For this last leg of my trip, I visited a large number of states. After arriving in Kentucky, I had been in 31 states this summer. That was over 9 or 10 weeks. In the last 3 weeks, I was to hit 17 states. Although it seems like a tall order, so many of the eastern states are drive-thru states and therefore not impossible. But it is also the reason I am going to organize these last few story posts based on park and not state.
On September 7, Day 54 of Leg 2, I visited Cuyahoga Valley National Park on my way to Maine. Yes, the last day I wrote of was Day 48. For those missing days I visited friends and family in Ohio for a bit of a break. Because I had a date I needed to return by, this meant I wanted to get to Acadia National Park in Maine in two days instead of a comfortable three.
This turned Cuyahoga Valley NP into a drive-thru park. I'm happy I planned for it to be this way. And now, for a Cuyahoga Valley National Park Rant.
Why, Why, Why?
Why is Cuyahoga Valley National Park a national park? This isn't the question I was asking while I was there. Instead it was, Why isn't Cuyahoga Valley several metroparks? It doesn't deserve state park status; it doesn't deserve national recreation area status; and it, in no way whatsoever, deserves national park status.Sure, it's pretty. But what it is is essentially metropark-like facilities and trails adjacent to several small towns. I spent a half hour here and it felt like a bit too much.
The only thing good that came out of it was I figured out how to photograph waterfalls!
The Evening
So I moved on. I had to anyways, as CVNP has no camping facilities - one of the only parks without camping. Other than Petrified Forest NP, it's really the only park without a legitimate reason for creating camping facilities.
Like I wrote, I wanted to get to Maine as fast as possible. Therefore, I was targeting a state park in New York to be my "halfway point." But when I arrived at this park I couldn't find any camping. At this point it had been raining for the past six hours. I was tired and beginning to think I'd be sleeping in the car for the second time. Fortunately, with the help of my family, I was able to target a campground.When I arrived at this campground, it was 9:30 p.m., and a posted sign said they do not sell permits after 9:00 p.m. I've never heard of this; of course, I've spent most of my nights in national forests and parks. The intelligent thing to do is to is create a self-pay station. Instead, they just don't sell permits that late.
I wasn't about to not camp because of this. And in being one who likes to follow the rules, I decided to tell them and pay in the morning. But when I awoke the next morning, no one was to be found. I reasoned they obviously don't want to be paid. And I continued my trek to Maine.
All seven photos, from two different angles
No comments:
Post a Comment