Close-to-home Hocking Hills, Ohio and its quirky lodging a natural for post-pandemic road trips

An expansive geodome, which opened in the spring at the Inn on Cedar Creek, has a king-sized bed with views of the forest, kitchenettes, full bath and comfy couch.

The three-bedroom Box Hop cabin, hand crafted from a trio of shipping containers, is just one of the many quirky and original lodging options in Hocking Hills.

A Conestoga wagon, restored to sleep four, is a lodging choice at one Hocking Hills campground.

Old Man''s Cave is one of the most popular trail destinations in Hocking Hills.

At last, we’re free to travel!

But it’s not easy ending a year-plus culture of social distancing and mask wearing, so many are resuming things slowly with road trips, some close to home and others more distant.

Travel by RV is booming among many couples and small families because it affords the freedom to go when and where you wish while carrying your own sleeping quarters, kitchen and bathroom.

Drive-to destinations with roadside lodgings have new appeal. And old-timey motels, with their open-to-the-air room entrances, are enjoying a new popularity as inoculated roadtrippers seek to avoid crowded lobbies, elevators and $300-per-night room rates. Motels have shed the hole-in-the wall reputation recently, furthered by episodes of “Schitt’s Creek,” the award-winning TV series where the Rose family has lost all its money and has retreated to live in a motel. Many ’60s-era motels have been rehabbed and updated, especially in California and other western states. They have a nostalgic appeal for post-COVID-19 travelers.

Closer to home, in Ohio’s wild and wonderful Hocking Hills – where social distancing comes naturally among more than 10,000 hilly, wooded acres – property owners have invested in delightfully quirky lodging options. They include fully loaded treehouses, a Conestoga Wagon, gorgeous geodomes, yurts, rustic tipis, a caboose and even a vintage Airstream. There’s also a castle and a medieval village.

Lodging there is available for two to 22, with many on remote acreage with contactless coded lockbox entry. Most are complete with furnished kitchens, all linens and outdoor hot tubs and fireplaces to take off the evening chill.

Less than 200 miles from Cleveland and just east of Columbus, the vast Hocking Hills is home to nine state parks with dozens of excellent trails, canopy zip-line tours and dark skies for viewing the mid-August Perseid meteor shower and other celestial events. Restaurants, artists’ and crafters’ studios and shops are conveniently snuggled into the landscape.

Hilltop Resorts and Campground has direct water access on Lake Logan for kayaking and boasts luxury RV sites, several types of cabins and a Conestoga Wagon that comfortably sleeps four. Originally used to move freight in the 18th and 19th centuries, this 18-foot covered wagon is complete with air conditioning and Wi-Fi. The campground’s bathrooms, showers, laundry and picnic tables all are nearby.

Salt Creek Retreats has yurt accommodations plus 60 cabins on 60 secluded acres with a fishing pond and river for swimming. Dog-friendly and fully stocked with dishes, utensils, pillows, chairs, heater and grill, the yurt sleeps six.

The Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls has just opened its luxury-packed geodomes, accenting its yurts, cabin and cottages – all of which are surrounded on three sides by the Hocking Hills State Park.

The 706-square-foot year-round geodomes have huge windows with views of the lush woodland. Each has a custom kitchenette, king-size bed, full bath, coffeemaker and comfy couch. Many people who stay at the Inn at Cedar Falls choose to eat in its dining room, which has some of the best food to be found in Hocking Hills.

The Box Hop, artfully crafted from a trio of 40-foot shipping containers, sleeps eight in its three bedrooms with full kitchen and two bathrooms. The 900-square-foot cabin has a gas fireplace, rooftop patio and six-person hot tub among its many amenities.

The Cliffs, meanwhile, is a six-bedroom cabin with a waterfall swimming hole just outside its back door. Just 45 minutes from Columbus, it has five and a half bathrooms, two living rooms, a game room and hot tub. It’s booked almost solid until 2023, but check its online calendar for possible cancellations.

Treehouse lodgings have proliferated in recent years to take full advantage of an unmatched view of the Hocking Hills’ amazing scenery. They’re each a little different but almost all have kitchenettes, a fire pit and porch swings.

They include Hocking Hills Treehouse Cabins, Among the Trees Lodging, Canopy Ridge Cabins, Comfort in the Woods Treehouse and Corban Cabin Getaways.

Golf aficionados and those who enjoy thoughts of Scotland can immerse themselves in the Scottish experience by playing the authentic Scottish links course with its sand tees at Glenlaurel Scottish Inns. Stay in one of the authentically created ravine-view crofts amid the 140-acre estate or choose a suite in the manor house and enjoy a seven-course gourmet meal.

Ravenwood Castle has a fairytale village and medieval accommodations complete with details from the long ago past that will intrigue everyone in your group.

You can find everything from bed-and-breakfast lodging to secluded cabins in the woods and elegant hotels at the Hocking Hills Tourism Association’s website, ExploreHockingHills.com, which is updated regularly to show what’s available in your own timeframe.

Many lodgings are tucked away out of sight from the roads and do not publicly list an address so guests won’t be disturbed by curious drive-bys. The website is also the best source for information about festivals and events, such as the early August Hippiefest, where visitors can indulge their inner flower child with one-of-a-kind artists and vendors, bohemian shopping, live music, cirque performers, hippie car show, DIY tie-dye, sideshow acts and food trucks.

It’s a great source for information about the many hiking trails and attractions such as the John Glenn Astronomical Park.