Cuyahoga Valley

Short visit south of Cleveland

Sunday evening we had a lovely dinner with a few of Mark’s Cleveland area cousins (Janice, Ricky, Mary, Patty) at the 1815 Tavern in Aurora. Midday Sunday (before the dinner) and Monday (before the thunderstorm and first real rain we’ve seen in awhile), we took some time to…

Revisit 1 National Park Site:

Cuyahoga Valley National Park (#119-Revisit), protects the valley of a River Renewed, the River that Burned. The Cuyahoga River caught fire at least 13 times between 1868 and 1969, most notably on June 22, 1969. The river was so polluted with oil, chemicals, and debris that sparks from an overpassing train ignited the water. The widely publicized 1969 fire became a powerful symbol of water pollution, spurring the US environmental movement, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Clean Water Act.

Although only a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and the winding Cuyahoga River gives way to deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. The Towpath Trail, which follows the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal also runs through the park. We visited and hiked around the Ledges and Brandywine Falls, and visited Hunt House VC and Boston Mill VC.

CCC carved stairs on the Ledges Trail
Hiking the Ledges Trail
Octogon Shelter built by the CCC near the Ledges
Hunt Farm House Visitor Center
Colorful Fungus seen on walk to Brandywine Falls
Brandywine Falls
Inn at Brandywine Falls, only remaining building from the Forgotten Village of Brandywine
Boston Mill VC, which was the General Store of Boston in the Mill days