By Ken Drenten

Each year, my extended family and I go on an extended weekend getaway to a cabin, usually either in the Hocking Hills, Mohican or Amish Country areas. My mother started this tradition years ago as a Christmas gift to the family.

We recently enjoyed our 14th annual cabin stay with family members from four generations in attendance, including my five grandchildren, ages 7 months to 9 years old. It’s a much looked-forward to event, since it’s typically held in midwinter when there’s not much else going on, and the days are cold and dreary.

This year, we went to The Little Lodge, a few miles east of Bladensburg. I videorecorded the trip from home to cabin, passing through several small towns along the way.

Click on the link above to view the video. If this embedded video does not appear in your email or function properly, please use this link — https://youtu.be/duly1b0XT0E

In years past, when our group was smaller, we stayed at a rental property a few miles away called Weyrich Woods Lodge. Both Little Lodge and Weyrich Woods are excellent places for medium- to large-sized groups to stay, and the owners of both are fair, easy to communicate with, and keep their places clean and tidy. Weyrich Woods has a unique indoor heated pool. Little Lodge is huge, with the capacity to sleep 40 persons.

On this trip I hoped to see at least one Amish horse and buggy, since the cabin is in Knox County near Coshocton County, where Amish settlements become more frequent.

When driving in this area of the state, be aware of at least two hazards, especially at dusk and dawn – deer and Amish buggies. The roads are hilly and curved, and you never know when a deer or a buggy can show up in your lane.

When I drive, I am not only cautious about buggies, I look forward to seeing them. There’s something appealing about the slower pace of life the Amish represent. On this trip we had a “three-buggy day” – we saw three such vehicles on our way to the cabin.

Along the way, we passed through:

The near-ghost town of Fallsburg, a mill and farming community established in 1839 at the intersection of SR 79 and SR 586;

Martinsburg, a rural town formed in 1828 at the intersection of US 62 and SRs 586 and 541; and

Bladensburg, a no-traffic-light village founded in 1833 at SR 541 and Henpeck Road (CR 32).

You’ll also see in the video the locations of a picturesque waterfall and a covered bridge in this rather remote area where Licking, Knox and Coshocton counties meet.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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