July 4th Weekend Photos from Olean, Rock City Park, and the Finger Lakes

We spent the Fourth of July out at my folks’ in Olean, NY. I got some delicious homemade German Chocolate Cake for my birthday, and we enjoyed fireworks from about a mile away. I experimented with the Canon G9 by snapping some fireworks at full zoom while the camera was “attached” to a folding chair with one of those crazy flexi-tri-pods. It was a site to behold… but actually took some decent pics!

German Chocolate Birthday CakeThe folks' backyardLush green along the crick behind my folks' houseFireworks on the Fourth of July in OleanFireworks on the Fourth of July in OleanFireworks on the Fourth of July in Olean

We stopped at Rock City Park while we were there. Here’s some details from their website:

Rock City Park, located in the Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County, south of Olean, New York on Route 16, is sometimes called one of the Eighth Wonders of the World. This prehistoric ocean floor is the World’s largest exposure of quartz conglomerate (also called ocean spar or puddingstone) and attracts thousands of visitors yearly.

Visitors are astounded by gigantic boulders several stories high with huge crevices sometimes referred to as “streets.” Rock City Park is believed to have been a fortress for the Seneca Indians at one time. “Three Sisters”, “Balancing Rock (a 1000 ton boulder), and “Indian Face” rock are just some of the natural rock formations found along Rock City’s scenic trails. From “Signal Rock,” once used as a signaling point by Indians, visitors enjoy the 1,000 square mile panoramic view of the Enchanted Mountains.

Rock City Park features a three quarter mile natural trail consisting of various steps and paths necessitating comfortable clothing and good walking shoes. During spring and summer you will see a variety of wildflowers, ferns, moss, Mountain Laurel (which blooms late in June) and of course enjoy the quiet serenity of the forest nestled among this geological wonder. Leaf peepers enjoy Rock City Park’s spectacular fall foliage.

Rock City Park Visitors' CenterTami Chillin' in the Rock City Park Visitors' CenterTrails in Rock City ParkLarge Passage in Rock City ParkScenic Overlook on Rock City HillIMG_0226-2

On the trek back to Albany we spent a few relaxing days in the Finger Lakes… including Watkins Glen and Taughannock Falls.

Tami in Watkins GlenWatkins Glen (Rivendell filter)Waterfalls in Watkins GlenDock Spider During Sunset in Watkins Glen on Seneca LakeTami at Taughannock Falls gorgeTaughannock Falls

As always you can view all my recent pics on my online photo gallery.

This entry was written by WarAxe, posted on July 20, 2008 at 10:34 pm, filed under General, Photography and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

u comment i follow 2 Comments

  1. AmeriGlide
    Posted July 22, 2008 at 2:57 pm | Permalink

    That cake looks really good and the country around Olean is very beautiful. The “Scenic Overlook on Rock City Hill” pic reminds me a lot of the North Carolina mountains.

    I went to the lake with a few friends for the 4th of July and had a great time, well other than getting poison ivy, but wish I had got to see some professional fireworks like you…

  2. Manny Ramirez
    Posted August 19, 2008 at 3:15 am | Permalink

    Nice pics buddy, I like the fireworks pictures a lot… specially this one looks amazing!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/waraxe/2666767848/in/set-72157606154840419/

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