Tag Archives: scenic photography

Cape Cod day 4…. where we search in vain for a lighthouse to explore on Martha’s Vineyard.

January 7, 2020 Rivergirl 39 Comments

Who doesn’t love a lighthouse? Raise your hand.

If your hand is up, go sit in the corner while the rest of the nice people enjoy this post.

We didn’t have any luck exploring the first lighthouse we’d found since it was on private property, but hope springs eternal.

Decisions, decisions.

East Chop has a lighthouse?

Decision made.

Yay!

A lighthouse….

Boo… a gate that closed it to the public.

0 for 2, we headed to the next one. We’re nothing if not persistent.

Onward!

But apparently not that way.

In case you’re wondering? I’ll take that house, right there.

Oh, alright. I’ll take Idris Elba as well.

So… Gay Head Light.

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We found it, parked down below and walked through the gate.

Then we saw it.

It…

And the gate that blocked the entrance to it.

May I just say…. WTF Martha’s Vineyard?

Strike 3. Okay, I give up.

There it is, a perfectly nice lighthouse.

I’m sure it was marvelous inside, not that we’ll ever know.

But the views of the Aquinnah Cliffs?

Admittedly, pretty wonderful.

Wind?

A wee bit.

Goodbye hairdo. Next trip to the Vineyard? I’m wearing a hat and never taking it off.

And because every vacation post must have rocks?

Rocks.

Rocks that mark the sight where the lighthouse originally stood.

Rocks.

Rocks with the late afternoon sun.

You’re welcome.

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Cape Cod Day 4, Black Dog Tavern, Vineyard Haven.

January 6, 2020 Rivergirl 33 Comments

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If you live in New England, I can guarantee you’ve seen numerous bumper stickers, t shirts and assorted swag with the ubiquitous black dog silhouette.

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But on day 4 of our fabulous Cape Cod adventure, we had lunch at the real thing.

The original Black Dog Tavern on Martha’s Vineyard.

For a sweetly illustrated history, click here.

It’s a rustic little place…

With some fabulous views.

Filled with maritime history as well as the flavor of the sea….

And on the day we had lunch there?

Even an adorable real life black dog on the beach.

(No worries… it was a cool day, he had water and his owners checked on him regularly.)

Cocktail?

Don’t mind if I do….

Since we were at the Black Dog, I tried a Black Dog Orange Crush.

Which might have to become my new favorite way to wake up the day.

Happily sipping, we enjoyed watching the ferry.

The boats..

The harbor…

And local craft beer disappear.

But yes, the food. We came for food…

Quahog chowder. Thick, creamy and delicious with homemade croutons made for a nice start.

What’s a quahog you ask?

It’s a large hard shelled clam.

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Isn’t that just typical human behavior?

Name your pet, then kill him to find out how old he is.

Sorry Ming, you deserved better. And I sincerely hope you weren’t in our soup.

I was in the mood for a good chargrilled burger and this one didn’t disappoint.

The husband? He inhaled two dozen mussels.

Replete, we said goodbye to the real black dog….

The views…

The pier….

And the original Black Dog Tavern.

Fervently wishing they would come to Maine and build one on our coast!

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Cape Cod Day 4 … a special moment in Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard

January 4, 2020 Rivergirl 30 Comments

When we left Edgartown I saw a sign saying Menemsha, and something in the deep dark recesses of my brain sparked.

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To be honest, I didn’t even know why until I got there.

The art wasn’t familiar.

Neither were the warnings about jellyfish and nude bathing…. two things that should never be experienced together.

So while the husband made a new friend…

I walked around wondering why this particular place had called to me.

Wind?

Just a wee bit…

It was a lovely spot.

And as I wandered…

I realized what I was doing.

I was walking in my late father’s footsteps.

He was an artist….. and had painted this very spot.

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That’s why we were there.

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Because all my life….. I’d seen the word Menemsha on a few of his paintings and never knew what it meant.

I lost my father when I was 15.

Much too young…

We missed so many things.

But for a moment, on this day….

He walked with me.

And my heart was full.

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Diana’s Baths Part 5… rocks, foliage and zombie toes.

December 10, 2019 Rivergirl 37 Comments

Okay… I lied. When we discovered the cairn garden I thought we were at the top, but it turns out we weren’t.

Yes ladies and gentlemen….

There will be more rocks.

And trees.

And trees that hug rocks.

But I promise you…

This time we had found the top.

But standing there, it really does make you wonder where all the water comes from.

The pools are shallow and yet the water keeps flowing… and flowing… and flowing.

Flowing so much in fact..

You knew that was coming, right?

Add another christened outhouse to the list.

Done with the Baths, we back headed down.

Through some lovely paths…

Where sometimes you just have to look up.

And soak in the splendor of autumn.

Naturally, when you look up…. you’re apt to trip over something you would have seen if you were looking down.

Like I did.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who sees a half buried zombie toe here.

And here.

Overgrown toenails et al.

It’s enough to make a girl shiver…

And crave a fortifying alcoholic beverage.

Which I found here.

At the Black Cap Grille, one of our favorite spots in North Conway.

Happily fortified with cocktails and a yummy grilled Caesar salad (If you’ve never eaten it this way? Start now)

And some succulent crab cakes…

We called it a day.

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Diana’s Baths Part 3

December 6, 2019 Rivergirl 28 Comments

After a few hours of happily poking around, we were nearing the top.

A few more rocks.

A little more tip toeing through the tree roots…

And there we were.

The top.

Quiet pools…

The husband, back on the wrong side…

And some big rocks.

Did that rock just wink at me?

Cheeky things, those rocks…

We enjoyed the view and the feeling of accomplishment.

And then…

We saw something a little farther up…

That made us realize we weren’t quite finished with Diana’s Baths yet.

Cairns!

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Sorry.. no.

Not that kind.

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Cathedral Ledge Part 2.

December 3, 2019 Rivergirl 38 Comments

Mountain views.

Valley views.

Vibrant autumn color.

And love locks… Cathedral ledge has it all.

Even lovers with a sense of humor.

It was glorious… and that was only the front half.

Walking along the sides, we made friends.

Took 100 more pictures….

And simply marveled at the beauty of nature.

Even the husband was quiet.

Honestly, there’s only so many times you can say wow.

It really was a special spot.

This way?

Beautiful.

That way?

Fabulous.

Gaze in wonder.

Take picture.

Repeat.

There were rocks!

And trees!

And they made me realize how blessed I am to live in a truly wonderful part of the world.

We made one final lap along the fence line…

And strolled a few final steps across those marvelous rocks…

I tried again…. unsuccessfully… to get a double selfie where the husband actually looks at the camera.

But no matter.

We took one last look and bid goodbye to a place I’d revisit in a heartbeat next time we’re in the area.

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White Mountains trip Day 5. Cathedral Ledge.

December 2, 2019 Rivergirl 39 Comments

Are you ready for a deluge of photos?

Good, then you’re in the right place…

Because this was probably the most scenic spot we found on our trip.

Pulling into the park, the ledge loomed ahead.

We drove up a long, winding, foliage bracketed road…

And a short walk from the parking lot at the top?

Wow.

I’m going to run out of words to describe the view pretty quickly.

Breath taking. Splendid. Dazzling. Jaw dropping. Stunning…

See?

Speechless..

And look at the rocks!

And the trees!

And the even bigger rocks…

With people climbing up them.

I was one happy camper.

Even when I saw I couldn’t use the mountaineers as target practice.

It was glorious.

Every where you turned…

Magnificent views.

Made me feel like I was on top of the world.

More to come.

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White Mountains trip Day 2…. Upper Jackson Falls

November 14, 2019 Rivergirl 44 Comments

Yes… we’re still on the second day of our trip.

And yes, we’re still at the Falls.

Hey, just be glad I’m weeding through the 1704 photos and only giving you the highlights.

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Working our way up the falls took some time.

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But it really was lovely.

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Nothing like hanging out with Mother Nature to lower your blood pressure.

The closer we got to the top, the more people just plunked themselves down on the rocks and made themselves comfortable…

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And why not?

It’s a great place to read, unwind…and enjoy the day.

At the top you cross a wonderful iron bridge…

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Look both ways…

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And say thank you Jackson Falls…

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you.

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And your rocks.

(Or maybe that was just me.)

Done with the Falls, we headed into town for some sustenance.

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And found the cutest pumpkin display ever…

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Next to our destination.

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It looked promising.

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Warm and inviting.

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A vintage inn and tavern whose bar was packed to the rafters that late Saturday afternoon.

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I wanted to love it.

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I mean come on, they had ski lift seating….

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And a sign for the Woodchuck Trail. Who doesn’t love that?

But the service was terrible, the beer was warm and the food? When it finally came, over an hour after we ordered, was barely edible.

Sorry Martin, I didn’t even bother with pictures. Dry meatless ribs and a soggy Rachel sandwich do not warrant photographs.

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But martian pumpkins and gourds?

Definitely do.

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White Mountains trip Day 2… Moose, mountains and fall colors.

November 8, 2019 Rivergirl 36 Comments

Moose.

When you think of Maine? You think of lobster… and moose. But let me tell you, I’ve lived here on and off since 1978 and have seen exactly one moose in the wild. Granted we live in the Mid Coast region and they’re more prevalent up north, but still… one in 41 years is not a good ratio.

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So when we crossed the border into New Hampshire after leaving the Moose Cave in Grafton Notch….. and I saw numerous signs warning of the dangers of moose crossings?

I thought, yeah.

We’ll never see one.

Until we did.

Right there on the side of the road…

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A moose!

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Happily munching away on some swamp grasses.

A real live moose!

And I was halfway out of the car to get some really good pictures when the husband said no. This was a teenage male and though he was probably too young to rut…. it was that time of year.

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So I had to stalk him from an open window instead.

But I saw a moose!

My second in 41 years…

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And then all too soon he was tired of us….

And headed back to the woods.

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Goodbye moose….

I may not live long enough to see another wild one of you, but thanks for showing up and making my day.

As I said before, the fall colors were all over the place. We had an early turn this year so by the time we got to the mountains, many places were past peak foliage. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t still spectacular…

Rusty oranges…

Muted greens and yellows…

Peaks of reds.

Even speckled with rain, I’ll take them.

It’s different around each bend.

And around each bend?

Another outhouse for the husband to christen.

The journey continues….

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White Mountain trip… Day 2. Screw it.

November 4, 2019 Rivergirl 29 Comments

Though our condo unit wasn’t the greatest, I have to admit the mountain sunrises were rather nice.

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But before I jump into the day’s activities…. I have to tell you about our first night. We spent it in a spacious king size bed with 6 snuggly goose down pillows and comforter. At 2:00am I rolled over, stretched out my leg and felt… something hard. ( No, not that. I’ve been waking up to that for years…. I recognize it.)

This was down at my feet. Hard, light weight and bumpy. But I was half asleep and wrote it off to part of a twisted sheet.

It wasn’t.

When I got up the next morning and made the bed?

I found these.

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Yup.

Four rubber duckies hiding at the very bottom of the bed where the comforter is tucked under the mattress.

I don’t know about you, but that was a first for me.

Free ducks!

Give this resort 5 stars…

Mints on pillows? Pffft. That’s for amateurs.

Plastic waterfowl is where it’s at.

Anyway –

Leaving the resort everyday looked like this…

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So free ducks aside, I’m not complaining.

We passed this ski season bar everyday as well.

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Poor lonely mug.

Our first excursion took us to Grafton Notch.

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And yes, that’s really the name.

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(Here’s where we begin the rocks and trees, trees and rocks part of our story.)

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Clambering around the granite boulders, you find the falls.

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And you have to admit, for rocks…. they’re pretty awesome.

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Walk the charming leaf strewn path…

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Across the cute little bridge…

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And there are more rocks.

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The mini falls and pools are a favorite swimming spot in summer, and rage with fury during the spring snow melt.

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Falls seen, experienced and photographed, the husband begins what would become his epic “I will leave my mark on every state and national park portapotty I can find” challenge.

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