Grins and Pickin's CampFarm

You can learn about growing food, flower gardening and homesteading from the farm owners, and if you’d like to take some native Ohio plants back home with you, Groovy Plants Ranch (five minutes’ drive) grows and sells wild cacti and succulents of all shapes and sizes. To see local vegetation in situ, look out for rare Eastern Prickly Pear cacti when you visit Hocking Hills State Park (an hour), where you can also discover spectacular waterfalls, cave complexes carved out by rivers and the Rock House – a water-sculpted natural tunnel through rock. Alum Creek State Park (half an hour) is your best bet for fishing and watersports like boating, kayaking, jetskiing and wild swimming; there’s also a designated dog beach so your canine pals can join in the fun. For a change of pace, you can learn to shoot clays at the Cardinal Shooting Range (10 minutes), and if you fancy a music night, Hoof Hearted Brewing (five minutes) hosts regular gigs as well as brewery tours.