Biggs Cross Country 2017: Day 38 - Cuyahoga Valley National Park

We left Jake's this morning after a really nice visit. We were sad to leave but it was time. Another beautiful sunny day as we headed west toward Ohio. The landscape along I-86 in Western NY is gorgeous! So lush and green!

We arrived at Cuyahoga Valley NP (#44) about 3:00PM, after dealing with a closed road and confusing directions. This is an unusual National Park, run jointly by the NPS, city of Cleveland and Summit County. It was named a National Recreational Area in 1974 and a National Park in 2000. Covering 33,000 acres, it has a few natural features, a waterfall, the Cuyahoga River, an overlook of the valley, but its really a recreational park with miles and miles of great biking/hiking trails. An excursion train that runs between Cleveland and Akron with a baggage car converted to carry bikes.

There's a lot of history here, going back to the 1830s and development of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Big barges for heavy loads, fancy barges for passengers. The towns of Boston and Penninsula boomed with canal related industry. The railroads came in the 1860s and the canal became obsolete. For hiking and biking the paved "Tow Path" runs along the old canal for many miles. There are also examples of CCC projects.

We took two walks. the first was along a wooden boardwalk to Brandywine Falls and the other along a nice gravel path to a rather disappointing "view" over the valley.

The little town of Penninsula sits right in the middle of the park and is a gold mine of treats and bar food for the hungry cyclist. We had a great dinner at the "Winking Lizard". There are some beautiful homes in the area.

Our hotel is right outside the park - a Clarion Inn in the town of Hudson, not near anything. (This place is creepy! Its a large, rather nice convention center...but there's nobody here! I'd say a bad location!) This is our FOURTH free night!)

Long drive tomorrow to Evanston.