Ohio was our first stop after enjoying some of Michigan’s natural beauty. We found an RV park near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which is located between Cleveland and Akron Ohio.
Streetsboro, Ohio
We stayed at the Streetsboro, Ohio KOA. They had full service and decent wifi, but we couldn’t get satellite because of the trees. It’s main attraction was it’s proximity to Cuyahoga National Park.
There were plenty of breweries in the Cleveland, Ohio area to choose from.
Cuyahoga National Park, Ohio
Cuyahoga NP started as a National Recreation Area in 1974. The park is all about the Cuyahoga River.
The Blue Hen Falls were beautiful and serene.
The Brandywine Falls is one of the most popular destinations in this part of Ohio.
There was a very nice dog friendly boardwalk to the falls.
Unfortunately, in 1986 the Environmental Protetion Agency closed the park because of extremely toxic materials in the soil from factory waste and sewage. Companies including: Chevron, 3M, Ford, GM, Chrysler and others were responsible.
The contaminates were removed and the area was designated a National Park in 2000. Restoration of the land was completed in 2015. It’s the only National Park in Ohio.
The Ohio local residents we talked to are very proud of this park and many helped with its restoration.
From Ohio, we drove a couple of hours to the Chautauqua Lake KOA in New York.
They had full service, great satellite reception, and there was hardly anyone there.
Each night we had a beautiful sunset over Chautauqua Lake.
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is the home of Lucille Ball. Their legacy is honored by the Lucy & Desi Museum.
The museum was very well done with a lot of memorabilia including reproductions of the original stage sets from the “I Love Lucy” show.
We enjoyed walking around Jamestown searching for Lucy murals.
Panama Rocks, New York
Panama Rocks is a privately owned park in Chautauqua County. It was amazing to see the exposed tree roots meandering their way down over rocks to find soil and water. It felt like there should have been trolls or hobbits around.
There was a 1/2 mile trail through towering rock formations, crevices and forest. Other than another couple, we were the only ones there.
Canandaigua, New York
We stayed at the Canandaigua KOA in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The had full service and decent wifi.
We stayed here to explore the wine region around Canandaigua Lake.
The area was beautiful and the wine tasting fun and artsy.
Herkimer, New York
We stayed at this KOA before. Overall, we are not KOA fans because of the crowds, noise and cost, but they are easy to book online, have all the amenities, and are usually located in good areas to stop when putting in the miles on the way to a destination. We were able to pull in facing the West Canada Creek.
Our first attempt at a light ball picture. We entertained the people at the laundromat behind us! Michael put a flashlight inside a blue plastic bottle and twirled it for 60 seconds while the camera took timed photos. The things we do for fun!
