The first day of October gave Geauga County a reason to fall in love with fall.
The first day of October gave Geauga County a reason to fall in love with fall.
Beautiful weather welcomed a new season as Geauga Park District held its first horse-drawn wagon rides this past weekend at Swine Creek Reservation in Middlefield Township.
“We love this family tradition,” said Jennifer Kepple, of Middlefield, with her three children. “It’s our kick-off to fall time. Each year, we try to go a few times. We love seeing all the trees changing and all the nature. It’s such a great experience for families.”
Free horse-drawn wagon rides kicked off Oct. 1 at the reservation, 16004 Hayes Road, and will be held on Sundays through Oct. 15 from 1-5 p.m. with first-come, first-served boarding. Rides last about a half an hour, with the last ride leaving at 4:30 p.m.
Swine Creek Reservation, located in the southeast corner of Middlefield Township, is situated in the heart of the county’s countryside amidst Amish farms. Along Swine Creek, walnut, sycamore and cottonwood trees shade lush growths of wildflowers, which GPD Naturalist Renell Roebuck points out during the rides.
GPD Naturalist Karie Wheaton will narrate on Oct. 8.
Participants are also given the opportunity to meet and greet the horses before or after their ride.
“Along the wagon trail, folks will see the sights, sounds and smells of fall, including fall colors, spicebush berries and mushrooms — each ride could bring something new to see,” Wheaton said. “It’s a fun event for the entire family. Everyone seems to enjoy meeting the horses and going for a ride along the trail during this beautiful season.”
The Percheron draft horses are from Spring Mist Farms in Brunswick Hills. Awaiting visitors welcomed them last Sunday and snapped photos as they trotted down the dirt road.
Owner Howard Goodyear introduced horses Sarah, May, Raven and Flicka.
“Howard takes wonderful care of his horses and you can tell they are well-loved and well-trained,” Wheaton said. “They truly are the stars of the show.”
The Haefke family, of Chardon, quickly climbed aboard the middle seats on the first trip of the afternoon.
“We love attending every year This year was our third year in a row and has become our family tradition,” said Ali Haefke, adding her son, Lucas, 5, loves when the horses gain momentum to get up the hills and enjoys meeting the horse at the end.
“The best time to ride is during peak color season,” she said. “When the sun goes through the leaves, it is like looking through a stained-glass window.”
The ride brings back fond memories for Shelli Rosier, of Bazetta Township, who was among the first arrivals along with her husband, Steve.
“My great-grandparents used to bring all of us grandchildren and great grands to enjoy the ride,” she said.
Wheaton said wagon rides have been going on at Swine Creek Reservation for over 40 years.
“Wagon rides, in their current incarnation, were first offered by Geauga Park District in 2014 during our inaugural Fall Fest at Frohring Meadows,” she added. “In 2015, Fall Fest and its wagon rides moved to Swine Creek Reservation and this event became Jump into Fall Days in 2016. Then, in 2017, horse-drawn wagon rides were first offered independently of the event, as well as during a special Senior Day, which was an early incarnation of Elderberries.”
Rosier had seen it advertised on Facebook a few years ago and finally was able to bring her husband to enjoy some of her favorite childhood memories.
“It was a lot of fun and I’m glad I was able to have my husband be part of a childhood memory,” she said. “He really enjoyed it, too. I remember bundling up as a child taking that ride with family. I’m thankful today was as gorgeous as it was. My great-grandfather used to take us hiking in the woods near his home, so hearing the facts about the area made me think about all the information he would tell us as we hiked.
It had me thinking about how I never really gave much thought to outdoorsy activities that we used to do with family in 20 or so years.”
The Rosiers plan to enjoy the ride again, hopefully next time with their daughter, and check out other activities GPD offers.
“There’s always something new to learn about the parks and what Geauga County offers us,” Haefke added.
Kepple and her children hopped aboard the second ride of the day Sunday.
“We enjoy hiking and nature, so when I saw this, I knew my kids would love it,” she said. “We love petting the draft horses at the end. Our favorite is Sarah and we were surprised to learn she is 17-years-old — such a beautiful animal.”
In the event of severe weather, rides will be canceled, Wheaton said.
“We will update the public at Swine Creek and via social media in the event of a cancellation,” she said. “The rides are also first-come, first-served and they fill quickly. Participants will need to report to the Sugarhouse Trail by the Woods Edge Shelter to sign-up for a time slot with one of our park volunteers.”
