At the start of this week, I did something I’ve been wanting to do for several years now.

From Sunday evening (August 11th) through Tuesday morning (August 13th), I was at Blackwater Falls State Park. I stayed in a Canyon View room, and TL/DR, it was a wonderful experience.

I have a writer friend who goes up to Long Valley in Idaho (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_County,_Idaho) several times throughout the year, and after spending two nights at Blackwater Lodge, I think I’d like for Blackwater Falls State Park to be my version of my writer friend’s Long Valley.

As I’m writing this, I realize I probably should have taken a picture of the front of the Lodge. But I did not. The next time I go, I’ll do so and then retcon this post to make it look like I did.

Hey… it works for Hollywood, right? 🤣

Blackwater Falls State Park has always been a special place for me, and to be honest, I’m not really sure why. It is a place of peace and simple enjoyment for me, and right this moment, I feel like I could live up there and be totally happy. I’m not sure how well that feeling would hold up over time, but… details, right?

There are lots of hiking trails in the park. Some double as cross-country ski trails in the winter, and some even triple as trails for cycling. I did not take my bike with me this time, but when I go back with the plan to spend a week up there, it will absolutely make the journey with me.

I will say that–if my room is indicative of all rooms at the Lodge–the rooms do not include anything even remotely resembling a functional desk. This would not be such a huge problem… except for the small fact that I’m not comfortable writing in public spaces yet.

That’s probably something to work on… maybe?

My lap desk and camp chair were not good solutions to this, but neither the problem of the room not having a good desk nor the fact I don’t have a good solution for it yet will keep me from returning.

It may be something so simple as getting comfortable with writing in a public space. We’ll see.

In short, it was an incredible trip, and I can’t wait to go back.

This is a view of Blackwater Falls from the upper platform of the boardwalk. If you look to the middle-left, you’ll see a small splash of color that doesn’t usually occur in Nature. That is people viewing the falls at the lower platform.

I recorded this clip to (1) show the falls in motion and (2) demonstrate how loud it is when you’re so close.

Like I wrote above, I opted for a Canyon View room at the Lodge. This is the view from said room, and I have to say that I would’ve seen a lot more of the canyon if it wasn’t for the small copse of trees on the left side of the frame.

I wouldn’t advocate cutting them down, though, and unfortunately, the room I feel would have the best angle for the gap between the two sets of trees is an ADA-compliant room. I cannot in good conscience ask for that room when I can just walk downstairs and stand a few feet in front of the far-right picnic table in this picture.

There is a time capsule behind the Lodge placed the last time Halley’s Comet passed Earth. I’d kinda like to be there when it’s opened.

I recorded this clip just to demonstrate how loud the falls are, even from so far away.

There are a few other pictures I could share, but I feel this post is long enough. I’ll end it with a beautiful canyon view I encountered on the way home Tuesday morning.