Spent the day hiking, biking, and paddling in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), near Cleveland, Ohio. The Cuyahoga River is famous for at least three things. First (for kayakers), it is the home for a famous "over the falls" race. Kayakers from all over gather each spring to run the falls and a section of the downstream gorge. Good fun! Second, it was at one time so polluted that the river would catch fire! Not once or twice, but on thirteen separate occasions. Third, public awareness and outcry about this and several other prominent examples of environmental pollution eventually led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has had its controversies and critics, but in my opinion remains a great example of the good a government can do about a problem no individual or corporation can solve. The river today supports a wide variety of fish and wildlife, and is an attractive place for outdoor recreation. Not too bad! It rained here two days ago. Like 5 inches of rain. That made everything about visiting this place today even better. Waterfalls were gushing, streams and rivers were overflowing, and everything felt fresh! So the day began in Cuyahoga Falls, where I met someone who was interested in the rig. One thing led to another, and she ended up recommending two of her favorite hiking trails. She happened to love trails that follow rivers. What are the chances? So following Cheryl's advice, I hiked the Cuyahoga River Gorge Trail and the Brandywine Falls and Gorge Trails. In order to get to the Falls trails, a park ranger suggested I ride my mountain bike for about 10 miles along the Cuyahoga River. Views of the river inspired me to get a kayak out and paddle a fairly scenic section of it. And that is sometimes how it goes! Enjoy the pics! Ref: https://www.history.com/news/epa-earth-day-cleveland-cuyahoga-river-fire-clean-water-act https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/environment/2019/06/the-cuyahoga-river-caught-fire-it-inspired-a-movement https://adriftaesthetic.com/blog/best-cuyahoga-valley-national-park-trails