The Emerald Necklace

Unlike the Cleveland Orchestra, few have ever heard of the so-called Emerald Necklace around the Cleveland area.  Like the Orchestra, the Emerald Necklace is a national treasure.  The Cleveland Metroparks portion of the necklace had its origins in the Rocky River Valley.  It now has unconnected beads in Huntington, Big Creek, Hinkley, Brecksville, Bedford, South Chagrin, North Chagrin and Euclid Creek.

Another of the unconnected gems in the necklace is the Boston Mills Historic District (which technically is part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park).  Boston Mills fronts the Ohio and Erie Canal just north of Akron.  The canal paralleled part of the Cuyahoga river, which in that region of the state winds north from Akron to Cleveland and then into Lake Erie.

We accompanied Cousin Dave, his wife Meg, and their 12 year-old Brittany, Scout, on the trails of the Rocky River and Boston Mills parks during Thanksgiving.  We had some nice, chilly outings. 

Meg, Aki, and Larsen enjoy a cold and wet Thanksgiving afternoon as the turkey cooks at home.

  
Cousin Dave and Scout lead the way.

Do you recognize this?  It's the Cuyahoga River.

Aki, Dave, and Larsen view the waterfall from a distance.

The former canal towpath in Boston Mills has been reclaimed for recreational purposes.

The low winter sun casts sharp shadows on this little store in Boston Mills.