Rainy day at the Hocking Hills? Here are 5 ways to enjoy the area indoors

LOGAN — Many visitors to the Hocking Hills plan to enjoy the region’s ample outdoor pursuits: hiking, rock-climbing, zip-lining, kayaking. But what happens when it rains?

Inclement weather need not ruin the fun. Showers may, in fact, give travelers a good excuse to explore some of the lesser-known indoor attractions in and around the pretty town of Logan.

The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls

Spa lovers probably already know about the fabulous treatments available at several Hocking Hills day spas. But for newbies, there’s no time like a rainy day to learn about the relaxing and therapeutic regimen at The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls (www.innatcedarfalls.com/spa), one of the most venerable and beloved destinations in the area.

Visitors don’t have to stay at the inn to book a spa treatment, which includes a variety of options such as relaxation massages, body scrubs and wraps, reflexology treatments, facial massages, and hand-and-foot treatments.

Travel: Charming wineries, fragrant flora entice on Michigan's Old Mission Peninsula

Believe me, there’s nothing better for sore hiking muscles — or for plain old workaday tension — than a good therapeutic massage, especially at a destination as lovely as the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls.

Treatments begin at $100. And while at the Inn, consider a meal at its fabulous Kindred Spirits restaurant, one of my favorite places to eat in the area.

The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls is located at 21190 Ohio Route 374 near Logan and, as you might guess, Cedar Falls.

Columbus Washboard Co.

Long-time visitors to the region are probably familiar with the Columbus Washboard Co. (www.columbuswashboard.com), established in 1895 and now the only remaining washboard maker in the United States.

But even frequent visitors probably haven’t seen the venerable manufacturer’s new digs, which opened this summer.

Columbus Washboard moved from its old industrial building on the edge of town to the historic storefront of a former G.C. Murphy store at 4 E. Main St., across from the county courthouse.

“We do get a lot of visitors when it rains,” said manager Diane Hopkins.

But even on a sunny day, the location is worth a stop.

The new building has its original tin ceiling from its five-and-dime days. It features an expanded visitors center and gift shop in front with the factory floor relocated to the back of the building. The washboards are still handmade using a mix of new and old equipment, some dating back more than a century.

Hobbit heaven: Magical Earth Retreat offers hobbit-inspired lodging destination in the Hocking Hills

Guided tours are available for groups of four or more and offer a look at the factory floor. Tours are $8, or $5 for children and students 17 and younger and include 10% off most items in the gift shop. To schedule a tour, call 740-380-3828.

Sauna Pods Hocking Hills

Although they look like something that Daniel Boone, architect Eero Saarinen and space aliens might have got together to design, sauna pods are actually a relatively new way to enjoy nature in a cozy — and deliciously hot — environment.

Sauna Pods Hocking Hills (www.saunapodshh.com) offers pod rentals at 18905 Ohio Route 664 South in Logan. The cedar pods look a bit like huge wine barrels turned on their side.

One end features the pod door, the other a fisheye window offering a lovely and private woodland view.

Up to four guests can sit in the pod’s sauna area and adjust the heat to their liking. The pods offer a Bluetooth sound system, but I recommend a quiet meditation on nature, health, and how the aliens might have met Boone.

One-hour pod rentals begin at $80.

Hocking Hills Moonshine

"Moonshine” traditionally refers to illegal liquor, but Hocking Hills Moonshine (www.hockinghillsshine.com) is on the up-and-up.

The craft distiller, located at 55 S. Spring St. in downtown Logan, has been brewing up ‘shine — legally — since 2015.

Day-trip destination: A car lover's dream — visiting automotive museums in Auburn, Indiana

Ohio’s hill country has a long, moonshine history. Guests can learn some of that history and see the site’s collection of antique copper-pot stills and other historic equipment during a tasting or distillery tour.

Hocking Hills Moonshine offers a variety of flavored corn liquor as well as moonshine in a variety of proofs all the way up to a tongue-toughening 151. The distiller has also released its first bourbon, a 2-year-old baby that shows great promise.

Hocking Hills Serenity Salt Cave

The whole idea behind Hocking Hills Serenity Salt Cave (www.hhserenitysaltcave.com) seemed a bit too “woo-woo” to me — until I tried it.

Guests sit in” zero gravity”-type chairs in a room crafted to resemble a cave made of Himalayan salt. The cave is complete with giant salt boulders and a floor of salt-crystals that caress guests’ bootie-clad feet.

As the lights dim and gentle music plays, dry air, nearly imperceptibly salty, circulates. This salt treatment, or halotherapy, is claimed to produce numerous respiratory benefits. All I can tell you is that I came out of a 45-minute session feeling as relaxed as I’ve been in a long time.

Hocking Hills Serenity Salt Cave is located at 690 Old McArthur Road, Logan. Sessions start at $35 per person.

For more information about the Hocking Hills, visit www.explorehockinghills.com.

Steve Stephens is a freelance travel writer and photographer. Email him at sjstephensjr@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hocking Hills: 5 ways to enjoy indoors, from spas to saunas