Category Archives: Travel

Sohier Park

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I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do . I had it in my head to spend a whole day in York, Me., go to  York’s Wild Kingdom during the day and then to the lighthouse at night but as I drove around Portland I found I kept getting all twisted around. I finally decided to drive back to York and get the lighthouse pictures now so I would have more flexibility the rest of my visit.

On the way back I stopped at a roadside fish market. They had the section where the sold the fish and around to the side was a window where you could order cooked seafood.

There were picnic tables where you could sit and eat. I decided this was the place to try out for dinner, Tom’s Fried Clams.

I bet you can’t guess what I what I ordered? Yup, scallops. It isn’t getting old yet. These were good but a bit different. The portion was huge. I couldn’t finish it. Believe me I tried because scallops are too special to waste. They came with french fries but they could have kept those in the kitchen. I was too full to enjoy them. I didn’t even get an ice cream!

Tummy filled it was time to work my way over to the lighthouse.

Christmas in July is always the kickoff for the annual  York Days Celebration. The “Nubble” Lighthouse is outlined in white lights. The event is held in Sohier Park. It didn’t occur to me to that this might mean more than just Christmas lights.

I headed over early in hopes of finding parking and was surprised to find myself in a traffic jam as I approached the park.

Eventually I arrived and lucked out when a parked car backed out right in front of me opening up a parking spot. Once out of the car it became clear why it was so packed. There was a concert in the park. What I could hear was excellent but unless you were right near the performers the music was drowned out by the pounding surf.

I started wandering around the rocks trying to scope out spots to set up.

I was hoping to get a slightly different angle but it soon became clear why all of the photos I’ve seen of the light are the same. There are utility lines that block a clear view of the light. Because of that everyone gravitates to the same area for pictures.

I saw scuba divers heading into the water. Boy does that take me back. I dove these same waters 30 years ago. Watching them made me miss it. Maybe someday I’ll re-certify.

With several hours to wait for dark I amused myself taking pictures of the surf and the gulls. I wasn’t the only one.

A Murphy’s Law kind of day

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Well here I am heading back up north to Maine. Twice in one season! Actually this trip was planned before JR suggested we go to Bar Harbor and Acadia. This trip is a totally “working” vacation. By that I mean I am heading  north to take photos that I hope will be good enough to sell.

Twice each year the lighthouse at Cape Neddick is adorned with white lights, outlining the houses and tower. The first event is known as “Christmas in July” and the second is the Annual Lighting of the Nubble at Christmas time in December. When I heard about that I thought WOW…that would be really cool to take pictures of and it will be a lot nicer in July than December with the cold winds blowing off the ocean. You see, I am a wimpy photographer. I wonder if there’d be a market for “Diary of a Wimpy Photographer”? Just joking.

Another iconic lighthouse that I keep hearing about is Pemaquid Lighthouse so I thought I could set up a little trip that would let me take in both locations.

I checked mapquest for locations of each  lighthouse and of course, they are nowhere near each other . I decided to compromise by staying in a location mid way between the two…Portland.

A search of motels through Hotels .com snagged me a good deal at the Super 8 in Westbrook, a suburb of Portland. This was all done weeks before I planned to go so the motel was all paid for. I only had to worry about gas, meals and any extras I might want to do.

It seemed like everything that could go wrong did on the morning of my departure. I finally threw my hands in the air and said I’m done, I’m out of here. So what if the kitchen floor didn’t get mopped . It will still be there when I get home. I put all my stuff from my messy desk in a pile, tossed some treats to the cats and ran before I got side tracked with something more that screamed for my attention.

As I went out the door I realized I didn’t have the power cord for my laptop and the battery was dead…see what I mean? The power cord was at the office in Plymouth so I decided to detour to the office and then head up RT 3 through Boston to pick up RT 95 N. On the way I would stop at Ritz Camera in Hingham (It’s right off one of the exits on RT 3) and pick up some pictures I’d ordered so I wouldn’t have to stop there when I came home.

Well the power cord was quick enough. I got in and out with minimal explanation and in less than 10 minutes. Next stop Ritz Camera.

Now you have to understand that I love the Ritz Camera Store in Hingham. I think every one of the people who work there are great and I recommend them every chance I get. I can see huge improvements in my pictures with their guidance and support so I am not being critical when I tell you what happened next. I share this only as an example of how my day was going.

First I had a terrible time finding a parking spot. The store is in a mall but it felt like the whole mall was slammed. When I got into the store it was wall to wall with people. All of the picture kiosks were taken and every associate was helping customers. They all waved but they are used to me “hanging out” so there was no urgency on their part to get to me. Besides , I should wait my turn. Finally one  person broke free long enough to ask me if I wanted help. While they were looking for the pictures I ordered  another associate called out that they weren’t ready. Could I wait an hour? They were really backed up!

I told them no I was leaving for Maine and I’d get them on the way back. Well now everyone wanted to know where in Maine, what pictures did I plan to take and so on. I finally got out and back on the road. The pictures will be waiting for me on my return but guess what…a fender bender had traffic at a stand- still and I wasn’t even in Boston!

Eventually I got through the traffic jam and maybe since traffic was so slow south of the city, it made for pretty clear sailing through Boston proper. I made good time the rest of the way arriving in Portland about an hour after I planned, 3pm instead of 2pm. Not bad considering.

The Super 8 was right off the highway. Perfect! The desk clerk was really nice and friendly. The motel was undergoing some renovation but they still had a pool, offered a continental breakfast and had fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies right there when I came in! Fresh coffee was brewing all day.

The room was nice too. It was fairly large with a king sized bed right at the end of the hall so it was pretty quiet. Only one other room near me.

I picked up some maps of the area tossed my suitcase down, grabbed the camera  and headed out to explore a little and find someplace for dinner. My “working” vacation was officially underway.

It’s Always Cooler on The Water

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With the heat and oppressive humidity in Boston Nancy and I made the decision to take a harbor cruise. It wasn’t much of a decision. The temps were so uncomfortable that it was really the only option.

We made a stop at Quincy Market  where Nancy got a smoothie and I got a cup of watermelon then it was back to the wharf for the harbor cruise. What a difference. As soon as we pulled out of the slip we could feel the cooler air…natural air conditioning.

The sights were many…Nantucket Lightship, Fort Independence,  Castle Island, Cod-zilla, Bunkerhill Monument, USS Constitution, The steeple of the Old North Church,  Coast Guard  Ships, Boston Fire Boat, Logan airport, the beautiful bridges around Boston The Zakim and the Mystic River Bridges and the list goes on.

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It was only a 90 minute cruise but it was just enough of a break before we had to fight the afternoon crowds back onto the “T” to head back to the “Burbs”.

Boston on a Hot Hot Day

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A couple of weeks ago my friend Nancy and I made plans to meet in Boston for the day. She is a college professor and she only had morning classes. I wanted to get some pictures of Boston landmarks for my photo cards. I figured I’d go into town early, grab as many shots as I could then meet Nancy for the afternoon.

Well, let me just say that going into Boston is never an easy jaunt. In fact it annoys me so much it’s hard to believe people do it daily for work. Trying to be frugal I decided to take the  “T”. I timed my departure (I thought I was being so smart) for 9:30 am to miss the rush hour traffic on Rts 24 and 93. Well that part worked . Traffic was heavy but moving and I found a parking spot on the 5th level of the Quincy Adams Parking garage…inside…so the sun would not be turning the car into an oven. So far, so good.

10:00 am I’m in front of the Charlie Card machine and I hear a train pull into the station.  I grabbed my ticket and ran for the platform…too late it had loaded and was just pulling out. Boy that was quick! No problem though. Trains run about every 10-15 minutes at that time of day. Sure enough it wasn’t long before another train pulled into the station. It was pretty empty and I got a seat right away. Only 10:15. I expected to be in town by 10:45 which would give me an hour to shoot pics before meeting Nancy.

But here’s where things began to fall apart. We seemed to be waiting longer and longer at each stop. Finally just before we got into Boston proper we stopped completely between stations. Now we got an announcement that there were “switching” problems at Park St. As soon as they got the train in front of us out of the way we’d be on our way. Tick Tock Tick Tock…I could hear the clock ticking in my mind.

Finally moving again we made it to Boylston but then we sat again. By now it was after 11:00 am So much for a free hour for my photo shoot.

Originally I was going to get off at Park St. Take pictures of the Boston Gardens and then walk over to the Aquarium taking pictures as I went. Now pulling into Park it was almost 11:15 and it was HOT…a record setter and HUMID. I decided I might as well take the train to Government Center and switch to the Blue line to get to the waterfront where I was meeting Nancy.

I’m not sure how I messed up. Probably faulty memory since there were no maps posted in the T car I was in but somehow I got twisted around and ended up over by The Rehab Hospital and the old Jail, the Science Museum and Esplanade on the Green Line. I got off and changed platforms to back track.

Finally on the Blue Line I made it to the Aquarium Station. Stepping onto the street was like walking into a solid wall of humid heat.

It was so extreme it took my breath away.

The various trolley companies all have ticket booths right there so I stopped by the Olde Town Trolley booth for a short chat.

JR used to work for them once upon a time  so I have a soft spot for them. But aside from personal prejudice I do feel they do the best job for the money.

Ghosts and Gravestones is Olde Town’s Ghostly tour. Love their promos! Halloween all year ’round! But I imagine the young lady was pretty warm in those volumes of skirts.

Leaving the trolleys behind I noticed that Boston has continued to move into the eco-friendly realm with bicycle rentals. A very nice idea.

By now I was soaked with perspiration and feeling very uncomfortable.  I found a nice outdoor bar on the wharf and plunked myself there to wait.

My icy cold club soda arrived at the same time Nancy stepped out of the T station. As I went to meet her the waiter reminded me to “stay hydrated”. Got it! I sure will.

It was time to put our heads together and make a game plan to survive the heat.

The Becky Thatcher

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Remember Becky Thatcher from Tom Sawyer? Well our riverboat was the Becky Thatcher and it was quite roomy. After the safety orientation to show us the life jackets we cast off and headed upstream. The river was beautiful.

We had a young man acting as a commentator to point out the sights like eagles nests, a ferry, the Goodspeed Opera house. It was his first time so he was nervously reading the script. If they let him do it again I’m sure he will get better.

The views of the Gillette Castle were extraordinary from the boat. The mansion is an amazing sight  anyway any time of the year but with the green foliage and bright blue sky it was truly magnificent.

Even with a full complement of guests the ride was relaxing. I find being on the water like that is very soothing.

When we reached the opera house and the East Haddam swing bridge we did a big , slow, sweeping turn that gave us plenty of time to take in the views of East Haddam.

We passed marinas and private docks and even a monestary! What a beautiful day for a riverboat ride!

Traveling back down the river we spotted the train on its last run of the day.

So that was how we would get back to the station.

The train stopped at Deep River Landing just as we pulled in. While I waited for my turn to leave the boat I watched two large birds swoop over the island across from the boat. Osprey! I was thrilled to actually see them fish, swooping down to brush the surface of the river and then climb back up with their fish. At first I thought they were eagles but closer scrutiny proved them to be osprey. They were too far away for photos but I did try..just a couple of spots came out.

Back at the station the office recommended Bill’s Seafood if I wanted to have a nice moderately priced dinner before I returned home. They gave me the address and directions and it wasn’t long before I spotted it. The weather was still wonderful so I took a seat at a picnic style table on the outdoor deck. I was glad for the umbrella, not for the sun but as protection from the birds. Sea Gulls were flying everywhere. Marshland spread out from the  deck and I spotted white ibis, great blue herons and more Osprey. There were 2 osprey nests and they were both occupied. I watched the adults hunting and returning to the nest with their catch to feed the babies while I enjoyed a lovely meal of fish and chips.

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Children were feeding the ducks and gulls bits of their lunches and the birds were clearly enjoying the attention.  This would be a wonderful place to come back to with a big telephoto lens. But even without the camera, it was a wonderful way to end the day.