WIDE OPEN SPACES - Part 3: The Awe-Inspiring Scenery

We were fortunate to have some amazing background & lighting on our journeys down the scenic back roads. A couple of mornings our photos were breathtaking! And we didn't have to do anything other than snap the picture.

Honestly, this photo looked BETTER through the camera that with the naked eye! I love the lighting!

The cloud formations were unbelievable some days.

These photos were all taken along the Salmon River Scenic Byway in Idaho. 

Another example of the beautiful morning light.

It seemed like every few minutes one of us was exclaiming, "Ooooh, stop! Look at that!"

These yellow wildflower bushes were prevalent & made nice color in the foreground.

In the higher altitudes the fall colors were really starting to emerge. It was gorgeous now but in another couple of weeks, I'll bet the yellows, reds, golds & oranges will be stunning!

The skies were overcast this day but the hillside really stood out with the autumn colors.

A close up of some of the colorful trees.

These photos were taken along the Snake River when we drove through Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. I seem to have this thing for clouds & reflections. I just love photos that emphasize both!

This is an arm or creek off of the Snake River. The clouds made it an interesting shot. I literally didn't do anything but point & shoot. This scenery made it easy to get amazing photos.

The historic one lane Owsley Bridge across the Snake River built in 1920.

The following pictures were taken along the Yellowstone River in Montana. This was near Pompey's Pillar National Monument where William Clark signed his name back in 1806.

Looking across the Yellowstone River just before dusk.

The setting sun lit up the opposite bank of the Yellowstone River.

Rugged rocks near Pompey's Pillar.

The waters of the Yellowstone River almost looked like glass.

CALIFORNIA GIRLS

As Katy Perry sings:

"You could travel the world but nothing comes close to the golden coast.

California girls, we're undeniable, fine, fresh, fierce, we got it on lock."

There are lots more lyrics but my point is that Charley & I are both "California Girls" born & raised in the Golden State. And Katy is right, nothing comes close to the golden coast.

Charley has been here with Darrin (& me) all summer. A couple days before she was scheduled to return to New Mexico, the three of us headed to Half Moon Bay for the day. Our goal was to plant the seeds of love of the California coast in her.

Charley definitely feels the lure of the ocean. She's on her way to sharing the soul connection both Darrin & I feel for the Northern California coast.

Two of my favorite people in the whole world!

Charley & Gaga enjoying the limitless stream of waves rolling onto the shore.

Yeah, she gets it.

Darrin & I love the ocean. Our Northern California coastline has the ability to renew & replenish our spirits. When we are in need of some calming influence & serenity, the first place we think of is the coast. Watching the waves crash endlessly on the shore is soothing & comforting to me.

No trip to Half Moon Bay would be complete without a stop at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company for lunch.

After a meal of fish & chips along with the house specialty of deep-fried artichoke hearts, Charley & Daddy shared some mutual adoration.........

...........& a kiss!

For whatever reason, there is a plant nursery on the road into Half Moon Bay that has numerous huge metal statues of dinosaurs. Charley loves dinosaurs so we made a stop on our return home to explore the semi-dilapidated creatures.

Charley & the Woolly Mammoth.

Gaga & Charley imitating whichever dinosaur this is - Charley knows all the names but I didn't pay close enough attention to remember them all.

A great day was had by all! There will be lots more fun days at the California coast! 

BASEBALL PARKS & OTHER STUFF

This trip to the East Coast was quite diverse. It included two ball parks, one historical & one new. Lou counted that we saw fourteen lighthouses & climbed four. We toured & photographed three state capitols. We explored two big cities & drove the length of both Cape Cod & Long Island. So, without further adieu here is a recap of our twelve day trip back east.

This view of downtown Boston ("Baah-stahn" if you use the New England accent) from the water is one of my favorites. We took a National Park service cruise to the Boston Harbor Lighthouse, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse site in the United States.

The Boston Harbor Lighthouse on Little Brewster Island. We were allowed to climb it by paying a few dollars more. This lighthouse still has the old-style Fresnel lens & is the only one currently in operation today.

 This photo of Graves Lighthouse is zoomed way in so the quality isn't too good. I wasn't aware that there are dozens of Harbor Islands in Boston Harbor, many of which are recreational destinations for locals.

Lou & I have both visited Boston years ago. One of the things I recall vividly is that an old church from the 1700s would be intertwined with big city high rises. It struck me as odd how the modern city grew up around historical buildings from the past. The Freedom Trail winds its way through downtown Boston.

The Old State House is an example of how downtown has encroached on the past - it is the oldest surviving public building in Boston. I overheard a woman wonder what it must have been like before all the skyscrapers. The first reading of the Declaration of Independence took place on this balcony.

The Massachusetts State House (or Capitol building) borders the Boston Common. 

One of the old narrow streets that are found along the Freedom Trail. The oppressive humid heat wave & my sore feet found me wishing for Paul Revere's horse to get around. I don't sweat a lot but the high humidity had me dripping sweat like an NBA player.

We drove the length of Cape Cod to Provincetown & back all in one day. We were expecting awful congestion but were pleasantly surprised that we didn't encounter any huge traffic jams at all. Even though the Kennedy Compound is located in Hyannis Port, the entire Cape Cod area felt much more down to earth & welcoming than I expected.

Chatham Light is one of many lighthouses that dot the coast of Cape Cod. It was described as an arm being held up with a bent elbow - the shoulder is where it begins in the mainland & the fist is Provincetown at the tip.

Nauset Light - I've never figured out why some are called just "lights" & others are "lighthouses" - is another of the lighthouses still functioning on the Cape.

The Three Sisters Lighthouses are no longer in use but were moved inland & saved for their historical value.

The Highland Lighthouse, sometimes called Cape Cod Lighthouse, is one of the lighthouses still available to climb. 

Provincetown is located at the tip of Cape Cod. It is a thriving small town with lots of shops & seafood restaurants. We ate dinner at the restaurant on the left with the red, white & blue banner under the window.

Lou had the whole New England Lobster while I opted for the Lobster Alfredo.

Our final day in Boston was a busy one. We began the day with a visit to John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, a tour of Sam Adams Brewery, a visit to the Massachusetts State House & finally a baseball game at Fenway Park.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum located a little south of downtown Boston.

This sailboat, a gift to him at age 16, was one of JFK's favorites. He was an avid sailor & loved the water. The clouds, Boston skyline & the edge of the building made for a beautiful photo op.

The entrance to the Samuel Adams Brewery in an old part of Boston. Most of the brewing is done elsewhere since this facility is really small. They primarily develop new beers here now & give tours. The tour is really just an excuse to have some free beer - which is fine!

Enjoying some of the local brew before heading off to Fenway Park.

Fenway Park is what many fans call "old school" when it comes to traditional baseball parks. There wasn't any fancy sign to photograph & it was wedged in between other buildings. This statue of Ted Williams giving his baseball cap to a boy is near one of the entrances. 

The view of "the Green Monster" from our seats. The left field fence is really short to accommodate the available space so they built the wall really tall. The old park has wooden slat chairs that require everyone in the row to stand & fold their seats up to allow a patron to pass by. It had a lot of  personality & I enjoyed the place immensely. A great place to visit but I wouldn't want to watch all my games there - I'll take AT&T Park for sheer beauty. 

Our seats were in the lower deck under the overhang which was much nicer for comfort. Plus it was a night game. Unfortunately, the Giants lost the game, but seeing a game at Fenway Park was great!

We were up bright & early the next morning to drive 75 miles to New London, Connecticut, for the ferry ride across Long Island Sound to Orient Point, New York.

The view of New London as our Cross Sound Ferry pulled away from the dock. This scenic seaboard village looked like a fun place to visit someday.

We passed the New London Harbor Lighthouse on our way to Orient Point, Long Island. The car ferries travel every hour or so between New London & Orient Point - an hour & twenty minute crossing.

The Orient Point Lighthouse in the sound with another ferry behind it.

The ends of both "forks" of Long Island were lush & scenic. We took a short car ferry to Shelter Island & another one off the island to head to the easternmost point of Long Island. Once we approached the Hamptons, the traffic became worse & worse. There was such gridlock that we couldn't make it to an estate we planned to tour before closing time.

Montauk Point Lighthouse is another of the lighthouses we were able to climb. It is located at the far tip of the South Fork of Long Island. Most of the lighthouses are tight quarters at the top so the number of people allowed up at any given time is limited.

The view from Montauk Point Lighthouse looking at the very end of Long Island, about 120 miles from Manhattan.

It doesn't say "Keep Off The Sign", just "Keep Off The Dunes" so the seagull was following the rules. There is a 3/4 of a mile boardwalk over the dunes to reach Fire Island Lighthouse. I spotted this sign & gull enjoying the view.

Fire Island Lighthouse is part of Fire Island National Seashore off the coast of Long Island. This was yet another lighthouse available for climbing. And if they are available to climb, we must climb them!

Getting into New York City was absolutely crazy! Lou did an admirable job of white-knuckle driving through lower Manhattan to our hotel in the Financial District. It was stressful enough that we were ready to simply check into our hotel & attempt to relax for a while before venturing out.

The next morning Lou toured the 9/11 Museum. I've been to the site of the World Trade Center disaster twice & visited the memorial a couple years ago. I wasn't in the mood for more somber sightseeing so I scoped out the ferry situation to Governor's Island. We both loved the view from the One World Observatory at the top of the new Freedom Tower.

On the short ferry ride to Governor's Island from Battery Park we were treated to this view of Manhattan's Financial District. That's the new Freedom Tower on the left with the spire on top.

Also from the Governor's Island ferry, we were able to zoom in on Lady Liberty holding her torch high in the harbor.

We passed the 9/11 Memorial on our way to the Freedom Tower. The square hole is where one of the World Trade Center towers stood. The two holes are lined with the names of everyone who perished in the tragedy.

The sun wasn't at the best angle but that's the Empire State Building & a tall, thin condo complex looking towards Central Park from the One World Observatory on the 100th floor of the Freedom Tower. The elevator ride takes less than a minute with a video playing on the walls as you ascend the tower.

The view straight down from the One World Observatory to two baseball fields near the Hudson River.

And here we are at the top with the view of  Lower Manhattan behind us. No, I didn't grow - Lou is just scrunching down so we could fit more background in the photo.

Several years ago Lou & I started checking our San Francisco Giants schedule then planning a trip around seeing them play in a different city. When we discovered last year that they would play both the Boston Red Sox & New York Yankees in one week, we started planning our vacation! They are in opposite leagues so this is an unusual happening.

Several years ago we heard our Giants announcers mention Finnerty's, a Bay Area sports bar in the East Village of Manhattan. It is owned by a Bay Area man who organizes bus trip to Yankees & Mets games when the Giants are in town. They also have buses to Niners, Sharks & Warriors games in New York. When we heard about it, we put it on our list to do someday. This trip was someday! There were 300 fans milling about inside & out waiting to head to the game - I don't know how we snapped this shot with no people in front.

We never saw a game at the old Yankee Stadium but we made it to the new Yankee Stadium. The Giants had a six game losing streak going but managed to win the game we saw by 2 to 1 in the 12th inning. That was their only win on the road trip. 

The view from high above home plate when we first arrived at the ball park. Our seats were in the third deck just to the left of the left field foul pole. It was hotter that hell but we watched the entire game & cheered loudly.

A small part of our Finnerty's group enduring the afternoon heat to watch our Giants win. We yelled & chanted "Let's go Giants" all the way out of the stadium & back to the bus!

Our last morning in Manhattan we took a tour of NBC Studios that included a look at The Tonight Show studio & the Saturday Night Live studio among other things - no photos were allowed inside. I'm a huge Jimmy Fallon fan so this was a really special treat for me.

We made our escape from downtown Manhattan on a Sunday morning but it was still a harrowing drive to make our way to New Jersey. We were waited on hand & foot by our friends, Kevin & Pete, & their Wheaton terrier, Boots. It was a nice, relaxing couple of days. The guys run a helluva bed & breakfast! And Boots is a real sweetheart. Thanks, Kevin & Pete!

My buddy, Boots.

Our last couple of days were pretty easy, with visits to Dover & Trenton, which was a good thing since we had lots of travel delays. We managed to arrive home at 12:30 AM (should have been 6:30 PM) but our luggage was still on vacation until the following day. AND our air conditioner picked that day to conk out. Oh, well, it's all part of the adventure!

We decided to take a 260 mile roundtrip road trip from New Jersey to Dover to visit the Delaware State Capitol since we are on a quest to visit all 50 state capitols. This trip put us at around 40 each.

The Governor's Mansion in Dover. It wasn't open on the day we were there but we could at least see the exterior.

These huge flowers in various colors were all over in Dover. Are they giant hibiscus, M'Lynn? Or anyone? They were literally 8-9 inches across - measured with a sheet of paper I was holding.

Our final day was spent touring Trenton where we visited the New Jersey State Capitol & met the Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno. She was telling us how beautiful her "Garden State" is & added, "If you've been to Newark, it's a dump." We were surprised she said that but I told Lou, "She IS Chris Christie's Lt. Governor." Wish I could have met him.

The Old Barracks in Trenton is one of the few "taverns" that housed soldiers during the harsh winter months. Our tour was interesting, I think - the woman leading it had her large breasts squished into a Wonderbra revealing lots or cleavage. I know how men must feel not being able to keep your eyes on her face.