Watkins Glen stands out in my mind
Written: Mar 21 '01
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Pros: We stumbled upon it, and I'm happy we did.
Cons: Thousands of other people stumbled upon it at the same time.
The Bottom Line: If your normal camping routine is a trailer park you're missing out on wonders like Watkins Glen.
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| YYvonne's Full Review: Watkins Glen State Park |
It's been many years, nearly a decade, since I visited Watkins Glen in New York State, along the Finger Lakes region.
Quite by accident my former husband and I stumbled upon this beautiful park while on our way to Lake Placid for a family vacation.
The photographs I took that trip are among the most favourite of my collection. In part they signify some of the last happy days of my marriage ... wonderful pictures of my small daughter snuggled in the arms of her father while walking along the scenic gorge ... but also, for the most part because of the stellar beauty of Watkins Glen.
We happened upon the park purely because we were looking for a place to park our recreational vehicle for the night. I was most impressed by the campsites and their ability to support our larger camping rig. In all, Watkins Glen is a relatively large state park, immensely tidy and orderly with huge and prolific trees, and wonderful paved but narrow roads, perfect for forcing lower speeds among motorists, and perfect for bicycling. The terrain in the park is extremely hilly, in fact in my home-town Ontario terms, nearly mountainous, so biking in the park is a perfect workout. I walked half the time I was biking, so steep were the climbs, but the scenery was incredible and I didn't mind a bit.
Inside the campground, with a two-year-old, we availed ourselves of the plentiful playgrounds but because our stay was short, we did not take advantage of the pool in the park.
Most memorable was our hike through the gorge at Watkins Glen. Be warned, this is a sturdy hike requiring a basic level of physical fitness. It took us two hours to hike through the gorge, and at times I thought I would certainly expire in the muggy August heat. Cascading sprays of water along the cliff walls provided relief, but I wished I had purchased a shuttlebus pass at the top of the trail rather than having to return hike to the bottom.
In general, I was somewhat disappointed by the commercial tone of the countryside surrounding Watkins Glen. What can one expect though when the community is home to a large Formula One racing attraction.
I loved Watkins Glen. I can't say I'd make a point of going again, because of the commercialism of the racing business, but I can say I'm very glad I saw it.
Thanks for reading!
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: June-August
Review Topic: Campgrounds & Lodging
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Epinions.com ID:
YYvonne
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Member: Bonnie
Reviews written: 97
Trusted by: 71 members
About Me:
If it's not going to matter in 10 years, why sweat it?
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