Jackson NH

Posted on January 10, 2017January 10, 2017 by Dusty Roads

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I had a vision of horses running through the snow and pulling a sleigh. Now I really didn’t care if it was a one horse, 2 horse or a whole team but to get this “vision” captured in a photo I had to go in search of snow and snow with horse drawn sleighs. christmassleighride1920x1200

I did a google search and came up with a few places but the one that caught my eye was the Jingle Bell Chocolate tour in Jackson, NH.

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This is a Holiday event in the elegant resort town of Jackson, NH.

For a small fee you are driven in a sleigh drawn by a team of Austrian draft horses around Jackson to different inns and locations. Some mentioned are the Wentworth, the Snowflake Inn, The Riverwood Inn and Flossie’s General Store.

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At each stop you get to sample a chocolate treat. You also receive a holiday bag for leftovers and a jingle bell.

The catch is that you have to be staying at one of the Inns. The sleigh rides start and end at Nestlenook Farms.

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I figured I might as well drive up because the photo I wanted wouldn’t be from in a sleigh anyway.

It was a 4 hour drive but it was a beautiful day. When I left Taunton it was sunny and the sky was blue however as I approached Jackson the weather began to change. It started to get really cold and clouds began to roll in. It even started to spit a little snow. I was also getting a little discouraged as I passed through North Conway. There was absolutely no snow on the ground! How would I ever get the picture I wanted?

Jackson and North Conway are in the White Mountains and the White Mountain National Forest so you can imagine how scenic the ride was.

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Arriving in Jackson you drive over a one lane covered bridge, (Covered Bridge #51) also known as the Honeymoon Bridge. Originally built in 1876 it has had improvements and upgrades over the years. The name “Honeymoon Bridge” comes from a tradition of lovers kissing under it for good luck.

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In the end I did not get my “vision”. It will have to wait for another day and different conditions but I enjoyed my explorations, Jackson Falls, The Honey Moon Bridge and the horse drawn sleighs on wheels.

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If any of my readers are from the New England area and know of winter sleigh rides, please leave me a comment. I’m still looking for someplace to get that photo and now we have SNOW!

Photo #7

Posted on January 5, 2017January 5, 2017 by Dusty Roads

A bit different for me. But that’s what this is all about, stretching and growing.

We’re “Under the Sea” in a submarine. A shipwreck comes into view through the porthole. At 127 ft, the only colors are blue.

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Christmas Eve

Posted on December 24, 2016December 24, 2016 by Dusty Roads

It’s Christmas Eve day and I have the tree lights on and carols playing in the background. I’m making my list for one last run to the grocery store. But I want to take a minute to share my adopted home town through the years. I live in Taunton, MA nicknamed “The Christmas City.

Taunton Green 2010

Long before I moved here Taunton earned the name Christmas City for it’s Holiday display at the intersection of Routs 44 and 138. All roads led to Taunton back in those days. In 1914 when the tradition began there was no Route 24, 95 , 495 or 128. If you wanted to get someplace south of Boston you probably had to go through Taunton.

Taunton Green 2011

I moved to Taunton in 2006 but I didn’t start photographing the “Green” with it’s Christmas Display until 2010. But I have made an effort to document the different displays every year since.

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I hope you enjoy this visual visit to The Christmas City, past and present.

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Taunton Green 2014

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And last but not least, this year, 2016. The Holiday Train, Polar Express or however you want to think of this iconic Christmas Present, is the theme this year.

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Nice Job Taunton. Easy to see why you are The Christmas City!

Maui Ocean Center Revisited

Posted on December 8, 2016December 8, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Vacation was nearing its inevitable conclusion. Time was running out.

Kathy had leave the next day. It seemed suitable to attend a Luau for her last evening on Maui but we needed to keep busy until then.

First stop was Lahina to pick up some souvenirs.

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A pair of grass skirts and coconut bras for the little grand girls would be perfect.

From there we made our way to the Maui Ocean Center. I know we told you about our previous visit but Kathy hadn’t arrived then. It was time to show our cuz the cute aquarium.

It’s taken a quarter of a century for the aquarium to grow to its current size. Maui Ocean Center isn’t just an aquarium, it focuses on the flora and fauna of the oceans surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. Many of the species are found no other place on earth.

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All of the exhibits faithfully replicate the natural environment. Its one of the only aquariums that specialize in caring for live corals. In the living reef building all of the corals are alive, not imitations.

The official sate fish of Hawaii is the reef triggerfish.

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Its Hawaiian name is Humuhumu-nukunuku-a-pua’a. It means trigger fish with snout like pig. Now That’s a mouthful!

The Maui Ocean Center takes part in the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle Educational Loan Program. They host baby sea turtles from hatchlings up to 2 years old when they are released into the ocean.

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That’s just touching on the Aquarium, from surge zone to ocean depths it’s all here for you to see and experience.

Under the Sea

Posted on December 5, 2016December 5, 2016 by Dusty Roads

I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’ garden in the shade
He’d let us in, knows where we’ve been
In his octopus’ garden in the shade

After my solo adventure you’d think I’d have had enough of being underwater but no. I love the ocean with all the fish. I miss scuba diving. I think it is much easier than snorkeling. I forget that I have to keep the snorkel tip above the water in order to get air. I’m just so used to being able to breathe easily through a regulator!

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Anyway, we scheduled a ride on a submarine and it was today! Sandy’s willing to go “Under the Sea” as long as she doesn’t get wet. Kathy said she had been on a submarine before so she stayed behind.

We’ll be going more than 100 ft below the surface. That means entering a blue world as colors will slowly filter out as we descend.

To get to the submarine we boarded a smaller boat to cruise out to the dive site.

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Once there, the surface support boat let the Atlantis know that the next group had arrived.

Roxie, the surface support boat

Pretty soon we could see a ghostly outline as the gleaming white sub rose toward the surface.

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Then there was bubbling and rushing water as it broke the surface.

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Hatches were opened and the previous group transferred from the sub to our boat. Then it was our turn to board the sub.

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Inside seats run down the center of the sub facing the portholes.

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There’s room for 2 people per window.

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There was a map on the wall between the port holes of our undersea cruise. I forget if there were 4 or 5 stops before we had to surface. At one point the depth gauge read 127 ft.

My favorite was the artificial reef called the Carthaginian. This ship was scuttled in 2005 and it hasn’t taken long for the fish in the area to take up residence.

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As long as we were on or near a reef, there was plenty of activity. We saw a huge puffer fish, some reef sharks and even some spotted eagle rays.

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