On The Road Again: The Lake Erie Section
By: John Kumiski
Early in the morning we left Leith Run and took the Ohio River Scenic Byway, OH-7, up the river to near the Pennsylvania border. There is a power plant every 30 minutes or so all along that stretch, belching huge amounts of coal exhaust. I like the light to come on when I flip the switch as much as the next person, but that stuff was close to obscene.
On back roads, we crossed the state line into Pennsylvania, where we took more back roads to our next campsite at Folly's End Campground. This property is right on Elk Creek, one of the finest steelhead rivers on Lake Erie. It also has a salmon run- chinooks and cohos! Of course, the salmon don't start until September, the steelhead in October. I should be home by then...
Moss covers the face of this rock block.
Presque Isle State Park isn't far from this Folly's End. I'd always heard good things about it. I was impressed by the numbers of Canada geese. Park geese, almost a nuisance. Watch where you put your feet! We visited the Lady Kate tour boat, only for photos, not for the tour. I talked to a lady fisherman nearby. She and her husband were catching rock bass and other panfish. She said they always talked about having a fried fish dinner but it never happened...
We went for a walk on the Lake Erie beach there. A great lake, of course it's impressive size-wise. The shade of blue away from shore was exceptional! Close to shore, wave action had it all muddied up, which did not stop many people from swimming and splashing in it.
On the Bear Caves Trail.
Leaving the Erie area, we headed east on Pennsylvania 5. We soon crossed into New York. The road was lightly traveled, the scenery lovely, corn fields and pastures and vineyards. The lake was in view much of the time. There were frequent stops for views and photos, a very relaxing way to travel.
We stopped for lunch at the market in Dunkirk. After eating we walked the pier. There was a lady lying on a bench, holding a fishing rod. I said, "It's not looking like a hot bite." She said, "There are no fish left in here." I asked her if I could take her picture and she said yes...
Randomly, we picked a winery and stopped in for a visit- our friends had told us we had to! It was the Willow Creek Winery, and it was a good stop! Four samples each- all the wines were excellent. Susan bought a couple bottles, and she hardly drinks alcohol. We're in wine country for another week or so- there could be a few more wine stops!
We reached Allegany State Park after driving through Seneca Nation lands. We did not stop for the marijuana dispensaries there, but even out west I never saw so many.
Allegany State Park opened in 1921. Today it's the largest state park in the state, covering more than 65,000 acres of mostly wooded lands. Over 300 campsites and over 300 rental cabins are available for visitors. Fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, paddling, horseback riding, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing are the most common activities here.
At the Bear Caves.
Susan and I found ourselves on the Bat Cave Trail. The trail was dry but the vegetation was lush and green. Giant blocks of sandstone and conglomerate are exposed here, gradually weathering down, being mighty photogenic.
Another stop at Thunder Rocks was similar- giant stone blocks, exposed by erosion, gradually weathering, impressive, beautiful in a geologic way.
We stopped at Quaker Lake. Bumble bees and honey bees worked shoreline flowers in the early morning sunshine. I saw a rainbow trout swimming along in shallow water. It weighed at least four pounds, a much beefier specimen than anything I expected to see!
A visit to the Stone Tower ensued. Built during the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, it has hosted concerts and weddings. Susan and I had the place to ourselves for a while. We took in the views of the surrounding countryside, and took a selfie!
Stone Tower selfie!
We hiked to Bridal Falls. The trail was dry, and so were the falls! The water coming down was a tiny trickle. I'd like to think the falls impress when full.
We spent two nights at this park and experienced a good deal of it. Road trips imply travel, though, and it was time to move along...
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