KIRTLAND, Ohio — Taking a walk in the forest on a crisp, fall day is one of Eva Rodriquez’s favorite things to do.
“I love nature. I love being out in nature,” said Rodriguez. “It’s beautiful. It’s crisp, like this is one of my favorite things about what we’re doing right now. Walking in the morning on a fall morning and looking at the sun as it hits the grass and all the dew that’s coming up. And it’s just all the colors and the crisp air. The oranges, the yellows, the browns, the reds, the purples — you know like you actually see purple fall color. It’s amazing.”
She loves nature so much she decided to work at a place where people can connect with trees and plants: The Holden Arboretum.
“Being here in the fall is just spectacular,” said Rodriguez.
As the weather continues to cool and the leaves start to change colors, beautiful hues come alive.
“You see so many different colors and you see the trees all doing different things,” said Rodriguez. “And I would say that’s my favorite thing about fall and like the cozy sweaters and stuff.”
Rodriguez loves a good view and likes to take her love of nature to new heights.
Whenever she gets the chance, she climbs the Emergent Tower, a 12-story tower with 202 steps. At the top, there’s a breathtaking view of the surrounding area where people can see more than 3,500 acres filled with trees, bearing beautiful autumn foliage as far as the eye can see.
“Every time I climb this thing, I’m reminded to probably do more cardio, but it is worth it in the end. It’s fantastic.” said Rodriguez. “What I see is just the forest, is the landscape, the topography, how the landscape moves and changes and hills and valleys. The lake, I can see it all. That’s my favorite thing about up here is that all you see is nature. And it’s beautiful.”
Rodriguez calls the Emergent Tower a hidden gem. It allows people to not only experience the woodlands from a new perspective, but life, too.
“We’re just so tiny,” said Rodriguez. “When you look at the landscape from the Emergent Tower, let’s say, it just looks like a painting. Get outside (and) enjoy this. Enjoy this, you know? Take it in for as long as you can this year.”
The Emergent Tower is open through November. For more information you can visit here.
More beautiful places for fall foliage in Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Oak Hill Trail in Peninsula, Ohio: Enjoy Ohio’s only national part with a trek on the Oak Hill trail loop, which is located in the southwest quadrant of the part. The loop is a total of 6.7 miles full of fall foliage to see.
Lanterman’s Mill in Youngstown, Ohio: This historic landmark in Mahoning County represents one of the many pioneer industries that were developed along Mill Creek. It operates today just as it did in the 1800s.
Ohio & Erie Canalway in Akron, Ohio: It was designated as a National Heritage Area in 1996 to help preserve its trails, landscapes, towns and sites along the first 110 miles of the canal.
Tannery Park in Kent, Ohio: The park encompasses the former site of a tannery built in 1836 by noted abolitionist John Brown. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It sits right along the Cuyahoga River near downtown.
