Wonderful Only Because It's The City, Why Central Park Only Rates As An Average Park.

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The Good: Nice scenery, Activities in winter and summer, Sense of culture
The Bad: Not the greatest variety of...anything, Problematic parking
The Basics: There is a lot to do -little of it actually having to do with communing with nature- in Central Park, the closest thing to a nature escape in NYC.


As a lover of nature and as one who just bought a State Park pass to get my wife and I into every state park in New York State this season, it might seem strange that I am proudly writing a contrarian review of Central Park in New York City. The truth is, though, that around New York State there are dozens of parks which are better than Central Park and arguably the only reason that Central Park in New York City is such a rush to so many people is that it is the most green people who live their lives on the island ever see. My dad, on one of our trips to New York City, made a crack that stuck with me ever since; about New York City and Central Park, he noted, "They spend so much time and money building up the island with new high-rises and industrial areas and then they pay the biggest premiums to face the one place on the island that is least like the City!" He's right; Central Park is the great big exception to the rule of what New York City is.

As a result, travelers to New York State (yes, we have a whole state outside The City) are likely to find other state parks have more to offer those who love nature, flowers, camping or hiking than Central Park in New York City does. I'm not saying - as one will see later - that it's not worth visiting Central Park as part of a New York City experience, but it's pretty much the least New York City thing one can do in New York City, save going to the movie theater for whatever banal flick Summer Blockbuster Theater is spewing out that week. If you want beauty, Central Park is easily trumped by Green Lake State Park (reviewed here!). If you want activities and a colossal number of flowers blooming before your eyes, Central Park doesn't hold a candle to Highland Park in Rochester. But for those visiting New York City and feeling boxed in, Central Park offers some green in an otherwise gray and glass city.


Location

Central Park is appropriately named as it is located pretty much in the middle of midtown Manhattan. This is a giant stretch of grass and rock that is essentially a huge open space that extends from 110th St. down to 59th St. The park occupies that amount of space between the perpendicular streets Central Park West (a block over from Columbus Avenue) and 5th Avenue. This is over two hundred acres of real estate in the middle of New York City.

Central Park is an organized open space filled with grass little knolls, boulders and paved trails. There are trees and small lake, four ponds and the reservoir which supplies the City with fresh drinking water. This is the most green one is likely to see in the summer in New York City (outside Wall Street) and in the summer, it is usually a few degrees cooler than the rest of the City. It is virtually impossible to get lost trying to find Central Park; if one is cutting across the island, they are pretty much guaranteed to run into it unless they are too high or too low on island. As noted, this is a pretty significant amount of space in New York City for any one body to take up. As well, if one simply looks for the lack of buildings and heads for it, odds are they are headed right for Central Park!

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

Perhaps one of my most repetitive mantras in New York City is "New York City is a pain in the butt to get around in." Central Park is no exception. There seem to be ever-changing parking regulations near the Park, but to the best of my knowledge one cannot park within a block of the Park and if you can, it is expensive and there are time limits. New York City is a great city for people willing to walk around. My partner and I parked several blocks away from Central Park and hiked it. The least expensive parking is the parking closest to the Henry Hudson Parkway on the west side and similar places on the East side. Parking there is about a mile to walk to the Park. Trying to find parking at any time of day near Central Park is going to be problematic and annoying at best, if not impossible and over-expensive.

Within Central Park, there are several options for getting around. Walking is the most popular, though in recent years, in-line skaters and bicycles have been popular. In the winter, Central Park is wonderful to cross-country ski through. Central Park - save for a few locations where service vehicles tend to equipment or properties - is devoid of automobiles. For the full tourist experience, there are carriage rides through Central Park and they run on the order of $35 for an hour.

Activity/Purpose

Unlike any number of parks in New York State or the rest of the United States, there are frequently activities running throughout Central Park. First, there are at least twenty-six notable sites within Central Park (easily found on the map at the Central Park official website centralparknyc.org ). These include the Central Park Zoo, Belvedere Castle, a theater (for outdoor plays, etc.) and various boathouses. Central Park is a combination of yet another place in New York City where there are a ton of things to do and nothing to do but experience a close facsimile of nature. People who love the outdoors will easily recognize that the wooded areas are the result of planning and organization and even non-nature buffs are forced to acknowledge that there are not paved paths through real nature sites.

So, the purpose here is one of two things: either to do something or to not do anything. This might seem obvious, but unlike so many places in New York City, Central Park is much more about what you want to bring to it or get out of it than other New York City experiences. Unlike, for example, an art gallery where one goes to be enlightened or informed or a restaurant where one goes with the intent to have a great meal and/or get filled up, Central Park is about either doing things or hanging out and seeing New York City pass one by.

For those who want to do nothing, Central Park is about wandering miles of curving roads without cars, looking at giant boulders, descending into a little valley and climbing out. It is a place where the purpose is to forget you're in one of the giant bull's-eye cities on Earth and enjoy the simplicity of wandering near flowers, pine trees, and running water. It is one of the greatest places on the planet to watch people as in the course of a single day hundreds of people from every walk of life, ethnicity, and personality will walk through. It's a place to meet friends and listen to music or watch performers do their thing. It's the closest place outdoors most people in New York City will ever find solitude. This, however, is also why Central Park is only an average park: in a city of eight million people, at any given time the number of people looking for solitude and a connection with nature is still going to be in the tens of thousands (even in winter). The ability to find yourself truly alone in Central Park during the day to actually commune with nature is so limited as to be considered a pipe dream.

As for those looking to do something, Central Park is merely an open-air extension of the rest of New York City. There are physical activities, like skating (in-line or ice). In the summer, there is swimming at the Lasker Swimming Pool on the north end (or standing around in water, as it is often crowded and it's not like you'd be able to do laps there); in the winter, there is ice skating at the same locale. There are structures like Belvedere Castle in the middle of the park that offer tours for sightseers, the Discovery Center on the northeast corner of the Park where children can learn through numerous programs sponsored by the Central Park Conservatory. There is a Conservatory (also in the northeast section of the Park), but it is easily rivaled by conservatories in Rochester, NY and Niagara Falls. Similarly, the playgrounds throughout the park (there are at least four spread throughout the park) are fine, but basic and they tend to be as crowded as every other attraction in New York City, so it's hard to recommend Central Park as a place for children.

Come to think of it, the time I appreciated Central Park the most was on my last visit, with my partner. She let me climb the rocks in the park that my father never would. For more athletic types, there is a tennis court (near the reservoir) and the carousel (southwest corner) which is admittedly pretty cool. If it seems like the activities offered in Central Park are unimportant to me, you've caught my gist pretty well; I'm much more a wander through the park and enjoy what little nature there is type person. But this is not like wandering nature trails in the Adirondacks or other New York State parks. In the summer, there is jazz music and open-air performers, theater going on, weddings taking place at the Terrace or Conservatory, and there are people everywhere.

The reason I'm not so wild about Central Park is that it is yet another busy place in New York City. The City is noisy and there are people everywhere; Central Park is no exception. Those looking to have a real nature experience have a better chance of getting it at the Natural History Museum than they do at Central Park!

Dining

The main place to eat in Central Park is the Tavern On The Green, in the southwest corner of the Park. Not being much for taverns, I've not (honestly) stopped in there even. That said, there are plenty of dining options on the edge of Central Park and from cart-vendors throughout. Hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, sausage and the like may be purchased from any one of hundreds of cart-based vendors set up throughout the park. There is ice cream and plenty of vendors with water or soda for sale in the summer as well. Of course, everything is expensive at these places.

Shopping

There is a gift shop in the southern part of Central Park along with the visitor's center with plenty of generic "I Love NY" and Central Park merchandise. These, like the vendors throughout the park selling photographs and keychains and the like, are designed for getting tourist cash. There is nothing distinctly "Central Park" for sale in or about Central Park. This is one of the few free places in New York City worth wandering around at.

Overall

Call me a curmudgeon, but I like my parks to offer some respite from the urban areas that surround them and it takes weird hours and getting deep into Central Park before one can truly have that sort of experience there. This is a good park and offers a decent change of pace when visiting New York City, but it is hardly an essential park experience and it is barely a nature one, given that there are so many options for things to do within the park.

For other places in New York City to visit, please check out my reviews of:
American Museum Of Natural History
Castle Clinton
Times Square

5/10

For other travel reviews, please be sure to visit my Travel Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the travel reviews I have written.

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

On Location Tours: Central Park Movie Tour - Click here for tickets!

It Is, Therefore . . . Nothing. Castle Clinton Is A Good Place To Warm Up.

The Good: Free, There is history there. . .
The Bad: In New York City, there's pretty much history everywhere! (Not much to do).
The Basics: Being a free place to go in NYC keeps Castle Clinton National Monument out of the "avoid it" column . . . barely. Castle Clinton is hard to get to with nothing to do once there.


On my recent trip to New York City with my partner, we went all over Manhattan or at least as much as we could do in the four days we were in the City. We did the trip our way, which was to plan less and experience things organically and enjoyably, which is why we arguably did not get as much out of some places, like the Museum Of Modern Art (reviewed here!). But for all our lack of planning, there were some places where we did enough, but there simply was not much - or much that interested us - to do. One of those places was Castle Clinton National Monument and the lack of activities is probably why it has taken me so long to get around to reviewing it.

Location

Castle Clinton National Monument is in Manhattan, at the southernmost tip at Battery Park. Battery Park is a small, open space with grass where there are vendors hawking things for tourists and food carts. We were in the area of Battery Park because we had been told about the free daily Staten Island Ferry, which seemed like it might be fun to ride. It was. The point of departure for the Ferry on Manhattan is right next to Battery Park.

At the tip of Battery Park, looking out onto New York Harbor is Castle Clinton National Monument. The best way to find it is either Mapquest directions for Battery Park or, if you go to New York City, drive south past Wall Street and try to find parking. Castle Clinton National Monument is in Battery Park and in winter, it is chilly on the tip of Manhattan, so bundle up! In Spring and Fall, it's fine and in Summer Castle Clinton offers a refuge from heat . . . in parts.

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

Battery Park cannot be reached by car. The nearest parking is about two blocks away and it gets expensive quickly. We lucked out when we visited; on Sunday mornings, one of the nearby towaway zones becomes legal to park in and as a result, we were able to park right on the street. There are signs for Battery Park in Southern Manhattan, but by the time you see them, there is nowhere decent to park. Castle Clinton, then, becomes more ideal for those who are walking around New York City for the day anyway.

Castle Clinton is wheelchair accessible, but one needs to keep in mind that there are no good places for standing to even unload a wheelchair-bound person near Castle Clinton, so even the mobility challenged need to consider if it is truly worth getting this historical building checked off their "to see" list. For me, it's a pretty easy decision.

Activity/Purpose

Castle Clinton National Monument is a free national monument which was a good place for my partner and I to warm up when the wind got pretty bad in Battery Park as we awaited the ferry. There are helpful park rangers, if one needs one for any sort of problem while in Battery Park, but otherwise, Castle Clinton is a historical marker that one might tour and learn about its history. There is a single closed building at the front gate - which is where we warmed up - but the rest of the Castle is open air, so it is pretty much whatever the temperature is outside inside the facility.

There are three tours a day (10 A.M., noon, 2 P.M.) which feature a park ranger walking the visitors through the various parts of Castle Clinton and describing its history. This is pretty much a human-driven presentation that is virtually identical to the reading materials found in the gatehouse where the models of Manhattan through the years are kept. It is hardly interactive and the guide sounded pretty bored as he described how Castle Clinton began as a fort designed to protect Manhattan from waterside attacks, it became a center of entertainment before the fears over immigrants compelled it to be turned into an immigration checkpoint. Later, it was an aquarium.

See? I've just saved you the time waiting for the tour. Because Castle Clinton National Monument is a historical building that has been preserved and restored to its - equivalent of - glory, there is not much to see there. It is not like there are huge sections illustrating the various eras the building went through. As a result, most of the tour is the park ranger wandering with visitors through the castle telling them what the building was at various points in time. The tour takes twenty minutes. The basic information took you how long to read? The tour pretty much pads out what I just wrote and what the first displays in Castle Clinton illustrate. One can get just as much walking through on their own without waiting for the tour.

At least it is free.

Dining

Castle Clinton National Monument does not have anywhere to eat in it. In Battery Park, though, one may buy food from carts.

Shopping

Just as Castle Clinton is not a dining hotspot, there is nothing to buy here. There are, however, free pamphlets for other, more interesting, places in New York City. In Battery Park, adjacent to Castle Clinton, there are people selling souvenirs and t-shirts.

Overall

Castle Clinton was a fort in the War of 1812 which has the distinction of never being fired upon, nor ever firing weapons at anyone. In a city loaded with historical and cultural milestones, a place where nothing really happened becomes far less interesting than the thousands of places where things DID happen and are happening now. For those planning a trip to New York City, this can be safely near the bottom of one's list of things to see.

For other places in New York to visit, please check out my reviews of:
Times Square
Lincoln Center For The Performing Arts
Boldt Castle

2/10

For other travel reviews, please visit my Travel Review Index Page for an organized listing of all I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Bones In The Ground, Sweltering Sun Above, That's Dinosaur National Monument For You!

The Good: Very cool fossils and petroglyphs, Inexpensive, Uncommercial
The Bad: Half the park is currently closed, Hard to find
The Basics: Worth making a stop in the desert, Dinosaur National Monument is home to a small collection of fossils worth stopping to see.


Last year, on my way to Las Vegas, I fulfilled one of my mother's lifelong ambitions by taking her to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico (reviewed here!). She had (apparently) been dating a tennis pro in the early 1980s and he took her to Carlsbad, California where they discovered there were no caves and my mother was so miserable the rest of the trip that she made the guy's life hell and they nearly got kicked out of Disneyland as a result of their fighting. Charming, eh? I mention this because for a decent chunk of time, it looked like I would get thrown into the same emotional sewer as the tennis pro while taking my mother to Carlsbad Caverns because the directions provided by the ever-helpful Department of the Interior were actually to a Carlsbad Caverns information booth, approximately twenty-five miles away from the actual park. This becomes relevant as I begin my review of Dinosaur National Monument because the government website for this national monument directs the visitor specifically to 4545 Highway 40, Dinosaur, Colorado claiming that most on-line mapping programs get the location wrong.

The thing is, at 4545 Highway 40 in Dinosaur, Colorado, there is an abandoned visitor's center, a long road into nowhere and a giant sign that reads something to the effect of: "The fossils you actually WANT to see are over in Utah, sucker!" And it's true: Dinosaur National Monument stretches from Dinosaur, Colorado to Jensen, Utah and the only part of it worth stopping at is the Utah side (and yes, I never thought I'd be recommending anything in Utah over . . . well anything anywhere else!).

Location

Out in the middle of nowhere in Jensen, Utah is Dinosaur National Monument - with fossils! Because I was directed there from an information kiosk in Dinosaur, Colorado, I am unsure how well the on-line sites like MapQuest are at directing people there. However, I will reiterate that the U.S. government site is absolutely worthless for it. It puts the address on the Colorado side, which is half an hour away from the Utah entrance.

Finding Dinosaur National Monument near Jensen, Utah is fairly easy. Actually, it's hit or miss; there are decent signs directing visitors there, but there is one very long, winding dirt road into the park. If you miss it, you miss the park and it's quite a ways to anything that would tell you otherwise. Near the crucial turnoff, there is a Sinclair Gas Station with its big green dinosaur out front, taunting visitors or directing them, depending on how late you are getting into the park.

This puts Dinosaur National Monument in the northeastern corner of Utah and the northwestern corner of Colorado.

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

Transport into and around the park is very easy as: 1. There is one paved road leading to the main parking lot, 2. There is a shuttle bus from the parking lot up the hill, and 3. You get to walk back down the hillside to the parking lot. The parking lot had at least fifty parking spots and, frankly, it is hard to imagine it full.

Essentially, Dinosaur National Monument is a big hunk of rocks out in the middle of the desert. I arrived there at 4:30 local time and it was 110 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's not like this is a wonderful place to linger and have a good, fun time outdoors at. But, to its credit, it is easy to get into and easy to navigate around, mostly because there is nowhere else to go once one is at the park. This is, after all, in Utah - and not one of the well-populated areas!

Activity/Purpose

Fossils, my boy! The whole point of Dinosaur National Monument is to come see fossils. And wow, this is where the park turns mediocre. First, upon entering the park, one parks their car. We arrived a half hour before closing on a Sunday and as a result, there was no charge for parking. Usually, entrance into the park is $10, so if you can live with less boiling in the desert sun, perhaps Sundays shortly before closing is the time to go!

There is a decent pavilion with fossils displayed in it at the "base camp" near the parking lot. This gives a history of the area and there are several guides who happily tell visitors what to expect when they are driven up the hill. Unfortunately, the visitor's center with the wall of fossils is currently undergoing repairs because the ground has settled some or eroded and the building is falling apart. Visitors are not even allowed to peek in the windows.

What visitors are allowed to do is be driven up to the top of a hill, where they walk down a fairly steep, rocky path to various markers. At the markers, one sees tiny shell fossils in a big rock (I kid you not, it looks like a rock with rain droplet erosion!), three pieces of a massive dinosaur still embedded in a wall of shale, and more fossils of tiny shells. The three locations one passes on the walk down and around the hill are marked with simple wooden posts (one was missing its placard when I visited this summer). After the last bit of fossils is a rock with petroglyphs and then one finds themselves back at the parking lot. The entire walk is about a mile and a half and there are parts that are narrow and the whole thing is rocky, so good shoes are important.

Whatwith it being the desert, having water with you is important as well.

Dining

There is nowhere to eat in Dinosaur National Monument.

Shopping

There is a little impromptu visitor's center on the Utah side, but I didn't have a chance to go in. In addition to whatever souvenirs are sold there, there is a fossil shop just outside the National Park at the end of that one road in. It was closed when we arrived there, but they do have a neat dinosaur with a saddle that makes for a fun photograph for tourists.

Overall

Once one finds the right side of Dinosaur National Monument, it is an educational and surprisingly fun, even if it does not take a long time to get through. Ultimately, despite the heat and sunlight, it was pretty cool to see the dinosaur bones and I'm recommending this oft-neglected National Park because it does what it claims to. I'm recommending it with this caveat, though: make a trip to Dinosaur National Monument part of a larger trip somewhere, like as part of a trip to, say, Salt Lake City. There is not enough here to sustain a whole day's travel to and from or entertainment at. Instead, it's a nice place to stop for an hour on your way somewhere else.

And hey, stopping for education is always worthwhile!

For other national parks or similar places to visit, please be sure to check out my reviews of:
Meramec Caverns
Mount Rushmore
Hoover Dam

5.5/10

For other destination reviews, please be sure to visit my Travel Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Haven Away From Summer Departures; "Fair Haven Beach" State Park

The Good: Scenery, Cabins, Nice trails, Clean beaches, (rumored) Good fishing
The Bad: Expensive, Lack of bedding options in cabins, Campsites are close to one another, Filthy bathrooms
The Basics: A nice state park with a great beach is compromised by expensive cabins and pretty filthy bathrooms.


For those who know me, it might come as something of a surprise that I have been developing a spontaneous side. Yes, while most of my reviews indicate a mind clearly devoted to researching the hell out of every item and activity, I have taken it upon myself to open up to life's rich pageant and be spontaneous. So, when a friend and I were looking for a place to escape together for a night back in August, we decided we would simply drive around until we found a place. I think she was just eager not to spend another night at home and didn't want to end up in a hotel.

We did end up finding a place to spend the night and that place was Fair Haven Beach State Park. After four hours of driving around - pretty pathetic considering that the Park is about forty-five minutes from our house! - we drove by the sign for the state park neither of us had ever been to and we decided to stop in. It was that spontaneous, random chance that spurred us to a night in a nice - if not mind-blowing - State Park.

Location

Fair Haven Beach State Park is located in the Finger Lakes Region of the New York State State Park System. This state park is located two miles north of Fair Haven, New York on Lake Ontario. If that's of absolutely no help, it's not a surprise; Fair Haven is pretty much the middle of nowhere in the north of the thruway realm between Rochester and Syracuse. It is directly accessible from Route 104A and getting directions from MapQuest (which I did later on for this review) provides reliable results when one uses the address of: 14985 State Park Rd. Fair Haven, NY as the destination.

The nearest place to shop - this becomes relevant later - is Oswego, which is approximately fifteen miles northeast of Fair Haven Beach State Park. Traveling spontaneously for trips renewed my joy over driving a hybrid car.

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

Fair Haven Beach State Park is remarkably easy to get around. When one checks in at the ranger's station at the park entrance (about a mile into the park), they have ample maps and the staff was quite helpful in pointing out where everything was. Indeed, when my friend and I went, we were allowed to enter the park on a five-minute pass to inspect the cabin we'd be staying at before committing to stay there for the night.

The roads throughout the park are well-maintained, clearly marked and easy to navigate around. We passed at least two parking areas near the beaches before we arrived at the cabins. Every cabin that we saw had parking room enough for four cars (at least), that's how far they were set back from the main roads. Getting around and parking within the State Park was not a problem at all.

The roads around the park were fine as well, though there are some hills in the area that I suspect are bad in the winter.

Accommodations

The reason I tend to plan ahead on virtually everything is because the unforeseen usually becomes expensive. My friend and I lucked out as someone had just canceled a night of their cabin rental and thus we were able to squeeze into a cabin for a night. Usually, the cabins at Fair Haven Beach State Park - and throughout the New York State Park system - have a two night minimum stay during peak stay periods. We were able to squeeze into an eight bed cabin for a night at the shocking rate of $90.00 plus park entrance fee ($7.00) for the night. There is no discount given to people arriving after 6 P.M. and doing them the favor of taking their last available cabin.

But what we got for our $97.00 was pretty impressive. The cabin had eight beds, which I am liberally describing as beds, in two rooms. Entering the cabin puts a visitor in the main room with a decent sized dining room table, fireplace (propane, heats the place up night for a chilly summer night!), refrigerator and stove. There was no microwave, but there was the gas range stove with oven. Turning either left or right from the main room put a visitor in one of the two bedrooms. The bedrooms had four separate beds - again, they are little more than cots featuring plastic-coated sleeping mattresses (full size). In other words, thoughts of a romantic getaway pretty much die at the bed. Yes, these are close quarters for anyone looking to sleep together.

Add to that, as a state park, there are (obviously, apparently) no linens or pillows. That meant that Spontaneous Trip Night became a trip back to Oswego for a stop and Bed, Bath and Beyond for sheets, pillows and food. Obviously, this is not a hotel, so one needs to bring their own food. They also need to buy their own firewood if they intend to make, say, s'mores over an open fire at night. Mmmm . . . s'mores.

There were curtains on the windows and the locks on the cabins worked well. That was nice because the cabin was a bit close (approximately fifty feet away) from our nearest neighbor and he was a creepy guy sitting out in a lawn chair watching us at 11 P.M. Sigh . . .

When the cabin was filled with food, bedding and pillows, it spruced right up. Fortunately, it was clean when we arrived.

What was not clean were the bathrooms. Sure, it's a public campground and a beach, but the bathrooms were freakshow unclean between the . . . umm, habits (?) of other users and the sheer number of bugs. Very hard to feel clean in any of the two bathrooms we checked out nearest our cabin. There were more bathrooms, some even closer, but they were locked at dusk (thank you for that!).

In addition to cabin camping, there were campsites for tents; there seemed to be plenty, but we didn't even wander over near them.

Attractions

Whenever one is thinking of traveling to a state park, there is usually a reason, something one hopes to see or do. Fair Haven Beach State Park is a wonderful escape from the compulsion to do anything. There were no less than three different bodies of water including Lake Ontario, a stream, and a lake or pond our cabin was on (great view of cattails and frogs!). There are two beaches for swimming in Lake Ontario and the truth is they were two of the cleanest beaches I've yet seen. The water was clean and the sandy beach was kept remarkably clear of debris.

The State Park offered options like canoe rentals and equipment for that, though we opted not to go boating. Instead, we wandered the trails through the nearby woods. It's quite scenic and watching the sun set over Lake Ontario was beautiful. The trails gave us a good workout and checking out the local flora and fauna was nice. There were quite a few bugs at night, but they were not bad in the morning when we went for another walk before checking out.

The stream seemed especially popular for fishing and people seemed to be catching quite a few fish. We tended to avoid the fishing, though we did go out on one of the abandoned stone piers (we probably weren't supposed to given its condition, but it was pretty cool) and generally explored the area.

And there was the firepit outside our cabin where we made s'mores.

This State Park is ideal for people trying to get away from a routine and who want to simply kick back and enjoy time together. There are activities if one wants them and if one is just looking to go for long walks in nature, it's incredible for that. But, it's definitely an outdoorsy location with the intent being to enjoy nature. Those who like plush accommodations will not find them here.

In the winter (some of the cabins are winterized), ice fishing and skiing through the park are allowed and it seems like it would be a great location for both. It's remote enough that the trails must be beautiful after first snow!


Overall

Well, it's nearby for people in Upstate New York and it was generally a satisfactory trip, though it was a bit pricey and thinking about the bathrooms still makes me shudder. That said, I'm likely to return again to wander about and explore the trails, even if we don't stay in a cabin again. If you're coming in from out of town, it's a wonderful location, though knowing the limitations in advance (like the lack of beds one - or rather two - might share) will allow you to better plan ahead. This would be a steal for a family looking to camp together; with eight beds for $90 and all the potential things to do out in nature or at the beach, that might make it worth it. But for couples, I'd say spoil yourself somewhere else or visit and plan to spend the night elsewhere unless you truly enjoy mild "roughing it."

For other state park reviews, please be sure to visit my takes on:
Green Lakes
Chittenango Falls
Verona Beach State Park


7/10

For other travel reviews, please visit my Travel Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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No Matter How Much I Enjoy It, Chittenango Falls State Park Is Average-At-Best.

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The Good: Scenic, Beautiful, Clean, Space to hike, Inexpensive
The Bad: Not much to do
The Basics: In a razor descision, I recommend the mediocre Chittenango Falls State Park because it is beautiful and there is plenty of room to hike without crowds.


Right before I began my annual trip westward, my wife and I went to Chittenango Falls State Park. This is probably the closest state park to our home, but we've been so happy with swimming at our regular state park (Green Lakes!) that we've just not managed to get to Chittenango Falls until now. My wife instantly fell in love with the park as it has a gorgeous waterfall that is quite wonderful to photograph.

However, as we set off on our trip to Las Vegas and I think about all of the places I've been and will go, Chittenango Falls State Park is objectively average. At best, Chittenango Falls State Park is a place one may go, enjoy being dazzled and then leave with a sense they have been somewhere beautiful. There is little to see or do that cannot be done within two hours, so it is hard to recommend as a destination.

On the plus side, access is inexpensive enough; cars are just $4.00 to get into the park and this is one of the many, many New York State parks which is accessible using the Park Pass program ($65.00/year for access to all state parks!).

Location

Chittenango Falls State Park is, ironically enough, located closer to Cazenovia, NY than it is
Chittenango. However, Chittenango Falls State Park seems to be only accessible from a single road. In Chittenango, the road is called Falls Road and it is a winding road that ascends a hill over the course of several miles to lead the visitor to a curve where the state park sits. Before Falls Road hits Cazenovia, it becomes something else, though. However, MapQuest directions provide excellent directions to Chittenango Falls State Park.

The Park is a fairly secluded location with deciduous and coniferous trees and two open lawns, one with a playground, one with picnic tables. This is a great park to visit in the Spring, summer and Fall (though in autumn, if it is raining heavily and leaves have fallen, it can be treacherous). In winter, the roads like Falls Road are too risky to travel on and whatwith the park being closed, it is unwise to attempt to get to Chittenango Falls State Park.

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

Chittenango Falls State Park is easy to get around inside the park, so long as one is up for hiking around. The paths tend to be steep, occasionally slippery and rocky. As a result, it is important to wear sensible shoes when visiting Chittenango Falls State Park. The park makes a few passing attempts to be wheelchair accessible, but only to the upper fall's view; there is no wheelchair access that allows disabled visitors to look at the Falls from more than one angle.

The reason getting around Chittenango Falls State Park is so easy is there is only a single access point and a single parking lot. There is only parking for about fifty vehicles, so this park has the potential to fill up ridiculously quickly (though it being out of the way usually prevents that).

Accommodations

Dirt. Chittenango Falls State Park is not one of the happy, coddling places to go to camp. Instead, one has a choice of dirt, dirt with trees, dirt near the playground. In truth, our last visit to Chittenango Falls State Park revealed that what campgrounds there once were at this park are currently closed, so we were unable to look in on them, but there are only campsites here, no cabins or tents provided.

Attractions

Whenever one is thinking of traveling to a state park, there is usually a reason, something one hopes to see or do. Chittenango Falls State Park is built up around the Chittenango Falls. It is a waterfall built over several stages and there are markers informing visitors as to the geological eras associated with each level of the Falls and they are fascinating. But largely, the reason to come to Chittenango Falls is to see the waterfall, which is over one hundred feet tall and is quite photogenic. The stream which feeds the Falls is constant and Chittenango Falls quietly flows.

To capitalize on the Chittenango Falls, Chittenango Falls State Park has built up about five miles of winding trails through the woods surrounding the Falls for hiking. As a result, visitors can hike down into the gorge to the base of Chittenango Falls and see it from a bridge which crosses the creek below the Falls. Hikers are basically hiking down steps made of stone (very slippery when wet!) or cut into the hill. These latter steps are the most problematic as they are essentially dirt, held in place by giant wood posts and covered in gravel. Getting down the steep hill can be treacherous and it is very easy to twist one's ankle going down the hill.

There are also guideless trails through the nearby woods which allow visitors to experience nature unencumbered by materials that inform visitors what they are seeing. While the Falls is impressive, Upstate New York is filled with forests like the one near Chittenango Falls, so it is a tough sell, certainly for the locals.

At the peak of the Falls, there are two attractions for those who want something other than just nature. There is the option to fish above the Falls, but I've not seen anyone exercising that option on any visit to Chittenango Falls. There is also a playground and it is, frankly, quite lame. With only a slide, a pair of swings (child protecting ones with the footholes), and a jungle gym, there is not a lot more than four children can do at a time in this playground. This is not exactly a great community resource.

What it is, though, is affordable, scenic and fun in a quiet, nature-loving way. For those looking for a little escape, that's enough and enough to make it worth the visit.

Overall

A tough sell, save for those looking to visit a quiet natural wonder in the middle of nowhere, Chittenango Falls State Park is a majestic waterfalls with a minimal park surrounding it.

For other park reviews, please visit my takes on:
Meramec Caverns
Boldt Castle
Green Lakes State Park

5.5/10

For other travel reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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More Commercial Than I Would Have Liked, Meramec Caverns Is Still Worth Checking Out!

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The Good: An amazing natural wonder, Patient guides
The Bad: Inarticulate guides, Very commercial feel
The Basics: Meramec Caverns is a good cave, but the experience of visiting it may be undermined some by the commercialism of the park, which is dominated by gift shops, etc.


While I was traveling across the country earlier this month with my wife, she had one rule for me: no reviews! That rather irksome demand has led to a huge backlog now that we have returned. To be fair to her, I can understand her desire to have her partner be there in the moment with her, but given how few notes I have on many things we did and saw, many of my reviews for travel are based more on her photographs and my memories. And while it might seem like I am griping about my wife wanting to have a fun trip for her first cross-country adventure, I am was so happy to offer her the opportunity to do some things she has never done, but has wanted to. In addition to never having been on a cross-country trip before, she had never been to caves before, which is pretty lamentable for someone who loves bats as much as she does. We rectified that by visiting the Meramec Caverns in Missouri.

Unlike my wife, I have visited caves before. Two years back, I helped my mother fulfill her lifelong dream of going to Carlsbad Caverns (reviewed here!). While there is arguably no comparison to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Meramec Caverns was a bit more commercial than I would have liked, though it was relatively inexpensive and made for a fun, safe first cave experience for my partner.

Location

Often misspelled, Meramec Caverns are located surprisingly close to St. Louis, Missouri. Just south of the major east-west arterial, Route 70, is Route 44, which cuts diagonally through Missouri south of St. Louis. The Meramec Caverns are located off route 44 via exit 230. This was very convenient for my partner and I as we drove down from northern Michigan to our hotel in Sullivan, Missouri and there were so many signs for Meramec Caverns that we couldn't have missed the theme park if we tried. If it seems odd that I call it a "theme park," it is because of how commercial the setting is (see below).

From exit 230, the Meramec Caverns are about seven miles away and entirely possible to find via road signs. In fact, the only way I have to say to get to the Meramec Caverns from exit 230 is via the signs coming off the Interstate. As soon as one drives off the Interstate, they enter a dead-end street (the dead end is seven miles away, but there is no outlet) which takes the visitor directly to the Meramec Caverns.

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

Transport into and around the park is very easy as: 1. There is one semi-paved road leading to the main parking lot, and 2. There is nowhere else to go once you are at the parking lot. The parking lot had at least three hundred parking spots, and it is past a bunch of campgrounds on the property that are part of the Meramec Caverns experience. The Meramec Caverns are down a hill from where one comes off the Interstate, as a result, the park is harder to get out of for vehicles with low horsepower. The road also becomes a dirt road going down the hill and into the Meramec Caverns parking lot, so those towing heavy loads or who have trouble in winter or rain with mud, I'd recommend taking that into account when visiting Meramec Caverns.

Essentially, Meramec Caverns is a big cave out in the middle of the hills of Missouri. We arrived there at 11:00 a.m. local time and it was already 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's not like this is a wonderful place to linger and have a good, fun time outdoors at. Fortunately, one may enter the lobby building built into the hill that the caverns are under and the temperature is 60 degrees year round.

Activity/Purpose

The whole point of Meramec Caverns is to come see caves. In order to see the caverns, one needs to pay $18.00 (for adults) and it was only when comparing this to Carlsbad Caverns that I truly gagged. The national park is a third of the price of this private enterprise! I suppose Missouri needs the money more than New Mexico or the federal government, but given the apparent advertising budget of this cave, I can't imagine that they don't make money hand over fist her.

The $18.00 gets the visitor access to a guided tour of Meramec Caverns that supposedly lasts only an hour (ours lasted an hour twenty minutes). There is only one tour package for Meramec Caverns, so it makes it easy to do everything in the park in a single day. Tours begin every twenty minutes from 9 a.m. to 4 - 7:30 (depending on the month) p.m. and the caves are open every day, save Christmas and Thanksgiving. The Meramec Caverns have a fully comprehensive website that includes contact numbers and current tour schedules.

The tour of Meramec Caverns is a tour guided by two park rangers - one who does the talking, the other who takes up the rear and makes sure no one gets lost in the dark - where the history and geological phenomenon are detailed by the guide. At least, I think that's what happened. The tour guide on our visit was an annoyingly inarticulate young man who seemed unable to enunciate and all I caught were "Jesse James," Lassie and some lame joke about a Chicago baseball team. The Meramec Caverns was a hide-out for Jesse James at one point, a scene from Lassie was filmed in the caves and the joke had something to do with rust and the corrosive nature of the liquids dripping from the cavern walls.

Geologically, Meramec Caverns is a very average cave system. There are minimal lights through most of the caves - my partner had a bear of a time getting any photographs, even when she opened the aperture on her camera and adjusted f-stop to maximum - and the tour guide seemed content to talk more about the way the caves were exploited, as opposed to the formations and geological marvels we saw.

For a little over an hour, we walked around the minimal lighting of the caves and looked at stalactites and stalagmites and the caves have a few big chambers. The largest was the Stage Curtain, a seven-story mineral deposit upon which a light show is projected at the end of the tour. The light show was campy, but the geological formation was incredible to sit and contemplate. Over millions of years, this formation was made and sitting in the presence of something that old and large is humbling, even to the most jaded visitors.

Also wonderful was the impressive Mirror River. For a large portion of the caverns, there is a shallow, almost unmoving river. The clarity of the river is so incredible that when light hits it, it actually reflects everything above it. As a result, for one massive chamber, it appears that one is looking down into a chamber filled with stalagmites, but it is in fact the reflection of the cavern ceiling's stalactites! The optical illusion is incredible and wonderful to witness.

Out of an hour and a half underground, this is largely what I remember and I think it is appropriate for the purpose of the review to make note of that. There were other chambers, but most of the conversation the guide had about what we were witnessing had to do with famous movies, television programs and historical personas that had used Meramec Caverns for their own uses. I suppose this is to be expected of a place where one has to pass through the gift shop and cafeteria to enter the main attraction, but the sense of commercialism was overwhelming and unpleasant, at least to someone who has seen one of the most incredible caves on Earth.

That said, my wife enjoyed the caves and for a first cave, this is a very unintimidating way to go. She, however, thought it was going to be a very different experience (she thought there would be fewer lights and more wildlife), but she enjoyed herself, too. As well, the rear guard ranger seemed very accommodating about letting my wife and I lag behind to get photographs (she's still irked that so few came out). Mostly, though, it seems the Meramec Caverns are trading on the legend of Jesse James and the fact that he used the caves as a hide-out. For those uninterested in such things, the best one may hope for is lagging back and marveling at the nature independent of the commercialism.

Dining

At the top entrance to Meramec Caverns, there is a cafeteria with basic fast food cuisine at reasonable prices. My partner and I had just come from our continental breakfast at our hotel, so we did not partake. In addition to the cafeteria, there was a fudge stand and ice cream shop.

Shopping

There is a fairly large gift shop in the main lobby as well. There, they sell sweatshirts, post cards and various Meramec Caverns merchandise, like commemorative spoons and hats. There is nothing one cannot live without, but there are the fairly typical and obvious souvenirs for those who want such things. And to commemorate our visit, I bought my wife a stuffed bat (reviewed here!), which I promptly named Fernando and she seems quite attached to. Sigh.

Overall

Meramec Caverns is a touristy cave experience and given that the staff is friendly enough to let visitors fall behind to take photographs, the high ticket price and low comprehensibility of the guides is made up for by memories that will last a lifetime!

For other reviews of destinations in Missouri, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Comfort Inn Warrenton, MO
Comfort Inn Worlds Of Fun Kansas City, MO
Quality Inn & Suites Historic Saint Charles, MO


5/10

For other travel reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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There's Not Much To Do In Green Lakes; That's What Makes It So Perfect!

The Good: Beautiful scenery, Clean air and water, Well-maintained trails, Safe, Absolutely beautiful.
The Bad: Parking is a bit expensive (for my tastes!)
The Basics: The perfect place to go to commune with nature, Green Lakes State Park is affordable clean swimming in summer and something better in autumn and winter!


Destinations are a real weird thing to try to review because why people go to different places is remarkably subjective. Even within myself, there are places I go for entirely different reasons. So, there are a number of historical parks and national monuments that I have rated rather low because they aren't all they are cracked up to be, like Mount Rushmore National Monument (reviewed here!). I know I rated that one pretty low because there is not much to do, parking is fairly expensive and it's not like it is in the pictures (there's a pretty significant gorge separating tourists from the heads and they are up much higher than you'd think). So, if I pan a place like Mount Rushmore, how can I say that a place like Green Lakes State Park in New York is a perfect place to go?

It's simple: Green Lakes State Park is one of the most beautiful and simple places on Earth. It is (generally) quiet, easy to get around and for the most part there is nothing to do there but enjoy nature. And I'm not even recommending it for camping or swimming on a hot day when there are people around. After Labor Day until May 1 when the park opens for the season are the best times to go to Green Lakes. Yes, autumn when the leaves are turning, the deer walk on the road beside your car and there are no children or people at Green Lakes is the perfect time to go, spend a day and to remember just what it is like to live simply and be in nature. There is no better place I can imagine to go do that than Green Lakes State Park.

Location

Green Lakes State Park is located near Syracuse, NY. There are two entrances to it, one from local route 290, the other from Route 5 (a major arterial through New York State). Technically, Green Lakes is closest to Fayetteville, but that's essentially a suburb of Syracuse, so if you're looking at a big map of the state Syracuse puts you in the right neck of the woods. Internet mapping sites use 7900 Green Lakes Road, Fayetteville, NY 13066 as the address for the park and using that seems to give good directions.

Green Lakes State Park is marked well enough for those looking for the little brown signs, but for both ends of the park, there are no giant signs or stop lights to announce the presence of the park. As a result, if one misses Green Lakes Road, they miss the park. In other words, Green Lakes State Park has one entrance, one exit and is essentially one long road perpendicular to the two access streets. If you miss it, you miss it, but once you find the road, it's all the park and it's impossible to get lost!

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

As stated, internet mapping sites are good about finding Green Lakes State Park and the local traffic on Route 5 or Route 290 is only bad around rush hour time. "Bad traffic" in Fayetteville is a line of about ten cars and considering both 5 and 290 are 55 mph roads, we're not talking a huge traffic jam ever! Inside the park, outside peak summer season days, traffic is minimal and moves rather consistently. In the summer, Green Lakes State Park has the cleanest, most beautiful swimming area and interestingly some of the coolest water, so people flock to it. Traffic can get backed up for about ten minutes at the main gates during the peak hours in summer.

The expense at Green Lakes State Park for everyone who visits it comes in the form of parking. From May 1 to Memorial Day, cars entering the park have to pay $6.00 to park and from Memorial Day to Labor Day that goes up a buck. For the off season, though, you can drive in, park, walk around all for free. Yeah, that's the best price. Arguably when the park is free is the best time to go; in autumn it is easily one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Activity/Purpose

None.

There is no purpose to Green Lakes State Park and there is virtually nothing to do and that is what makes it so wonderful. Green Lakes State Park is a massive deciduous forest with tall maples that turn from green to gold in the Fall and it has hills with trails that can be wandered through. There is the green lake and the water at Green Lakes is blue-green! I'm not talking blue-green like a child's perception of sea water, I mean that the water has a glowing blue color that is almost the precise shade of blueberry Jell-O. It varies between that surreal blue when one is driving above it on the way into the park to a richer forest green when one is in front of it. It's not like the lake is packed with algae or something either, the water is a surreal green on its own. It's actually remarkably photogenic and quite distinct.

So the purpose of Green Lakes State Park is to preserve nature and to allow people to experience nature for free or a low parking fee. That is, ideally, what this place is best at and for and that is why I recommend it and declare it one of the most beautiful places on earth. There is no pollution, there are twenty miles of winding trails up and down hills through forests, around the lake, making it ideal for wandering and nature hikes.

But there are crabby, annoying people who wanted more than that, I suppose, so now there are things to do in Green Lakes. First, there is a golf course. I don't golf, so I've no idea if it is any good. But driving in to look around once more for my review the other day, I couldn't help but notice on the opposite side of the road from all of the things I like is a golf course, club house and people zipping around in golf carts. It appeared nice rom the road, but again, I don't golf.

In the park, there is camping. There are almost 140 camp sites, most of which are places one can set up a tent or hitch a trailer up. There are about ten cabins that hold four people each and the fees vary with the seasons. The New York State park site allows one easy access to a list of reservation fees for the various camp sites and the cabins are nice, but I'm not sure why anyone would cabin camp at such an expense in summer. If it's warm enough to sleep out under the stars, there seems little point in going to a place like Green Lakes State Park only to sleep in a cabin. The camp sites I looked at were small, but spaced well enough so one's neighbors aren't breathing down one's neck. For those who like to go get frisky in the woods, though, the trails are much better for that. I, however, recommend being very careful about such things as Green Lakes is remarkably well-patrolled and that seems to be what most people make the news for coming out of Green Lakes State Park. Sigh.

So, there's golf and camping and swimming in the summer for those who want things to do other than just wandering the nature trails and getting lost among the leaves and hills. Seriously, if you've ever wanted to go somewhere where you didn't have to DO anything but enjoy nature, Green Lakes State Park is it!

Also in the summer, I've learned, there are boat rentals. One can row out on Green Lake for $5.00/hr. but of course one will want to confirm that as this listing ages. Swimming, rowing, photographing, hiking, ahem-ing, golfing and camping, there is plenty to do at Green Lakes State Park.

Dining

There is nowhere to eat in Green Lakes State Park; the food you bring in is what is available to you. Cabins have cooking areas and there are grills on the beach next to the lake. As well, each campsite has a place for a fire, so cooking fires can be made. There might well be food in the golf clubhouse, but having avoided it in favor of the beauty and simplicity of nature, I've no idea if there is food there and/or how expensive it is.

Shopping

There is no shopping in Green Lakes State Park, save renting boats, booking campsites and whatever the new golf shop has. For shoppers, Green Lakes State Park is less than ten miles away from Shoppingtown Mall and one's shopping needs can be met there. Green Lakes State Park is a wonderful place to get away from capitalism for a while.


Overall

Never have I thought so highly of a place where there is so little to do. In all honesty, autumn in Green Lakes State Park is what makes America worth visiting or living in. It is a gift to be simple and this is simply one of the most beautiful junctions of water, land and sky one may experience. Who needs something more?

For other park or destination reviews, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
Salem, MA
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Hoover Dam National Park

10/10

For other travel reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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One Of America's Least Impressive Destinations: Bring A Telescope To Mount Rushmore!

The Good: Very cool for the artistry
The Bad: Very far away, Almost nothing to do, Parking is proportionally expensive.
The Basics: Yes, the heads of four presidents are carved into a mountain, but visitors to this national park are kept a significant distance from them.


Every now and then I write a review knowing I will probably take some flack for it, even if I do not write it with that intent. It is with that in mind that I consider where I went after leaving Minneapolis and the weird comforts of the Mall Of America (reviewed here! ). Yes, I took a northern route to Las Vegas and as a result, my trip took me from the land of many lakes to Rapid City, South Dakota, home of Mount Rushmore.

As much as it might cheese off sightseers everywhere, the bottom line on Mount Rushmore is: if you can catch a PBS documentary on the monument or even watch North By Northwest, do that. If you've seen it on film or pictures, you've gotten most of the experience of being at Mount Rushmore. Going there is just . . . a long way to travel for very little to do.


Location

Mount Rushmore National Monument is actually located in Keystone, South Dakota. South Dakota, based on my limited experience traveling through it this year (I stayed one night there!) is a mountainous wooded region filled mountain goats, tourists and motorcyclists. Gasoline prices are reasonable, the water is clean and the people are friendly. Keystone and Mount Rushmore are located on the western half of South Dakota, about halfway up the state.

Mount Rushmore and Keystone are easily located using on-line mapping programs, like MapQuest, using "Mount Rushmore" and "Keystone, SD" as the location. Within ten miles of the National Monument, there are fairly adequate signs for the park. From Interstate 90, the traveler needs to find Route 16 and then South Dakota Route 244, but long before one needs that last direction, there are adequate signs to guide even the most inept drivers.

As the name suggests, Mount Rushmore is located in a mountainous area of South Dakota and the actual monument is up several stairs and about a half-mile walk at an incline. There are a few paths around the park which require the ability to walk up and down stairs. This is a good place to have a good pair of walking shoes for, if you insist on going anyway.

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

There are very few ways into Mount Rushmore so it is both very easy to get to with the right roads and pretty easy to miss if you're on the wrong ones. The thing is, the road that goes to Mount Rushmore (SD-244) is a winding road that goes up mountains and down the other side, without going in a straight line. The only thing one needs to worry about is mountain goats. Seriously. While leaving the park, two were walking by the side of the road and they didn't seem inclined to stop for cars (I have wonderful pictures!).

In general, the roads are devoid of traffic, which is a good thing because the steepness of the angle for the final approach would make stop and go traffic like the old Bill Cosby routine!

There is parking at the Federally recognized national monument and it costs $10.00. Here's the thing, inside the park I met some people who said that the parking lot was a private concern, not government-run and there was free parking somewhere just outside the National Monument site. I did not find that parking on the way out (I headed right to my hotel, so it could have been somewhere I originally passed). If you're up for long walks anyway, I say save the ten bucks (even though the parking pass that is issued will be honored for a full year . . . in case you just can't get enough of Mount Rushmore!) and hoof it from the free parking if you can find it.

Activity/Purpose

Here's where Mount Rushmore National Monument falls down for me. Go to Mount Rushmore (several hours from anything interesting, save mountain goats in the road, though the scenery is nice!), hike half a mile and . . . look up, there are the heads of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt, carved into the side of the mountain.

And they are just like the pictures you've seen . . . except that they are high up and far away. No special I have ever seen has illustrated how high up the mountain these heads were carved, nor how far away from the actual heads people are kept. There is an amphitheater at the end of the walkway to the monument, but there is a gorge that separates the visitor's side from the head side and . . . they are ridiculously high up, so they are pretty small.

Now, I'm not at all knocking the artistry; these are impressive. It's amazing how smooth they look and how accurate the likenesses are. And to think that most of the "carving" was done with dynamite reminds one just how much Man can accomplish. But from the closest vantage point, the detail is pretty much washed out. Unless one has a powerful telescope or even a decent zoom function on their camera (greater than 10X) the trip is a long way to see a couple of very small heads. In other words, the post cards one could pick up in the gift shop provide a better image than the reality of being in the park.

And I'm sure I might come across as a crank, but the truth of it is, Mount Rushmore is a work of art, but it is one visitors are kept at a safe distance from. Imagine, for example, that in order to see the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, one had to descend into a pit about 1/8th of a mile away and then look up. Or if one only were allowed to see the Constitution or the Mona Lisa by standing behind a velvet rope three hundred feet away. Mount Rushmore is big, but it's high up and far away and the heads are pretty small from the closest vantage points.

Of course, one can walk around Mount Rushmore National Park. This allows you to look at the Presidential Heads from different angles. This is the insult to injury, though, as one may descend into the ravine at the foot of the mountain the heads are carved into, getting one closer in one direction to the heads (let's call it "x"), but further away in another (let's say "z").

And the thing is, once you've seen the heads, you've seen them. It's not like there is a ton to do in Keystone, SD or the neighboring (snicker) "cities." Sure, you can go pay $20 to see the Crazy Horse National Monument (it's not even done, yet visitors are shamelessly charged to see the work in progress - you can see it from the road for free!) or find a hotel to watch television in or camp. But as far as the monument goes, it's pretty much over within half an hour.

Yeah, it's a long way to drive for very little.

Dining

There is a little cafe in the monument. I did not visit it.

Shopping

There was a gift shop at the monument as well, featuring various souvenirs of Mount Rushmore and neighboring sites. The only thing they did not have (I mention this because my mother complained because she thinks they would be a big seller if they did) were foam rubber Mount Rushmore souvenirs (like a stress ball of Mt. Rushmore). There was nothing terribly compelling there to buy.

Overall

I spent an hour hiking around Mount Rushmore after an eight hour drive. I went from there to my hotel, a nice little Comfort Inn in Rapid City and it was there I began to contemplate the National Monument. As I uploaded my day's pictures, I looked at them and I had a collection of very small pictures of the presidents' heads.

And then I thought about it. What had I spent the day doing? I spent it looking at art from a great distance and frankly, I felt underwhelmed. I understand that this is an impressive accomplishment, but more than seeing the Monument, I was impressed that the rate of erosion was so insignificant. And when I contemplated that the next day I would be going to Dinosaur National Park . . . well, that made me want to go to sleep and put the long, dull day with this national attraction behind me.

This monument is average at best and is being rated liberally. This may be a great accomplishment of Man, but it's much more impressive in almost every depiction, as opposed to reality.

For other destination reviews, please be sure to check out my takes on:
Hoover Dam
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
Carlsbad Caverns

4/10

For other travel reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Avoid The Tour, But See The Hoover Dam: Humanity Did This!

Hoover Dam Tour


Click to book a tour!

The Good: One of humanity's amazing achievements, Quick, Scenic, Impressive, Inexpensive
The Bad: Tour is pricey.
The Basics: A giant achievement of human engineering and labor, the Hoover Dam is a wonderful place to stop en route to Las Vegas that one need not pay for!


"Some things need to be experienced to be understood."

Sometimes, I find myself trying to write a review of a very simple experience and I have a feeling that my readers think it is generally impossible for me to write a very helpful review about something that is simple with an economy of words. Yet, that is exactly what I am forced to do when I consider the Hoover Dam. If my visit to Carlsbad Caverns (reviewed here!) was a triumph of natural simplicity (you go, look at rocks and you leave) then visiting the Hoover Dam is a triumph of human ingenuity and the only way to experience it is to go, look at it, marvel and leave.

That's not entirely true; you can experience it through guided tours as well. On our recent trip through the Southwest to Las Vegas, my partner and I ended up going to the Hoover Dam. Because we were there before we made money on our trip, the Hoover Dam was one of the stops we did on the cheap and, as we discovered, that's actually the ideal way to do it. Between reviews here and people at the site coming out from guided tours underwhelmed, we felt we made the absolute right decision.

In fact, here's the digest version of the ideal Hoover Dam experience: watch a documentary on the Hoover Dam (PBS has them fairly frequently) or read a book on it, then go and see the Hoover Dam. In fact, the reason this is ideal is this: documentaries are professionally produced, show you all the things that you'd otherwise have to pay for (and are actually the less impressive aspects of the Dam) and do it without corny tour jokes or guides that mumble. But the reason to stop and actually see the Hoover Dam is because documentaries cannot adequately convey the scope and only by experiencing that may one truly appreciate the feat that is Hoover Dam. Fortunately, for that, you don't have to pay a cent!

Location

The Hoover Dam is located on US route 93 on the Arizona/Nevada border. If you're on 93 headed north into Nevada (the ideal way from US-40 for those travelers headed to Las Vegas) it is right there by the side of the road. The Hoover Dam is located on the Colorado River. Lake Mead is a reservoir right above the dam that is a freshwater lake that slowly drains through the Dam to generate electricity. The National Park is literally right by the side of the road.

Ease Of Local Transport/Parking

When one reaches the Hoover Dam, it literally comes up on the side of the road. The Hoover Dam is situated in an especially winding part of the Colorado River and Route 93. Because the interstate is essentially paved into the side of a cliff, parking is spread out throughout the horseshoe that the Dam is on. There are several parking lots right by the side of the road as one approaches the National Park. There are pulloffs which are free, but parking at the Hoover Dam National Park costs money (we parked at a close one for free and walked the rest of the way).

Getting around the Hoover Dam is pretty simple as there is one road: Route 93. This, however, is very narrow and as a result people tend to be pretty irked if you take long making a decision as to where you are parking. To avoid the hassle, parking at the Hoover Dam National Park might be a reasonable expense.

Activity/Purpose

Here's where the review is real simple: the point of going to the Hoover Dam is to witness just how incredible humanity can be. There is history which one can learn from books - like how the project took just under five years to complete - but only going there and seeing how massive the structure is and how well-made it is can it truly be appreciated. Yes, the point is to go and gawk. There are paid tours (didn't take it!) and then there is just walking around and looking at what there is. There's the massive wall, the walkways over the bottled up river and there are tacky displays which illustrate the process.

The best one can do at the Hoover Dam is get out, walk around and allow themselves to be impressed. The Hoover Dam is an architectural marvel and this, like the moon landing, is just proof of what humanity can do when we apply ourselves. But it's not like a theme park; there aren't huge, different experiences to be had here. The experience is getting out, walking onto the public access areas of the Dam, which allow one to see the massive structure at many different angles, then leaving. The experience is a simple understanding that humanity tamed (and in many ways ruined) nature, but the magnitude and majesty of the project is simply stunning. Walk around, see the stones, and leave with a greater understanding of how unremarkable the current generation is when it comes to doing well, pretty much anything. Never have I felt like my generation has truly accomplished nothing of historic note as when I walked around the Hoover Dam.

If you don't take the tour, that's the Hoover Dam experience. It takes about an hour to complete and here's why it's worth it: my partner and I watched a documentary and I read about the Hoover Dam and it just seemed like another big project the U.S. government did at the height of the Great Depression. Seeing it, though, was truly overwhelming. To see the scale, to simply walk around it and realize that humanity did this . . . it was an epiphanic experience and people need those, especially those of us who are too often confined to books or computers.

In truth, as one who understood - from texts and documentaries - just what it took to make this place, just seeing it was enough and walking around it was overwhelming. Getting the tour and educated on site is more likely to be more of a distraction from the simple grandeur of experiencing the Dam by just looking around and being free to marvel.

Dining

There is a cafe in the visitor's center which has overpriced burgers and sodas and the like. We did not partake, but people seemed happy to have snacks. Given how sunny this area is bringing water is highly recommended.

Shopping

There is a gift shop with the usual touristy stuff. We did not get anything here.

Overall

The Hoover Dam is two experiences: seeing it and taking a tour of it. Having taken the advice of several reviewers (and being poor) my wife and I just went and walked around as a pass-through on our way to Las Vegas, Nevada. It was an eye opening experience and to take an hour out of a trip through the desert to experience the Hoover Dam without paying money for it is a truly wonderful use of anyone's time. It might not be worth paying for the tours, but for anyone passing by, it's cool to not pass the Hoover Dam by!

For other destinations, be sure to visit my reviews of:
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
Verona Beach State Park
Hayden Planetarium

9/10

For other travel reviews, be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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