Sisters' Daytrip- Falling Water and Ohiopyle

Falling Water and Ohiopyle
Saturday, May 16, 2009

Visiting Falling Water has been a dream of mine since I was a teenager and saw a picture of the home in an art book. Falling Water is the masterpiece design of famed US architect Frank Lloyd Wright. After seeing a documentary on the designs of Wright and learning that, located southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it was within a driving distance I decided to someday travel to the home. However, I never quite made it. So, when it came up again, I decided I didn’t want to push it off to the side again and made plans with my little sister Megan to head out that upcoming Saturday.

Reservations are required to visit Falling Water but tickets can easily be purchased through the website. We orders ours the night before and had our choice of tours but during busier times, reservations should be made up to two weeks in advance. We left on Saturday morning. The 3-hour drive was easy and scenic. We took Interstate 76 East from Akron and into southeastern Pennsylvania to PA Route 31 to PA Route 381. This region of Pennsylvania is much hillier than Ohio and passing on the highway above we enjoyed seeing towns growing out of the valleys below. PA Route 381 is also known as the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway and we passed many nice views on our way. The road was a mix of tourist attractions, shops offering wood objects, marine gear or country crafts, campgrounds and worn homes. It passed through small towns and over meandering hills in farm country. The ride alone was enjoyable.

We arrived at the entrance of Falling Water and passed through a dense wooded area before finding the gate. When we parked we were amazed by the number of out of state license plates. There were plates from Iowa, California, Texas and many other states from around the nation. We even saw plates from British Columbia and Ontario. We were struck by what an attraction the Wright-designed home really was.

We checked in at the Visitors Center and waited for our group to be announced. The Visitors Center is a large round pavilion that compliments its wooded setting. It offers restrooms, lockers, a cafe’ and a gift shop. When our tour group was announced, we made our way down a winding quarter-mile path lined with wild rhododendron, large rock formations, a babbling stream and a few small waterfalls. Suddenly the home came into view and we took in our first sight of it. Built to blend into the woods around it, it really does mimic the hillside and instead of disturbing the environment is built around it. We gathered on the bridge near the famous waterfall that the house was built around and waited for our tour to begin.

Our tour started with some history of the home, its owners the Kaufmanns (of Kaufmanns Department Store) and its designer Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright designed Falling Water on commission as the all-season vacation home of the wealthy Kaufmann family, who resided in Pittsburgh, PA. Wright, who made up the term ‘organic architect’ to explain his philosophy of design, designed Falling Water to look as if it was a part of the landscape. He paid special attention to the surroundings, using the rocks on the property as part of the foundation and the fireplace hearth and having the stream and waterfall pass right under the house. He built the home and guest house on several terraced levels to mimic the hillside where it was perched. The home and surrounding landscape existed in harmony.

We took the $20 general tour which included a tour of the main great room, the guest room, the master bedrooms, the son’s room, the guest house and many of the several terraces around the home. Indoor photography was not permitted on the general tour but we were encouraged to explore the exterior spaces and grounds and take photographs after the tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and did a great job of talking to everyone in the group and making sure that all were able to hear. She was able to answer everyone’s questions and offered comparisons to other Wright designs. She was a very informative guide and I enjoyed her presentation.

I had looked forward to seeing the home for so long and, of course, the view of the exterior was amazing but I was very surprised to be most captivated by the extensive art collection in the interior. The aesthetic of minimalist furnishings and muted colors complimented by eclectic and colorful art is what I aspire to in my own home so I was quite inspired by the Japanese tapestries, centuries-old religious artwork from all regions, native-American pottery and modern sculptures. Everything in the home except for floor coverings is original and the art collection was one amassed by the frequent travel of the Kaufmanns, although Wright gave them some things from his own collection including Japanese wall hangings and a giant iron pot of his own design that was hung near the fireplace and used to serve soup or mulled wine out of during parties.

I was also very impressed with how the home was built around the natural setting. Instead of moving them, large stones on site were used to make up the hearth of the large fireplace in the great room and the home is cantilevered over the stream and waterfall. A natural stream fills the pool on the upper level. Wright even designed a gap to be left in the floor to let the spring waters trickle down a rock wall that was now part of the home’s interior.

It is said that Falling Water has a hundred steps and that is true. The most unique of the staircases is one that descends from the main great room down to the cool stream below. Another is set near the front door and leads down to a platform near the same stream. Yet another beside the front door leads up to a covered terrace. The terraces were also amazing, all set up with comfortable lounge furniture and simple sculptures. The highest terrace had a small culinary herb garden with thyme, sage, rosemary, chives, basil and all the other fresh herbs that I love to grow myself.

The tour ended with a video about conservation efforts and we took some time to wander the grounds and take some pictures of the home from different view points. We then made our way up the hill, browsed the gift shop and headed back to our vehicle. Megan and I were both blown away by the beauty of the home and grounds and with the tour.

After leaving Falling Water we headed a few miles further down PA Route 381 through Normalville toward Ohiopyle. The first thing we did when we arrived in town was change into hiking gear and have the picnic lunch that we brought with us. We sat on the rocks down by the river and enjoyed our homemade sandwiches and grapes while watching the rushing water.

The town of Ohiopyle is our kind of place- laidback and friendly. There were cute historic buildings in the area like the Visitors' Center in an old train station but many buildings are older and worn-looking. Everyone is friendly and everyone wants to be outdoors. Half the cars in any parking lot had kayaks on top of them, the other half had bike racks. The charm of the town is its ‘I’d rather be ...’ attitude. I wish I had more time to spend relaxing on the patio of the local restaurant or eating hand-dipped ice cream on the porch of the general store.

Next on our agenda was some good hiking. We stopped by the visitors' center and picked up a trail map but decided that instead of doing one long trail we’d rather explore many of the small trails that lead to the riverside. We stood on the bank above and watched kayakers make their way down fast and rough water. We climbed over large boulders and explored crevices. We lounged on large rocks on the edge of the river. We took in the scenery of an amazing place we’d never been. The hiking in the Ohiopyle State Park combines everything we love about individual trails in our parks system- the rapids and waterfalls of the Gorge, the boulder climbing of Virginia Kendall, the rugged terrain of Adams Run. We enjoyed every minute of hiking and really took the time to enjoy our surroundings. We also indulged in our newest obsession- trail running- and ran along some of the higher trails that weren’t close to the rocky riverbed.

After a few hours of hiking and trail running, we heard thunder in the distance and headed back. We jogged over the old train bridge and got into the car just as the storms were starting. We headed back into Normalville and stopped at the central gas station, Speedy Meedy’s. It should not go without saying that the staff of this gas station/deli are friendly and fun! We discussed a Pittsburgh Steelers clock on their wall, the fact that we’re Cleveland Browns fans and the rivalry between the teams. I always love to get the authentic local experience and as odd as it may be, the friendly folks at Speedy Meedy’s provided.

Meg and I headed home following the same route we came. Although there were storms and bad rain all the way home, it was still an easy and enjoyable drive. We discussed the day and our favorite parts. It is hard to identify the highlight of the trip. Visiting Falling Water is a dream come true but experiencing Ohiopyle left us wanting more and we hope to sometime soon bring our group of girlfriends to enjoy all the outdoor experiences available in this area. The excursion was the perfect one-tank trip and combined art and architecture with the ruggedness of the great outdoors. I can’t wait to return to enjoy more of what this region has to offer!