Lady friend Sue Brooks enjoys the Brandywine Falls, one of the most popular attractions in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The 33,000 acre park was established along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in 1974.

CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK--
A brief but highly enjoyable visit

The Towpath Bicycle Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is always a treat to visit, especially on a warm sunny day—in November!

Sue and I recently launched our bicycles out of Peninsula, OH and rolled south for about six miles past several nicely maintained canal locks and scenic, wooded stretches of the Cuyahoga River.

We had driven about an hour north from the Mansfield area and were headed for Hale Farm, a recreated piece of Ohio’s colonial history. There is a slightly hilly, ¾ mile spur trail connecting the farm with the towpath.

At the farm’s ticket desk—we were denied admission and were curtly informed, this time of year they are open only to school groups. So, if you ever intend a visit there, read their web page carefully.

Heading back to the towpath trail bikers immediately are confronted with a pesky hill climb and, while Sue assaulted the challenge, I hopped off my bike intending to do some sort of photo of her dismounting and continuing the climb on foot.

She amazed me and succeeded in the climb. This from a lady who just a few months earlier was perfectly content with her balloon tire, coaster brake model while eschewing gizmos like hand brakes and gears.

That’s her on the right about to disappear around the curve nearing the top of the ascent and celebrating with a mild calisthenic after I finally caught up. Not bad for a great grandmother on Medicare—don’t you think!

Another spiffy feature of bicycling in this national park is the park’s railroad. In season, it runs a continuous schedule back and forth along the bike trail and cyclists can loiter at any of several stations where you can load your bike on the train and for a fare of two bucks ride to your destination.

We satisfied ourselves with a dozen miles of riding, loaded the bikes in my vehicle and headed to nearby Brandywine Falls.

This 60 foot high geologic beauty is often described as the most impressive falls in the Lake Erie watershed. The village of Brandywine was settled around the falls in 1814 and parts of the foundation of the original gristmill built there to harness the water power can still be seen. Much of the original village was lost to the construction of Interstate 271.

I was standing on a bench and composing the photo of Sue enjoying the view of the Cuyahoga River in Peninsula when I heard the train approaching and swiveled slightly to my left to shoot the lower photo. This excursion railroad is a popular attraction in the park.

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Cuyahoga Valley National Park: http://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
The CV Scenic Railroad: http://www.cvsr.com