The Covered Bridge In Cuyahoga Valley National Park

During the visit with our Florida son and his family we spent a day visiting several places in the CVNP. We started at Szalay's Farm Market which is always a wonderful place to visit for the produce as well as the weekend food stands. Roasted corn and sausage sandwiches. Yum!

It was a bit of a trip down memory lane for our son. He pointed out to his wife and kids all the places he visited as he worked a couple of summers for the EPA testing the Cuyahoga River and some of its fish population. Much to our surprise, he wanted to visit the covered bridge.

"What covered bridge?": I asked.

"The one in this direction," he said as he turned down a road I was unfamiliar with. I thought we'd explored most of the park in that area but apparently we hadn't.

Sure enough there was a sign that said Everett Covered Bridge. We parked and walked down a short path that thankfully was shaded as it was another hot humid summer day. There it was. A beautiful covered bridge. It was originally built in the late 1800s. In 1975 the bridge was destroyed by a spring storm. With funds raised by the community, the bridge underwent historically accurate reconstruction and was finished in 1986. It's a beautiful look at another era in time.

Of course we had to stop at Peninsula where Grandma could tell them all about how this little stop on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway becomes the North Pole at holiday season. They were more impressed with the train that happened to pull into the station and stop. A friendly wave from the engineer made our youngest's day. 

Along the path to the parking lot, we stopped to look at one of the locks that are on the canal that runs through the park. There are many locks along the canal and one that used to be a working lock at the Visitor's Center at Hillside Rd. before COVID shut things down. Hopefully that reenactment will happen again when the world gets closer to normal. 

If you live anywhere near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and haven't explored, you are missing out. And it's all free to drive through! The visitor centers are free as well. This is one of the only, if not the only national park that is. 

We finished the day with a barbecue and s'mores just before a summer thunderstorm welcomed the cold front that promised a better weather day to come. 

Happy Trails!

The nice thing about living near a national park is the availability of nice walking trails. We are fortunate to live near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park which, by the way, has no fee for entry. We have a beautiful tow path to walk along the canal and river that runs through it. And now we have a trail even closer to home.

Our community along with several other organizations have put in a trail from near our recreational area down to the tow path a little less than two miles away. The path is paved so it can be used by bike riders as well. And it is beautiful! It begins at the corner of Selig and Brecksville Roads in Independence and goes east.

This past Saturday was the official opening and dedication. We joined a lot of neighbors in celebrating in the morning but instead of waiting for the official ceremony, we took off down the path ahead of the crowds. I'm glad we did. It was a perfect morning and the walk was picturesque. The only problem was that there is a 8-9% grade for a good portion and the walk back was a little more than we bargained for. Today I have noticed muscles that I didn't know I had that are sore.

Along the way the path follows and crosses over Hemlock Creek and there are several historic sites. The old haydite mine being one. Haydite was mined in the valley until 2018. Haydite is used to make cement lighter for use in bridges.

Along the way are several benches (resting places for those of us puffing uphill) and one or two picnic tables. I'm looking forward sometime to a walk and a lunch. It's the perfect place. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible.

Through My Lens - CVNP The Towpath

Through My Lens - A Walk In The Park

The weather this October has been spectacular. Unfortunately the dry days have not helped with the changing fall leaf colors. Many of the leaves are just turning brown or just dropping off the trees. Spectacular fall color vs. spectacular sunny weather. Tough choice but with the sunny weather comes opportunity for nice long walks together. Here's a few pictures from our walk along the towpath in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Crooked River - Cuyahoga Valley National Park

The Senecas and the Mohawks each had a name for the river that divides east from west in the Cleveland area. The Mohawks named it Cuyohaga which meant "place of the jawbone" probably because it makes quite a turn near Akron on its way from Geauga County to Lake Erie. The Senecas however named it Cuyahoga which meant "crooked" and that was the name that stuck.

There is a bridge on Route 82 that passes over the Cuyahoga Valley and in this time of early spring with the trees just getting their spring green dressing, it is breathtaking. As we cross over and I look out into the valley I can only imagine the awe that must have been in the hearts of those who first settled here.

Not only is our river  a gem but the valley which is largely owned by the National Park Service is teeming with wildlife and adventure. Those reports of the Cuyahoga catching fire are true but it seems that it is all old history now as the approach of the last fire nears the fiftieth anniversary mark. The river has been cleaned up thanks to many volunteers and ecology minded industry leaders.

The Erie Canal that runs parallel to the river between Akron and Canton has a tow path that has been restored and extended. Blue herons, eagles and river otters can be found along the waterways. Plans are being made for canoeing the river. A new visitor center is on the horizon in addition to several already there. And of course there is the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway that makes available all sorts of train adventures including the Polar Express during the holiday season.

The CVNP is one of the few national parks that is free to explore. Lots to learn. Lots to see. Much to explore. Enjoy!

Celebrating 48 Years!

This year was our forty-eighth wedding anniversary. Many times we have been on the road or out at sea celebrating but this year we were between trips. My wonderful and clever husband decided to surprise me with an overnight stay at one of the nice bed and breakfasts in our area.

The Inn at Brandywine Falls is actually on Cuyahoga Valley National Park land and is a top rated B&B. The neat thing too was that about 25 years ago when they were first getting started and I was still writing for a small local newspaper, I got to interview the couple who own and operate it. I was excited to see how things were going.

Katie and George Hoy are still the quintessential hosts. The house was built in 1848 and has been renovated but kept true to its original design. An out building has also been restored and made into two suites called The Granary. We stayed in one of them for our anniversary night.

The Loft, as our suite was called was very rustic and certainly country with all of the chicken themed accessories. There were two futons in the sitting area, a table in the area that was glassed in and resembled a wall of a greenhouse that looked out into a shaded area of the yard. On the table was a bowl of fresh fruit, two homemade cookies and best of all, two homemade chocolate buckeyes. If you are a buckeye, especially an OSU buckeye, you know the delight of the peanut butter/chocolate treat.

One other unique feature was the train that ran on a track above our heads. You could turn it on with a light switch by the door. We left it off. I was afraid it would make me dizzy.

We went for a walk to the falls which were about five minutes up the bike trail from the Inn. A photography class was all set up at the lower viewing area taking pictures. The falls spread out almost like a bridal veil train. After all the waterfalls we saw in Iceland it was still special to view this one.

Back around the Inn we enjoyed watching the variety of chickens and a couple of goats that reside in the yard of the Inn before heading out to dinner at a local restaurant. It was a quiet evening when we returned.

While our evening was nice, the best part of our stay was breakfast. The Hoys and their staff put on quite a spread. There was cinnamon/apple oatmeal with toppings and fresh fruit, orange juice in a fancy stemmed glass, a sausage meatloaf with herb-seasoned scrambled eggs and George's fresh baked oatmeal bread. Add to all that a great cup of coffee with bottomless refills and you have some of what made this breakfast great.

George joined us while Katie served up the hot meal. She then joined us as well and the stories began to flow. There were historical notes about the area and tales of adventures of being a B&B host and the guests (there were ten of us around the table) joined in with their own stories. An hour and a half later we all decided we'd better get on our way or we'd be there for lunch.


It  was back to reality for us--the grocery store and home just a half hour away. Such fun and an anniversary to remember and we didn't even have to drive far to enjoy it.

Through My Lens - A Morning Walk In CVNP

A walk along the towpath with our grands gave us some great encounters with nature.

Our five year old couldn't push the shutter fast enough for moving subjects and chose a pretty flower.

A Walk Through CVNP's Beaver Marsh

Last week our weather turned to something more akin to a hot mid-summer than a coming fall but one day it cooled off enough to make us want to venture out on a nice long walk. We chose to drive a little south of where we normally walk in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the place where there is a boardwalk that crosses the Beaver Marsh. Unlike the last time we visited, we saw no beavers and other than one suspicious pile of tree branches, leaves, and reeds, we saw no beaver dams or mounds. We did see several other things to snap pictures of though. Here are some of them.

This is the first time we've seen these guys. Usually we see mallards.

The sun's angle made the blue of this heron really stand out. Hope he fills his belly here and not at our pond.

In My Backyard - The Canal Exploration Center

Near us is the Cuyahoga Valley National Park through which the Ohio and Erie Canal runs. This past weekend we were invited along with other volunteers who are connected to the park in some way (we are with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad) to get a sneak peek at the new Canal Exploration Center at the corner of Hillside and Canal Roads. Before this it was known as the Visitor Information Center. Before that, Hell's Little Half Acre or Gleason's.

Gleason's as it was known in the heyday of the canal served both locals and canal travelers and dates back to the late 1830s. Located at Lock 38, passengers would get off the canal boat and go into Gleason's to eat, rest, and catch up on the news. They also stocked needles, thread, razors, clay pipes, tobacco, sugar and coffee. They served meals and any delay in proceeding through the lock meant an increase in profits. 

Like most taverns in the Canal Era, Gleason's was often a hot spot for those who imbibed and earned it's nickname of Hell's Little Half Acre during the 1920s when it was purported to be part of a bootlegging operation.

The new Canal Exploration Center is full of hands on exhibits which are rich in information about the canal and the era when it served as a main connection for shipping and industry. The story of building the canal will intrigue engineers and yet is easy enough for the kids to understand as well. It is well worth a look-see before or after strolling the towpath or taking a train ride through the Valley. 

Join in the welcome for this new center on Saturday, May 17, 2014, as they have the grand opening. 

It's Spring at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

As the temperatures edge up and the trees begin to bud and blossom, the river valley echoes the sound of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Now through May, the train makes regular runs on the weekends and has some special event runs in between.

The conductor calls out the familiar, "All aboard!" and the whistle sounds. While we live a ways from the Rockside Road train station, I can hear the whistle in the distance as I take my morning walk through my neighborhood. It brings back fond memories of our Polar Express runs before Christmas.

The nature runs are a little different than the Polar Express--make that a LOT different. Park rangers from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park provide information on the flora and fauna you see along the way. There is also audio commentary available with individual players and ear buds.

For the more adventuresome and athletic, the train provides transportation one way or the other for you if you want to bike but don't want to make it a round trip on the tow path. This year there will also be the opportunity to jog one way and take the train to return. It will all be a part of a get fit program the train will be promoting.

One of the amazing things about the railroad is that it runs mainly with volunteers. Only a handful of the people involved are paid employees. Trainmen, servers, gift shop and cafe personnel are all people who have volunteered their time to keep the train operational. It's a great bunch of people and recently those with 100 hours or more of service for the year were recognized at a banquet.

No matter what your interest, fitness, fun, or just being a train fanatic, you'll enjoy a ride on the CVSR. A great way to see the park and experience an old fashioned train venue. Hop aboard this spring and summer!