Follow me around the world
Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Nick, Jacque, Elizabeth & John Kelly
Date: June 13, 2026
Opened in 1956, this small amusement park is a land of fairy tales featuring characters from children’s stories and nursery rhymes. I haven’t been here since around 1960, so I enjoyed just as much as the grandkids each scene or house. Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf were my favorites.
Biking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: July 19, 2026
On a recent 30-mile bicycle ride from Xenia past Spring Valley and farther south we biked the Wright Cycle Bikeway Spur a couple of miles south of Xenia. The .4-mile out and back spur led to Wright Estates and back. At the corner of the Little Miami Bike Trail and along the spur was the beautiful restoration project as Glady Run Stream and the neighboring forest area had been renovated. We saw wildflowers, some buckeye trees and a large tree planted in memory of former Governor Taft. The Wright Estates subdivision streets all had bicycle or Wright Brothers themed names.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: July 21, 2026
This was a fantastic park. It is located beside a working quarry, the site of Marble Cliff Quarry, once the largest contiguous quarry in the USA. The park’s theme is outdoor recreation as it offers a mountain bike trail, a sled hill, sport climbing area, miles of hiking trails, small lakes, fishing, canoeing and a big waterfall. It also has the first urban via ferrata in the USA, so named for ladder, rungs, and cables permanently affixed to rock faces and used as climbing aids for the climbers. The climb is roughly 50 feet to reach a 90-foot suspension bridge situated 105 feet in the air. We will have to return to do this.
We began hiking on the 1.1-mile North-South Connector Trail which connects the parks three sections. We also hiked on the shorter Flat Rock Trail and then ascended the .6-mile Millikin Falls Trail to an incredible 25-foot gushing waterfall called Millikin Falls which no doubt was aided by torrential rainfall just 90 minutes before we hiked. Near the end of our 3.2-mile hike, we visited the historic Britton Cemetery just off the N-S Trail. It holds the remains of early settlers, many dying between the 1820’s and the 1860’s.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller
Date: July 28, 2026
This short .6-mile road/trail stretched north/south across the large CJ Brown reservoir giving a great view of the water and a refreshing breeze on this humid summer morning.
Exploration Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: July 21, 2026
The famous saying says, “Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is right wise the King”. This roadside attraction was a sword in the stone is located outside of a dental office. Well, I failed. I was concerned about being a king. I was hoping if I pulled it out successfully, I’d get free teeth cleaning.
Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: July 12, 2026
Halfway on our twenty-mile bicycle ride from Xenia to Yellow Springs and back we biked over to Antioch College to view the new historical marker dedicated to Twilight Zone founder and writer Rod Serling who went to school and later taught writing classes at Antioch. The marker was installed and dedicated last year by Ohio Governor Mike Dewine.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Holly Eller
Date: June 21, 2026
This was my second park that we visited to hike on Father’s Day. As we pulled up to this 24-acre forested wildlife sanctuary park, the historical marker at the park entrance really caught my attention – the site of many mysteries including tales of bigfoot, hidden mines and lost skunks. Wow! I will have to research these cryptid/paranormal claims and the legend and lore of this park land. The name Devil’s Backbone comes from the dramatic, rocky, limestone ridge that towers over Paint Creek (similar to the Devil’s Backbone in western Moraine overlooking the Miami River). Signage states it is dangerous and off limits and warns hikers to stay away from it.
We hiked two trails. The Blue Trail was only .3 miles long and took us down to Paint Creek but what a gold mine it was. Everywhere along this deep gorge were rocks and we easily found dozens and dozens of fossils such as horned coral, brachiopods and bryozoans along the creek bank. We ascended back up to the parking area and then took the one-mile Orange Loop Trail. This trail took us deeper into the thick woods eventually coming to a small loop trail which branched off this larger loop trail. This trail had a tall canopy of trees giving us plenty of shade on this hot day. However, we had no sightings of Bigfoot or lost skunks.
Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Holly Eller
Date: June 21, 2026
This roadside attraction is quite the enigma. Located just off the famed National Roadroad is a large gneiss rock, a coarse grained, high-grade metamorphic rock with alternating light and dark mineral bands. Etched in it is a footprint-like depression and several other markings that could be footprints. Some urban legends have it as prehistoric in origin, another legend believes that it is the footprint of an Indian or is it just a natural formation. You be the judge. As you can see from the photo, my bare foot easily fit into it.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Holly Eller
Date: June 21, 2026
On Father’s Day we hiked 2.1 miles on this 33-acre forested area which was part of the Preble County Park District. We began with the Main Loop Trail walking across a long boardwalk which led us to a 200–300-year-old Bur Oak Tree whose tree trunk is over 14 feet in circumference. The trail had four small bridge crossings over a meandering creek. We then took the Wetlands Trail past Sandpiper Wetlands, a small pond full of frogs, birds and aquatic insects. Joining the Bicentennial Trail, the forest opened into a beautiful wheat field.
Hiking Team: Dave Miller
Date: June 20, 2026
Beginning at the barn and pond area, I hiked just over three miles on three different trails – the Creekside Trail, the Spotted Turtle Trail and on the southeast side, the Out & Back Trail. On this hot, muggy day, the trails were comfortable due to the tree growth along the wetlands and marshes. There were four small bridge crossings over Beaver Creek as the trail led north into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Reserve. Just off the east side of Spotted Turtle Trail was the Loop Trail was the Beaver Creek Overlook observation tower. Along the trails and along the creek I saw ducks, large catfish, chipmunks, frogs, turtles, dragonflies and rubyspot damselflies and heard lots of birds. My favorite, a tiny inch work hanging face high from an invisible thread right in the middle of the trail. Make sure you carry insect repellent with you when you hike.
