TeeJays, Fireworks, Salt Fork, & Filet

1) SaltFork outdoor pool & lodge
2) Spotting the Sasquatch
3) Cabin #50
4) Dedication plaque
5) BM'er at Salt Fork
6) Hop Devil Ale (hoppy)
7) Filet mignon & shrimp

I forced myself out of bed at 7:20am to avoid wasting precious weekend morning time. It was sunny, so I used that as a catalyst to get me moving. And while we never really locked down a departure time, I was hopeful that we could leave for Salt Fork around 10am. After making coffee, exercising, and walking Ykraps I was back and having coffee well before 8am. Just after 8am, I headed out onto the deck with my guitar in hand. It was so lovely out! I must’ve played guitar for about twenty minutes. I prepped for a run and left sometime after 8:30am.

My run was a pleasant one. I stayed in the subdivision and listened to some tunes via my MP3 player. I was back by 9:15am. Mindy still wasn’t awake, or at least down stairs. Finally, around 9:25am she joined me downstairs. I was kidding her about having breakfast ready when I returned form my run. She asked if we could stop on our way to Salt Fork. That sounded good to me. While she showered for our outing I ate a couple pieces of cold pizza and packed our flexible cooler with liquids and snacks. I took my own shower once Mindy was done & ready.

We loaded up the BM’er and left for Salt Fork between 10:30 & 11am. We had already decided that we wouldn’t be going to the Clipper game even though we had tickets. We didn’t want to feel the pressure of having a deadline. This way we could thoroughly enjoy our day away in the BM’er. We drove to East Columbus before pulling off for breakfast. We stopped at the Tee-Jay’s on Brice Rd. While peeing before leaving, a voice from the an occupied stall asked me if I could spare a few bucks for he and his son, who was all but playing in the urinal when I walked in. I tossed a few bills under the stall. That was a strange encounter.

We headed out east. The sunny weather that we had earlier and that the prognosticators had promised was no where to be seen. It was cloudy and cool. We headed east out the highway towards Salt Fork, top down. A billboard for Phantom Fireworks caught my eye – next exit. I convinced Mindy that we needed to stop. Impulsively, we spent $55 on a basket full of fireworks. Cool! Back on the road. Next stop, Salt Fork State Park.

The sky stayed mostly cloudy the entire drive out. In fact, it even sprinkled ever so slightly a couple of times. A hundred miles after leaving home we finally arrived at our destination. The first thing you’ll notice about Salt Fork State park is its vastness and seclusion as compared to Alum & Deer Creek. The marina, camp grounds, cabins, and lodge are a few miles back off the highway. Each section (camp ground & lodge) has its own boat launch and courtesy docks (very nice). The lake reminded me of Lake Cumberland for its geography. It’s longer and very windy as opposed to Alum Creek’s giant puddle look and feel. Of course we couldn’t see all of it from any one point so the only true test will be to navigate it via a boat.

The campground was more open than what we’re accustom to with only a few spots backing up to woods. But the hiking trails, private boat launch, and courtesy docks make it a appealing. After we checked out the camp grounds we ventured to the lodge, golf course, and cabins. The cabins are close to the lodge and all 50+ of them wind around the lake. Approximately half of them are directly on the water. We particularly liked the chalets with a screened in porch hanging over the water.

The lodge was right down the road, as was the golf course. The lodge was built in 1970 and completed in 1972. It was pretty, but was a little crowded for my liking- particularly the indoor pool. We stopped at the desk to about renting a cabin and to check for available dates. There online system wasn’t very flexible. They couldn’t easily tell us if there was any availability on a given week. They had to poke around for some time to answer, and then they couldn’t specify a given cabin. We both found that frustrating. I do know this, however, from looking online, the rates are ridiculous, plus there’s a 16% tax on top of that.

The area and park are very expansive, functional, and pretty. We only wish that it would’ve been a little sunnier and perhaps a bit warmer. More than likely, we’ll make plans for a Salt Fork camp trip or two this summer. We began our trek back west around 3:00pm. Mindy fell asleep around Zanesville and didn’t wake again until we were approaching Pataskala. It rained on us a couple of times, but never quite enough to force me to do the unthinkable - pullover and put the top up. We decided to stop at The Anderson’s on our way in – again off of Brice Rd. And since we were making that stop, it made sense to stop at Delta marine too. By the time we found our way to Delta Marine it was 4:20pm. The posted hours were Saturday till 4pm. They were closed. Rats!
Traffic on Brice Rd was a snarl. Eventually we found our way to the Anderson’s. Our intentions were to pick-up a couple of steaks but we stopped in the nursery too. They always have a fantastic selection and a knowledgeable staff. Before leaving, we picked up two filet mignons and a couple six packs of beer. Homeward!

Just as we were leaving the Anderson’s the sun busted out of the clouds and suddenly there was nothing but blue skies ahead. That alone drove the temperature up instantly. It was beautiful! Mindy was insistent on getting home and firing up the grill. She was tired and running out of steam. We were home by 5:30pm. After walking Ykraps I lit the grill and began prepping dinner. Mindy whipped us up a fresh garden salad. I lit off a couple of the bottle rockets I just bought.
Our filets & shrimp grilled up real nice. We enjoyed another wonderful home cooked meal. Through the evening I drank four beers: one Honey Raspberry Ale, two Hop Devils, and one Columbus Pale Ale. We got in the hot tub while it was still daylight. We stayed in for a bout 30 minutes total. We went to bed around 9:30pm but took along a DVD, What Dreams May Come. I saw maybe the first half hour before dosing.