Defiance, OH Outdoor Activities

The entry door slams shut, and you immediately plunge into a world of terror and macabre. Skeletons hang from a dungeon's walls, maniacal clowns run through a fun house, and a blood-spattered bathroom horrifyingly runs out of soap. This is Dimensions of Darkness, a haunted walk-through that takes brave souls across a maze of terrifying rooms with even more terrifying inhabitants. The fright fest has caught the attention of USA Today and the Toledo Free Press, which noted that "each room, hallway and prop is so well-crafted that if you’re not being stalked by one of the resident ghouls, your focus is on how real everything feels."

Thoroughly immersed in their roles, live actors pop out at guests, thus filling every room with an orchestra of screams. Meanwhile, fog creeps over the floors and creepy sounds build tension between every scare. But despite this terror, visitors are never trapped. Security officers, each thoroughly vaccinated against zombies, stand ready to lead guests to the nearest exit should they wish to depart early.

Originally sculpted into the landscape in 1958, Green Hills Golf Course winds through 5,933 yards of smoothly rolling terrain bordered by clusters of mature arbors. To compensate for its relatively short length, the 18-hole course catches clubbers off-guard with strategically placed ponds, subtle slopes, and self-destructing yardage markers. Each round takes spiky-shoed golfers gliding around tranquil ponds and past rippling creeks, which add to the course’s shot-impeding obstacles. A nine-hole par 3 executive course stretches out alongside the full-length monolith, beckoning to greenhorns, youngsters, and experienced pin-hunters still seeking their first hole-in-one. A driving range, practice green, and full regimen of golf clinics nurse withering swings back to life, while the onsite restaurant fuels muscles and carnivorous golf carts with all-beef hot dogs and other savory grill fare.

In 1906, Joseph Fleitz purchased a tract of land along Seaman Road. Though he immediately started to farm, it would be another 85 years before his great-grandson, Paul, planted the first pumpkin patch, officially christening Fleitz Pumpkin Farm. Since then, the family has built other attractions, and the wind raises a thrumming whisper from the stalks of a 5-acre corn maze capable of stumping even Ivy League–educated scarecrows. Tractors pull hay carts full of chattering riders, and other amenities include a free tricycle zone and an area to feed goats and chickens. During the fall, when the air grows crisp and cornucopias hang heavy on the trees, row upon row of sunset-hued pumpkins line the periphery of the farm. The scents of cinnamon drifts from a snack shack serving freshly made doughnuts and hot cider.

Since the first swing in 1972, Tamaron Country Club's course has been sending golfers down an idyllic path filled with rolling fairways, swaying trees, and impeccably maintained terrain. Greens superintendent Mike Kaminski obsesses over the upkeep of lush fairways and carpet-like greens, ensuring verdant beauty, true roll, and infinite sleeping spots for mid-round naps.

On the front nine, golfers start their round with a shorter par 5, presenting a green that's reachable in two. The next par 5 on the side is hole seven, which presents the longest hole on the course, made longer by out-of-bounds areas on the left and trees on the right that force some players to hit an iron or an oversize gavel off the tee.

Though the back nine is shorter than its predecessor, it makes up for its lack of length in deceptive lies and fewer birdie opportunities. Before signing scorecards and mailing them as postcards, players must first divide and conquer hole 18, a tricky par 4 that forces tee shots over or into a bowl-shaped depression that must be carried to reach the elevated green.

Tamaron Country Club houses an indoor golf simulator, where golfers can play virtual renditions of 38 world-famous courses. The high-tech apparatus makes a round possible even in inclement weather and removes many of the hassles of real golf, such as lugging a bag or getting out of quicksand bunkers.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course
• Total length of 6,060 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 67.7 from the back tees
• Course slope of 109 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

A skydiver descends toward the earth, his red-and-white parachute contrasting against a picturesque scene of azure sky and the springtime grass. It’s just another day at Skydive Tecumseh, where instructors have been taking first-time jumpers and experienced skydivers on exhilarating freefalls for nearly 50 years. Manning aircrafts such as a Quest Kodiak and a Cessna 182, Skydive Tecumseh’s flight team ushers parties 7,500 feet into the clouds for tandem and solo jumps that reach speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, much like a cheetah on roller skates. A drop zone with three separate landing areas awaits skydivers on the ground, and a picnic area allows visitors to watch their friends glide safely back to earth. In addition to organizing jumps, the instructors—all certified through the United States Parachuting Association—operate a ground school, where they help clients earn skydiving licenses.

Draped over gently undulating terrain peppered with mature trees, Cherrywood Golf Club’s nine-hole course beckons to clubbers with 2,756 yards of immaculate greenery. Between holes, wooden fences emerge from the emerald ground, adding a rustic sense to the par 35 course as duffers swing toward distant greens or attempt to divot their way to the center of the Earth. A time-efficient nine-hole round allows golfers to squeeze in some pin-hunting after work or late in the afternoon, and those looking for a full round can loop the links twice for an 18-hole excursion that will allow them to retrieve disoriented tees the second time around.