Thursday, September 28, 2017

Cook Forest State Park

Happy Thankful Thursday! 

Last week, hubby and I visited the Cook Forest State Park in Northwest Pennsylvania. My tree hugging hubby enjoys seeing old growth forest and this park is known for it's Forest Cathedral of towering White Pines and Hemlocks. We enjoyed walking the trails for a day and half, staying at a local hotel in Clarion Pa. 

Walking the trails, I checked out the birds, mushrooms and the trees. Below, you will see some of our sights while visiting this park. In the mosaic, a Hairy woodpecker, Wren, the only bear we saw, Northern Flicker, Wooly Bear Caterpillar, Wood Thrush, Butterfly and a Robin. 



We walked over the swinging bridge on one of the trails.


Tall pines, moss covered rocks and lots of mushrooms.



The Northern Flickers were seen often. The skies were clear and a pretty blue.


Turkey Feathers, it is amazing even to see what grow on a fallen tree. The mushrooms and fungi are beautiful.


The creek near the picnic pavilion, a pretty orange leaf fall tree.


We saw a few different woodpeckers while walking the trails, I believe this is a Hairy Woodpecker. It seemed larger in size than the Downy Woodpeckers.


After leaving Cook Forest State Park we made a slight detour and met blogging friend Linda of Thebeautyaroundus  at the Kinzua Bridge State Park.  I will be doing a blog more about this park and meeting Linda on my Travel blog


For my skywatch, I view of the sky and destroyed bridge in Kinzua Bridge State Park. If you look hard you can see part of the bridge laying on the ground. That is from the tornado. 




I am thankful for our for the people who acquired this land and turned it into a place for all the public to enjoy. The trees years ago could have been logged but one person saw that these trees needed to be saved and made sure that they were protected. 

I am always thankful for your visits and your comments.

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday
Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!

67 comments:

  1. ...I haven't been to Cook Forest in about 50 years, should do something about that.

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  2. Welcome to Western P.A. So glad you had the chance to see the majestic trees. Happy Day.

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  3. Hello Eileen, this is another great forest to visit and enjoy a wide variety of birds and just savour the beauty of nature!
    I'd love to visit the Kinzua bridge and soak up the views and I see signs of the leaves turning.

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  4. I am sure that your husband wears the epithet of "tree hugger" with pride. Since old growth forests are few and far between in the 21st century I can well imagine the sheer joy in being immersed in one.

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  5. Hari OM
    What a beautiful place - indeed one is always grateful to those who had/have the foresight to preserve special regions such as this! I like the new bloggy setup too Eileen! ... now to see if I can find your travel blog... YAM xx

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  6. Beautiful shots!
    Enjoy your day
    Crissi

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  7. Lovely place! That bridge looks a little bit scary for me, not sure I would dare to cross over.

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  8. Beautiful trails and places. It seems you and your hubby had a great time at the Park. - Nadja

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  9. Sounds like a great day, Eileen. :)
    If it's thankful thursday.......right now I am thankful the acorns have stopped falling out of the tree onto the tin roof. Oi! It's had me up since 4 a.m. and it's now 5:57........ What a racket! Our neighbor has to trim some trees back. LOL I'll be thankful for nap time later on. Have a great day!

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  10. Beleza de parque esse.Fotos muito lindas e isso é sempre aqui! beijos, lindo dia! chica

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  11. Truly wonderful nature exists at cook forest state park! Lovely photos on trees, birds and other relevant species... Glad the nature is preserved in its original state and also opens for public visit.

    Hope u had nice time meeting with a blogger

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  12. Colorful new header photo . . .
    Enjoyable walk over the swinging bridge with you
    and to see the birds, fungi, water and the new bits of color.
    Always enjoyable to meet up with a blogger friend.

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  13. Hello,

    Beautiful woodpeckers! They are so cute. Pretty mushrooms and fungi.

    Happy Thursday!

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  14. Such a pretty place to visit. I love seeing the Northern Flickers. That swinging bridge is amazing! Wishing you a great day.

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  15. whoa...the blog changed...

    But still the same excellent array of Mother's beauty.

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  16. How cool that you met a fellow blogger while out and about in a different state! Was that planned? What a nice forest... I love seeing new sights! And new sites! I am told the beak of a Hairy Woodpecker is half the width of it's head... so not sure that your woodpecker fits that description. That is a hard one! Thanks for sharing! Hugs!

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  17. Lovely photos of a beautiful spot. I am always curious to see what flora and creatures we share me being so far away in Ontario, Canada. Our Woolly Bear caterpillars are also starting their walkabouts and I have a small flock of Northern Flickers who visit my side lawn to comb for food. It is always interesting to observe nature, isn't it!

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  18. Hello,Eileen,
    You have captured so many beautiful birds and mushrooms too! The swinging ridge is amazing!Thank you for taking us the Cook Forest Park. Have a good day.

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  19. Beautiful scenes!
    Great mushroom photo!
    Have a wonderful day!

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  20. ...and you changed your blog layout too I see [yesterday when I visited I was on my phone and the template showed only a plain white background]. Awesome Eileen. And great park images. As always.

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  21. Hi Eileen, Another very fine post. Enjoyed all the pictures! Discovered that I have something in common with your hubby ... I too am a tree hugger! :-) Love the forests. Happy weekend to you and your family!

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  22. Hi Eileen,
    marvelous photos and impressions of this beautiful nature in PA northwest. The bridge is amazing and you are looking pretty and happy !
    Best regards, Synnöve

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  23. Thank you for sharing these, Eileen. What a wonderful place for a walk. I'm always fascinated by woodpeckers.

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  24. Swinging bridges make me a little nervous, but what a beautiful place! I love all of your photos.

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  25. What exquisite details you captured, Eileen. The park looks lovely. I particularly love that big rock and the always intriguing lichen or fungi.

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  26. You are the best sharer, Eileen! Thanks so much for these little vacations for the heart eye and soul <3

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  27. What a great place to walk and see beautiful things to be thankful for. How fun to see a fellow blogger, too!

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  28. It looks like a wonderful place to explore!

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  29. You have a new format! Does your "tree-hugger hubby" know of the tree specialist of old growth trees, Byron Carmean? He is in the news a lot documenting the largest and oldest trees in Virginia particularly, but throughout the east. Well, he is my husband's cousin...his father and my husband's grandfather were brothers. Love the post! Beautiful photos. Hope you are having a great week! I always enjoy your comments to my posts, and your posts as well, and I love it when I can participate in Saturday's Critters.....I had a great post at the ready, the cutest squirrel, but have since learned he is a California Ground Squirrel and is a huge pest...he has burrowed in under the corner of my house! The Fish & Wildlife people told my husband you can't relocate them...it's against the law to let one loose anywhere, and it was suggested he kill it with a b-b gun! :-( I can't post those adorable photos....I'm so sad! We haven't seen him lately, but also they carry bubonic plague. Plus I don't know what he is doing to the foundation of my house! This is hard.

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  30. I like your new blog look Eileen. Because I've been away I only had my Smartphone with me so didn't get time for blogging. Well i must agree, there's nothing wrong with wanting to hug trees but I'm not so sure about that swinging walkway. eautiful scenes and an intruiging walk as always.

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  31. I love the look of that forest, Eileen!

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  32. No way I would walk across that Bridge but it is beautiful as all the trees around it on the trestle and all the amazing things you always fine

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  33. I think it is great you met a fellow blogger, Eileen! Another delightful and captivating series, thank you so much for sharing! I hope you are having a great week. :)

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  34. I LOVE the photo of the turkey tail mushrooms! I had no idea they were used for treating cancer until I looked them up. Love it. I don't know how you walked across the swinging bridge...I'd have had to crawl. LOL
    Have a great weekend!

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  35. A gorgeous park and seriously that bridge is killing me -it is so cool. Don't see things like that much today.

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  36. Gorgeous forest, and how fun to meet a blogging buddy!

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  37. It's so great to visit our State Parks and enjoy beauty like this. And how nice to meet a blog friend. Love the photos...hug your hubby for all of us! Hugs, Diane

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  38. Beautiful shots of both bridges. I am always fascinated by mushrooms and the non-lethal ones taste so good! lol Thank you for linking up today and have a GREAT weekend, Eileen!

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  39. Fungi on the tree, just like feathers. And that long bridge? I wonder if anyone still walks to the end? Maybe it is blocked off for safety. And a swing bridge, I get shivers just with one step on them!!!

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  40. Beautiful place t visit.. the swinging bridge is beautiful..

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  41. You got some good photos, every time I try to find mushrooms and other fungi to photograph they seem to be very elusive.

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  42. Looks like a beautiful place to visit!

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  43. Happy Thursday (or Friday over here) to you to Eileen! Wishing you a great weekend ahead.

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  44. Hello Eileen. Wonderful forest, beautiful place. I like woodpeckers.

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  45. HI there Eleen, I love your new layout! Your fungus image is beautiful! Have a beautiful weekend!

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  46. What a pretty place, love the forest! I love the bridge pictures as well. Enjoying your blog, lots of interesting things!

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  47. Beautiful captures! My grandparents had an old one room schoolhouse that they used in Clarion when I was a kid....had to go to the outhouse to do our business but it was always fun to go there :)

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  48. Beautiful photos, Eileen. I especially love the photo of the mushrooms and fungi and the pretty woodpecker! Unfortunately, there are no woodpeckers in Greece! Kisses, my friend.

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  49. gorgeous images, looks like a beautiful place!!! nice woodpeckers!!!

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  50. Great shots, Eileen..Hope you are enjoying Pa...A little early for the leaves I guess...Hope you didn't see any real bears. Good time of year for Fungi...Happy weekend.

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  51. Wow, amazing what the tornado did to that bridge! I also like the shot of the little swinging bridge in the forest. Have a nice weekend!

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  52. First off, how awesome to bump into a fellow blogger!

    Secondly, I love hanging bridges. I am a bit scared for crossing them, but I enjoy the experience at the same time.

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  53. As always another presentation of places I will never see. I would have to find another way as I cannot take a swinging bridges. Thanks so much for your visits.

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  54. Very beautiful landscapes and views. The bridge is wonderful.
    Wish you, Eileen, a nice weekend.

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  55. Another beautiful forest . Love the fungi on the trees and moss covered rocks. What fun to meet another blogger.

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  56. Lots of mushrooms?

    Did you any rabbit holes?

    And Alice?

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  57. A great area, gorgeous photos and happy to see you met up with Linda. Have a great weekend Eileen :)

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  58. Beautiful place and wonderful nature and sky shots ~ love the bridge ~ ^_^

    (A ShutterBug Explores) ~ thanks for commenting ^_^

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  59. I love old swinging bridges, but have to get out of the city to see one anymore. Woodpeckers are fascinating, aren't they? We do get some Downy woodpeckers around here, and it's hard to get photos of them, because they move so fast. The Northern Flicker is a very attractive bird and the trees are enormous. Have a good weekend.

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  60. Looks a very nice place to visit, I enjoyed seeing your photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  61. Hello Eileen. Plenty of trees for your Husband to hug and beautiful birds for you to capture on camera. How sad that the bridge was damaged with the hurricane.
    Hve a wonderful week :)

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  62. Bob and I need to hike some of the trails at Cook Forest. Excellent pictures from your time at Cook Forest. Too bad you didn’t see a bear or deer during your hike, as you had wanted.

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