About us
Welcome to GOhio! Adventures Around Columbus. We do fun, interesting, or off-the-beaten-path activities throughout greater Columbus and central Ohio.
GOhio! is free and will remain so as long as I'm the organizer. You will never have to pay any sort of fee to be a member of this group.
All of our events will always be open to everyone. We never segregate events by age, sex, race, sexual orientation, religious belief, or class.
The ages of GOhio! members range from college age to late 70s. Anyone can join GOhio! and everyone is welcome to.
Thanks for stopping by, and send me a DM if you have any questions.
--Eric
Featured event
America's Taj Mahal: Prabhupada's Palace of Gold
Hidden in the Appalachian hills of northern West Virginia, just outside a town called Moundsville, sits an architectural anomaly that feels entirely out of place. It is a structure of marble, gold leaf, and intricate stained glass known as Prabhupada's Palace of Gold. To a first-time visitor, it looks like a piece of royal India was somehow airlifted and dropped into an American coal-mining region.
The story of the Palace is not just a religious history; it is a quintessential "DIY" American immigrant story -- one that began with a modest plan for a simple house and evolved into what The New York Times once called "America's Taj Mahal."
The Visionary and the Volunteers
The story begins in 1966 with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a 70-year-old monk who arrived in New York City from India with almost no money. He founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement. By the early 1970s, his followers had established a farm community in West Virginia called New Vrindaban, intended to be a spiritual commune focused on "simple living and high thinking."
In 1973, the devotees decided to build a simple, ranch-style home for Prabhupada so he could write his books in the quiet of the countryside. They weren't architects or professional builders; they were mostly young American counter-culture converts -- former hippies and college students -- who learned construction skills on the fly by reading manuals and experimenting.
From House to Palace
As the project progressed, the followers’ devotion transformed the modest plan into something far more ambitious. When Prabhupada passed away in 1977 before the building was finished, the project’s purpose shifted. It was no longer a residence; it became a memorial shrine (a smriti samadhi) dedicated to their founder.
Because they lacked a massive budget, the devotees did almost everything by hand. They taught themselves how to cast gold-veined mirrors, carve intricate wood panels, and work with marble. Over several years, they imported over 50 types of marble and applied more than eight pounds of 22-karat gold leaf to the structure’s domes and accents. The result was a stunning display of "devotional art" -- a fusion of Eastern religious motifs and Western craftsmanship.
Fame and Controversy
When the Palace opened to the public in 1979, it became an overnight sensation. During the 1980s, it was a major tourist destination, drawing nearly 150,000 visitors a year. People traveled from all over the world to see the "miracle in the hills."
However, the late 80s brought a dark chapter. The New Vrindaban community was rocked by leadership scandals, legal battles, and internal strife. For a period, the Palace fell into a state of neglect. The harsh Appalachian winters began to wear down the delicate gold leaf and the intricate stonework. The "Taj Mahal" was at risk of crumbling.
The Modern Renaissance
In the last decade, the Palace of Gold has undergone a massive restoration. The community shifted its focus toward transparency and preservation, reclaiming the site as both a place of pilgrimage and a historic landmark.
Today, the Palace remains an incredible sensory experience. Visitors walk through manicured rose gardens featuring hundreds of varieties and past a large koi pond with fountains. Inside, the floors are polished marble, the ceilings are hand-painted, and the walls are adorned with "Vasari" style murals depicting scenes from ancient Indian texts.
You don't have to be a devotee to appreciate the site. For the secular visitor, the Palace is a testament to human obsession and grit. It represents a moment in American history when a group of young people, driven by a singular idea, built something objectively beautiful in the middle of nowhere using little more than library books and manual labor.
It stands as a strange, shimmering monument to the idea that with enough conviction, the exotic can become local, and a West Virginia ridge can become a gateway to another world.
* * *
Maps of the grounds
In the Photos section, below, you will find a map of New Vrindaban, the unincorporated community in which the Palace, the Temple, and the rest of the associated grounds are located.
You will also find a map of the hiking trails of New Vrindaban, and also a screen shot of some other notes about the area.
Summary
For this event, we will explore the area of New Vrindaban, including the Temple, Goshala (cow sanctuary), the Peacock Walk, the Sri Sri Gaura Nitai (large statues of Krishna and his older brother Balarama), the gift shop, and of course, the Palace of Gold itself (which includes the Rose Garden and the Lotus Pond).
I'm not closed to the idea of also doing an abbreviated hike down the Bhagavad-gita Trail and back (it's a mile each way), and possibly half of the Govardhan Trail to the Palace (which would be about half a mile). It's West Virginia backcountry and completely gorgeous scenery.
The problem is that New Vrindaban itself is big enough and just seeing it will take some time, and I consider it to be the main selling point of this event, not the hiking (though the hiking is just incredible). So we won't plan for this, but we'll leave open the possibility just in case...
At the end of the event, we'll grab dinner at the onsite Govinda's Restaurant before heading back to C-bus.
"Eric, what is 'Krishna' and why should I care?"
Hare Krishna consciousness is basically a monotheistic offshoot of Hinduism. In this philosophy, Lord Krishna is god himself. Balarama is Krishna's older brother, though Balarama is really Krishna (technically, a "plenary expansion") as well. If you read the literature (all of which was written by Prabhupada himself), Krishna kills a lot of demons along with other sorts of humanity-saving and mesmerizing activities, but occasionally Balarama will kill a demon here and there, too.
Really, Prabhupada was writing astrology* with some Exodus and a little Vivid Video thrown in, garnished by a smidge of Jim Jones. The Temple services can be redolent of a Pentecostal church, yet they can also be quiet and serene. But the area of New Vrindaban is so peaceful, beautiful, tranquil, and idyllic, that it really needs to be seen to be appreciated. And sitting in the Temple during quiet times can be incredibly relaxing.
Yes, the whole facility's a couple hours east of Columbus, but if you put aside any sort of concern or interest in the religiosity of the place and see it instead as a marvel of nature and aesthetics, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy seeing it. I also almost got murdered by a peacock here once.
* I'm being a little facetious here, in that he certainly didn't consciously see himself as an astrologer, though he does literally use the word in a couple places in his writing.
Tickets and pricing
The tour of the Palace is $12. They take credit cards. Everything else is free. (I mean, the restaurant and gift shop aren't free, but you take my point.)
Parking is free.
Where we'll meet
If you just type "Prabhupada's Palace of Gold" into Google Maps, you'll actually be going to the wrong the place. Yes, we're doing the Palace, but we're going to walk up there; we're not meeting at the Palace.
We're going to meet at the Welcome Center. If you type "Prabhupada's Palace of Gold" into Google Maps, the route Maps will give you will actually take you by the Welcome Center. So technically, you could navigate this way.
However, I'd recommend either using the map pin I've provided here, or type "Welcome Center, ISKCON New Vrindaban" into Maps.
When you pull in, you'll see three temporary 30-minute parking spots for lodge guests to unload their cars. Just make a right and drive in a half circle to the parking lot on the other side. It's possible you may see some spots along the half-circle as well where you can park, but you'll certainly find spots on the other side; you just have to drive around the half-circle to get to those spots.
Trust me, it's not nearly as complicated as I'm making it sound. No matter where you end up parking, you're not to be that far away from the Welcome Center.
Cell service and GPS
The Welcome Center, Temple, and restaurant (which are all clustered in the same place) all have free Wi-Fi, and it's actually pretty good Wi-Fi (it's a good strong signal; the password is on the door to the Welcome Center). You may not have cell service down here though; this area's at the bottom of a hill.
Up at the Palace, which is at the top of the hill, you may actually get cell service. I have Verizon (and Android), and I actually was getting a couple bars at the top of the hill, but nothing down by the Welcome Center.
New Vrindaban is maybe 25 minutes away from I-470. I was actually getting cell service most of the way until I got almost all the way to New Vrindaban. The first time I went, I hadn't thought to download an offline map in Google Maps, and my GPS got me there fine anyway.
You might want to download an offline map before you go, but I haven't and I actually haven't had any problems. Subject to the caveat about being at the bottom of the hill, I actually think the cell service here is better than at Hocking Hills.
Gas stations
There are no gas stations anywhere near where we'll be. And the route Google Maps will likely take you on may not naturally go by any once you exit I-470 in West Virginia (though oddly, it seems more likely to take you by them on your way back).
I drive a Corolla hatchback with a six-speed manual transmission. I can get to the Palace and back to Columbus without gassing up along the way. The real upshot here is that, if the car you drive likes gas at all or you otherwise have any doubt, fill up in St. Clairsville* or something before you cross over into West Virginia so that you don't have to think about it.
* The Mall Rd exit (# 218) off of I-70 has a zillion gas stations, and it probably represents your last best chance to get gas before you get to the Mountain State.
Restrooms and water fountains
The Temple, restaurant, and Palace all have restrooms. The Temple has a water fountain. So does the Palace, technically, except the Palace water fountain is out of service as of this writing. So unless it's fixed by then, you won't have any water at the top of the hill unless you bring your own.
Caffeine and alcohol
You can't get caffeinated or alcoholic beverages of any kind at the restaurant or in New Vrindaban. I'm not saying you'd get in any trouble if you walked around with a cup of coffee (trust me, no one would say anything to you). But I am saying that, if do decide you want a cup of coffee or a Diet Pepsi, you're not going to be able to get one any place we'll be at.
Shoes
To enter the (holy part of the) Temple, you have to take your shoes off (either socks or bare feet are okay). On the Palace tour, you have to either take your shoes off or wear coverings (that they provide for free) over your shoes.
We'll be doing some walking as well at this event, so be sure the shoes you wear are comfortable. You won't need hiking shoes, but you will need to be prepared to walk a few miles (possibly as many as four or five) as we tour the grounds.
Anyway, you might not need them, but you might want to bring an extra pair of socks just in case. I usually bring an extra pair when I come here.
Govinda's Restaurant
I've posted a picture, below, of Govinda's menu. I had the Indian food once that they served in the Temple, and other than the rice and maybe some cucumber slices, I don't know what any of it was called, but it was all pretty good.
I've also uploaded a picture of the cooler where they keep (most of) the beverages they sell so you can see what the options are. Next to this cooler (unpictured by me) is one of those fruit juice dispensers that you've seen a million times that looks like this. I don't know what flavors they serve, but I'm sure they're fruity and delicious.
Govinda's is a vegetarian restaurant. I'm not even a little bit of a vegetarian, but I've had both the cheese and vegetable pizzas and they were both good. I liked the veggie pizza better, though. The pizzas are 16 inches, which is a typical extra-large at most places. It's a hand-tossed style crust (that happy medium between thin and thick). It's a lot of pizza.
Please note, if you want water at the Restaurant, you'll either have to buy it or have a water bottle you can fill up at the Temple which is literally right next door.
Peroration
As with all the events that I run, I have done the hard work of getting lost many times in my explorations of this area so you don't have to. (I'll have you know I even lowered myself to asking for directions once. It was the most humiliating six seconds of my life, and the shame still haunts me.) Use my selfless hardships to your advantage, and come on out and see what CNN has called one of the "eight religious wonders to see in the United States."
The Palace and the surrounding area are making a comeback (thanks, in no small part, it must be admitted, to the puddle of natural gas they sit on), and, as always, the forward-thinking denizens of GOhio! are here to help you get in on the ground floor and count yourself among the cool kids who got there first. (Remember, even though the first investors in McDonald's can no longer get a good hamburger, they're still quadrillionaires today.)
Come see America's Taj Mahal. It's an experience you'll never forget.
Upcoming events
11
Sunday at Highbanks Metro Park
Highbanks Metro Parks, 9466 Columbus Pike (North High Street), Lewis Center, OH, USWe will meet next to the restrooms at the Big Meadows Picnic Area. They're all the way at the back of the park, and they can be found at coordinates 40°09'06.6"N 83°02'30.2"W (near the playground and the zip line).
We'll hike about 5 miles at Highbanks Metro Park on the Dripping Rock and Overlook Trails. Afterward, we'll head over to Olentangy River Brewing for drinks, coffee, or food (their Sunday food truck is Venezuelan and always gets good reviews).
The actual address of the brewery is 303 Green Meadows Dr S, 43035. If you can't make the hike, we should be there by noon.
How to find our starting point in Big Meadows:
If you are new to Highbanks, the Big Meadows picnic area is 1.5 miles into the park just after you turn into the park off of U.S. Route 23. That is, after you enter the park, drive a mile and a half into the park. You will come to a crosswalk with a yield sign in the middle of it (this is not to be confused with the first such crosswalk you come to just in front of the Nature Center, which you arrive at maybe a quarter of a mile into the park).
Just after this second crosswalk, make a left. Then make another almost immediate left into the parking lot on your left. There you will see the jungle gym and the kiddie zip line to your left. I will be just in front of the restrooms just a bit further down from the jungle gym and picnic shelter; the restroom building will also be on your left.
18 attendees
Trails & Ales Redux! Great Seal State Park / Fifty West Brewing Company
Great Seal State Park, 4908 Marietta Rd, Chillicothe, OH, USHistory
The rugged hills just north of Chillicothe that now form Great Seal State Park were once home to the Shawnee people in the mid-to-late 1700s. Several Shawnee villages, each called Chillicothe ("principal town") sat in the Scioto River Valley directly below these hills. This area lay along the Appalachian escarpment, separating glaciated flatlands to the west from unglaciated ridges to the east. The Shawnee maintained a strong presence here until European-American settlement pushed them out in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Nearby, the renowned Shawnee leader Tecumseh was born in a village along the Scioto.
European-American settlers began arriving in the 1790s, with Nathaniel Massie founding Chillicothe in 1796. Early leaders like Thomas Worthington, Edward Tiffin, and William Creighton gathered at Worthington's Adena estate overlooking Mount Logan and these hills. After an all-night meeting, they witnessed a sunrise over the landscape, inspiring the design for the Great Seal. This vista captured the rising sun, cultivated fields, sheaf of wheat, and bundle of 17 arrows symbolizing agriculture and Ohio's place in the Union. Much of the land depicted in the seal became the park itself.
The Great Seal's design evolved over the years, with engravers adding elements like the Scioto River in the foreground. It was officially standardized in 1967 and slightly updated in 1996 to match the historic view more closely. The prominent hills shown rising behind the river and fields are the very ones preserved in the park. Trails lead to overlooks replicating that iconic sunrise scene. The park's name directly honors this connection to our state's emblem.
Great Seal State Park spans around 1,862 acres of challenging terrain with multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. It features campgrounds, picnic areas, a disc golf course, and scenic vistas across the Scioto Valley. The park preserves both the natural wilderness and ties to Shawnee heritage. Steep ridges like Sugarloaf Mountain and Mount Logan offer rewarding climbs. Historical markers highlight the seal's origins and early statehood story.
Today, the park invites locals to explore the exact landscape that shaped our state's identity. From trail overlooks, you can see views nearly identical to those on the Great Seal. It connects modern recreation with Shawnee history and the vision of early leaders. Year-round activities draw visitors for hikes, rides, or simply enjoying the hills. Preserving this area ensures the enduring link between our natural beauty and historic symbolism remains accessible.
Map of the Park
Here is a map of Great Seal.
Summary
For this event, we will hike the Shawnee Ridge, Bald Hill, Rick's Revenge, Sand Hill, and Old Schrake Trails. This will be around four and a half miles.
Afterward, we'll head over to Fifty West Brewing in nearby downtown Chillicothe.
Where We'll Meet
We'll meet by the restrooms at the Ireland Shelter picnic area. This is in the back of the Park from the main entrance on Marietta Rd. The map pin I've posted here should be accurate. There are also water fountains here.
You shouldn't have any trouble with cell service here.
Strenuousness of This Hike
Great Seal is a seemingly-unknown gem of a park right here in central Ohio. It has fantastic, gorgeous hiking and one of my two favorite trails of all-time in Rick's Revenge.
That said, this is a difficult park for a new hiker. While we'll be avoiding the most difficult areas of the park, what's left can still be challenging.
I don't use hiking poles, but if you do, then you'll probably want to bring them here.
Drawbacks of This Hike
Well, you really won't experience this on this hike since I (should) know where I'm going, but as much as Great Seal is a fantastic park, it has possibly the worst signage and trail markings of any state park in Ohio -- and that's saying something.
Great Seal has entire trails with no blazes; multiple junctures with no maps, even when other maps indicate there should be waypoints there; the same blaze color (blue) used on essentially every trail; local maps marked with inaccurate trail names; and "trails" not indicated on any map.
If you think you might have any interest in ever hiking this park by yourself, you really should try to make this hike. I've hiked all over this park so you don't have to. Let me help you keep your blood pressure down by helping you negotiate some of the most unnecessarily confusing parts of this otherwise incredible park.
After the Hike
Afterward, we'll head over to Fifty West Brewing Company for drinks and food. The actual address of the brewery is 1 N Paint St, Chillicothe, OH 45601. We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks.
12 attendees
Trails & Ales! Blendon Woods Metro Park / Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery
Blendon Woods Metro Park, 4265 E Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, OH, USHistory
The history of Blendon Woods Metro Park began long before its 1951 opening, rooted in a landscape of rugged ridges and deep ravines that made the land unsuitable for traditional farming. In 1945, a report proposing a metropolitan park system for Franklin County specifically highlighted these cliffs of Bedford Shale as some of the "wildest land in the vicinity". Following this recommendation, the recently formed park district purchased the first 229 acres in early 1949. Because the terrain was so uneven, developers had to cut a mile-and-a-half-long roadway through dense woods just to bring in heavy equipment. This initial preservation effort ensured that the mature second-growth hardwood forests remained largely untouched by the urban expansion spreading toward Westerville.
Opening day arrived on Labor Day, September 3, 1951, marking Blendon Woods as the second park in the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks system. The final push to open was a frantic race; the State Highway Department only finished the primary gravel access road four days before the gates opened. Early staff members, consisting of just four full-time employees, had to hand-dig pit toilets and learn construction skills on the fly to build the first picnic shelters. Despite the dusty conditions and limited facilities, the park was an immediate success, drawing massive crowds from across Central Ohio. By the end of the 1950s, annual visitation had already climbed to over 190,000 people.
As the surrounding suburbs grew in the 1960s, the park faced severe overcrowding that threatened its natural habitats. In response, Franklin County voters passed the first Metro Parks levy in 1960, providing the funds necessary for a decade of steady expansion. During this era, the park nearly doubled in size, growing from 264 acres to over 570 acres by 1968. Planners also addressed a critical water shortage by collaborating with the U.S. Soil and Conservation Service to build a lake in 1964. This body of water originally served as a temporary reservoir before its role shifted toward conservation and wildlife support.
The 1970s marked a transition toward the specialized wildlife and educational focus for which the park is known today. In 1971, the Walden Waterfowl Refuge was established around the 11-acre Thoreau Lake, creating a sanctuary that remains restricted to provide a quiet habitat for migratory birds. A formal nature center was also developed during this period, expanding on the guided Sunday walks that had been a park staple since the early 1950s. The park’s famous "Monarch Mansion" also became a prominent fixture, starting a long tradition of raising and releasing thousands of monarch butterflies each September. These initiatives cemented the park’s reputation as a premier destination for birders and nature enthusiasts.
In more recent decades, Blendon Woods has continued to modernize while maintaining its wilderness character. The 10-acre Natural Play Area was added in 2017, encouraging kids to explore the ravines and woods off-trail. This was followed by the opening of a $1.5 million inclusive playground in April 2025, designed to accommodate children of all physical abilities. The nature center also underwent major renovations to include immersive, three-dimensional exhibits and a new butterfly house. Today, the park encompasses 653 acres, preserving a unique geologic and biological corridor amidst the bustling Westerville and Northeast Columbus area.
Map of the Park
Here is a map of Blendon Woods.
Summary
For this event, we will hike the Lake View, Hickory Ridge, Ripple Rock, Overlook, Brookside, and Sugarbush Trails. This sounds like a lot, but it will really be only a little over five miles. Blendon Woods has a few hills here and there, but it's not one of the more strenuous metro parks.
Where We'll Meet
We'll meet just in front of the Nature Center. This is about a mile into the park from the main entrance. You have to go past the Ranger Station and the Shadblow Reservable Area to get to it, so don't stop too early at the Ranger Station and get it confused with the Nature Center.
After the Hike
Afterward, we will head over to Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery at Easton for drinks and food. We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks.
The brewery's actual address is 4080 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219; however, I recommend pointing your GPS to the Worth Garage across the street. Parking in this garage is free as long as you're not on the first floor, and it is literally right next to the brewery.
27 attendees
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