I Was Just Thinking…

Posted on January 28, 2017January 28, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Awww, you know what that means. I was stumped for a subject to write about. But seriously I do think sometimes.

I read a post from a fellow travel blogger titled 7 Questions all Long Term Travelers Hate.http://girlvsglobe.com/2014/05/7-questions-all-long-term-travellers-hate.html

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This is a very humorous blog but it did get me thinking. First of all she refers to eighty-year old adventurers and twenty something homebodies.

(We’re not 80 yet but we are getting up there)

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When I was twenty something I never went on vacation unless it was to sit at my mother’s house usually with a book or two. I was convinced I couldn’t afford to travel. I soothed my wanderlust by moving my whole house every 2 years or so.

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Back in the day (yes I said that on purpose) young women didn’t pack up and move on their own but I did. First I left my folks home in New York and moved to Massachusetts. Then I proceeded to move from town to town every 2-3 years. My family claimed they couldn’t keep up with all the address changes. Looking back it would have been cheaper to just travel a little and keep the same apartment.

She goes on to say that Wanderlust is for life and I really think that’s true. The older I get the more things I want to see. I go through my “bucket” list all the time. It doesn’t get shorter with each vacation, it gets longer! In my mind I have vacations for the next 2 years all planned out! I just have to keep healthy and the money coming in to cover the trips. I don’t think I’m cut out for “roughing it” anymore.

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I’m always looking for ways to increase my freedom and flexibility while developing multiple ways to pay for my travel addiction.

What about you? Are you an arm chair traveler or do you have a touch of that wanderlust too?

Graves Light

Posted on January 27, 2017January 27, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Yesterday I mentioned Graves Light that marks the North Channel into Boston Harbor. It isn’t as “pretty” as Boston light but its history is just as colorful.

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The lighthouse gets it’s ghoulish names from the tiny island it’s situated upon. “The Graves” is the outermost island of the Boston Harbor Islands National recreation Area, 9 miles off shore of downtown Boston.

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The lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in the approach to the Port of Boston and until 1975 it was the most powerful lighthouse in New England. It is currently lit with a modern , solar-powered lamp that doesn’t compete with the original giant Fresnel Lens.

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The Lighthouse was built in 1905 and equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens that shown with a 350,000 candlepower beam across the harbor. That lens was removed in 1975. Although not on display at this time it remains in the possession of the Smithsonian Institution. Any classic film buffs may remember that this light was the setting for the climatic storm in the 1948 movie “Portrait if Jennie”.

In recent years many lighthouses have gone up for public auction and Graves Light was no exception. In June of 2013 the lighthouse was put on the auction block. The starting bid was $26,000 but by the time the gavel dropped it had reached a record $933,888, the highest bid ever paid for a U.S. Lighthouse.

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In 2014 the new owners began a major restoration project that has been features on the s television show, This Old house.

Graves Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse is still being used for navigational purposes and will remain so under the terms of the sale.

The lighthouse includes 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a study but landing is difficult and entering the building requires crossing a 40 –foot ladder shown in this archival photo.

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Still who wouldn’t want to own a real lighthouse?

Boston Light

Posted on January 26, 2017January 26, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Boston Light is a lighthouse located on Little Brewster Island in the outer Boston Harbor.

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The original lighthouse was built on this site in 1716 making it the first lighthouse to be built in what became the United States.

This first light house was held by the British during the American Revolution and subsequently burned down by the American forces, not once but twice. When the British withdrew in 1776 they blew up the tower completely destroying it.

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In 1783 the new lighthouse was constructed with a 75 foot tower, the same as the original. In 1856 the tower was raised to its present height of 98 Ft. A new lantern room was added along with a 12 sided second order Fresnel Lens.

In 1998 Boston Light was automated but is still staffed by a resident Coast Guard Keeper. The current keeper is Sally Snowman who, along with volunteers from the Coast Guard Auxiliary act as interpretive tour guides for visitors.

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The current light still uses the 2^nd order Fresnel lens, one of only four left in use and the only one in Massachusetts. It flashes white every 10 seconds and is visible for 27 nautical miles.

To reach the safety of Boston Harbor, ships had to navigate the dangerous channel through numerous rocks, shoals and islands so Boston Light was an important navigational aid.

In more recent times the channel has been dredged and larger vessels have shifted to the North Channel marked by Graves Light.

Boston Light is designated a National Historic Landmark and is the second oldest working lighthouse in the US today.

Into The Harbor on a Wildlife Cruise

Posted on January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 by Dusty Roads

The cruise was a “sell out”. Many of the people I spoke with had been on the cruise in previous years. They only run it one day a year and they go out rain or shine or snow. There were National Park Rangers, Aquarium naturalists, DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) employees and volunteers to answer questions. The boat was well stocked with food and beverages in the snack bar. two decks were heated if the outdoor space got too cold. They really went all out to make it a special day.

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At 10:35 the loading began and by 11 am we were all ready to head out to the harbor.

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Our first destination was Logan Airport. Logan Airport is home to some migratory snowy owls. Because of the damage they can do to a jet, the Audubon Society has a trap and release program. Snowys are trapped at Logan and released elsewhere, often at Duxbury beach.

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I was on the 2nd deck when the cry went up that a snowy owl had been spotted. Unfortunately it was too far away. I couldn’t see it with my 300 mm lens. A photographer standing next to me with a gigantic lens on his camera said he couldn’t see it either. It looked like a snow pile or a white plastic jug, just a spot against the dark gravel.

That pretty much set the tone for the trip. It would have been more accurate to call it a bird watching cruise. We saw lots of birds but they were mostly fast and small. I soon got tired of trying to photograph them and settled for just watching them.

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The only “wildlife” we saw were some seals hauled out on the rocks. Since it was low tide they were a good distance away from us and the sun was at the wrong angle to see much. It was more the silhouette of their “banana pose” that gave them away.

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It had warmed up a great deal and the sun going in and out behind the clouds. The harbor was amazingly calm for a winter day. We cruised past Boston Light into the outer harbor.

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One of the volunteers explained that they almost never get to go into the outer harbor in winter. It’s just too rough but we made it all the way out to Graves Light and even there the waves were only gentle, rolling swells.

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Graves was the end of the trip. We did our turn around right in front of the light house. The return trip was leisurely as we passed the various harbor Islands, Georges Island with it’s fort, Peddocks Island with it’s 4 headlands to name only 2.

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It turned out to be a beautiful day for a boat ride. I may not have seen much Wildlife but I had fun all the same. I’ll watch for this next year. I wouldn’t mind a repeat.

A Winter Wildlife Cruise

Posted on January 24, 2017January 24, 2017 by Dusty Roads

My Friend Nancy sent me a notice about a Winter Wildlife Cruise of Boston Harbor. There wasn’t a lot of information on the web site. In fact it didn’t even mention the date or dates. On a phone call I was told it was a one day only cruise, a special arrangement.

I wondered what Wildlife they were referring to but booked the cruise anyway. I figured it would get me out of the house. Stop my winter hibernation.

I dressed in my warmest winter coat, sweatshirt and a scarf. My upper body was warm but my legs clad in jeans left something to be desired.

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I had to be at the pier at 10:30 to board. The cruise was scheduled to start at 11 am. Turns out this was also the day of the Woman’s March in Boston and it was rumored that 70,000 woman had RSVP’d that they would attend. It made me wonder what the traffic and parking would be like. I debated all down RT 24 if I should try the MBTA or drive. Driving won out and I arrived at the Harbor Garage at 8:30 am giving me 2 hours to kill.

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By The time I got parked my torso was sweating bullets but my legs were still cold. I decided to wander around the Aquarium area. Other than a few joggers or dog walkers, there weren’t too many people out and about.

It was a pretty overcast morning.

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I met one woman walking her Lab. Pretty dog but her muzzle was getting gray. That dog dragged her over to me and started licking my hands . The owner was so apologetic but I just laughed and told her not to worry, animals like me. My “Pet Whisperer” persona strikes again!

I wandered over the the Rose Kennedy Greenway which isn’t green this time of year but took a long distance shot of the “Fish” window.

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