I have been needing a vacation for a while now and the weekend of Indigenous Peoples Day was the perfect opportunity for me. Friday morning, I packed up my car and left Pittsburgh, PA and headed for Niagara Falls, NY. To break up the trip I made a stop in Erie, PA. For the first time in years I got to see the beautiful sand beach on Presque Isle. While walking the beach I searched for sea glass, cool rocks, and shells. When I finally arrived at Niagara Falls the sun was setting. The sky was a beautiful peach color. The falls were one of the most powerful things I have ever seen. Luckily it was not that crowded either, so I was easily able to maintain social distancing. There were a few crowds, but almost everyone was wearing a mask. Day two of my vacation I packed up and headed for Cherry Springs State Park in Coudersport, PA. Cherry Springs State Park is known for its incredible view of the stars at night. I arrived at the park just as the sun was setting so I could still see and set up where I was going to sit since I brought chairs. Once it was dark the stars lit up the sky. Luckily, I was sitting near a park ranger that had a green laser pointer that reached the sky. He was pointing out and naming different constellations. I was also able to maintain social distancing at this location. The third day was when my vacation sadly had to come to an end. I searched for an attraction between Coudersport and Pittsburgh to see if there was one last place I could visit before I went home. I decided on Kinzua Bridge State Park. This attraction is a railroad track that got knocked over by a tornado in 2003. What is left of the bridge is still standing as a sky walk today. I do not recommend if you are afraid of heights because it is 301 feet high.
The park also has a trail that you can hike down that goes all the way to the other side of the railroad track. The hike was challenging towards the other end of the track because the path is very steep and loose. It was all worth it though to see the beautiful colors of the fall trees. This was the perfect inexpensive weekend trip. I am so happy that I chose to come during the fall. Driving to each of these locations was fun itself because of the changing colors of the trees.
Written By: Geanna Forster
Edited By: Crystal Lord