Falling for the Finger Lakes

Let us dismiss all of this running for a moment since travel is another feature of this blog.  I seized on the opportunity of landing in the Finger Lakes region to do some exploring…and it is fantastic in the Finger Lakes!  Got up early Friday and checked a pair of splendid nearby State Parks (Buttermilk Falls and Taughannock).  The hiking was not difficult and the views indescribably beautiful.

Buttermilk Falls is right outside the city limits of Ithaca (perhaps three miles from my hotel) and is basically a narrow gorge featuring splendid cascading falls.  Taughannock features excellent facilities for swimming, fishing and boating on Cayuga Lake and the waterfalls here is spectacular, with a vertical drop exceeding Niagra!

Not far from Taughannock State Park is the engaging Museum of the Earth, which I dropped in on to conclude my day of touring.  After that I drove on to where the race would start the next morning to register.  Off to a good start!

Beauty of Buttermilk Falls State Park

Buttermilk Falls State Park

Taughannock Falls!

Museum of the Earth