Monday, June 23, 2014

NP #43 - Cuyahoga Valley National Park


www.trektheparks.com 

    Everett Street Covered Bridge (click on Pix to enlarge)

After spending four days in mid June showing our board game at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH (Trekking the National Parks - www.trektheparks.com), Terry and I trekked 2 hours north of Columbus and made our way to pay a visit to our 43rd National Park - Cuyahoga Valley NP.

The 33,000 acres that make up CVNP are nestled between Cleveland and Akron, OH. This surprisingly beautiful "urban" park is comprised of 33,000 acres of diverse wetlands, forests and fields that are in various stages of successon. The thing that stuck me odd about this park were the two major freeways that divide it into two sections - north and south - and the three other freeways that are in close proximity to the park! None of the other 42 parks we've previously visited had been so surrounded with major thoroughfares!

For that reason, it felt odd that Cuyahoga would be selected as one of the country's major National Parks.  As I dug deeper into the history of Cuyahoga Valley, I can tell you there was a "dramatic series of events and a great deal of politics" involved in getting this park approved!


    Brandywine Falls

Located just a short distance from the the hustle bustle cluster of commuters along Interstate 271 lies the serene setting of Brandywine Falls. One of the park's most popular attractions, the 65 foot waterfall has been carved by Brandywine Creek. The mood of the Falls changes with the weather. When we first viewed the falls, there was but a slight trickle flowing over the Berea Sandstone. That evening and early the next morning, a thunderstorm had moistened the area and the Falls became much more robust!

     Looking down from atop Brandywine Falls

     Inn at Brandywine Falls

We didn't have our camping gear for this park visit. Instead, Terry made me  "rough it" at this marvelous Inn. The main building (pictured above)  and "barn" are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

For the past 26 years, George and Katie Hoy have served as the Innkeepers of this quaint Band B which was originally built in 1848 and refurbished by the two of them in 1986. Both are excellent cooks and provide their guests with a fabulous breakfast while George tells stories and reads his poetry. You'd never guess that the two of them are well into their 80's! They are both as alive as the delighful Inn they've created! 

     Inside the Granary

The main building has 6 suites. Behind the main building is a refurbished carriage barn that now accommodates two guest rooms - the Granary and the Loft. We had the good fortune of staying in the Granary. Rustic elegance defines this incredibly charming cottage with its wood planked floors and hand-hewn beams.    

     The Granary Living Room


Some of the most fascinating features of this Bed and Breakfast, and in particular inside The Granary, are George's hand painted window shades! You'll find the flag shown above covering the upstairs window in the Granary's loft!

   Stairway to The Ledges

There are over 125 miles of hiking trails throughout the park. The Ledges Trail is a rather easy 2.2 mile loop that takes you past mossy sandstone cliffs that were carved out of the Sharon Conglomerate Rock formation millions of years ago. Once descending down the stairway to the trail adjacent to the Ledges, the temperature and humidity seemed to immediately drop.   

   The Ledges

Wandering about the Ledges reminded me of a scene out of Jurassic Park. I kept expecting a Velociraptor to spring out from one of the green crags looking for something to eat! Sadly, the Ice Box Cave, a 50-foot cavern with temperatures to match its name was closed due to an attempt to protect the resident bats. 

    Towpath Trail

The Towpath Trail is one of the Park's key features. Originally used by mules to pull canal boats along the 309 miles of the Ohio and Erie Canal, today the Towpath Trail offers 84 miles of the biking, hiking, jogging and in some areas, horseback riding. Within the park, the Towpath Trail runs north-south for about 20 miles. It is wide, hard-packed and virtually flat accommodating wheelchairs and strollers. 

     Blue Hen Falls

A favorite for visitors, Blue Hen Falls is one of Cuyahoga Valley's most photographic water features. The trail leading down to the falls is steep but very short. Parking at the trailhead is limited; however, an overflow lot has been added on the north side of Boston Mills Road.  
For the next couple of months, we'll be working on producing our Board Game - Trekking the National Parks. We'll be posting the game on the crowd-funding site Kickstarter in mid July and hope to go into full production by August 1st. If you'd like to learn more about this unique board game, please visit our website at www.trektheparks.com.

We'll be heading out to our next set of parks in August. Until then…happy trails to you!