Ithaca is Gorges

This past weekend, I road-tripped to Ithaca, NY, where I visited with AA, her hubby J and their daughter J. It was a fun trip. I usually go once a year for a nice relaxing weekend and to catch up with A. A couple of years ago, J turned me onto their normal running route which is an out-and-back to a bridge/highway overpass about 3 miles away. So, now whenever I go there, I do that run.

Sunday morning, I headed out their door and up the very steep hill. You're pretty much running on an uphill to the bridge and a down hill back, but A and J live on a steep hill and I tried running up it, but usually towards the top I just give up and walk to the top.

I didn't bring my iPod with me because I forgot my headphones, so I really could enjoy the scenery. This route takes you past two scenic gorge overlooks where you can see some falls and the lake. It also takes you through Cayuga Heights - which is the pretty suburban neighborhood. What I noticed this year on the run, besides the fact that the leaves were turning, were the little brooks and streams off to the sides. It was really quite pretty.

The other active thing we all did was go on a short hike (J is only 2 years old after all) to a waterfall. It was a beautiful fall weekend for it. There were some short, small falls, but about 3/4 a mile away from the parking lot is one of the tallest falls in the continental U.S.! Apparently, hundreds of thousands of years ago that was by the lake, but it's slowly been moving back. So in another hundred thousand years it might be more of a mile hike.

Still, all I kept thinking though, was if it was summer, I'd be in the water. There were plently of places that could act as a swimming hole or better yet, you could sit down and soak your feet in the cold, clear waters of the river. Alas, it's fall. I had to content myself with the pretty colored leaves that were everywhere.