Ithaca, NY

Ithaca, NY.  We went to Ithaca, NY in September 2012.  We went cabin camping in Robert H. Treman State Park. The reason we came up was to hike, so while we didn't get to see the town much, we thouroughly explored and enjoyed the wonderful park that we were in. We only had two days to stay there, during a long weekend. This place was amazing, and hard to believe, until you see it with your own eyes.  While NJ, NY and PA offer many beautiful places to visit and see, I honestly didn't expect something like this so close to where we live.  It is breathtaking!

We got there by about 3 in the afternoon. The cabin wasn't ready yet, so instead we went to the swimming area. It's right under a waterfall, and the water was cold, about 60 F. It was the last day to swim. Despite the cold, it was an amazing place to swim. The water was so clean, and just beautiful.

The cabins were simple, just 4 beds and a small fridge. It was raining, but that never stops us from enjoying things. There was a playground nearby with a good old fashioned seesaw. The kids had a blast on it, with the two of them on one end and me on the other. I am surprised that thing didn't break under our combined weight. We took a few small hikes around the swimming area with our umbrella and a rain jacket, it was lovely. We had a nice fire going outside. The kids roasted hot dogs on long forks. It was a nice evening. Right before bed time we were visited by a skunk. Everyone stayed really quiet, and then slowly moved into the cabin for night time. No one got sprayed.

 

The night was tough. I think a combination of an unfamiliar place during the night, plus the excitement and how tired we were from the ride. The kids had a hard time falling asleep, but once they did they slept the night through more or less. My husband and I couldn't fall asleep, and then couldn't stay asleep. I think we sleep better in a tent as a rule.

 

 

In the morning we woke up, and since it was not raining we decided on making the hike we came there to do right away. We didn't have much breakfast, but packed a few sandwiches, cereal bars, and water, just in case.
We set out on the Rim Trail. It goes all along the rim of the cliff, hence the name. It opens up some really beautiful views onto the waterfalls below:

The Rim Trail goes all uphill for the most part. About a half way through we came to a small detour toward this lovely little waterfall, where we were able to cool off, and rest:

We headed back to the trail. From there on it was all the way up. It was green, the air was amazing. At some point we came to a staircase. It is called the 'Cliff Staircase'. We almost turned around because of how daunting they looked. I am really glad we decided to keep going. Many amazingly beautiful steps:

On the top of the stairs there were some unbelievable views onto the Lucifer Falls and the gorge below.

The rest of the Rim trail went a bit downhill, and was easier. Finally we came to an old mill, there were bathrooms and a parking lot. It's the Upper Park of the state park. Behind the mill there was a small waterfall. I had a calendar as a kid with the picture of that waterfall on it. I always felt like the pictures on the calendars were in far off, unattainable places.

 

We crossed the lot, went across a bridge, passed the camping/cabins area and got on the Gorge Trail. The vista that opened up was beyond anything that I have ever seen. The trail was going on the side of a cliff, with a bridge over the falls, and then more cliff trail. Again really high, and the water was amazingly clear.

The treck was long and with two kids it was not easy, but worth every step of the way!  I hope to come back there again soon!