07/07 to 07/14 - Letchworth State Park

A tad distant from the others (Sites 705-709)

Letchworth State Park is a magnificent Park running 17 miles along the Genesee River. Land donated by William Pryor Letchworth is full of history dating back to before the Revolutionary War. The Park itself was established in 1907. The Genesee Gorge has been dated to about 400 million years before the Age of Dinosaurs but the latest Ice Age of 100,000 years ago is largely responsible for carving the Gorge's present path.  The Genesee River is also the only river that slices through the entire state originating in Pennsylvania and empties 180 miles to the north into Lake Ontario. I'm going to be hard pressed to find the adjectives to describe its beauty. The trails, campsites (cabins, tents and RVs) and lookouts along the Genesee Gorge are all nestled among very old pines and oak trees. I owe a big thank you to both Ray and Tony who, at one time or another, provided me with the transportation to experience most of what the park has to offer as well as trips into Mt. Morris and The Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, NY, in the Town of York.  Again, the photos displayed in this blog represent just a representative few.

Saturday/Sunday, July 7-8th.

Time to settle in and set up. The RV sites are spacious and each provide water, electricity, a picnic table and a fire ring. There were no sewer hookups but three dump stations were available as you leave the park. My awning, though used, was not needed due to the dense canopy overhead. 

The view looking down toward the other members of the group.

And down around the bend.

The newly renovated bathrooms were spotless...repeat: spotless.  The door in middle
was bathroom only. The other two contained showers as well.  Three bathrooms on the backside
of the building as well. All handicapped equipped.

And every evening there was a warm campfire to be enjoyed.
So what if temps were usually in the mid-80's.

Some are very pensive and deep in thought (or dozing)...

...others don't want their picture taken...

Ray...

...and Sue from Troy, NY

Roberta

Look at the size of the coach Roberta drives and handles all by herself.

Doreen and Tony had not yet returned from granddaughter's graduation party in south Jersey and Nina and John would arrive on Monday.

Monday, July 9th - Afternoon.

The first of many such tours given by Ray introduced me to the "Grand Canyon of the East", the Genesee Gorge. In the days to come we will stop at various overlooks along the river. These include: Gardeau Overlook, St. Helena Overlook, Wolf Creek, Tea Table, Snake Hill, Great Bend, Humphrey's, Archery Field and Inspiration Point.

For ALL photos taken during this week, CLICK HERE  And remember, most sites visited may have links highlighted in RED or BLUE so be sure to click on them as well if you would like more detail. Unfortunately you won't have the pleasure of knowing which shots were taken at which overlooks. To most folks, when you've "seen one, you've seen 'em all;" besides, "what does it matter?"

Monday, July 9th - Evening.

Ray and Sue's nephew, Aaron, is the chef at Questa Lasagna in nearby Mt. Morris and that was our Monday night treat. And what a treat it was; everything homemade on premises and you should click on that link to see there's "no freezers, no fryers. Just authentic Italian cusiine." Along with the good food and wine, there was the company which, as you know always enhances the evening.

Thank you, Aaron and congrats on your
upcoming marriage.

I had the cheese lasagna: (Traditional cheese lasagna with ricotta, Gorgonzola, mozzarella and Romano cheeses with marinara sauce, baked with melted mozzarella. Vegetarian.)

The dessert I DIDN'T HAVE was the intriguing "chocolate lasagna."  Okay, so I had a forkful. Rich and delicious; definitely a dessert to be shared.

l. to r. Nina, John, Ray, Sue, Roberta

Chocolate Lasagne

r to l. Doreen, Tony, Kathy, Ray

Same group but Tony took the picture and I'm at the end.

Tuesday, July 10th - Morning

The day started of with a "tour" of the northern end of the Park. Ray/Kathy are frequent visitors to the park and know the area and best views from the many overlooks. Kathy, born and raised in nearby Rochester, spent a good deal of her youth here with family. So, between them and Ray/Sue who've also been here before, I got my first glimpse of the "Grand Canyon of the East." As mentioned elsewhere, click on the link above to see all the photos. Photos in this blog are representative of what I've seen throughout the week; I cannot bring myself to subject the reader to my "slide show." (You're welcome.)

You can see how millions upon millions of years of glacial movement has
carved the path that the Genesee River follows as it flows northward into
Lake Ontario at Rochester.

The sedimentary layers here show the typical sheer cliff
walls the can be close to 600' deep

The exposed bedrock is said to have been deposited over 450 million years ago.

The circumference of this huge oak also speaks to the age of this park.

On our way back to our sites, I caught this youngster looking both ways before crossing....

...and did so quite rapidly. One sibling also observed but no mom.

 Tuesday, July 10th - Afternoon

After lunch, we visited the Mt. Morris Dam, a concrete dam built for flood control by the Army Corp of Engineers between 1948 and 1952. 

Lucy, our tour guide, is in her third season of giving tours. She astounded me with the statistics surrounding the internal workings and safeguards of the dam.

The long, steep trek down to the top of the dam was easy.
Walking back up was not for the weak of feet, legs, hips or back.
I, who qualify in three of the four, did it.

Through the chain link fence you see a total length: 1,028 ft, top width: 20 ft , maximum height above river bed: 230 ft.
It's the largest dam of its type east of the Mississippi. Cost: $25 million.

The vesibule and elevator. Elevator holds 30 (packed like
sardines) and descends  760' into the bowels of the structure.
Yep, thoughts and scenarios ran through my head. What to do
and where to go in case of an emergency. The plan B, if the
elevator didn't work was to climb 600+ stairs.

On the north side the level of the river is kept at a certain level by controlling
the flow through nine conduits located beneath the surface of the river.
67 miles to the north it will empty into Lake Ontario.

"The water inflow due to Hurricane Agnes exceeded the storage capacity of the reservoir and it was necessary to release water through the gates of the dam, causing minor downstream flooding. These releases were made to prevent overtopping of the spillway. Had the spillway overtopped, accumulated debris in the reservoir would have passed downstream, causing log jams and additional damage. Inflows of this magnitude are only expected to happen an average of every 300 years."

The south side of the dam.

The accumulated debris blocked by the dam is seen at its base and must be cleared once a year
by contractors who come and remove it.

 To appreicate the value of the Mt. Morris Dam and the fact that it has saved over a billion dollar in flood damages, take a look at photographs taken of "The Flood of '72" taken in June by Norma Gibson. Being a military establishment, we were not allowed to take photographs once inside the dam.

Wednesday, July 11th - Lunch at Glen Iris Inn

The Home of William Pryor Letchworth from 1859 to 1910, the Glen Iris Inn offers fine dining and overnight accommodations. We went for lunch.

John and Nina greet their guests.

l. to r. John, Roberta, Doreen, Tony

l. to r. Ray, Kathy, Karen
(Notice how Ray pays homage to our fellow RVer, Jack, by not smiling)
We missed you Jack.

Nina

Beautiful grounds; well maintained gardens and exploding with color.

Directly opposite the front porch, the Middle Falls. One of the three major waterfalls in the park and on the Genesee
River, this one drops 20' to the Gorge below . The Lower Falls drop  110" and the High Falls drops 90"

Karen, Kathy and Ray

Thursday, July 12th

A trip to the High Falls and a picnic lunch at Inspiration Point.

The Portageville Bridge seen in the background was replaced at a cost of $70 million by
the Norfolk Southern Railroad. Work began in 2015 and took three years to complete.

A photo of the 140-year old bridge that was replaced. The new steel arch
also removed the "footprint" of the bridge from river flowing below.

The High Falls dropping 90' into the Gorge below.

You're up so high above the Gorge that the Turkey Vulture
fly almost at eye level.

One of the archaeological artifacts found sitting on a ledge.

After lunch, a trip to the Pioneer Cemetery.  Fascinating history.

Trout Pond

Next stop, the home of Mary Jemison, the "White Woman of the Genesee." Now this is a story I would highly recommend especially if you're into the Indian heritage that is so richly depicted in our state's early history. Clicking on the link will describe the fascinating tale; captured by French and Shawnee warriors, the teenager was sold to and raised by the Seneca, her family wiped out, married a Delaware chief and lived as a Seneca. As one who walked in two worlds and endured the violence and war of both, her story is fascinating.

The nearby Seneca Council House

Our last stop for the day.

A closer look at the High Falls and steel arch one track railroad bridge.

l. to r. Tony, Nina, John, Ray, Kathy, Charlie, Roberta, Doreen

This tiny, trickling creek, barely noticeable is one of
many that contributes its meager flow of water down into
the Genesee River.

Letchworth had 4 CCC camps each housing 200 men during the building of the
stone walls, roadways, picnic and cabin areas. It is estimated that over 3,000
workers were involved in the work from 1933 until 1941. The camps closed in 1942. 

And here, at the end of a long day, the arduous, tedious, and
difficult chore of picking up pine cones used for kindling is
in full swing. It was a difficult and dangerous job but someone had to do it.

And another hot fire to conclude an equally hot day.
Actually, the best part of camping.

Friday, July 13th

In keeping with the tradition of Friday, the 13th, all the photos of our trip to The Abbey of the Genesee where the monks bake and sell their famous "Monk's Bread" were lost due to a "Memory Card Error." Their website will give full video virtual tours, photographs and the products they sell. Needless to say, I took advantage and bought lots. Did you ever have English Muffin Bread?

Ray, Kathy and I parted company and went into Geneseo while the others returned to the campground. I got my first glimpse of a Wegmans. If you thought your SUPER, super market was huge and had everything (and this includes Publix and Walmarts), then you must get to see a Wegmans. I don't know if they're all like this but excuse me for showing you what choices I had in the Sushi section

My first sushi in over two weeks.  I have forgotten the ingredients other than salmon. Hot sauce made it all
spicy and, yes, the jalapeno slivers removed. 

Meanwhile, out in San Maron, CA, my grandson, Aaron, plays with my
imagination and palate by having sushi at, of all places, Sakura.

The day ends and the week long stay at Letchworth wound down with a visit from Kathy's younger sister, Sharon and hubby, Ski. 

My daughter, Marybeth and Sharon played together
when they were about 9 or 10.

Sharon's sunflowers

Ski

Ski, Sharon, Ray

  

Having visited Winnie II, they are now new members of my "Wall of Flame"
...opps, I mean "Wall of Shame"...oh, sorry, "Wall of Fame."
Thanks for stopping by.

Jack, please note the other technique for building a fire:
the tepee method. I studied both and found them both to be very hot.

Congratulations if you've read and made it down this far in a very long blog. It took me all day to create it but at least now it's "written in stone" and short of a hard drive crash I've got the memories forever. My thanks again to everyone who was a part of the trip (Hudson Islanders), the tour guides and the chauffeurs that let me capture all there was to see.

I'll be at the Croton Point RV Park from August 4th until August 18th and from there drive up to Normandy Farms in Foxboro, MA with the Hudson Islanders once again. Till next time, take care and I look forward to your comments and suggestions.