“Here is your Country, Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resource...Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches, or its romance”
Over July 4th Weekend we hopped into a car and escaped to upstate New York! We wanted to check out a couple of the State Parks near Ithaca. What better way to spend the Independence Day Weekend then exploring the nature that this beautiful country has to offer!?
Our first stop was Watkins Glen State Park, in The Finger Lakes Region of New York. This park is absolutely stunning! It felt like we walked straight into a fairytale. The water flowed through layers of rock with green trees poking their heads out through the top edges of the gorge's face. There were waterfalls dancing throughout the path, it was a feast for all the senses!
We started our hike at 9am and decided to take The Gorge Trail on the way up. The trail takes you through multiple waterfalls and gives you amazing views of the Gorge with the layers of rocks. It was incredible to be walking through the winding path, you felt so little but at the same time very connected to the nature surrounding you. We started our hike around the time the park opened so the paths were not as crowded yet.
I loved watching Mi Amor explore, to see his eyes fill with wonderment and adventure! Was fun to find out what things he found to be the most interesting and beautiful. I enjoyed seeing how his mind works and it made our hike even more wonderful!
Every part of the hike felt magical and wonderful. We felt like we were in a different world! One that has been untouched by man. It was such a humbling experience!
Just look at that scenery! It looks so surreal, like it was only created for a movie! We couldn't believe how beautiful the patterns in the rocks were and how clear the water looked. Simply amazing.
After our hike through a wonderland of enchanted waterfalls we drove to Ithaca for our next stop. First we had to fuel our bellies! Ithaca Brewery Taproom was the perfect spot. They are located less then 5 minutes away from Buttermilk Falls State Park, which was going to be our last stop before making our way back home. The selection of beers is refreshing and unique! Mi Amor and I got a flight to share so we could taste a few different kinds. Our favorite was definitely "Flower Power", I mean the name alone is awesome!
We arrived at Buttermilk Falls around 3pm, which i think was a good time to get there. Also, we could use our pass from the previous park for this one, so we only had to pay once! The park wasn't as crowded and we could walk freely along the path. You can usually swim at the bottom of the Falls, but on the day we went swimming was closed. There were other swimming holes and waterfalls the further we hiked where we dipped our feet in.
It was a good thing we fueled up before this hike, as the beginning is more strenuous then Watkins Glen. The stairs are a little more steep and there are more of them without a break. The views and walking through the trees was worth it! There was even some art in the water!
At Buttermilk there were a few different trails you could hike. We decided to start with the Gorge Trail, as you could see more of the waterfalls this way. At the top of the stairs The Gorge Trail ends and you can take The Bear Trail which goes through a peaceful beautifully green forest and ends up at a lake. On our way back we decided to take the Rim Trail for some different scenery. I'd recommend trying them all as you get different views and a break from some of those stairs!
After finishing our hike we made our way back to New York City. It was such a beautiful day and a wonderful way to celebrate the Fourth of July! I would love to go back to both of these parks and want to explore more of this country's natural beauty!