Mount Washington
Now this was one hell of an adventure. If the 3 hour drive just to get there wasn't enough, the 30-40 minute drive ascending the mountain along the infamous Mt. Washington Auto Road was something else. Increasingly narrow roads as you make your way over treeline.... sharp corners with no safety barrier allowing one to look out their side window and see a nice 5-6000 ft drop. Definitely not for the faint of heart if afraid of heights. Such is no issue for me, so I loved every minute of the ride up and down. Amazing views once reaching the summit and a beautiful day considering how bad it can get up there.... I had the pleasure of a 50F summit with a mere 45 mph winds. I think that's the equivalent of paradise on top of that mountain. It's known for having the most unpredictable fast changing insane weather anywhere... where the beauty I beheld on my trip could be instantly turned to a blizzard at the snap of one's fingers. I got lucky for my run... no problems. This is one trip anyone and everyone around the northeast should see at least once.
Clouds Atop Mt. WashingtonClouds forming right in front of me at the summit of Mt. Washington.
Mt. Washington SummitView from the summit of Mt. Washington.
Mt. Washington SummitView from the summit of Mt. Washington.
Weather Observation TowerThe Mt. Washington Weather Observation Tower.
Mt. WashingtonScenic view from atop Mt. Washington.
Mt. WashingtonScenic view from atop Mt. Washington.
Mt. WashingtonScenic view from atop Mt. Washington.
Mt. WashingtonScenic view from along one of the trails heading down Mt. Washington.
Odiorne Point State Park
This was a trip taken more to give my new car a good long drive than it was to enjoy my destination... Though as it happened, this turned out to be quite the exceptional scenic destination! New Hampshire's not exactly known for it's coastal areas, but in the small portion there is, this was a nice little park! Had no idea it actually housed a World War II fort as well. Nice area to spend a few hours hiking along the coast.
Odiorne Point State ParkThe rocky coast of Odiorne Point State Park.
Odiorne Point State ParkWhere the woods and ocean meet.
Ocean SplashSmall waves crash on the coast of Odiorne Point State Park.
CormorantsCormorant comes flying in to join the group.
Sunrise at Fort Sewall
My last attempt at capturing a sunrise at this location was a complete bust... not one shot taken due to the cloud cover completely obliterating any kind of shot. No colors, bland sky... total let down. This trip however was a completely different animal. From the moment I began my ascent to Fort Sewall, I KNEW this was going to be a great sunrise. First photo in the sequence to follow will show what I mean. The awe inspired cloud formations and colors as the sun broke through dawn were phenomenal. Such a rare treat I was happy to have been out to see.
Fort Sewall SunriseDawn breaks en route to Fort Sewall.
Fort Sewall Sunrise
Fort Sewall Sunrise
Minuteman National Park
Here's what I'd call the official kick off to my summer season. I haven't been to this area since childhood on a school field trip, so barely remembered a thing about it... so effectively it was like seeing it for the first time. All the better as one tends to appreciate these things more a little later in life anyway. Not that I'm old by any stretch, but ya know. So this national park is also where the Revolutionary War actually began. The famed midnight ride of Paul Revere... the "shot heard round the world" that started it all was here. The hike begins in Lexington and goes straight through to Concord down the Battle Road. Made that run before driving over to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to visit the graves of a few literary greats... then made my last run to the "Old North Bridge" to wrap up the trip. Very interesting walk and a beautiful area considering the war that once took place there.
Paul Revere Capture SitePaul Revere Capture Site
More Nature at Greenlawn
Just playing catch up here... first of two posts I have to back to back. This shoot was actually May 21... wrap up of the Spring nature shooting as summer starts kicking in and more likely to come. Quick run through Greenlawn. Usual birds and Squirrels... plus a random sighting of a particularly evil looking snapping turtle.
GeeseA pair of Geese at Greenlawn Cemetery's Sargent Pond.
Snapping TurtleLarge snapping turtle patrolling the pond. Looks like a dinosaur.
SquirrelSquirrel watching intently.
ChipmunkA chipmunk having a little snack.