The Obscure National Park

I'm fortunate to live just a few miles from a national park, although many have never heard of it.  Cuyahoga Valley National Park covers 33,000 acres of nature along 22 miles of the Cuyahoga, the Iroquois word meaning 'crooked river.'  And surprisingly enough, it's ranked #10 in popularity amongst all the national parks (probably due to the concentration of population here, and the fact that many of us visit the park on a daily or weekly basis). However, it is a destination park for 'outsiders' in the fall, due to the brilliance of color.

Sure, it boasts two ski resorts, a scenic railroad, a historical village, an amphitheater, and an outdoor education center and camp.  But what most people do when they visit is ride their bike or walk along the towpath trail.  The towpath runs along the old Ohio & Erie Canalway.  Whenever I'm on the trail, I can't help but hum, 'If You've Ever Navigated on the Erie Canal,' a song from my elementary school days.  Did anyone else in other areas sing that song?  Xavier??

Last spring, I spent my birthday on the towpath trail with Middle Child.  We both took cameras and spent the afternoon looking for wildlife.  It's not Yellowstone, but we still had a great time.  Please enjoy these photos while I patiently wait for spring to arrive once more.



A Great Blue Heron can always be found wading in the water.

We followed these ducks, all in a row, for quite some time.

The duck family finally decided to take a break on the rocks.

This lady was a hoot! She had this brilliantly knitted covering for her helmet and her bike basket and was talking to anyone who came along. She was originally from Germany and was excited to tell us that this was only the second time in her life that she had spotted a hummingbird. I didn't have the heart to tell her that we see hummingbirds all summer long in our backyard.

Turtles can usually be seen sunbathing on logs in the water.

My favorite!  A bald eagle in the nest.  I had to take this picture from very far away, as you are not allowed anywhere near the nesting area.

A view of the railroad and the infamous bridge, that some wackos attempted to blow up last year.  Since I travel over the bridge frequently, that was some excitement I could do without!