Like last year, we met our friends Chris Ferlinc and Bill Cashell at Mohican State Park for a day of fun and games.  At least that was the plan.  It was also the day before I went to the doctor and found out I had bronchitis.  So I wasn’t feeling very well.  But I really wanted to see Chris and Bill so I was determined to go.

Mohican State Park is a beautiful place with a big lodge built in 1974.  We have stayed in the lodge many times, especially for winter getaways.  There is a huge sunken fireplace in the lobby and an indoor pool.  The dining room has gorgeous views of Pleasant Hill Reservoir.

The Clear Fork River flows through the park, creating a gorge, and most of the hiking is along the gorge.  There is one long trail, which we did last year, and several shorter trails to overlooks.  I wasn’t up to a long trail this year, so we walked several shorter trails and admired the views from overlooks.  We also climbed up the firetower for an even better view.  Turns out Bill and I both have the same kind of vertigo, so we stopped at a landing about halfway up.  Chris and Tom went all the way up.  Bill and I agreed our view was just fine from where we were.

We ended up walking about two miles total, which was as much as I could handle.  Then we went in to lunch and sat between the big dining room fireplace and the picture windows.  The food at Mohican State Park isn’t fancy, but it is always delicious.  Of course, we usually eat after hiking so we are hungry.

After lunch we played some games.  We started with TransAmerica, which was new to Chris and Bill.  But we love TransAmerica because it is easy to learn, goes quick and is always fun.  It is a semi-cooperative game so you never know who is going to win.  For a while it was unavailable in the United States, so we are glad to see it for sale again.  We enjoyed playing it so much that I ordered it for Chris for her birthday, a week after we met.

After TransAmerica, we taught Bill how to play Euchre.  The rest of us, growing up in Ohio, had been playing since we were kids.  We played frequently together in college.  But Bill grew up in New Jersey and didn’t know how to play.  Most games have a learning curve, and any game with a trump suit is more challenging to learn.  But Bill was doing really well by the end of our second game.  He just needs practice to reinforce what he learned.

At the end of our games, I was ready to head home.  I needed a nap!  But it was great to see Chris and Bill and enjoy one of our favorite state parks:  Mohican State Park.