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!