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| Leaves, Watkins Glen Gorge |
Watkins Glen State Park
Looking out our motel window, partly cloudy skies seem portentous, this Sunday morning. We arrived in Corning the previous evening after a drive from Rochester fraught with fear. The number of road kill we encounter - of deer and other large animals - was unnerving (and given the state of the bodies, we know the poor beasts didn't die painlessly). We're puzzled: the local motorists don't seem reckless. The likely explanation: too many wild animals that inadvertently stray onto the beaten path. In future, we intend to avoid night driving.
Given Corning's relatively central location, we choose it as our base, and settle on this affordable motel. Over breakfast, we note, from their accents, the number of international guests (who seem to outnumber the North American ones) and wonder what Corning's draw is. We discover, what could be the answer, on arriving at Watkins Glen State Park.
Situated in the village of Watkins Glen, a 45-minute drive from Corning, the Park is essentially a gorge, 200 ft. high, cut into the relatively soft sedimentary rock by debris deposited by the area's many waterfalls, formed over numerous ice ages. The Park's planners were ingenious in carving out paths, steps and bridges - made of the same rock as the gorge itself - that wind their way along the sides of the gorge, to its top. The effect is a seamless blend of the natural and the man made.
Starting at the parking lot at the base of the Gorge, Greg and I walk at a leisurely pace to the top, a journey roughly a mile in distance. Along the way, we pass breathtaking vistas of rock formations, in addition to intriguing plant specimens and water ways. Of note is the colours of the flora and rock formations, dazzling in their iridescence. We also remark on the cool micro-climate, created by the combination of shadow-generated rock formations and humidity-laden atmosphere. After our three- hour walk, we arrive at the top of the gorge and discover a cemetery in a picturesque setting, which we explore for a time, before heading back down to the parking lot, using a more direct path.
It is noon by the time we head out of Watkins Glen State Park, so we explore the village of Watkins Glen for a place to eat. Wildflower Cafe, with its diverse menu of home made soups and sandwiches, is just the spot. After an hour for lunch, we drive uphill out of Watkins Glen, on roads affording more breathtaking views of valleys, vivid with autumn's colours.
Twenty minutes out, our enjoyment is suddenly marred by the car's fuel indicator light going off, signalling an emptying tank. Mortified by our oversight - we'd been driving two days and close to 900 miles since our initial fill-up - we quickly assess our options. Given that our destination was another hour away, we decide it is too far to wait, and opt for turning back to Watkins Glen. On arrival, we note the increasingly heavy traffic in the village, much lighter prior to our departure, not even 30 minutes before.
We spend another 15 minutes hunting for a gas station (oh, to have had a smart phone!), panic stricken we would come to a sudden stop in the congested traffic. We pull in to a service station, and wait another 20 minutes for our turn. By the time we resume our trip, greatly relieved our predicament had not resulted in a mishap, we had lost over an hour of precious time for our next stop: Ithaca, New York State, and the beautiful campus of Cornell University.
Click here to see Watkins Glen Gorge slideshow
Cornell University
With both undergraduate and graduate programs, Cornell University was founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. Cornell founded Western Union Inc. and was also a senator and education administrator. Dickson White was a diplomat, educator, and historian. Both envisaged the university as offering theory- and applied-based courses in the arts, sciences, and humanities. In addition to the Ithaca campus's 745 acres, Cornell University has campuses in New York City and Qatar, and counts close to 30 Rhodes Scholars and 50 Nobel Laureates as alumni (source: Wikipedia).
As we have lost over an hour, we arrive at 4:00, rather late in the day for an extensive campus tour. We make our way quickly from the parking lot to the Cornell Central Campus, the hub of the University, where the majority of buildings of architectural note lies. These include Sage Hall, Barnes Hall, and McGraw Tower. The university's architectural styles vary, from Victorian and Neoclassical to international and modernist, many of whose examples can be found at Central Campus. Most remarkable is the way the university campus is laid out - irregularly - and how this, together with its hilltop setting, with its spectacular views of Ithaca City and Cayuga Lake, comprises its charm and beauty.
I photograph incessantly, taking as much advantage of the waning light as possible. Sadly, we are able to take in the exteriors of only a few of the buildings, but feel fortunate to have explored the campus even superficially. We resolve to return for a more extensive visit.
With the fading light my fear of driving at night returns, haunted by visions of innocent deer and badgers, limbs torn and entrails smeared on pavement. The hour and a half-long trip feels much longer, compounded near its end by a missed highway exit, a foolish glance to the rear, a slight bump felt, and the instantaneous realization that we have just run over a raccoon. Greg and I shriek. He turns back to look at a dessicated carcass. Alas, the poor thing had already been killed.
We fall into bed, exhausted, after a day of invigorating activity.
Click here to see Cornell University slideshow
Situated in the village of Watkins Glen, a 45-minute drive from Corning, the Park is essentially a gorge, 200 ft. high, cut into the relatively soft sedimentary rock by debris deposited by the area's many waterfalls, formed over numerous ice ages. The Park's planners were ingenious in carving out paths, steps and bridges - made of the same rock as the gorge itself - that wind their way along the sides of the gorge, to its top. The effect is a seamless blend of the natural and the man made.
Starting at the parking lot at the base of the Gorge, Greg and I walk at a leisurely pace to the top, a journey roughly a mile in distance. Along the way, we pass breathtaking vistas of rock formations, in addition to intriguing plant specimens and water ways. Of note is the colours of the flora and rock formations, dazzling in their iridescence. We also remark on the cool micro-climate, created by the combination of shadow-generated rock formations and humidity-laden atmosphere. After our three- hour walk, we arrive at the top of the gorge and discover a cemetery in a picturesque setting, which we explore for a time, before heading back down to the parking lot, using a more direct path.
It is noon by the time we head out of Watkins Glen State Park, so we explore the village of Watkins Glen for a place to eat. Wildflower Cafe, with its diverse menu of home made soups and sandwiches, is just the spot. After an hour for lunch, we drive uphill out of Watkins Glen, on roads affording more breathtaking views of valleys, vivid with autumn's colours.
Twenty minutes out, our enjoyment is suddenly marred by the car's fuel indicator light going off, signalling an emptying tank. Mortified by our oversight - we'd been driving two days and close to 900 miles since our initial fill-up - we quickly assess our options. Given that our destination was another hour away, we decide it is too far to wait, and opt for turning back to Watkins Glen. On arrival, we note the increasingly heavy traffic in the village, much lighter prior to our departure, not even 30 minutes before.
We spend another 15 minutes hunting for a gas station (oh, to have had a smart phone!), panic stricken we would come to a sudden stop in the congested traffic. We pull in to a service station, and wait another 20 minutes for our turn. By the time we resume our trip, greatly relieved our predicament had not resulted in a mishap, we had lost over an hour of precious time for our next stop: Ithaca, New York State, and the beautiful campus of Cornell University.
Click here to see Watkins Glen Gorge slideshow
Cornell University
With both undergraduate and graduate programs, Cornell University was founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. Cornell founded Western Union Inc. and was also a senator and education administrator. Dickson White was a diplomat, educator, and historian. Both envisaged the university as offering theory- and applied-based courses in the arts, sciences, and humanities. In addition to the Ithaca campus's 745 acres, Cornell University has campuses in New York City and Qatar, and counts close to 30 Rhodes Scholars and 50 Nobel Laureates as alumni (source: Wikipedia).
As we have lost over an hour, we arrive at 4:00, rather late in the day for an extensive campus tour. We make our way quickly from the parking lot to the Cornell Central Campus, the hub of the University, where the majority of buildings of architectural note lies. These include Sage Hall, Barnes Hall, and McGraw Tower. The university's architectural styles vary, from Victorian and Neoclassical to international and modernist, many of whose examples can be found at Central Campus. Most remarkable is the way the university campus is laid out - irregularly - and how this, together with its hilltop setting, with its spectacular views of Ithaca City and Cayuga Lake, comprises its charm and beauty.
I photograph incessantly, taking as much advantage of the waning light as possible. Sadly, we are able to take in the exteriors of only a few of the buildings, but feel fortunate to have explored the campus even superficially. We resolve to return for a more extensive visit.
With the fading light my fear of driving at night returns, haunted by visions of innocent deer and badgers, limbs torn and entrails smeared on pavement. The hour and a half-long trip feels much longer, compounded near its end by a missed highway exit, a foolish glance to the rear, a slight bump felt, and the instantaneous realization that we have just run over a raccoon. Greg and I shriek. He turns back to look at a dessicated carcass. Alas, the poor thing had already been killed.
We fall into bed, exhausted, after a day of invigorating activity.
Click here to see Cornell University slideshow
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