Day Trips | US travel with us!

Exploring Pine Creek

Summer 2020 was full of socially distant outdoor activities. One of our family’s favorites was exploring the many bike paths within a few hours of our home in western NY. The next 3 blog posts will feature our 3 favorites this summer. We started this trip by taking a picnic lunch up to Leonard Harrison State Park in Wellsboro, PA.

This park is in the heart of the area known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and is situated on its eastern rim. The boardwalk leads to overlooks with sweeping views of the canyon and Pine Creek below. When we visited in July, there were also concessions featuring local treats. I was surprisingly pleased to see there is also an Iron Mike statue. These statues, to commemorate the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps, began with the first unveiling in 1935 in Griffith Park, Los Angeles California. Today there are 76 statues throughout the United States. So much of the groundwork in many of the parks I enjoy visiting on the east coast was laid by the workers of this depression-era program.

Now, about this bike trail! We parked at the Darling Run access lot just south of Ansonia, PA. Our plan was to ride about 7.5 miles down to the Tiadaghton camping area and back. The entire bike path is 62 miles long.

The youngest, always trying to catch up!

After riding for about 3 miles, we pulled off the trail to enjoy the creek. It was a warm day and it was a great place to splash and cool off.

After 7.5 miles we arrived at our destination. Again, we waded in the creek. this time we were joined by an adult and a juvenile Bald Eagle. The area was very peaceful.

It has been a summer of Eagles! This once nearly extinct bird has been a regular sight for us this year.

After cooling off for a bit it was time to return the way we came. A storm was blowing in as we biked the 7.5 miles back to our van.

Even though this trip was in July, I am writing about it in November. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am so grateful for a day spent with family, a social program that promoted the protection of beautiful places while putting people to work, and all the people who fought for the protection of species like the Bald Eagle so that we can still enjoy them today.

Rickett’s Glen State Park

On October 12th, 2020 we took advantage of a drive across Pennsylvania to stop at Rickett’s Glen State Park to hike one of my bucket list trails. The trailhead is off of PA 118 about 24 miles west of Wilkes-Barre, PA. From the sign at the entrance to the park and combining the Falls trail, Ganoga Glen trail, Highland trail, and Glen Leigh trail, we hiked 8.1 miles in a lollipop formation to see all 21 of the park’s named waterfalls!

Above are two of the first falls we encountered. Murray Reynolds at the top at 16′ high and Harrison Wright at 27′ tall.

Tuscarora at 47′ tall, was one of my favorites.

The park brochure provided some interesting information on the history of the area. It was originally part of land owned by Colonel Robert Bruce Ricketts, a Civil War veteran and later his heirs. According to the park brochure, the area was approved as a potential National Park site in the 1930’s but the outbreak of World War II diverted attention elsewhere.

The trail was rugged. It was easy to follow but often very natural, with stones as stairs and tree roots weaving their way across the path.

Not only were the waterfalls gorgeous, it was a beautiful falls day. The leaves were every shade of red, orange, yellow, and green.

At 94′ high, Ganoga Falls is the tallest in the park.

At about the half way point of the hike, there was an interesting rock formation. This area, called the Midway Crevasse and found along the Highland Trail, was situated between the two gorges carved out by the two branches of Kitchen Creek.

At the end of the loop, back where the two branches of Kitchen Creek meet, the hike was drawing to a close. It was not an easy hike, but in the roughly three and a half hours that we were on the trail, I thought of nothing but the beauty surrounding me and how fortunate I was to be in this space, with a body healthy enough to see it all. Sometimes taking the difficult path in life pays off, if we can just take a moment to appreciate it.

The trail less travelled?