Years ago as I was looking through my grandparents old family photos, I found a black and white photo from a trip to Watkins Glen State Park in New York. At the moment I can't remember who was in the photos but I plan to find them again when I get home. Those pictures inspired this trip and while it may not be as exotic as Mexico it has already been filled with new and amazing experiences.
Josh and I left this morning at 0500 so we could take some back roads and not be rushed. Our first stop was the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY.
We arrived around 0930 and toured several areas of the museum before our schedule appointment to make our own glass. It's fascinating to see how creative the modern artists are. The most fascinating were the black dress that looks like it's being worn and the hanging spindles that tell the history of population in the biggest cities around the globe.
After touring part of the museum we went to our scheduled appointment and Josh made a flower while I made a pumpkin out of blown glass. The experts do most of the work but Josh got to put on extra safety gear and shape the petals of his flower and I blew the glass for my pumpkin.
We finished our tour by checking out the Contemporary Exhibit and 35 Centuries of glass...... as you can imagine it was a LOT of glass. It was really interesting to see how early in history glass was produced and by early I'm talking about 600 B.C. It became a little overwhelming around the 1700s and we kind of just quickly walked through looking for interesting pieces. Definitely a lot of interesting things to check out though and I'd recommend a stop for about half a day if you are in the area.
Next stop was our Airbnb in Montour, NY where we decided on a plan for the rest of the evening. It was too late to hike through Watkins Glen so we decided to check out the other waterfalls and nature spots in the area.
#1 Cathrine Creek Wildlife Area
The observation deck in the Catherine Creek Wildlife Area was a beautiful view but there wasn't much wildlife to see. It looks like a really cool place to kayak through but the launch area is currently a little overgrown.
#2 Aunt Sarah's Falls
Aunt Sarah's Falls is just off the main road. There is a tiny parking lot by the falls and a larger one across the road. It was an easy place for photos but not our most impressive stop.
#3 Shequaga Falls
This is in the town of Montour. There is a small area to park right at the falls. The water wasn't flowing as much as I've seen in other photos. All the falls we saw are probably much more impressive after a rain storm or in spring.
#4 Deckertown Falls
Deckertown Falls is at the end of a dead end road. There is a small parking area and a trail to the falls. You can hike up to the top but there aren't very impressive views there. We got our best pictures by taking the second turn off down to the water. The water was really cold but worth wading into for the photos.
#6 Eagle Cliff Falls
The last and most impressive stop was Eagle Cliff Falls. You pay $2 to park and follow the park road around to a small parking lot by the trail. We were completely caught of guard by what we found. Neither of us had seen photos of this one before checking it out. The pictures do not do it justice. The sign says no swimming but Josh waded across a small area of the pool to get behind the falls and got some great photos.
It was a long day but every stop was well worth it. We headed back to the Airbnb for dinner and a lot of rest before Watkins Glen State Park the next morning!