Exploring new parts of NY

We have found yet another reason to love New York - The Chimney Bluffs State Park. I am discovering more and more that there are a TON of beautiful places in New York that I have never been, even though I have lived here almost my entire life. The Chimney Bluffs State Park is one of those places - truly a hidden gem. A couple of weeks ago, we went camping with some friends up at Fair Haven State Camp Grounds to check out the Bluffs and spend some time at Fair Haven beach, which is beautiful. I didn't bother to take pictures of the beach (we have plenty of those from this summer already) - for me, it was all about the bluffs. Prepare to be amazed... :)


This was our view upon arrival, before we even began our hike around the bluffs. The big brown rocky/sandy areas are the bluffs.

Because the bluffs run along Lake Ontario, which is a HUGE lake, there are actually waves that come in, giving it an ocean feel. This is Maria, mezmorized by the small waves... :)

Maria, Haley Hann, and Josephine at one of the lookouts along the hike (the Johnsons and Gleeds were with us, too).

Are you SEEING the color of that water?! Tell me it does not look like the ocean in some tropical location!

Bonus points if you can you see the tiny sailboat in the background...

Seriously, is that water not GORGEOUS?! You would swear we were along the coast.

This was our view where we stopped to eat lunch along the hike.

We tried to get a family photo with the bluffs and the water in the background, but my camera kept acting up (okay, the actual problem was that I hadn't read the manual yet, and didn't know how to deal with the tricky lighting we were working with - part shade/part sunshine), so the background kept getting completely washed out. Bummer.

We could have stayed and taken in this view forever, but the girls were dying to go to the beach, so we started to head back.

We took a different way back, strolling along the water this time. It gave the girls a chance to add to their rock collection (as if we need more, haha).

What is it with kids and the thrill of throwing rocks into water? I thought these pictures were cool because Josephine is in mid-throw and you can even see the stone that she just chucked!

Yay! I learned how to get my camera to take good pictures in the dark!! Maria playing memory that night.

Josephine "playing" memory (more like messing up the game) and being a goof.

It was a short trip - only a weekend - but lots of fun nonetheless. There is nothing like spending a weekend outdoors, eating food over a fire and enjoying the beautiful creations that Heavenly Father made for us. :)