Cattaraugus County NY | The Beauty Around Us

A Friday Drive

We went for a drive on Friday (January 6th), leaving Warren PA around 9:30 am. It was a frosty morning, with a dusting of snow covering the ground and clinging to the trees.

Our first stop was at the Big Bend Recreation Area, at the base of Kinzua Dam where it meets the Allegheny River.

We walked from the parking lot the short distance to this pavilion.
The pavilion sits above the Allegheny River and overlooks Kinzua Dam.

Our second stop was at the Zippo/Case Museum & Flagship Store, located in Bradford PA.

Going to the Zippo/Case Store was the purpose for our drive. Bob purchased a Zippo Butane Lighter Insert. We wandered through the Zippo/Case Museum.

Zippo/Case Museum
An American Flag dominates this exhibit.

The American Flag contains approximately 3,400 red, white and blue lighters.

Zippo/Case Museum
An American heroes tribute

Zippo/Case Museum
“ZAC” is a 7-foot audio/kinectic ball machine.

We spent the majority of our time in the museum watching “ZAC”.

“ZAC”

Our next stops were at Allegany State Park. We entered the park via Interstate Road in Bradford. All of our stops were in the Red House Area of the park.

This snowy scene was near the intersection of ASP Route 2 and Ridge Run Road.

Red House Brook flows under a bridge, located between ASP Route 2 and Camp Allegany Rd.

All the bridges in Allegany State Park are beautiful.

The Thomas L Kelly Covered Bridge crosses over the Red House Brook.

Our last stop in Allegany State Park was at the Red House Wetland.

From Allegany State Park we drove to Red Lobster in Lakewood NY, where we ate lunch. We chose from the Dockside Duo menu. Bob chose Fish & Chips with Mozzarella Cheesesticks. I chose Parrot Isle Coconut Shrimp with New England Clam Chowder. Cheddar Bay Biscuits accompanied our meals, as well as Coleslaw. A slice of Vanilla Bean Cheesecake was our choice for dessert. We “doggy bagged” enough fish and shrimp for two meals and carried home the cheesecake too. Neither of have as big an appetite as we used to have.

Leaf Peeping at Kinzua Bridge State Park and Allegany State Park

Wednesday, October 5th, was sunny and a typical fall weather day. We decided to go on a leaf peeping drive. We left home around 8:30 am and returned home at 2:00 pm.

Our first stop was at Kinzua Bridge State Park near Mt. Jewett PA.

The Viaduct, or Kinzua Bridge, once was the longest and tallest railroad structure at 2,053 feet long and 301 feet high.
The Viaduct was partially destroyed by a tornado in 2003.

The Viaduct was reinvented as a pedestrian walkway in 2011.
Stroll 600 feet out on the remaining support towers,
peer miles out into the Kinzua Gorge, and
gaze down through the partial glass platform
at the end of the walkway.

The foliage color is really nice this year!

The support towers taken down by the tornado still remain on the forest floor 19 years later.

Proof that Bob and I were at Kinzua Bridge State Park 🙂

Our second stop was at Allegany State Park, which we entered via Limestone Road near Bradford PA. It has been more than 5 years since we used that entrance point to the park. We used to enter the park via Limestone Road, when we wanted to avoid the park fee (not every visit but sometimes). We have purchased the NYS Park Empire Pass for the past several years and will continue to do so. We no longer concern ourselves with the cost to enter a New York State Park. The Limestone Road was just as rugged as we remembered it. We didn’t drive all over Allegany State Park, as we usually do when we visit the park. Instead we visited only Science Lake and Quaker Lake.

This tree by the fishing pier at Science Lake was quite vivid. This picture doesn’t even come close to the brilliance that my eye saw.

During our many visits to Allegany State Park, I take photographs mainly at the northern end of Quaker Lake near the Spillway Overlook. The lighting wasn’t good at that end of the lake, so I concentrated on the southern end of the lake.

From Allegany State Park we drove along part of the Allegheny Reservoir, past Kinzua Dam, and then home. The leaves are definitely changing colors, but neither Kinzua Bridge State Park nor Allegany State Park have reached their peak color. If time permits, we may make a return visit in a week to one or both of the parks.

A Sunny Day Drive

Bob and I went for a drive on the afternoon of February 4th. We drove around the Allegheny Reservoir and through Allegany State Park near Salamanca, NY.

We stopped at Science Lake.

Science Lake at Allegany State Park. Look at that beautiful blue sky and the piles of snow.

On the way home Bob said he wanted to go to Washington Park. I didn’t want to go to Washington Park because I didn’t want to risk getting stuck in the snow. The narrow, rutted and gravel entry road is not maintained in the winter. Bob took us there anyway.

View of Warren from Washington Park

Bob took this picture of me at Washington Park

This is a dash cam video of our drive to and from Washington Park. Bob edited the video to add music and a few still images.

I am glad Bob didn’t listen to me (this time LOL). We didn’t get stuck, and the view of Warren from the park was splendid!

Allegany State Park Day Trip

Well, we made it to Allegany State Park after all the day after our day trip to Letchworth State Park. (See today’s earlier post about changing our destination, when en route to Allegany State Park.)

Allegany State Park is located near Salamanca, NY. The park is divided into two sections: the Red House area and the Quaker Run area. The Red House Area is the northern half of Allegany State Park. Its attractions include Stone Tower, Red House Lake, the Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge, and the Tudor-style Administration Building. The Quaker Run area is the southern half of the park. Its attractions include Quaker Lake, Science Lake, an Amphitheater, and Thunder Rocks.

Allegany State Park is a frequent destination for Bob and me, as the park is less than an hour’s drive from our house.

With the exception of one weekend camping trip several years ago, our visits to the park last only a few hours. We visit various attractions, which I photograph. We sometimes shop at the gift store and eat lunch at the Red House Restaurant, both of which are located in the Administration Building. I would like very much to spend a weekend, once again, at Allegany State Park.

We entered Allegany State Park from Interstate 86 and entered the Red House Area on ASP Route 1. We gained free entry by showing our New York Empire Pass. It would have cost us $6.00, if we did not have an Empire Pass.

ASP Route 1 Overlook

Red House Lake

Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge

Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge

There is a new trail off ASP Route 3 that goes on the other side of Science Lake. The trail was opened in late Spring or early Summer this year. We hiked some of the trail, for the first time, during our visit to Allegany State Park. I learned afterward that there is a kiosk at the front of Science Lake that provides information about “school in the woods” ruins that can be reached by hiking the Science Lake trail. We didn’t hike far enough, so we didn’t see the ruins … next time 🙂

Science Lake Trail Trailhead. The creek feeds Science Lake.

The trail was well marked. The blue hiking sign indicates that the trail is easy.

Science Lake Trail; Science Lake in the distance.

The people who built this trail did an EXCELLENT job!

Feeding Science Lake

Science Lake, with fishing platform in the distance

Science Lake Trail. This is another instance of a well-built trail.

The trail was a bit rocky in places. Some rocks were strategically placed, though, to keep one out of the mud!

Looking across Science Lake

OH! I see the kiosk that provides information about the “school in the woods” ruins!

The bridge over Science Dam was fenced off several years ago.

It would be nice, if funds were made available to make repairs to the dam / bridge. A great loop trail would then be possible around Science Lake.

Bob hiked over to the bridge. I stayed on the trail. This is where we ended our hike. We turned around and returned to the car.

One last parting picture of Science Lake

While we were at Letchworth State Park the day before, I remarked often about “so many people” being at the park. My oft-spoken remark, while at Allegany State Park, was that there were “too many bugs”! No bugs bothered us, while at Letchworth. We should have applied bug spray, especially before hiking behind Science Lake.

Leaving Science Lake, we continued on ASP Route 3 past Quaker Lake. We exited the park onto Interstate 86, just 10 miles south of where we entered the park.

Allegany State Park Deer

We went for a drive yesterday, when Bob came home from work (3:30 pm). We drove, first, to a dead end street alongside the Allegheny River here in Warren PA. One of Bob’s coworkers told Bob that he sees an eagle often, sitting in a tree on one of the river islands. We didn’t see an eagle.

Leaving the riverside, we drove along the eastern side of the Allegheny Reservoir and through Allegany State Park. We didn’t see any wildlife, as we drove PA Route 59, PA Route 321, PA Route 346 or NY Route 280. I am glad that Bob decided to add a drive through Allegany State Park, as we saw 14 deer at various places in the park.

Sorry deer; there is no entertainment at the amphitheater in the Winter!

Two deer in a field

My new camera did a good job focusing on this deer that had brush all around it.

These deer very near the road.

I stayed inside our car, but the deer feeding very near the road were not afraid of us.

This deer looks like it is talking to me.

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

Deer feeding near the road

Leaving Allegany State Park, via the Red House Exit, we took I-86 to the Steamburg NY exit and drove along the western side of the Allegheny Reservoir. We saw eight more deer, during this portion of the drive. All total, we saw 19 deer!

We stopped at Arby’s for dinner. Bob had a salad with a cookie. I had a beef ‘n cheddar sandwich with curly fries and a mint chocolate shake. The shake is available only for a limited time each year. It is a once-a-year treat for me.

We returned home around 7:30 pm.

The End to Cabin Fever

As it was for much of the United States, we experienced cold weather and bitter wind chills at the end of January. On the morning of February 2nd Pennsylvania’s legendary groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow, which means that Spring is right around the corner. I hope that Phil is correct in his prediction. Regardless of whether he is right or wrong, Spring will be here on March 20th. Here, in Northwestern Pennsylvania, the weather forecast this past Saturday for the next several days makes it look like Spring is on our doorstep.

Spring is knocking on our door!

We went for a drive late Sunday morning into the early afternoon.

A portion of our drive was along the eastern side of the Allegheny Reservoir. Our first stop was at Big Bend Recreation Area, located just below Kinzua Dam, where we looked for eagles. We didn’t see any.

We continued our drive on Pennsylvania Route 59 to Pennsylvania Route 321 past Sugar Bay on the Allegheny Reservoir. We stopped here.

Sugar Bay on the Allegheny Reservoir

The “My Two Cents” Snowman at Sugar Bay

Bob built the snowman, while I was taking pictures of the bay.

Continuing our drive on Pennsylvania Route 321 we came to a T-intersection. We turned left onto Pennsylvania Route 346. At he New York state line Pennsylvania Route 346 becomes New York State Route 280. We followed Route 280 to Allegany State Park.

We drove through Allegany State Park, making only one photo stop. We drove over a bridge and had gotten a few hundred feet further along the road, when I said to Bob “We have to turn around! I saw something that I want to photograph!”. Bob turned around.

A snow and ice sculpture I found in one of the streams at Allegany State Park.

A snow and ice sculpture

Bob said the snow and ice sculpture resembled a porcupine. I thought it resembled a peacock or turkey, with its feathers fanned out.

From Allegany State Park we made our way back home. We returned home around 2:00 pm. I am glad that we went for a drive. What a beautiful day it was with blue skies, brilliant sunshine and a high temperature of 52 degrees! I could feel my cabin fever breaking, as the sunshine beamed down through the moon roof and especially when I stepped out into the pleasantly warm outdoor air.

Sunday Outing with our Granddaughters

On Sunday we spent the afternoon with our granddaughters, taking them on an outing to Allegany State Park near Salamanca, NY.

We picked up the girls at their house between noon and 12:30 pm and drove to Allegany State Park, entering the park via the Red House Area. Our first stop was at the new Red House Area nature boardwalk.

I first learned about the boardwalk via a YouTube video, captured by Paul Crawford, a few months before the boardwalk was completed. Paul Crawford is the volunteer Administrator, Photographer and Videographer for the Allegany State Park Facebook page.

What a wonderful new feature of Allegany State Park!

Red House Nature Boardwalk

Harper and Juniper took our photograph, once we reached the overlook at the end of the boardwalk.

Juniper took this photograph of Bob, Harper and me.
Good job, Juniper!

Harper took this photograph of Bob, Juniper and me.
Good job, Harper!

In Paul’s video he mentioned a duck blind at the end of the middle section of the boardwalk.

Duck Blind

The boardwalk was nice but will be nicer later in the year, when the plants surrounding the boardwalk spring to life. I am sure there will be lots of waterfowl to see later too. We didn’t see any birds, turtles or waterfowl.

When we left the nature boardwalk, we planned to go to the Quaker Run swimming beach playground. We were very disappointed to find the road to the beach closed. I had talked up the playground to Harper and Juniper, and they were looking forward to playing there. I hope that the road to the swimming beach opens up much earlier than summer so that we have the opportunity to visit the playground sooner, rather than later!

The girls quickly got over their disappointment, though, when we found another playground on the way home.

Our day outing with Harper and Juniper was wonderful. All four of us had a GREAT time!

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