Maumee Bay State Park

After we left Shedel Gardens the day was still young so we headed over to Maumee Bay State Park and their Nature Trail. Maumee Bay is some kind of State Park. It has an enormous Lodge, beautiful cabins, a golf course, tennis courts, an inland beach and a Lake Erie Beach and the Nature Preserve with miles of boardwalk.

Visitor Center

Pond outside the Visitor Center

Inside the Visitor Center

Boardwalk

Of course, we were interested in the nature hike on the boardwalk and ended up walking more than two miles on boardwalk. Of course, I love boardwalks because you are walking on flat ground and my knees don't give me fits like when we are climbing up and down all the time.

Willow Flycatcher

Lee was able to get pictures of a female Red-tailed Hawk and a Willow Flycatcher which are two birds that we didn't have pictures of so it was a really good day.

Can you see the walking stick?

Grasshopper

Lake Erie

Female Red Tailed Hawk

Mama Raccoon

  Chattering Baby Raccoon

Then as we were getting close to the end of the trail, a baby raccoon eluded her Mama and came chattering out into the open. When the Mama saw us, she wasn't happy and she darted back into the dense cover. The baby though just kept wandering and went under the boardwalk we were standing on. I got a great movie of him chattering away as he went under the boardwalk and out the other side. 

Once he got that far away from Mama, she headed out to get him. Then she must have decided that if we were going to hurt him, we would have already done so because she seemed to scold him and began to clean him up. That was probably his punishment. It is hard to see him in the video because he is such a little ball of fur but it is still fun to watch her groom him!

Grooming

Mama and Baby Raccoon

Great Blue Heron

Schedel Gardens

The Shedel Gardens are located in Elmore, Ohio, a very small town along the Portage River. They are well worth seeing. Lee and I are both lovers of nature and can't get enough of it in its natural beauty. However, we also love to see what we humans can do with what God has given us. The Shedel Gardens is a prime example of that.

Entry Sign

Before the gardens were opened to the public, this site was the home of Joseph and Marie Schedel. During their lives, the Schedels cultivated their passion for nature and art, bringing back ideas from their travels to more than 100 countries for use in their home and gardens. Thankfully, they left the gardens for the rest of us to enjoy!

Visitor Center

Views From the Balcony of the Visitor Center

View Heading Toward The House

The Home

Patio With Views of the Japanese Gardens Below

Japanese Gardens

Plants on the Stairway to the Japanese Gardens

Waterfall

Mary on the Bridge

Lee in the Japanese Garden

This Pagoda contains the ashes of Mr. and Mrs. Schedel

Leaving the Japanese Gardens

Mute Swans

There are ponds everywhere on the property

The Bonsai Exhibit

The Kitchen Garden

What is this - a zucchini, a bean??? 

They Grow A Huge Variety of Peppers

Kitchen Garden

Entrance to the Rose Garden

Rose Garden

Us in front of the Tropical Garden

Tropical Garden

I Love the Purple

Back of the home

I decided this would be a lovely place to park our camper for a season, however, I think it would be frowned upon!