GOhio! Adventures Around Columbus

Early-bird coffee and conversation at Crimson Cup Coffee Shop - Clintonville!

Let's play various and sundry board games at Crooked Can Brewing! The brewery has extensive food options, a good amount of space, and a large (free) parking lot.

The games I bring come from the following list, but feel free to bring some of your own as well!

1. Bang!
2. Chinatown
3. Codenames
4. Coup
5. Deception
6. Family Feud
7. Just One
8. Mafia
9. Mexican Train Dominoes
10. Playing cards
11. The Resistance (Hidden Agenda)
12. Secret Hitler
13. Sequence
14. Settlers of Catan
15. So Clover!
16. Splendor: Marvel
17. Telestrations
18. Ticket to Ride
19. Tsuro
20. Ultimate Werewolf
21. Uno
22. Wits & Wagers
23. Yahtzee

Slate Run Metro Park, located south of Canal Winchester in Pickaway County, has roots tracing back to the early planning efforts of the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District. In 1963, Metro Parks officials identified the land along Slate Run as having strong potential for a large metropolitan park due to its expansive acreage, diverse habitats, and natural features like the stream that gave the area its name. The largest stream in the vicinity, Slate Run, flows south to northwest through a ridge, providing a logical basis for the park's designation. Between 1964 and 1968, Metro Parks acquired approximately 1,662 acres through multiple parcels, including a key 212-acre farmstead that had been continuously operated since 1805. This acquisition phase positioned Slate Run as a future major addition to the system, following the openings of other parks like Sharon Woods in 1968 and Highbanks in 1973.

The park officially opened to the public in 1981, marking it as the sixth Metro Park in the district and, at the time, the largest with its substantial land holdings. From the outset, Metro Parks envisioned incorporating a living historical farm to educate visitors about 19th-century Ohio agriculture. The focal 212-acre parcel, purchased from the White family heirs in 1964, included historic structures that made it ideal for this purpose. The park's development preserved natural areas such as grasslands, wetlands, meadows, and forests while integrating interpretive elements. Upon opening, Slate Run quickly became a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and history buffs alike.

Central to the park's identity is the Slate Run Living Historical Farm, which interprets life on a typical Ohio farm in the 1880s. The gothic revival farmhouse on the site was constructed in 1856 by owner Isaac Fridley and later restored by Metro Parks for historical accuracy. Visitors can explore interiors like the living room, parlor, and kitchen, where interpreters demonstrate period activities. The multi-bay barn, built in 1881 by Samuel Oman (the fourth owner), was meticulously restored with help from Amish carpenters. Heirloom animals such as Percheron horses, pigs, geese, and turkeys inhabit the farm, enhancing the immersive experience.

The historical farmstead reflects a long lineage of ownership and agricultural use dating back to the early 19th century. Continuous farming on the land since 1805 made the site authentic for recreating late-19th-century practices, including grain harvesting and animal husbandry. Metro Parks focused on authenticity by restoring original buildings and introducing period-appropriate methods, such as horse-powered threshing machines from the late 1880s. The farm operates with volunteers and staff in period attire to portray daily rural life. This educational component has drawn school groups and families for decades.

Today, Slate Run Metro Park spans about 1,705 acres and attracts roughly 250,000 visitors annually for its blend of natural preservation and historical interpretation. The park maintains diverse habitats supporting wildlife like nesting sandhill cranes and reintroduced northern bobwhite quail. Trails and open spaces offer opportunities for hiking and observation amid the preserved landscapes. The Living Historical Farm remains a crown jewel, continuing to teach about Ohio's agricultural heritage. Ongoing programs and restorations ensure the site's relevance for future generations.

Map of the Park

Here is a map of Slate Run.

Summary

For this event, we will hike the Five Oaks, Sugar Maple, Covered Bridge, Shagbark, and Lake Trails. This will be around 4.5 to 5 miles. While Slate Run is moderately strenuous in a few places, it's generally a good place to hike and doesn't seem to wear people out. Some spots on the hike are unshaded, though, so be prepared for the possibility of some sun.

I find Slate Run to be very underappreciated for the quality of its hiking.

Where We'll Meet

We'll meet at the Shady Grove Picnic Area. You can use the map pin I've provided here; it's accurate. There's a latrine at Shady Grove, but there is no running water (no water fountains). We will pass a water fountain when we get to the Buzzard's Roost Picnic Area, although I can't guarantee this fountain won't be off for the winter. I'd recommend bringing some water just in case, at least for after the hike.

I'd also recommend hiking shoes for this park.

After the Hike

Once we're finished at Slate Run, we'll head over to Loose Rail Brewing for drinks and food. The brewery's actual address is 37 W Waterloo St, Canal Winchester, OH 43110, and it's about 10-12 minutes from Slate Run. We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks.

The National Museum of the United States Air Force traces its roots to 1923, when the Engineering Division at McCook Field in Dayton began collecting obsolete aircraft and engines for study. By 1927 the growing collection was moved to a small building on Wright Field (the eastern portion of today’s Wright-Patterson AFB), and in 1932 it officially became the Army Aeronautical Museum. The museum remained a technical reference library for Air Corps engineers through the 1930s and World War II, with public access limited to special open houses. After the war, the collection continued expanding rapidly as surplus aircraft poured in from every theater.

In 1954 the Air Force created the Air Force Museum Foundation and began planning a proper public museum. The original museum building on Wright Field opened to the public on a limited basis in 1955, but space quickly became an issue. A much larger modern facility was constructed on the main side of Wright-Patterson and opened in 1971 with 70 aircraft on display. President Richard Nixon formally dedicated the new museum that September, marking its transition from a technical archive to the world’s largest military aviation museum.

The 1970s and 1980s saw steady growth, including the addition of the SR-71 Blackbird, B-36 Peacemaker, and the only remaining XB-70 Valkyrie. A major expansion in 1988 added a second hangar, allowing the museum to display Cold War bombers and fighters under one roof. The early 1990s brought the end of the Cold War and a flood of newly declassified aircraft, including the stealthy F-117 Nighthawk.

The museum’s most dramatic growth came in the 2000s and 2010s. A third hangar opened in 2003 to house presidential and research aircraft (SAM 26000, the “Air Force One” that carried Kennedy to Dallas, is the centerpiece). In 2016 a fourth hangar dedicated to Space and Intelligence opened with the Space Shuttle Crew Compartment Trainer, Titan IVB, and reconnaissance aircraft. Restoration teams in the museum’s massive annex continue bringing rare warbirds back to museum-quality condition year after year.

The museum’s Presidential Aircraft gallery, housed in its own 240,000-square-foot hangar, is home to one of the world’s finest collections of aircraft that carried U.S. presidents. The undisputed star is SAM 26000, the Boeing VC-137C (a specially modified 707) that served from Kennedy through George W. Bush and is forever known as the plane that carried JFK’s body back from Dallas and on which Lyndon Johnson was sworn in. Nearby sits the smaller VC-54C “Sacred Cow,” Franklin D. Roosevelt’s personal transport and the first aircraft built specifically for presidential use, complete with an elevator for his wheelchair. Other highlights include Harry Truman’s elegant Douglas VC-118 “Independence,” Dwight Eisenhower’s sleek Lockheed VC-121A “Columbine II,” and a VC-9C that flew First Ladies and vice presidents in later years. Together these aircraft let visitors walk through seventy years of airborne Oval Offices.

Today the National Museum of the United States Air Force covers more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space, draws well over a million visitors each year, and remains completely free to the public, including parking. Current restoration projects include bringing the last flyable B-29 “Doc” to Dayton for display, preparing a full-scale B-21 Raider mockup for the hangar floor, and returning rare types like the XB-70’s sister ship components to pristine condition. With new aircraft retiring from active service almost every year, the museum’s staff and volunteers are already planning the next wave of expansions to keep the collection growing.

Summary

For this event, we will start by touring the aforementioned Museum. It's a huge place with a lot to see. Then we'll head over to Dayton's only co-op brewpub and swap war stories.

The Museum is free.

Where We'll Meet / A Very Minor Note on Parking

We'll meet at the main entrance. It's literally emblazoned with "MAIN ENTRANCE" and a large arrow to direct you where to go, which you can easily see as you ambulate toward the building from the main parking lot.

The very minor issue is just finding the main parking lot. As you approach the Museum in your car, you'll see a (smallish) parking lot on your left that isn't actually the main lot (it's for staff parking).

You have to drive a smidge farther to a roundabout. You'll then see the (free) huge main parking lot on your left. There are signs for all this, but they're small and easy to miss if you've never been to the Museum before.

After the Sortie

After earning our wings, we'll head over to the Fifth Street Brewpub for drinks and food. The actual address of the Brewpub is 1600 E 5th St, Dayton, OH 45403. We should be there by 5 if you live in the Dayton area and just want to meet us for drinks.