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* We’re approaching the Tinkers Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook. Here, we’ll get a great look at the beautiful Tinkers Creek and the gorge it runs through. After the glaciers melted and rivers began carving into the landscape, water slowly eroded layer after layer of soft shale… Eventually leaving behind sharp, steep cliffs. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
* These falls are known for their fine, gentle cascades… which resemble a bride’s lacy veil. Here, an offshoot of Tinkers Creek tumbles 30 feet down a shale gorge. This waterfall is so lovely you’ll want to put a ring on it! We can reach the falls by walking a short 500 feet from the parking area coming up soon.
* Head towards the walking path near a set of stairs and benches. Follow this path a quarter mile to the falls. What makes the Great Falls of Tinkers Creek so great? Back in the 1800s, these falls were very important to the nearby town of Bedford. Workers harnessed the waterfall’s energy to power all kinds of industry, including a sawmill and an electric power plant. Sounds pretty great to me!
* So if the French House was the hottest spot in Boston during the 1700s, where should you visit today? Let me recommend the Boston Mill Visitor Center. This center has so much to offer that it’s often called the ‘front door’ of Cuyahoga Valley National Park!
* These 60-foot falls are the geologic highlight of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Just by looking at these falls, you can take a trip back in time… way back in time! About 400 million years ago, an enormous ocean covered this section of North America. Over time, layers and layers of mud collected on the seafloor, eventually forming slabs of soft shale. Today, these dark sections of rock make up the bottom of Brandywine Falls.
* In just a moment, we’ll pass the Brecksville Nature Center. This is a museum, park, and school all mixed into one. Here, you can learn more about Ohio’s natural history, enjoy a hike along a wooded trail, and even admire the Center’s live animal exhibits. The Prairie Loop Trail which begins here is short and easy, at under a mile. It offers some relaxing prairie scenery along the way.
* Welcome to Station Road Bridge! Starting in the 1880s, railroad passengers disembarked here to visit Brecksville Station. Under clouds of steam and smoke, workers loaded crates of milk, cheese, and lumber onto the train, as passengers stood to the side and admired the newly-built Station Road Bridge.
* In about a mile, we’ll see a large group of bright yellow houses standing at a crossroads. These were the homes of workers at the nearby Jaite Paper Mill, one of the most successful businesses in the Cuyahoga Valley. The founder, Charles Jaite, originally worked at a large paper manufacturer in Cleveland. But in 1905, Jaite grew sick of city life. He decided to create his own paper mill all the way out in this lush, quiet valley.
* About half a mile ahead lies Deep Lock Quarry Metro Park. In addition to quarry remains, you’ll also see a huge stand of buckeyes at the park. This is Ohio’s official state tree! This lovely park just might have a strange connection to your breakfast today.
* This bright red bridge crosses Furnace Run just before it meets up with the Cuyahoga River. During the valley’s canal era, the Everett Covered Bridge allowed farmers and workers to easily reach the Ohio and Erie Canal. Locals decided to build the bridge over Furnace Run after a tragic accident one winter night…
* Hale Farm dates back to the early 1800s. That’s when farmer John Hale put down roots here—no pun intended, of course. Over the next century, Hale’s family looked after this farm, growing grains and vegetables and harvesting maple syrup each winter.
* Choo choo! Anyone hear that? Sounds to me like the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad might be passing through! In just a few minutes we’ll pass near Peninsula Depot. From here, you can catch the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad for a totally locomotive view of the park. To check out Peninsula Depot, turn right onto Streetsboro Road at the next intersection. To continue the tour, keep driving straight.