We are home! We arrived just in time to celebrate my birthday with my sister. We’ve unpacked, I’ve made it back to my apartment and cuddled with my guinea pigs, and I’m thinking about what is next! Before I share my overall trip reflections, I have one more adventure to tell you about.
For our last excursion, we stayed in Stow, OH at a very basic and quiet city campground. While it was tough to find a level parking spot, we did get great local knowledge from the host. In fact, he came around our first night and invited us out for an astrology lesson. We joined him in the field at 8:15 and not only got to see Jupiter and Saturn burning bright in the black sky, but also witnessed the International Space Station pass by! It moves a mile every five seconds! It flew high above us, arcing towards the trees. A very special sight to start our adventure near Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Cuyahoga National Park is a relatively new national park, nestled between Columbus and Akron, Ohio. It stretched for more than thirty miles north to south, protected various lands and animals that depend on the Cuyahoga River that runs through the park. This river was in a nightmarish condition in nearly 70 years ago. Not once, but multiple times the river caught on fire because it was so terribly polluted. Can you imagine that, a river on fire? What a travesty. Since then, the National Park Service and local organizations have been hard at work to rehabilitate the river. A major step happened recently, with the removal of a dam along the water. Rangers and volunteers are thrilled to report that the health of the river is gradually improving, as evidenced by river otters returning to the habitat. That’s a major success!
More successes can be seen as you travel to the different sections of the park. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is slightly difficult to navigate, as the land was reclaimed in sections long after development happened in the area. So there are many roads that run through the park and some houses and farms along the way. It makes navigating your way around cumbersome at times, as you have to leave and re-enter in different locations, but the parts we visited were worth the effort.
Our first stop was Brandywine Falls, a magnificent surge of water on the Cuyahoga River that plummets over a rock cliff to the gorge below. Follow a series of stairs and boardwalks to the brink of the falls and you have an excellent view. We then hiked around the falls, examining the ruins that were once the mill from the town that existed here in the 1800s, and over to the Standford House, a preserved home in the park.
There we had a snack and wandered around the grounds. A small algae covered pond, so still and covered it looked like you could walk on top of it, was home to come frogs and turtles resting in the morning sun. The frogs were well camouflaged in the plants, just barely identifiable by their eyes protruding above the water’s surface. The turtles were easy to spot, but had a blanket of algae resting on their backs. They stayed still as I approached, allowing me to grab a few shots.
We then retraced our steps towards Brandywine Falls, but stopped at Averill Pond to enjoin lunch. We found a secluded spot on the far side to sit in the sun ourselves and relax. All alone, we enjoyed the peace and quiet.
That afternoon we stopped by the Visitors Center and Store, treated ourselves to delicious homemade ice cream, and then headed over to our next hiking spot – The Ledges.
The Ledges was completely different from our morning adventure. Here we wandered above, below, and through tall rock walls. For those who live in Massachusetts, it similar to Purgatory Chasm, but on a much larger scale.
As the path winds to the bottom of the ledges, you are treated to a rainbow of colors streaking across pot-marked stone. In places the rock is a collection of tiny stones embedded in the sandstone, like concrete. The walls bend and wave, sometimes creasing in and making hallways to explore. There are little caves here and there, some closed off to protect bats, others free to explore.
And all around the rocks are trees. Some anchored in the earth floor, sprouting straight up towards the sun, so high you have to crane your head back to see the top. Others are hanging on to the sides of the ledges, their roots trickling down the side to find any earth to hold on to. It’s a wonderland I definitely recommend exploring. CVNP doesn’t have the big sights like the mountains of Glacier or the geysers of Yellowstone, but it has its own magic to it.
The next morning we spent a few more hours exploring, this time by bike. Stretching the whole length of the park is the Tow Path multi-use trail that runs between the river and the defunct canal system. Whole riding you get to stop and learn about the history of the canal system while enjoying the beautiful, clean water running through the river. It is really amazing to see how improved the water really is today. I’m so grateful there are so many resources to put into protecting and restoring our environment.
After several miles of riding and a few more turtles, we loaded the bikes back on the motorhomes and continued driving east. Over the next few days we made it through Pennsylvania and New York, and now finally home, but not before having the traditional last dinner of hot dogs a beans! 😉 Now, time to rest and decide what is next. For now, it’s good to be back.
Tonelli's Travels 