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  3. TRAVEL 2014
  4. JULY, 2014: NEW YORK!

JULY, 2014: NEW YORK II

Continuation of the most voluminous flowing waterfall in the world, then to the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains (can you tell that I like waterfalls?).
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The small island on the U.S. side of Horseshoe Falls is Goat Island.
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The small island on the U.S. side of Horseshoe Falls is Goat Island.

ababevandbrigoatisland

  • The small island on the U.S. side of Horseshoe Falls is Goat Island.
  • Looking over Horseshoe Falls from Goat Island.
  • You see the small foot-bridge to your right? There is a part of the river under that, which lunges over Bridal Veil Falls, hidden behind the bushes between us and the people standing on the little island between us and American Falls. We are still on Goat Island.<br /> <br /> Frederick Law Olmstead did some design work for the parks around here, and he wrote of Goat Island that he had traveled 4,000 miles over North American "without finding elsewhere the same quality of forest beauty which was once abundant about the falls, and which is still to be observed in those parts of Goat Island where the original growth of trees and shrubs had not been disturbed..." He believed the mist of the falls to promote lush growth of an unequaled variety of trees. Yep: For those of you familiar with Seattle history (and the history of many other places, too), this is the SAME Frederick Olmsted who designed the original intricate walk-way and park system of Seattle. That guy really got around!
  • John Stedman, an early pioneer here, kept a herd of goats here. He returned after a terrible winter in 1780 to find that only one goat had made it through the winter. Thus the name Goat Island. I guess if 2 or more had survived, he would have maybe named it Goats Island.<br /> <br /> But actually, here we are standing on the little island you saw in the previous photo: Between Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls. I wonder what Bev and Bri are looking at?
  • Aaah! That's what is so interesting! All the folks down on the Cave of the Wind walk and the Hurricane Deck! The water you see between them and us is Bridal Veil Falls.
  • And now WE are down here, where we were looking at in the previous photo. American Falls to your left and Bridal Veil Falls to your right (looks a LOT larger from here than what it did in any previous photo, doesn't it!).
  • There used to be a cave under American Falls, but it was intentionally demolished a few years ago because it became too hazardous (the Falls are receding with time -- in the fairly near past as much as 5 feet per year, although now {due in part to reduced flow resulting from diversion for hydroelectric production} it is receding at about 1 foot per year). So, while the Cave of the Wind no longer exists, the walk is still called the Cave of the Wind Walk.
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  • Notice all the water running beneath them.
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  • Bri enjoys standing in the little river flowing across the walkway as she ponders whether to brave the Hurricane Deck.
  • This does not really capture the wind or the water of the Hurricane Deck. If you stood at the far corner (along the rail to your right and just beyond that group of people standing there) for more than a few seconds, you would get totally pelted with water. Does make for a nice rainbow!
  • Start out looking down from the top, then descend down to the Cave of the Wind decks. Notice how Bev tries to get off the trail as she is walking up the steps, but thank goodness the railing prevents her from doing so! There was way too much water flying through the air over the Hurricane Deck for me to get video while in the midst of it, but the last scene does look back at the Hurricane Deck from a fairly safe distance.
  • Black squirrel in the Goat Island parking area.
  • Canandaigua Lake, the 4th largest of the Finger Lakes in New York.
  • Bev and Bri at Taughanock Falls State Park
  • In a beautiful forest setting, Taughanock Falls (at 215 feet -- that's 33 feet taller than Niagra Falls) is the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains.
  • A nice trail follows the river up to the base of Taughanock Falls.
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