Overnight Ideas in Ohio or Western Pennsylvania

[KISMIF_Works]

I like pchadbo's previous post looking for overnight ideas in the greater Boston area, so I'm copying it for our Pack's region (Cleveland, OH).

 

We are about to do our annual program planning and are looking for that "big" Pack event. Something in the March/April/May timeframe works best for us, which makes an indoor overnighter most attractive. We've done the Buffalo Naval Park overnighter, the Great Lakes Science Center camp-in and the Columbus Zoo camp-in. Each summer we participate in the local minor league baseball game and camp-in.

 

I'm aware that the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Zoos do a camp-in program. COSI in Columbus, OH does a camp-in program but from what I've read at their website it appears that they don't want family members participating.

 

Any other ideas?

[jtswestark]

Youve got plenty of fantastic opportunities in the area. Im from just south of you and have canvassed many of the same areas for our Troop. Just a few off the top of my head

- Hocking Hills State Park in southern Ohio affords a great weekend with great trails and scenery that is remarkable for Ohio. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/tabid/743/Default.aspx

- Ohiopyle state park in Laurel Highlands, PA. has some whitewater rafting / canoeing /kayaking programs for all ages.

- Put-In-Bay Camporee in September, units camp at Commodore Perry War of 1812 Victory and International Peace Memorial. Camping at the event may only be for Boy Scouts, but you might be able to camp elsewhere and visit during the day. www.Troop360pc.com

- Air Force museum at Wright Patt AFB in Dayton has an IMAX and lots of cool planes, camping on the base and can eat in the mess hall, very inexpensive.

- Skiiing coming up at Boston Mills/Brandywine or resorts a little further out usually have great Scouting rates

- Dearborn Ford Rouge plant (I have a kick butt weekend we did for that one)

- Theres also Erie Maritime Museum,Ft. Pitt, Johnstown PA flood museum, and Shanksville Flight 93 Crash Site as stops along the way to about to anywhere in the PA area

 

One thing you can do is to call council office and ask if the OA Lodge has put out a recent version of the where to camp guide that will offer many things in the area (some lodges post it for download on their website, but I didnt see it there). If you PM your email address I can email you the 2004 Sipp-O (Buckeye Council) Lodges PDF version, its a few years dated but still useful.

 

[Engineer61]

There are a couple of working farms, one near Akron (can recall that one) and Slate Run, SE of Columbus.

[denakh]

We are in Tipp City, just north of Dayton. We have gone to the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum, Cincinnati Zoo, and Aulwood Audubon Farm. All these programs were awesome. We are looking for a few more indoor options and then rotating these out that won't break the bank.

[Sidney Porter]

I know you are looking for indoor but I would second Hocking Hills. I assume that a lot of scouts from Cleveland Dayton have never seen that type of terrain.

 

I have never done their scouts program but it appears that the Newport aquarium has a program. It is a pretty nice aquarium.

http://www.newportaquarium.com/Groups/Specialty-Weekends/Scouts-Honor-Weekend.aspx that would be close for Dayton