Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca, New York, USA

Although one of my first thoughts about Ithaca is as a city of higher learning - Cornell University, Ithaca College - the town motto, "Ithaca is Gorges," is a clever play-on-words as well as a true characterization of the countless waterfalls all around the area.



This series of tumblers is just outside downtown in the Buttermilk Falls State Park, which, by the way, is free to enter this time of year instead of the usual $7 per car fee normally charged. We seniors do love a bargain - and since I turned 65 on this trip, I am now officially and forevermore, undeniably a senior.



Although the peak of fall has passed there are still a few stragglers that accent the skyline.



And yes, those are man-made steps that parallel the river as you walk deeper into the gorge to enjoy the sights and sounds of this natural wonder.



You photographers will appreciate the challenge - I couldn't get a shutter speed slower than 1 second to get better water blurring without blowing out the highlights. Not to mention I needed a smaller aperture, and a lower ISO, and a tripod, and a bigger format camera, and a pony, and some ice cream, and a............