The serene Newark Earthworks are but a piece of local history that is best experienced slowly and up close — like a delectable dessert that you force yourself to savor.
Take, for example, the Johnstown Mastodon, whose legend lives on through local lore and the scenic path devoted to its discovery. Sure, you can Google it. But in a time when infinite information is readily at our fingertips, isn’t there intrinsic value in firsthand experience?
Don’t rush it. Set aside an afternoon, a day, a weekend. Experience history and then explore the stories that are being written all around — in the food you taste, the people you meet, the places you see along the way.
History is not a moment, it’s a process. Here, it is still being written. Set aside plenty of time to experience firsthand all of what local history has to offer.
Johnstown Mastodon
Talk about “larger than life” local legends.
If you’re familiar with the story of the Johnstown Mastodon — an approximately 20-year-old behemoth whose skeletal remains were discovered in near-perfect condition by a local tenant farmer in 1926 — you owe it to yourself to take a side trip to Mastodon Preserve, a quiet place at which to ponder the passage of time and the wonder of discovery.
If you’re not familiar, grab your smartphone and get ready to brush up on some local history.
Humble in scope but bursting with stories, the Mastodon Preserve is a gravel path that branches off from the T.J. Evans Trail, a convenient and educational side trip that’s enlightening for all ages and easy walking for curious young ones you might have in tow.
Because the signage relies exclusively on QR codes (Pro tip: you can also find the info on (johnstownmastodon.weebly. com), it’s unimposing in a way that leaves the depth of your experience up to your own imagination.
Johnstown Mastodon
The path leads through a low-lying area marked by towering bare-branched trees and low-growing brush; cattails and marsh grasses rise above still water in a tapestry of textures that changes with the seasons. Walking along, you can’t help but imagine the wildlife that once roamed here at the time the mastodon met its demise.
The trail ends in a wooden platform that overlooks the marsh, a serene piece of nature that stands as a beacon of history, even against the industrial backdrop and hum of traffic from the nearby highway.
Not long after their discovery, the mastodon’s bones were relocated to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where they remain. But its legend lives on as a testament to the thrill of discovery, the importance of history and the way that some stories — especially really “big” ones — are meant to be told.
If a ghostwriter is one who crafts a story and gives credit to another, Johnstown’s classy Ghostwriter Public House is a cache of stories waiting to be told. Are you up for it?
By design, there are yarns continuously being spun here. They wind around tables as couples meet for a much-needed date night; behind the bar, where artistry comes to life in the form of creative mixology; back in the kitchen, where dishes showcasing meticulously sought local ingredients are always being dreamt up.
Take a seat, glance over the menu and see for yourself.
Look no further than the bespoke Crow Works furniture or to the finer details of the forward-thinking menu, intentionally designed to serve up “modern interpretations of American classics.”
There’s something about stepping in for a meal at Ghostwriter that feels empowering, because you’re sure to venture from familiarity: Tacos (chorizo, with ghost pepper sauce); BLT (with local heirloom tomatoes and black pepper goat cheese); toast (with wood roasted strawberry jam, pickled rhubarb and micro greens). You can’t leave without having discovered something new — something you can share with the ones you love.
Perhaps the best part about Ghostwriter’s story — the one to which you, the guest, are invited to contribute — is that it’s still being written. In its station along Johnstown’s quaint Main Street, Ghostwriter stands as a beacon of local partnership and great things to come.
So grab your loved ones and a pen and jump in while you can.
Do yourself a favor the first time you walk through the doors of Cherry Valley Hotel and set aside a few seconds to take it all in. While it’s stood in this space for years, this hotel and event center boasts a brand of “rustic” that transcends time. From the sturdy wooden beams that flank the lobby’s high ceilings to the stately stone walls to the driftwood end tables adorning its fireside seating, you’ll find a welcoming atmosphere that seems to draw you to the hearth, no matter what the season.
After a series of sweeping renovations that gave this facility — also home to the Ohio Event Center — a modern facelift, Cherry Valley Hotel has become a versatile spot for sojourning families to bunk down for a night, couples to enjoy a romantic getaway or groups to host a weekend conference.
The beauty of Cherry Valley’s sprawling layout — a nod to Licking County’s own Octagon Earthworks — is that it’s suited to various needs: Want to take a stroll through the daintily lit courtyard at dusk? Done. Find a cozy nook for a private conversation? Pick one! Relax by the inviting fireplace with a good book and full-bodied cabernet? There’s plenty of room.
Food and drink opportunities also abound here, especially thanks to a new addition of the Homestead Public House and Barrel Room restaurant by Heath-based Homestead Beer Co.
The beauty of Cherry Valley is that it’s so much more than a place to sleep. It’s an homage to local flavor, a classy place to grab drinks after work, a lovely venue for your next big event.
It’s a local gem hidden in plain sight, waiting to be discovered by locals and travelers alike.
Tucked into an unassuming exterior in a village whose pace is blessedly slower than the norm, Ragamuffins Coffee House is a side trip worth taking (no matter where you’re commuting from).
This isn’t your average cookie-cutter java factory; there’s something about Ragamuffins that invites you to stay longer and savor more deeply — as if the appeal of small-town life wafts (along with the aroma of freshly baked scones) through the doors, into the woodwork and straight back to the scenic deck that seems to be calling your name.
Duck through the door for a late morning coffee break or leisurely lunch and you’ll begin to see: With a menu crafted to include seasonal favorites alongside its tried-and-true standbys (hi, Everything Bagel breakfast sandwich!), it’s a great way to pamper yourself and feel good about supporting local.
Case in point: While the seasons in central Ohio change from summer to autumn, the coffee house’s signature melt-in-your-mouth, so-gooey-it-feels-sinful cinnamon rolls are joined by All Things Pumpkin, but in a way that feels and tastes unique (because it is).
This is a welcome departure from Coffee Shop Norm.
Whether you’re into iced or hot, decaf or full caff, sweet or savory, Ragamuffins is worth a leisurely detour. Don’t be surprised when you become a regular — because Cinnamon Roll Saturday is a treat everyone deserves to experience more than once.
London has the Underground. New York City has subways. Chicago has the L. And Licking County has the T.J. Evans bike path.
Just as large metropolises provide mass transit as a way to move people from one destination to the next, our county’s impressive network of bike paths are what connect us to hundreds of local treasures — with bonus natural scenery (and, yes, maybe a bug or two) along the way.
The 40 plus miles of bike paths that stretch from Johnstown to Hanover abound with opportunities to take in everything our county has to offer at a more intentional pace, and in a healthier way.
Looking to take the family out for ice cream? Leave the car at home, follow the bike path into Granville and grab cones at (the original) Whit’s Frozen Custard, or pedal toward the Licking County Family YMCA for a treat at Newark’s iconic Dairy Isle.
Want to catch the best fall foliage? Grab the dogs, put on your walking shoes and follow the path along Raccoon Creek, or glimpse the hustle and bustle of campus life as the trail winds past the Newark campus of Ohio State University.
Desperate to get out of the house and unsure of where to go? Park at any stop along the bike path and, whether you’re a walker, jogger, blader or cyclist, chances are you will discover something along the way that you never noticed before.
During a time when the world feels like it’s moving faster and our eyes are glued to screens longer than we care to admit, a getaway on the bike path — whether or not you have a destination in mind — is just the break your brain needs to reconnect with nature.
