Mount Vernon, Ohio: Factory Ruins and Sculpture Park

Wow, this place was amazing. I honestly didn't know what to expect. When you park it looks like a bunch of empty, broken-down buildings, but once you start walking on the trails you realize there is way more happening. A huge mound with a winding path goes up pretty high and you can see the whole park.

Even though the observation deck only goes halfway up the tower, it is still a long way up, and it helps to take short breathers on the landings. The entrance to the tower is protected by a turnstile that operates via buzzer -- a good long buzz will turn it enough to get you through. I mistimed mine and was trapped for a few seconds until my companion stopped laughing and let himself in behind me.

The slag is gorgeous, and signs remind visitors to look but not touch (souvenir hunting seems to be a problem, as are the Canada geese that are territorial and quite touchy about the "waterfall").

Ariel Foundation Park is on South Norton Street in Mount Vernon and is fairly new. It includes a nature preserve as well as a sculpture garden with terraces that is made up of remnants of an old glass-making facility. There is a giant smokestack you can climb to the top to see a good portion of Mount Vernon, and it's breathtaking!