Follow me around the world
Investigation Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: November 10, 2026
Union Elementary School is a unique school as half of it is in Ohio and half in Indiana. It serves children from both states. It also has entrance doors from each state, and the state line runs through the gymnasium. My question: for the staff that works there, do they pay taxes in each state?
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: November 9, 2026
Part of the Big Woods Trail was part of the 6,800-mile American Discovery Trail which stretches all the way across the USA from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This section of the ADT was very scenic and colorful as the fall leaves have fallen on and around the trail. We saw several deer and lots of squirrels as we trekked. After about nine total miles hiked for the day, we returned to our secluded cabin and enjoyed smores over the campfire.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: November 9, 2026
This was our favorite hike at the park as it took as through a thick forest with high canopies, up and down hills, over several small bridges before crossing a new swinging, suspension bridge. While on the bridge which spanned a small creek, I saw movement on the adjourning hill and heard leaves crunch. After standing motionless, I eventually saw two deer looking back at me in the distance. After ascending a steep hill, we connected with Sugar Bush Loop Trail which led us down to Lake Acton then back up hill to the Old Woods Trail. Overall, we hiked about 2.4 miles.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: November 9, 2026
This unique mile long trail passed a creek, trees with colorful leaves and eventually connected with the Sycamore Trail. Haiku is where a writer composes a poem in three lines sharing a moment of sensory experience. Spaced throughout the trail were about ten haiku signs. I have to admit the poems really didn’t connect with me, but the trail itself was a very nice hike.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: November 9 & 10, 2026
On the first day we parked at the upper end of Sycamore Grove Picnic Area at the northeast trailhead and hiked along the east side of the creek. It ended after about .3 miles. The following day we began at the southwest trailhead and hiked north and around the entire 1.8-mile loop. The trail had 16 very nice tree interpretation signs periodically spaced. Throughout the creek were about nine small cascading waterfalls before reaching the slightly larger Cedar Falls. We carefully crossed the creek on a half dozen flat rocks just before Cedar Falls. The trail then ascended steeply about forty feet before slowly ascending to the upper part of the trail. The gently flowing creek, rock formations and colored tree leaves were quite scenic.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: November 9, 2026
We started the day loosening up on this 1.7-mile trail that also had detours due to the archery deer hunting season. This trail had several hills and after one ascent we came to a beautiful view of the confluence of two creeks that fed into Acton Lake. Later we had a nice view of the lake. Due to the dry leaves everywhere, we heard before seeing, many squirrels.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: November 8, 2026
We hiked 2.3 miles on this and a spur trail through thick woods. The leaves had fallen 80% so the trail was covered and the large, dry leaves made cracking sounds as we stepped. We noticed a couple areas were chained off and had us take a secondary trail. We later learned, after talking to a hunter, that those areas were for deer hunting for bow and arrow hunters. We passed by several disc golf holes, part of the 27-hole state park course. The last 30% of the trail as it looped back took us over several bridges giving us scenic views of Acton Lake.
Investigation Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: August 6, 2026
This 8-foot tall by 200-foot-long mural painted in 2016 by artist Parris Ashley, illustrates the history of the Cumberland, Maryland region beginning with the early Native Americans through George Washington and Fort Cumberland to the Underground Railroad, canal, bike path and the modern-day train presence. The mural is located on a wall below the Western Maryland Railroad tracks at Canal Place just off the GAP Bike Trail.
Investigation Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: September 8, 2026
After bicycling the first of two eight-mile laps around the beautiful island, we attended 11am mass at this church where construction began in 1874 and finished in the mid-1880’s. A museum on the ground floor displays relics and the history of the parish and the area. Inside the church above the alter is a painting of St. Anne, the mother of Mary.
However, the catholic presence and the first catholic church structure on the island dates back to the late 1600’s. Just down the street is the Mission of St. Ignace Chapel, a birchbark structure that housed Father Dablon’s small chapel in 1670. Father Marquette moved the mission to the mainland in 1671 establishing the permanent mission there.
Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: August 9, 2026
This major battle fought by 100,000 soldiers lasted 12 hours on September 17,1862 left 23,000 killed, wounded or missing. General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army forded the Potomac River and retreated to Virginia. We enjoyed the movie in the visitor center documenting the battle and then drove around the battlefield afterwards.
