Ohiopyle Falls
The Ohiopyle State Park was our first exposure to Pennsylvania. As we pulled into the park, we were greeted with the beautiful Youghiogheny River as it fell over a 20ft waterfall, which was flowing at a perfect level to kayak. The whole family got out of the car and just watched the waterfall. The kids asked when we were going to kayak over it. Before I got too excited we saw a sign that said no kayaking allowed over the falls without written consent. I was starting to get a little depressed, until I found out the Lower Youghiogheny run starts at the base of the falls. So, I made a date to run the class IV run the next morning. Once that was decided we went to Frank Loyd Wright’s house, Fallingwater. Frank Loyd Wright was a famous architect that built this home around the nature that surrounded it. A stream ran through the base of the house, with a waterfall below.
Fallingwater
The grounds tour appealed to us instead of paying extra to go inside the house and try to keep the kids quiet while listening to a tour guide. We all enjoyed the hike around and thought the home was simply incredible, especially having been built in 1933-36. My favorite part of the house being where the stairway led down into the river just above the waterfall. One day I would like to have a similar staircase to kayak off from every day. If you’re an architecture buff, the house is a definite must see. After our tour, we had lunch in the park and took the children to play at a rock slide nearby. They loved it. Chloe would get on her belly and slide with her arms stretched out as she soared down the 50ft natural slide.
The next morning we got up early and I was able to go do the kayak run while the rest of the family ate breakfast. (I was going to take the tandem kayak with one of the kids until I walked the take-out trail and found out I would have to drag the 75lb kayak a quarter mile from the river to the car.) It was such a beautiful run with the mist settling on the water as I kayaked down the river. After I finished, we all went back to the rock slide and spent the rest of the morning sliding again. The kids said it was the most fun they have ever had.
The Lower Yough
A Natural Waterslide
Waterslide Fun
Fallingwater
