Allegany ‘08

Our quaint little cabin was a far cry from the Residence Inn that we stayed at towards the end of the week, but the kids had a great time playing in the creek, swimming, hiking, and cooking out over a fire.

We all left Sunday afternoon and arrived at our villa around 6 in the evening. Although it was equipped with a stove and refrigerator, indoor plumbing was not a luxury for us. Luckily, the bathhouse was a very short walk away, so it wasn’t too big a deal. We spent the afternoons at the Redhouse Area Lake swimming, paddle boating, and eating ice-cream. For me, I enjoyed the drive over to the lake as much as the boating and swimming. It was a meandering, 25 minute loop through the state park to get to the lake, and since the weather was spectacular, we all crammed into the Wrangler and enjoyed the windy ride.

My brother-in-law’s family has vacationed here for well over 40 years, so it’s a type of reunion for not only his family but the many friends that they have made in this remote- yet absolutely beautiful part of New York. No doubt, little Sarah provided the entertainment each night at the campfires. Marshmallows appeared to be her food of choice, and I’m guessing her sugar intake for the week far surpassed what most sane parents would want their children to consume.

I have to say the highlight of my week was the four mile trek that the little guy and I tackled on Tuesday. At first, I feared that it might be a tad ambitious for Josh, but with his very cool Allegany Park souvenir walking stick in hand, he was a trooper and the two of us had some real quality father-son time together as we completed the trail in just a little over two hours. I’m not sure if I ever have engaged in a two hour- non-stop conversation with my son before- actually, he did most of the talking…with topics ranging from his friends at school, favorite foods, middle-child blues, which I could relate to!, Biblical stories, and the nagging concern as to whether or not I knew where we were going, which truthfully, I had my own doubts at times. This was not a clearly marked trail like we have back home in the metro parks. About 1 mile before the end, Josh and I came across a young doe standing less than 100 feet away- amazing! The only time Josh complained was when we finished the trail only to find out that we had a one mile walk back to the campsite. Believe me, by that time, I too was dragging butt. However, this will be one of those experiences with the little guy that I’ll look back on later in life and truly cherish.

After three 3 ½ days of roughin’ it, we drove ½ way back to Erie PA on Wed. afternoon and enjoyed a much needed good night’s rest in the Residence Inn- after playing laser-tag that evening. For anyone who has never played this game before, let me tell you…it takes about 10 minutes before you get this Rambo-type of adrenaline going, and you have one single goal in mind- don’t get shot and pick on the little guys cause’ they’re easier to catch!

The next morning, we hung out all day at the water park, Splash Lagoon before driving back to good ole’ Barberton. It wasn’t quite as nice as the ones up in Sandusky, but Marie and Josh appeared to have a ton of fun swimming from 10 in the morning till’ 7 at night. Not wanting to go yet, I convinced them that they were indeed water-logged enough and we needed to pack up and head on home. I know I was tired- course those two crashed no sooner we hit the interstate while I made the drive home in peace and quiet...all part of my master plan.