in Hilliard: walking path, covered bridge, barns, trains, tractor, pond and pet park
• Inniswood Metro Gardens:  gardens, lily pond, herb garden, play area for children, secret garden
• Ohio State House: rotunda and landscaping (photo permit required)
• Ohio State University:  campus, landscaping, Mirror Lake, Ohio Stadium (you can pay a small fee to take photos inside)
• Park of Roses in Clintonville:  various types of rose gardens
• Riverfront Park:  city view, Scioto River, landscapes, fountains, walking paths
• Schiller Park:  gardens, walking paths, stone columns, wooden bridge, small lake
• Scioto Mile:  city views, Scioto River, landscapes, fountains, walking paths
• Scioto Park in Dublin:  statue of Chief Leatherlips, river views, landscaping, and paths
• Short North:  restaurants, italian village, shops, city views, murals
• Topiary Park:  depiction of George Seurat’s 1884 painting, landscape, fountains, small pond, gazebo