Category Archives: Water fun

Thunder On The Creek – the event

I spent a little time this afternoon at the Thunder On The Creek at the Alum Creek Reservoir in Lewis Center. The hydroplane boats were fun to watch although they were hard to see. They’re so flat that the water spray concealed the actual boat. They were noisy as expected. The Murph went along and with the bang of the starter gun and the noise of the engine, he was shaking in Chicken Little mode.

The boats were grouped according to hp with the smallest ones getting a head start. Thereafter, the segments started every 10 seconds. The fastest boat – a yellow one – was the last. You’ll be able to see it, since it was a larger boat than the first ones to take off.

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“Thunder on the Creek” at Alum Creek

boatWould you like something exciting to do this weekend? ThisWeekNews is reporting that on Saturday, the 19th, ”Thunder on the Creek” will occur at the north beach area of Alum Creek.

It will be a hydroplane power boat exhibition and is sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association. The races will feature both current and vintage hydroplanes. The entire event runs from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The boat illustrated here is not a hydroplane. The hydroplanes are the ones we sometimes see doing somersaults in the air.

I enjoyed going to the car races through downtown Columbus many years ago, so this should be exciting as well. I love speed. As Tom said in Top Gun … “I have the NEED for SPEED!”

Cruisin’ along the Olentangy River

I love the drive on Olentangy River Road between Powell Rd and Rt 23. During the summer it’s lined with trees. During the winter one can get an occasional glimpse of the frosty water. Over the weekend, I set up my camera on the dash … something I sometimes do.

At one point, I was treated to two fawns in and near the road. Their mother was in the pasture next to the woods. Fortunately, the other oncoming driver also saw them and was able to stop. It was the middle of the afternoon which is not normally the time deer are visible. We usually must keep an alert eye out for them on these roads in the early to late evening. I’ve come close to hitting deer, but thankfully so far haven’t had an encounter.

(Google map of the scenic portion of Olentangy River Rd)

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

Will Hoover Reservoir be YOUR sanctuary?

Central Ohio has two main lakes which are both man-made water reservoirs: Hoover and Alum Creek. For me, Hoover Reservoir is the “quiet one” and Alum Creek is the “bustling one”. Speed boats aren’t permitted on Hoover, so it seems more serene with the sail boats, kayaks, and small fishing boats casually floating by as many birds fly overhead.

On any given nice Saturday or Sunday afternoon, your likely to see bike clubs pedaling their way on the tree-lined roads that circle the lake. Red Bank Rd runs along the east side and Sunbury Rd along the west side. The terrain along the Red Bank side is more rolling and the homes that sit between the road and the lake are often hidden within wooded lots with many have ravines. Homes on the Sunbury Rd side tend to have flat lawns, fewer trees, and more unobstructed views of the lake. They also have more traffic as Sunbury Rd is the primary access to many subdivisions on the west side of the road.

Occasionally, there are luxury homes for sale in this Hoover area. It’s a very desirable location not only because of the views but also because of its easy access to the airport or downtown Columbus (~30 min). People can enjoy spending the day in the city, then come home afterward to their own quiet sanctuary.

Except for the lower southwest side of Hoover Reservoir, the area is serviced by the Big Walnut school district which has a report card rating of Excellent with the Ohio Board of Education. Another advantage to the area are lower tax rates than the neighboring Olentangy school district.

If this area sounds like a place you would like to call home, call me first and I’ll try to help you find the perfect place so you can start enjoying your own personal sanctuary.

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

Enjoy your Memorial Day holiday … I plan to

Have you made your holiday weekend plans? Or are you staying flexible so you can enjoy last minute fun?

I’m hoping to work in my yard. Haven’t had the chance to do that this year. Every time I’ve thought I’d take a few hours off to do it, I get a phone call that changed my plans. I’ve bought the weed killer and the lawn fertilizer. I have a few annuals to put in, complete with the special soil mix to hold the water.

I may have to dig up some ornamental grasses that didn’t make it through this past harsh winter. Others really need to be divided, but I tried that last year and wasn’t strong enough to get the shovel through the base. Thankfully, I don’t have to mow lawn anymore. That’s my one splurge … I hire it done. It takes them a matter of minutes to do what it took me a good hour and half to do.

Many people may be planning to save money by staying close to home. If you’re looking for some suggestions perhaps some of these previous posts will give you some ideas.

Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay (Powell OH). It’s not free but it’s local and fun for the whole family. My family went there for Mother’s Day and had a great time.

Highbanks Metro Park (Lewis Center OH) is a great place to hike the trails or gather for a family picnic. Stroll through the woods or meander along the Olentangy River. There’s one trail that dogs can walk on, but they can be at the picnic places. Keep them on a leash and of course, pick up the doo-doo.

Alum Creek Reservoir (Lewis Center OH) has something for everyone. There’s a beach, picnic areas, boat launches, camping areas and a dog park with its own beach. 

If you just want to relax along water, southern Delaware County has four such waterways: Hoover Reservoir, Alum Creek Reservoir, the Olentangy River, and the Scioto River.

If golfing is more your thing, there are LOTS of opportunities.

If you’re short on time or have only an hour or two, you can visit Hayden Run Falls where you can walk through a wooded area to see the falls, or get a unique view of the Scioto River. You’ll forget that you’re in the heart of a busy city.

If you need a reminder of why we have this 3-day weekend, be sure to read Missy Caulk’s blog post. She has included many great quotes from past politicians when patriotism was perhaps a little more prevalent than it is now. Plus, she honors her son who is now serving in the Navy.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you take some time to recharge your batteries, get re-acquainted with your family, enjoy a little nature, and just RELAX. Oh, and I’ll be the one with the sore muscles come Tuesday.

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

Water fun in southern Delaware County

Today I had to traverse from one side of southern Delaware County to the other … something I do frequently. Since I wasn’t under a specific time limit, I took some time to take photos (see below) around the three main areas for boaters. It was a rather warm day in the high 80′s, so being next to water seemed like a good thing to do.

I first had to be up near Hoover Reservoir which extends from the east side of Westerville northward to the west side of Galena and beyond. I stopped at the southern part where the dam spillway is to snap photos. There were LOTS of Canadian geese there resting close to a picnic shelter. Given the “mess” they make, actually having a picnic there certainly wouldn’t be very appealing. There were also quite a few seagulls and brown ducks as well.

Northward on Sunbury Rd where it crosses over the reservoir, I stopped at another boat launch site to take some photos of the backside of some homes across the water. A couple of the homes have installed the huge rocks along their water frontage to prevent erosion. Others haven’t, and the erosion is obvious. There are many waterfront homes along Hoover. Because of a specific agreement with the City of Columbus, the water level can’t be raised as high as originally planned because the city would be responsible for taking the owner’s land away. (That’s why there are no waterfront homes along Alum Creek – they learned a lesson!)

Then my errands took me westward on Big Walnut Rd, so I took a brief side trip up Africa Rd to a boat launch on Alum Creek Reservoir. Not many people there, in spite of the warm day. However, it is a weekday, so most would be working. Or perhaps, the gas costs have curtailed some of the time spent on the water.

Back down Africa Rd to Lewis Center Rd which goes past the bottom of the Alum Creek Dam then northward along the west side of the reservoir. On this side of the lake, there are campgrounds, a beach, and a couple boat launches. One of them is for the sailing club. There’s something inherently peaceful about a sail boat, even though they were moored.

Also, on this side of the Reservoir is the Dog Park. Of course, I HAD to stop here. It was the busiest place … but it WAS a great day for the dogs to enjoy a swim. I wasn’t dressed appropriate to go inside the beach fence and potentially be subjected to “shake-baths”, so I stood outside the area. All I saw was large dogs, but then I heard a familiar sounding bark & snappy growl and knew there had to be a doxie somewhere. Sure enough, there was a short-hair … letting the big guys know who was REALLY the tough guy on the beach. I later learned his name was Scooter.

Continuing on with my errands near Powell, I went to the boat launch at O’Shaunessy on the Scioto River, which is just south of Home Rd off of Riverside Dr. Again, only a couple boaters in the water. As I was walking back to the WEENR-mobile, I noticed a bunch of carpenter bees were taking advantage of some flowering weeds to gather nectar. Better they spend their time here, than boring holes in nearby homes.

Since I seldom get any time off from real estate, I really enjoy the opportunity for these side jaunts to reconnect with nature and for a brief period of time forget about all the details of the real estate business. I need that once in a while to recharge the batteries.

Copyright © 2008. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.