So...high...up...

Today I went hiking and it was a grueling hike. But before that, we went to the Waffle Frolic. It's a cafe-type place in the area of downtown Ithaca known as The Commons. It's one place that Brother Dear hadn't been to before. Prior to it opening, the location had been a Mexican burrito place that was rather sub-par according to BD (Brother Dear). Much to his dismay, there has been no good Mexican place to be had in Ithaca. I guess that's one benefit of living in California, something I really take for granted. But Waffle Frolic, the place there now is quite good. The waffles are huge and very tasty, and there's quite the selection of toppings to go on them. Needless to say, it was a really good brunch.

After we ate, and as we walked back to the car, BD pointed out some stone pillars in the courtyard area of The Commons. The one he pointed out is the one pictured here: Mercury. It gives some information on the planet, including a description and some basic stats. BD explained that it was part of a model of the solar system built to scale. The pillar representing the Sun was nearby, as were the other "inner" planets. Jupiter was several blocks away, and Pluto--now stripped of its planetary status--is located at the Science Center (which we may go see on Friday). It was a cool thing for the city to have and a testament to the value the community seems to place on education.

Finally we drove out to Buttermilk Falls. The falls are part of a local state park (how cool is that to have a state park practically outside your back door) that also has a campground area. The falls themselves are not a single waterfall, but a long series of falls along a creek just south of Ithaca. To see them all, you have to hike up and along one side of the gorge the creek runs through. There are many, many, many stairs to climb and I had to catch my breath many times. Despite the walking I've done so far this week, I'm far from being fit.  So this climb up Buttermilk Falls was a real test of my willpower to stay upright as I huffed and puffed my way up the gorge.

The base of the falls

The falls cut through the rock lining the gorge.

The falls cascade down the incline and are broken by pools of water.

We're getting near the top of the falls here.

Despite my mild grousing, it was well worth it. Every turn of the trail led to new discoveries of beautiful waterfalls, pools of water, and rock (which BD said might be shale). There was so much water in the surrounding ground that parts of the trail were wet because of the excess water dripping down tree roots, moss, and exposed rock. I was so hot from the climb and the water in the creek looked so inviting that only the danger of the rushing water kept me from getting my feet wet.

On the way back, we took a different trail that ran parallel to the creek on the other side, but further in so we were surrounded by trees. I was able to hear bird calls and the rustling of woodland creatures much better away from most of the loud roar of the waterfalls that was a constant companion on the way up. We saw a doe browsing in the trees, as well as several birds, and even a milipede making its slow way across the path. The path down was quite steep in places, which is easy on the lungs but hard on the legs and ankles. I was glad to see the car when we made it back to the parking lot.

Dinner was at Uncle Joe's, a bar that also serves some food. It's the only place I've been to where I was able to get a truly rare burger. They buy high-quality beef so they can make burgers with lots of red in the middle--and it was delicious and juicy and flavorful. I like my meat to moo, even better if it tries to jump off the plate. Uncle Joe's officially has the best burgers.

So just a list of wildlife I've been able to positively identify so far on my trip:
Deer
Eastern Cottontail
Chipmunk
Common Grackle
Blue Jay (a bird only in the Eastern US; Western US species jay that is similar is the Scrub Jay)
Centipede
Millipede
Slate-colored Junco
Cedar Waxwing
Mourning Dove

I wish I knew birdcalls better than I do. I hear so many of them when I'm out and can never figure out what bird is making them.

Tomorrow BD and I are going wine tasting and possibly star-gazing. The sky at night out where there are no lights is supposedly amazing.