 After a long day in Niagara Falls, we drove a quick couple of hours to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We wish we could have camped in the park or taken the train around the park, but we only spent a few hours driving between viewpoints instead.  Our first stop was Bridal Veil Falls. It was a short but pretty walk from the parking lot to this little stream. The wooden walkway leads through the trees to a wooden bridge and viewing platform. The creek’s bedrock curves to create a waterfall that looks similar to a bride’s veil when the waters are flowing. There hadn’t been much rain when we were there, but it was still peaceful to sit and watch.
 We didn’t stay long before we hopped back in the car to see the The Station Road Bridge. The old bridge over the Cuyahoga river was beautiful standing in contrast to the lush trees around it.  The view got even better when a bright red Scenic Railway train came rolling by. When the train stopped, a couple came kayaking down the river, and it became the most picture perfect scene for the national park.  Our last stop was the park’s most visited area, Brandywine Falls. It was another quick walk from the parking lot to the falls, and this time there were different paths we could take. We could have either stayed above the fall or gone to see it from a lower deck. We chose to stay up above the falls first to get a closer look at the water and see just how fast it was falling. The 65 foot waterfall sends water down a rocky journey that creates choppy, white water along the rock wall before continuing toward the Cuyahoga River.
We followed the water downstream and walked back down the boardwalk to the stairs and lower deck. We admired the unique waterfall and took pictures of each other while discussing how beautiful the entire park had been.
We really wish we would’ve had more time to see the ledges and ride on the train at sunset, but our few hours will have to do until next time. I can’t wait to go back!
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 The summer of 2018 was a very special one. At the beginning of the summer, John and I were able to see dozens of waterfalls in Iceland, including Europe’s most powerful waterfall. I was then able to wrap up the summer by spending my Labor Day weekend at Niagara Falls, the most powerful waterfall in North America!  Like most of my trips, this one was decided at the very last minute. The trip wasn’t planned at the last minute, and I didn’t know about it until the weekend before we departed. We left Nashville around four p.m. on Friday heading to Columbus, Ohio and we arrived at our friend’s apartment around ten p.m. after a slow ride in the pouring rain. I wish we could’ve stayed longer in this capital city, instead we woke up and were out of the door by nine a.m. Saturday morning leaving for Niagara Falls. I have to go back to check out the German Village and other cute areas.  We didn’t get to the falls until three p.m., but we parked the car to head straight to the Maid of the Mist. We had an absolute blast getting up close, personal, and soaking wet with all three of the waterfalls at Niagara.  We started with The American Falls, moved on to Bridal Veil Falls, then saw the main attraction, Horseshoe Falls. The Maid of the Mist was, by far, the best part of the weekend. (Click here to see more pictures and read more about our ride!)
 After we changed our soaked shoes, we hoped in the car and headed to Canada. The Canadian side was much prettier than the American side. The view of the falls is better, but there are also grassy leisure areas and beautiful foliage all around.
 We spent a few hours strolling the walkway around Victoria Park while watching the sun set. We then walked up the street and tried some beers at The Niagara Brewing Company before wrapping up the night watching fireworks over the falls. We headed to our CouchSurfing host’s cabin about 10 miles from the falls. We crashed immediately after arriving, so that we could wake up early and drive back to Ohio for the next attraction on our road trip.  Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a wooded oasis outside of Cleveland, Ohio. We all wished we could’ve stayed long enough to hike and camp in this lush landscape, but we drove through the park and stopped at the notable viewpoints instead. Bridal Veil Falls, The Station Road Bridge, and Brandywine Falls are all stunning. We also saw the famous Cuyahoga Valley scenic railway and train!
 We only spent a few hours in the park before heading to Cincinnati to watch the WEBN Labor Day fireworks show over the Ohio River. The next morning, we meandered back to Nashville, stopping at The Arc Encounter to see what the hype was all about.  We didn’t pay the hefty $50 fee to tour the recreation of the Biblical feat. We only walked around the outside of the massive boat and enjoyed the petting zoo. It was an incredible structure to see in person. We finally made it back to Nashville, and that’s when it sunk in: We drove to Canada and back in one short weekend. It was quite the trip, and I am so happy to have gotten the last minute invitation. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!  |
Talkin' 'bout Tacos:
I'm Taylor, aka Tacos! I am sharing my journeys and experiences from across the world hoping to inspire travel and adventure in all who read. Archives
June 2024
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