Finally made it to Watkins Glen. For years I have been intending to visit here and for whatever reason, it’s been avoiding me. People have been asking me if I have ever been to Watkins Glen for fifteen years and now I finally know what they were talking about.

Watkins Glen is a state park built around a 1.5 mile long spectacularly unique stretch of a creek. 13,000 years ago when the glaciers retreated from this area, one particular lake was extra deep and so the water began spilling out into the newly formed valleys below. The relatively small creek was still strong enough to carve down through the rocks creating drastic waterfalls, steep walls, and enticing pools. Different rocks erode at different rates so the natural variety here was the perfect recipe for this dramatic canyon or glen. 

If all goes well, we won’t see home for nearly three months. With so much new this year, it’s a relief to finally get on the road. The nerves and anxiety build, forcing me to double think everything. The trip has been booked and settled for months and now I just have to trust I made all the right decisions back then. Six-months-ago Me planned the perfect first day for our trip. Now on the road, anxiety and nerves settle and are replaced by relief and excitement. This year we will explore Canada, but this time, to the Northeast. Like Watkins Glen, our trip is full of names that I keep hearing about but have never visited. Places like Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. My desire to experience the unknown far outweighs my fear of the unknown and, like today, I expect each stop to bring me fun and knowledge. The unexpected fun and knowledge is the best part though. 

Today I saw 17 waterfalls and learned what a glen is and how it’s formed. 

As for day to day, we got the final packing done and left around noon. Stopped half way through our three hour drive for some Mexican food. When we arrived, it took us slightly longer to set up because we are not in full season form. We took a walk, did some yoga, Maple biked around, and Fitz played. Within an hour the hammock was off limits because of sibling rivalry and some Cirque Du Soleil shit. We cooked little smokies over the fire and walked around the state park campground. In the morning we went for what we came for, we completed the three mile loop and even found a stop for ice cream half way. Once back at camp we stretched and took out the Nature Journal. Fitz completed a junior ranger book and earned a patch. We went to the visitor center to claim his prize and found ourselves in an unexpected cute downtown area where we perused door to door shops and reached the shores of Lake Seneca.