Fabulous Waterfalls and Travel Days (New York to Indiana)

Middle Falls sporting a beautiful rainbow at Letchworth State Park, NY.

We had four nights scheduled at Letchworth State Park in Castile, NY beginning Thursday, 6/25. I had been eagerly anticipating this park because it has several stunning waterfalls. The park was founded by philanthropist William Pryor Letchworth in 1907, when he donated his 1000 acre estate to become a park. Today the park has grown to over 14,500 acres and follows the course of the Genesee River, stretching 17 miles long, but only 1½ miles wide.

The Genesee River flows through the park.

The campground is located near the north end of the park, while most of the waterfalls and other attractions are near the south end. The campground is lovely with lots of tall trees which, again, challenged the Starlink. We’ve gotten spoiled being able to have high-speed internet almost anywhere. I remember the days (and not fondly) when I had to drive to a public library or coffee shop to get wifi. I do not miss that; I like being spoiled! Lol.  

 

Yes, Riley thinks he's a lap dog. Lol.

As you can see, Riley's interest in food has returned, and...

...he feels well enough to resume bathroom security. 
Get a mastiff, never pee alone again. Lol.

Friday was our waterfall day. The drive through the park is very scenic, with lots of viewpoints to stop at. One of our favorites was Wolf Creek, a beautiful area with its own small waterfall. At Tea Table, we saw some of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) handiwork.

Wolf Creek.

 

At Great Bend Overlook the gorge walls rise 550 feet above the river.

Picnic shelters with incredible stone fireplaces.

Check out the stone picnic tables!

The CCC did absolutely amazing stonework throughout the park. They even had a large bronze statue to commemorate the efforts of the more than 3,000 men who served in the CCC at Letchworth State Park between 1933 and 1941.Their work still stands today and has enriched our country immeasurably. You almost cannot find a national or large state park that was not improved by their efforts.

Just some of the stonework done by the CCC. 

Dedicated to 3,000 of the more than 3 million men
who served in the CCC during the Great Depression. 

There are hiking trails throughout the park that we would have loved to explore, but it was just too darn hot. Lol. The park map details 37 trails ranging from the 24-mile Finger Lakes Trail to the half-mile Portage Trail. Many of the trails connect and the park specifies if they are open to hikers, bikers, equestrians, skiers, or snowmobilers. The Gorge Trail followed the river and hit all three of the major waterfalls, but to do the whole trail was seven miles each way. Nope. We opted to drive and just take smaller bites of the trail near the waterfalls. Lol.

Coming from the north end of the park, we came to the 70 feet tall Lower Falls first. Getting a good viewpoint of the Lower Falls required a bit of hike and 127 stairs down on the Gorge Trail to a stone bridge built by the CCC in 1935 at an estimated cost of $695 (Lol!). The bridge spans the Genesee River and gave us a perfect vantage point to see the falls. It was probably only a mile or so, but the heat and humidity made any effort a sweaty challenge.

More amazing stonework by the CCC.

Why is it always stairs?? Lol.

Lower Falls.

Rog on the bridge at the Lower Falls.

Selfie on the bridge.

Our next stop was an overlook called Inspiration Point. We almost passed it by, but hey, with a name like that it seemed like we ought to stop. So glad we did! Inspiration Point affords a view of both the Middle and the Upper Falls framed by the Genesee Arch Bridge in the distance. The Middle Falls are the tallest of the three falls at 107 feet high and 285 feet wide. The Upper Falls are 70 feet high and 300 feet wide forming a deep horseshoe in the river.

The view from Inspiration Point.

We parked next near the Upper Falls Snack Bar (ice cream!) and walked from there to get a closer look at both the Middle Falls and the Upper Falls. The park has huge open grassy areas with lots of benches scattered about to rest (and eat ice cream!). There were lots of things in the park that we didn’t get a chance to do including a Museum and Nature Center and the historic Glen Iris Inn. Maybe next time. (We say that a lot, I know.)

 

Middle Falls, love the rainbow action. :) 

Middle Falls again. Spectacular!

Upper Falls below the Genesee Arch Bridge.

A closer look at the horseshoe shaped Upper Falls.

We spent the remainder of our stay hanging out with the pups and doing chores. Raney got a short hike through the woods near the campground, where we found some of the local black raspberries (a popular ice cream flavor, ask me how I know. Lol.).

Black raspberries. Yum!

Our little girl leaping (ok, scrambling) over obstacles on the trail. Lol.

Riley said, Hike? No thank you.
Let me back inside, I know where my couch is. Lol. 

Campfire and relaxation time.

Pretty girl, and...

...a handsome boy!

We left Letchworth State Park on Monday, 6/29, for a one-night stay at a Harvest Host site, the Van Buren Drive-In in Dunkirk, NY. Since we were there on a weekday, we didn’t get to see a movie. We were bummed about that. The owner/host was working on the property and stopped by to chat. We were his last HH guests. He’d had HH guests come and park and refuse to patronize the business (buy movie tickets/snacks) and even one guest that insisted on having a campfire even though he was told not to. With that kind of experience, I can’t say as I blame him. We rave about the wonderful people we’ve met and have never really had a negative experience as Boondockers Welcome hosts. You have to wonder what people are thinking to feel that entitled. Geesh. (Also, I totally forgot to take any pictures. Ugh. My bad.)

We parked right behind the Moonlight Cafe.
Bummed that we didn't get to watch a movie.

Our next stop on Tuesday, 6/30, was supposed to be another Harvest Host site (ESP Brewery), but with temps in the mid/high 90’s and high humidity we had to cancel and find a place with electricity to keep the pups in air-conditioned comfort. The solution turned out to be the Ohio Turnpike Middle Ridge Service Plaza. For just $20 a night, we got a parking spot away from the semi-trucks and next to a huge grassy area with 50amp electric hookups! I was blown away. There’s a one night stay limit, and not every service plaza offers the RV spaces, but it’s a great option if you can find one. The service plaza also had several restaurants, fueling stations, and other travel amenities. I loved that we were tucked away from the trucks and other traffic, it was really quiet at night.

Ohio Turnpike Middle Ridge Service Plaza

I've stayed in campgrounds that weren't as nice! Lol. 

We usually try not to do too many travel days in a row. But we had one more overnight stay scheduled at Eby’s Pines Campground in Bristol, IN. We arrived Wednesday, 7/1, and agreed that this would have been a nice park to spend a few days at. The owners had planted long rows of different types of pine trees, hence the name. It was beautifully maintained, with a huge off-leash fenced play area for the pups which they loved. Every time I took Raney out for a potty walk, she made a beeline for the off-leash play area. Girlfriend needed to check her PeeMail. Lol.

Eby's Pines was a very nice private campground.

 

Just a minute, Mom, I'm checking my messages. Lol.

Next up is our long-anticipated reunion with Bob and Carole and Ruby! And, drum roll please, a new to us national park – Indiana Dunes. You won’t want to miss it!

A Detour to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and More!

A perfect day for a paddle! 
Green Lakes State Park, Fayetteville, NY.

Our itinerary called for a one-night stop at a Harvest Host site in Vermont and then on to a state park in New York, at least it did until Rog noticed that we were going to pass within 30 miles of Cooperstown, NY and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. My darling husband loves baseball and his puppy dog eyes rivaled anything that Riley or Raney could throw at me. Needless to say, we adjusted our route so we could spend a night in Cooperstown.

We spent Sunday, 6/21, at Vermont Distillers in West Marlborough, VT. It was a great Harvest Host site where they made some really interesting spirits and liqueurs. They had about a dozen different bottles lined up and offered samples of any or all. Their flagship product was Maple Cream Liqueur. That sounded too sweet for my taste, but hey, we’re in Vermont where everything is Maple, so I gave it a try. That was mistake. The stuff was delicious! They added it to root beer to make a “dirty soda” and it was one of those combos where two plus two equals five. Yum!

Great spot to park and a lovely view, but those storm clouds are threatening.

Vermont Distillery

So many choices!

The distillery had a great deck with a fabulous view.
We bonded with total strangers over the Maple Cream Liqueur. Lol.

After our obligatory stop at the Distillery tasting room, we walked a short distance to Naked Brewery for pizza. At that point, we were still trying to get Riley to eat and pizza crusts are one of his all-time favorite things. He initially refused even those, but Rog finally cajoled him into eating a whole piece of pizza. Forget the crusts, he got the whole slice. No spoiling in this household. Lol.

Super fun little brewery with a wood fired pizza oven. 
(Only the best for Riley! Lol.)

We found another Harvest Host site, Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard right in Cooperstown. They had a huge gift shop, but I was most interested in the fresh pressed cider and warm cider donuts. I am so not losing any weight on this trip, in fact those whoopie pies and donuts are sticking around longer than necessary if you ask me. Lol. We also snagged a couple of their specialty, pot roast sandwiches, for lunch. Can you guess who also benefited from that? Yes, we pulled out all the stops and tempted Riley with pot roast. And of course, we couldn’t leave Raney out. She is happy to benefit from all the yummy treats we’re throwing Riley’s way.

Fly Creek Cider Mill - a fun family run orchard and cider mill.

After lunch we headed into town to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and spent a fascinating four hours perusing an amazing collection of baseball memorabilia and history. There are three floors to explore and 25 themed exhibits with thousands of photographs and artifacts. And we saw them all! Lol.

Rog was super excited to visit the
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Love these sculptures on the museum grounds.

The suggested order is to start on the second floor with the 16-minute film, Generations of the Game. Exhibits on that floor include New Inductees - introduces new inductees through artifacts related to their lives and careers, Taking the Field – an in-depth look at baseball’s beginnings and evolution, Baseball Timeline – baseball history shown through artifacts and documents, Babe Ruth – a fascinating look at one of baseball’s greats, The Souls of the Game – documents important stories of black baseball players through the years, Diamond Dreams – the history of women in baseball on and off the field, Viva Baseball! -celebrates the history of baseball in Latin America, and A Whole New Ballgame – exploring the last 50 years of the game.

I loved the antique baseball themed toys and book. 
Also displayed are handwritten rules proposed at the 1857 Baseball Convention.

From a troubled childhood to a baseball legend - Babe Ruth was a fascinating character.

Displays honoring Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays.

Diamond Dreams covered the history of women's leagues and
women MLB executives, scouts, broadcasters, and umpires.

Viva Baseball!

From there we moved to the third floor with exhibits on Chasing the Dream – all about Hank Aaron’s baseball career, Yaku|Baseball – highlights the cultural exchange of baseball between Japan the United States, One for the Books – records and milestones of the sport, Autumn Glory – artifacts from historic World Series moments, Shoebox Treasures – a wonderful display about the history of baseball cards, Your Team Today – modern artifacts from every major league team presented in 30 team lockers, and Getting the Nod – bobbleheads! Lol.

The amazing Hank Aaron.

Baseball in Japan...

...and a hometown favorite. Ichiro!

Baseball is big business!
The Mariners were the least valuable franchise in 1990 worth "only" 71 million, in 2020 they ranked 16 at 1.6 billion. In the same time frame the Yankees value went from 225 million to 5 billion!

Great display on the game's outliers.
Tallest (6'11") and shortest (3'7"), youngest (15 yrs, 7mos) and oldest (59 years, 2 mos).

All kinds of homerun records!

Of course an exhibit on the World Series would include the Yankees. Lol.

The Cards Your Mother Threw Away.  Lol!

Modern memorabilia.

This display was way more fun than we expected.
Who knew there were thousands of variations on the Bobble Head!

The first floor contains the holy grail, the Plaque Gallery containing 354 bronze plaques of baseball’s greatest players, managers, umpires, and executives. I thought only players got inducted into the Hall of Fame. Learn something new every day! Rog spent a lot of time perusing the hallowed Hall of Fame. A couple of exhibits, Baseball Discovery Zone and Sandlot Kids’ Clubhouse had hands-on activities for the younger fans. Scribes and Mikemen celebrated the great sportscasters and writers. (Hats off to Dave Niehaus, the Voice of the Mariners. That brings back memories.) And two fun exhibits,  the Art of Baseball and Baseball at the Movies. I’m sure I missed a few and obviously could only photograph a small fraction of the amazing displays. I loved the odd facts and a peek at the history, especially the stories of marginalized players whose love for the game helped them overcome blatant racism and sexism. It’s certainly worth the trip, regardless if you’re a baseball nerd or only a casual fan, there’s something for everyone. Oh, and a HUGE team gift shop. Of course. Lol.

The Hall of Fame.
Baseball hallowed ground.

The first inductees: True legends of baseball.

Dave Niehaus, the Voice of the Mariners. Miss you!

The Art of Baseball exhibit.

Two favorites right up front: Field of Dreams and The Sandlot. 

So many baseball movies, how many have you seen?

And last, but not least, a shout out to the Savannah Bananas! IYKYK. Lol.

We’d borrowed a day from Green Lakes State Park in Fayetteville, NY to visit Cooperstown. While it was time well spent, we now had just one full day to explore the park. We arrived on Tuesday, 6/23, and got settled in. The sites were nestled amongst big trees, which gave us lovely shade but totally kerfluffled the solar and Starlink. Sigh, compromises.

Shady spots. With solar and Starlink, it's a love/hate relationship.

Woodchuck or groundhog, whatever you call them, the locals were adorable.

Just across from the state park entrance was trail access to the Erie Canal Tow Path. We pulled the bikes off the rig and headed out on a gorgeous Wednesday morning for a ride. The tow path parallels the canal with informational displays along the way and is part of the much longer Empire State Trail. Construction on this section of the canal began in 1817 and was completed in 1825. The canal was an immediate commercial success and was enlarged in 1862. It remained in use until the New York State Barge Canal opened in 1918 and was then abandoned. We rode almost 18 miles of the 36-mile trail and could have gone farther, but we had other plans for the afternoon.

Erie Canal or Reflecting Pool? Hard to tell the difference, eh? 😒

On the tow path.

Bridges and fishing piers provide access to the canal.

Fishing for what? How about one of these giant carp.

The Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum was our turnaround point.

In places the canal widened into a pond.

Green Lake and nearby Round Lake are two of six meromictic lakes in New York. What is that, you ask? Because I did. Lol. The water layers in meromictic lakes do not mix. The top layer changes seasonally, while the deep, oxygen-deprived bottom layer remains entirely isolated for thousands of years. The water is a striking Caribbean blue color (Mariner Teal since baseball is still on our minds. Lol). Green Lake also contains microbial reefs. Deadman’s Point on Green Lake is a freshwater reef system formed over thousands of years by cyanobacteria, which get energy from the sun. The bacteria bind sediments and minerals from the water to form solid, rocky structures. The reefs in Green Lake are formed of hardened deposits of calcium. Very cool.

Yep, definitely going with Mariner Teal. Lol.

The freshwater reefs were very interesting. 

The park does not allow any personal watercraft on the lakes, but rents single and double kayaks and rowboats. We opted for a double kayak, so Rog could paddle while I took pictures. Just joking. Sorta. Lol. We covered the whole lake in about an hour. It’s not a very large lake, but it has an extremely popular swimming area at one end and a hiking path that goes all the way around it. I’m so glad we had a beautiful sunny day, the water color was just stunning, especially when the sun hit it just right.

Kayaking selfie time.

Green Lake is fairly small, but very popular!

The pups are doing fine and for those following Riley’s “let’s scare mommy and daddy to death” episode, he continues to improve each day. I’d say the swelling is pretty much gone. The vet at MVMC wanted him on antibiotics for six weeks which seemed excessive, since they didn’t even know what caused the swelling. I asked our regular vet, and Dr. Pam said she would normally treat with antibiotics until the swelling was completely gone plus one week. I’m down for that. So Riley is eating and taking his meds, although he has become quite the master manipulator, stopping halfway through his bowl and requesting more treats and topper please. I think we’ve created a monster!

The monster of which we speak. Lol. Love you, Riley!