There are a variety of destinations to explore in Arizona beyond the Grand Canyon, which for this trip, is omitted. Scottsdale outside the urban sprawls of Phoenix and Sedona (Red Rock Country) are the highlights of this short 4 day adventure.
Mark
Photography – Stars in Flight – May 2021
After a taking a year off from air travel, its great to be back! Catching a a flight before sunrise, going into sunset or overnight brings many photo opportunities. In a mistake with seat planning, I’ve gotten on the wrong side of the plane to catch the milkway. None the less, early morning over the … Read more
Events – Lantern Light Village – Mystic, CT
Lantern Light Village takes you back in time to celebrate Christmas of 1876. Holiday lighting is replaced with kerosene lanterns and fire pits enhancing the atmosphere of the 19th century. One can also enjoy carriage rides around the village, live music, Christmas-related stories and popular crafts of the time. While this year’s festivities have been altered, the experience is still well worth it.
The event is scheduled only on Fri and Sat in December.
See the Image Gallery below.
Fall Foliage Update October 8, 2020
Northern and highest elevations in Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York are past peak color and quickly losing foliage. Southern New York and Connecticut are prime for color this weekend. Long Island and Pennsylvania are estimated to peak in color next week.
Considering where the foliage is at, recommend locations for this weekend are:
- Hiking NY – Buttermilk Falls (Gorge, Bear and Lake Treman) – July 2020
- Hiking NY- Windham High Peak- June 2020
- Hiking NY – Lake Minnewaska to Lake Awosting – June 2020
- Hiking NY – Sterling Forest Bare Rock and Sterling Ironworks – May 2020
Worth a try, but likely too early to get good color
Travel Guide – Roadtrip to Maine (Acadia National Park and Portland)
One of the most beautiful and picturesque New England states, Maine is famous for its rocky coastline, mountains, fresh seafood and lighthouse views. Visiting Maine is an experience on its own with its outdoor activities, dining, fairs, festivals and art galleries.
Fall Foliage Update September 24, 2020
As of this week, areas of higher elevation and further north are showing color in Adirondacks of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Michigan.
New to this week are Michigan and Pennsylvania. If you know of foliage map location for additional state(s), please let me know with a comment below to add it to the tracker. Thank you!
Parks ME – Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park, located on the United States’ East Coast, is the 7th most popular national park in 2019 with around 3.4 million visitors. It became a National Park in 1919 under the name of Lafayette National Park and renamed to Acadia National Park in 1929. The majority of Acadia is located within Mount Desert Island and spans across many nearby islands and Schoodic Penninsula.
On our trip in 2020, the bus service within Acadia National Park was suspended. While the park gets crowded from 10AM to 2 PM, finding parking was fairly easy before 9 AM.
Featuring:
- Lakes
- Ocean
- Stream
- Waterfall
- Beach
- Dog Friendly
- Good Views
- Picnic Area
- Playground
- Swimming Area
- Wild Berries
- Wild Flower
Fall Foliage Update September 17, 2020
As of this week, Vermont is getting close to peak color at many of the popular hiking destinations going into higher elevation. NY state is not far behind in the Adirondacks region. New Hampshire and Maine official maps are not showing much color in their reports and considered suspicious. I would expect Katahdin and coastal areas of Maine to start showing color as well as the White Mountains area of New Hampshire.
If you know of foliage map location for additional state(s), please let me know with a comment below to add it to the tracker. Thank you!
Photography – Milky Way from Acadia National Park – from August 2020
Capturing the Milky Way is a challenging undertaking that needs to be well planned. There are numerous factors that one has to time just right: Weather conditions – clear skies and low humidity. Higher humidity will add unwanted haze. Time of the year – April through September are the best months. It is impossible to … Read more
Hiking ME – Cadillac North Ridge Trail / Acadia National Park – August 2020
Cadillac North Ridge Trail is one of several options to hike up Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. This is a moderately difficult, highly trafficked, 4.67-mile in-and-out trail. There are many other trails that intersect Cadillac North Ridge Trail one can choose from for additional hiking options. The path has many good lookout views to the east.
Cadillac Mountain is accessible via:
– Hike Cadillac North Ridge Trail (this post)
– Hike Cadillac West Face Trail
– Hike Cadillac Mountain S Ridge Trail – longest, yet, easiest of hiking trail options
– Hike E Face Dorr Trail to Schiff Path to Gorge Trail
– Drive up to Cadillac Mountain Overlook
An entrance fee is required at Acadia National Park. The automobile permit costs $30 and is valid for seven days. The permit can be purchase in advance at the Acadia National Parks website. For a detailed guide on Acadia, see post Parks – Acadia National Park, ME.
Featuring:
- Lakes
- Ocean
- Good Views
- Islands
- Mountains
- Wild Flowers
- Wildlife