Hey!

With the sun finally out, the weather warming up, and spring in the air I figured it was a good time to throw on the old hiking boots and get outside.  So this Saturday I gathered up a few good friends and headed to Letchworth State Park for some fun in the sun.

Let’s start at the beginning with a mini history lesson. The park is named after William Pryor Letchworth who left roughly 1000 acres to the State of New York thus forming the majority of the park.  In doing this,  Letchworth made arrangements to protect the park from any commercial development that he believed would be harmful to the area.

It took us about an hour and twenty minutes to drive to the park.  The drive itself is a scenic drive, taking you through little towns and rustic farmland (tons of cows to see) , so if your in the passenger seat make sure you put your phone down and enjoy the ride.  I will have to say the coolest part of the drive has to be all the windmills. About halfway through the trip you get to a point where dozens of windmill are scattered across the skyline.

The park itself is about seventeen miles long and has something for everyone. There are over a dozen hiking trails ranging from a half mile to seven plus miles, and if you don’t want to hike at all you can drive right up and park at all the major sights.  The center of the park is comprised of three waterfalls; upper, middle and lower. Each falls is absolutely stunning, you really get the feeling that you far away from home.

Along with the many waterfalls, there are playgrounds, gifts shops, and a museum. The park permits hiking, biking, fishing and hot-air balloon rides when the weather is nice. So if you’re looking for a family friendly adventure, or a get away with friends Letchworth comes highly recommended.

I will have to say, while you’re at the park its always good to think safety first.  Remember to stay on the posted trails, bring a buddy, wear sun protection and bring lots of water.  Let’s all make it our goal this spring/summer to stay active and soak in as much sun as possible!

For more information and details check out Letchworth’s website:

www.letchworthpark.com

Good luck and be safe,

Matt

Hey Guys!

When I first heard the name Titan Arum I assumed what I was hearing was the name of a new sci-fi movie coming out this summer. I was wrong but not completely off, it does have to do with science and  it does seems straight out of a alien movie.

Titan Arum, or as its called in text book speak “Amorphophallus titanum”, is the tallest flower in the world. Now before you call up your local florist and demand to have one sent to your significant other, there’s something you need to know.  When the Titan Arum blooms, which it only does once a year, it smells like rotten meat.

The Tiatan Arum is unique to Western Sumatra where it grows on the rainforest floor. Not only is it smelly but its also incredibly rare, up until 1989 there were only about 21 flowerings in botanical gardens around the world.

This Wednesday I had the opportunity to visit the Niagara Floral Showroom (located in Niagara Falls, Ontario) and see the  Titan Arum for my self.  Sadly it hadn’t bloomed yet but it was still a pretty impressive plant, standing about 6 feet tall. Plus since it hadn’t bloomed I didn’t have to deal with the whole smelling like a dead animal part.

The really neat thing about visiting the Niagara Floral Showroom was I got to meet people from all over the world. You heard me right, people from all over have traveled to see this flower. While I was there I even met a couple from Holland who said that this was one of the most amazing sights they have ever seen.  The Titan Arum is guessed to bloom within the next three days, but there are many other great sights to see while you are there.

For those of you out there that are brave enough to expose themselves to the horrid smell, more information is provided on their website.

www.niagaraparks.com/garden-trail/floral-showhouse.html

Good Luck!

-Matt