Last Fall...

...I took a short road trip to Maine. I'd never seen Maine, had always wanted to, and had this overwhelming desire to just go.

So I went.

The light was amazing.

Autumn light is as soft as it gets. What's that mean? Colors just look richer. Fall has officially arrived for me when the air becomes crisp, I start seeing lots of pink in the sky at dawn and dusk and colors in general are just warmer-feeling.

After sunset, looking across Gloucester Harbor (Massachusetts).
Do the dark colors in that image depress you?
Or do you find it soothing?

This shot was also taken in Gloucester, but at the Inner Harbor.
I shot this one 30-45 minutes before the first one.

This picture is from Rockport Harbor, also in Massachusetts.
It was taken at 6:43 AM, but I was facing sort of north,
which is why you don't see the pinks in the sky.
You need to face east or west for that, don't ask me why.
All I know is, quality of light is about angles.

This shot was taken at about 12:45 PM.
Eagle Lake at Acadia National Park in Maine.
The warmest colors here are the leaves.
Midday is the worst time for pictures.


The Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse in Maine.
Just before sunset.
That's the Golden Hour for photographers.


The light was perfect for this one.
It was completely accidental.
I saw this when I turned to leave the lighthouse.
Looking east at 5:12 PM from Bass Harbor Head.
That was after sunset on October 7.
Maine is the easternmost US state.
And that spot in Maine is pretty far east.

I hope you enjoyed the quickie road trip.

Randomness

from the front
Originally uploaded by misfitgirl

It's been an interesting week at the ToadMama abode, there just hasn't been a whole lot to blog about.

Monday night, Shannon, Amy and I celebrated Thirsty Third Thursday. Amy had obligations on Thursday, so we moved the gathering up a couple of days.

Tuesday was mostly uneventful.

Wednesday morning started early -- 5:00 AM -- with a call from Mom saying, "Can you come and get me? Dad just went to the hospital in an ambulance." To make a long story short, he has a kidney stone. Poor guy. It could be worse. He'll be fine. He's just got to make it through a painful few days.

Speaking of painful, around noon on Thursday I had to go get Dad a new prescription for pain meds. The stuff they prescribed at the hospital wasn't working well enough. Luckily, Mom has wireless Internet, so I got to work from her house that afternoon and into the early evening.

Hopefully Friday will be calm. A repairman is coming to replace a recalled piece of equipment in our dishwasher. And I'll be working.

Saturday should be exciting. We're getting a foster dog! I am an American Brittany Rescue volunteer. That's where all my dogs have come from. We'll be fostering a young, male Brittany for a while. More on that in the next few days.

Wondering how the picture is applicable? Well, I'll tell you. Hubby and I decided on this year's vacation destination. We're taking a week-long motorcycle trip to Maine. Maybe this time I'll get to see some barns and stuff. I loved the coast of Maine, but I am looking forward to seeing the interior of New England, too. I am not sure when we're going yet; planning is still in the very early stages. More on that eventually, too.

Goodbye "Summer Fridays"

All good things must come to an end, as the old cliche goes. Today is my last Summer Friday. The company I work for has this program where, during the summer, we get every other Friday off. As long as we work four ten-hour days during that week, or an extra hour (roughly) every day for the nine previous days. (I usually do both anyway, but that's beside the point!)

For various reasons, they extended it through the end of October. Which is cool. But today is the last day.

Anyway, knowing that I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn this morning, I stayed up until the wee hours getting the rest of my New England pictures ready for a Flickr upload. CLICK HERE if you want to see them.

I Missed WHAT!?!

I am totally bummed. I went to Maine a couple of weeks ago. One of the reasons I thought it would be cool to see Maine is the fact that so many Stephen King novels are based there. He's been one of my favorite authors since I was a kid. (The image at left came from HERE.)

This is probably nerdy, but what I didn't say during my trip log is that when I got to Ogunquit, I said to myself, "Hey, this is where Fran Goldsmith lived before her parents died and she hooked up with creepy Harold to start the trek to meet Mother Abigail." That's from The Stand, my ultimate favorite King novel. Ogunquit, like Kennebunkport (a close neighbor) did not look anything like I'd expected.

Why it never dawned on me to look up Stephen King, I'll never know.

I mean, I could have visited his HOUSE. I was so close, too! I was in the same town for goodness sake. Granted, it was dark. But I could have driven back the next day.

What's the big deal, you ask? Would you visit Memphis and not at least drive past Graceland?

Oh well. Hubby and I may go back to New England next year. If we do, we'll just have to stop in Bangor...

Bar Harbor to Freeport, Maine

Thursday dawned wet and gray in Bar Harbor. But that was okay. I'd been blessed with fabulous weather 'til then. And I'd already made the decision to pull out early. There was a lighthouse I'd missed on the way up and another point along the coast that I knew I just had to see.

Bar Harbor was far too overrun by tourists anyway. As nice as the town is, I couldn't wait to escape the slow-moving, sidewalk blocking cruise ship passengers.

Unfortunately, I had to do a bit of shopping downtown before I left. It was awful. But I survived.

While there, I couldn't pass-up this photo op. I usually make Hubby capture these classic moments. But he wasn't there. So I asked some old guy who agreed despite giving me a look that said, "Uh, you want to get your picture taken with that thing? How weird."

My trip just wouldn't be complete without a lovely image like that to share.

In the picture above, you can see a couple packs of the cruisers I keep whining about.

My first stop was a town named Stonington on the island of Deer Isle, which is south of Acadia. The drive was stunning. Not only are the trees colorful, even the plants in the fields are putting on a show.

To get from the mainland to Deer Isle, you have to cross Eggemoggin Reach using this narrow suspension bridge, which was built in 1939 using a design very similar to that ill-fated bridge in Washington state that blew apart in a windstorm. (Chances are you've seen the classic video of that bridge waving wildly as a man runs for his life.) It was a little creepy. But Deer Isle was worth it.

I finally ate a lobster roll while in Stonington. It was gross. It is basically cold chunks of lobster in mayo with little seasoning and not much taste. Hubby described lobster well by comparing it to tough shrimp. An awful lot of people love lobster, but I am not one of them. I knew that before I tried the sandwich, but I had to do it.

My next stop was the Pemaquid Point lighthouse, several hours down the mainland coast from Deer Isle. Again, the drive was spectacular. And weird.

The weird part was this other crazy bridge I had to cross. The Penobscot Narrows Suspension Bridge is one of only two bridges of its type in the country. It may not look crazy in the above picture, but look at the image below and you'll see what I mean. There was only one support with a traffic lane suspended on each side.

I survived the crossing. After a brief stop in Camden, Maine (yet another very picturesque Maine coastal town)...


I made it to Pemaquid Point with just minutes of daylight to spare. That's why you can see the moon in what I think is a pretty cool shot of the lighthouse.

Friday, I'll be driving home. Wonder what interesting stuff I'll encounter along the way...

Oh yeah, you can see the rest of Thursday's pictures on my Flickr page.

Acadia on Schoodic and MDI

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the majority of Acadia National Park is on Mount Desert Island (MDI). But there are other parcels nearby, too. Much if not all of the land that makes up the park is actually the result of personal land grants. That's why bits of it are scattered.

The Schoodic Peninsula is about an hour's drive north of the island. It's not really convenient, but in this case that's a good thing. Because the hordes of leaf-peepers that have been swarming the Bar Harbor area (the main village on MDI) don't usually go to Schoodic.

It felt like I had the place to myself. There were other people there, but not a lot. And those that were there were traveling in small groups, not mobs. It was quite tranquil.

If you were sitting here with me instead of just enjoying the photo, you would have heard waves gently lapping the shore, seagulls and other birds making noise. That's it.

Here's a bit of geology for you. Most of the large boulders in and around Acadia are granite. Much of the granite is somewhat pink. The picture above, taken along the shore on Schoodic, is an example of that granite beside some black, volcanic rock which is the result of magma forcing its way to the surface through the granite. That magma push happened a long time ago, of course.

After taking lots of cool rocky coast shots, like the one above, I headed back to MDI. I stopped and bought a cold cut sub for lunch, which I took with me for the drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Cadillac, as it is known on MDI, at 1,530 feet is the highest point of elevation on North America's eastern seaboard. As you'll see in the next photo, the view was a good one.

The cluster of buildings you see is Bar Harbor. A close-up of the village from the Cadillac summit is in the next picture.

I plopped myself on a giant, pink granite boulder and enjoyed my lunch and the view at the same time. The rocks were rather interesting looking.

When I was done on Cadillac, I headed east on the Park Loop Road. It was getting close to sundown and the light was just right for leaf photos. I stopped quite a few times along the way and got some very nice pictures as a result. I posted my favorite below. You can see the others on my Flickr page.

In and Around Bar Harbor, Maine

I did not have any real agenda when I left the motel yesterday. I figured I would just drive into the village of Bar Harbor and explore. Maybe shop a little, too. I thought I'd save exploring Acadia National Park for later.

The only problem is, there's a visitor's center and park entrance between the motel and Bar Harbor. I don't know who I was fooling when I said I'd drive past that. So I stopped and bought my park pass. Then I went into Bar Harbor.

I was going to walk around and shop. Until it dawned on me that I was really hungry. I hadn't eaten any breakfast, so I stopped for an early lunch.

Wanna know what I ate?

It wasn't lobster. It was fried fish. Haddock, to be exact. I would have taken a picture, but a fish sandwich, no matter how you spin it, is just not very picturesque. It tasted really good though.

Really, really good actually. Haddock may be my new #2 favorite fish. Which is good, because I think it is cheaper and easier to find than Alaskan halibut.

I did see Atlantic halibut in one of my guidebooks, which I'll have to try while here, too. I haven't decided whether I'll succumb and eat a lobster roll or steamed lobster. I mean, I sort of have to. I am in Maine after all. But it is such a touristy thing to do. It's kind of like coffee in Seattle, everyone sells them.

Speaking of tourists... I spent far less time in Bar Harbor than expected. It was full of tourists. Not just any tourists either. Most of them were cruise ship tourists. Ugh. I had my fill of those in Alaska. Old folks traveling en masse, wandering aimlessly, acting like their group owns the world.

There were lots of cool stores and galleries, though, so I'll have to go back. I explored other areas of the island instead. Did I mention that Acadia National Park is mostly on an island? The bulk of the park lies on Mount Desert Island. Oddly, you pronounce the "desert" in the island's name like dessert (you know, cakes, cookies and stuff). Within the park, there are a number of lakes.

This is one of my favorite shots from Eagle Lake.

I like this one, too.

After taking quite a few shots at the lake, I headed back toward Bar Harbor. Along the way, I had to pull over and take this shot. Images never really do a scene justice. But I tried.

Later in the day, I snapped this shot at Jordan Pond.

Here's another from Jordan Pond. You can definitely tell Fall is in the air.

Had enough mountains and leaves? Wanna see an awesome lighthouse?

This is the Bass Harbor Head light.
Here's a better shot...

That's just one of a series of lighthouse pictures that ended my day. To see all the day's shots, visit my Flickr page.

I hope you are enjoying your virtual journey. Today we're going to the Schoodic Peninsula. Check back later to learn more.

Part 2 of Rockport, MA to Bar Harbor, ME

I was finally able to cull through the many shots from yesterday, re-size the ones I wanted to post to Flickr and actually upload them for your viewing pleasure.

The only problem is, now I'm too tired to narrate. But I doubt anyone reads that crap anyway.

I do have to post my three favorite pics here...

There may not be a lighthouse in this picture, but look at that sky! This was taken in "the Hamptons" in New Hampshire.

This, one of several lighthouses I saw, is the Portland Head Light, just outside of Portland, Maine.

I just like the colors in this one. It was taken near the Goat Island Light, which is just north of Kennebunkport, Maine.

If you want the story behind any of the shots, just ask. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to post some of the pictures I took today!

Rockport, MA to Bar Harbor, Maine

You know you're in the boonies when, at 7 o'clock at night on a Monday, you're the only car on Interstate 95, you're using your high beams, and every now and then you see signs like this one...

I hadn't planned on being on an interstate highway again until it was time to drive home. Yesterday's itinerary included a mere 328 miles. It was supposed to take 8 hours and 43 minutes. That estimate didn't include stops apparently. By 5 PM, I'd only covered 128 of those planned miles. And I still had one major lighthouse to see.

At 5:30, with what looked like at least half an hour left to get to said major lighthouse, I had to change my plans. I knew I'd never make it to said lighthouse, which of course for me was THE lighthouse to see, before dark. And with 200 miles left to go, there was no way, driving the circuitous "coastal" route, I'd make it to Bar Harbor before midnight. So I took the quick route.

I'll have to backtrack at some point, which is fine. Because I know it'll be worth if it it means I get to experience sights like this lighthouse...

The Nubble light near Kittery, Maine.

Or this one...


That's the Goat Island light just north of Kennebunkport, Maine.

Oh yeah, if it means I get to eat stuff like this, too.


I hadn't even planned on eating. By the time I reached the spot where I'd get to see the Goat Island light, I had to pee. Bad. So I went into this little bar. It smelled like heaven. After doing my business, I couldn't not ask what smelled so good. And I couldn't not look at a menu.

Before I knew was what happening, I'd said, "I'll have an order of fried clams."

Those clams, pictured above, were oh-my-GOD good.

The fried clams I have eaten in the past were covered in a thick crust and rubbery. These clams melted in my mouth. And I am not exaggerating. I have never eaten fried seafood that was so surprisingly fabulous.

The delay was so worth it.

I was exhausted when I finally got to Bar Harbor just before 9:00. Did I mention I'd gotten up at 5:30 AM?

As a result, I slept in today. And now it's getting late. So you'll have to wait until later for more pictures. I have quite a few good ones to share. But daylight's a-wastin'. I mean, I'm in Bar Harbor, Maine. Finally. The culmination of a travel dream for me. So I need to explore.

If you're wondering whether everything has lived up to my expectations, you'd know if you saw me driving along, all teary-eyed from the sheer beauty of it all.

It's amazing. I'll post more images later today. I promise.

UPDATE: see all the trip pictures on my Flickr page.

Severn, MD to Rockport, MA

I got mixed reactions when telling people I was coming to Maine alone. Some gave me a quizzical stare. Others flat-out asked, "Why?" Not as in "why Maine," but "why are you going alone?"

I really have been wanting to visit Maine for a long time. For some unknown reason, it's been on my mind more and more over the past couple of years. Some times more than others. A few months ago, I started getting this overwhelming urge to head north. Which is sort of ridiculous, really. Hubby and I had the vacation of a lifetime together when we went to Alaska back in the late-Spring. Yet I couldn't stop thinking about it. Something just kept telling me, go now. Almost like a now-or-never deal.

So I gave in. Hubby's already been to Maine. He just started a new job, too. And I know he doesn't have the patience to poke around exploring and taking pictures, which is what I really want to do. I want to experiment and capture some really good, memorable images. That takes time.

So here I am. There's nothing wrong with me (that I know of). I am not trying to escape Hubby or my kids. The job isn't driving me crazy. I'm just taking a trip. Okay? Now on to the good stuff.

DAY ONE - I decided to refer to this as my New England trip after all, because I know I'll be seeing stuff in other states, too. The goal for today was to get from Point A (home) to Point B (Rockport, Massachusetts) as directly and quickly as possible. I'd hoped to arrive well before sunset so I could tour Gloucester, which is just east of here.

I didn't count on the sun setting so much earlier here. It was down at 6:30!

It was some small miracle that I didn't get lost coming through New York and Boston. There were long stretches, coming through the New York/New Jersey area, where there were SEVEN lanes of traffic on each side of the road. That's FOURTEEN lanes total. And the road was quite curvy. Traffic was very heavy AND the average speed in the slow lane was 80 MPH. I am not exaggerating, either. And there were a couple of spots where there were TEN lanes on each side (yep, twenty lanes of traffic).

I am an experienced, confident driver. I have a great sense of direction. I don't get rattled easily. After coming through that mess I was rattled. I was downright stressed out. There's no way I'm going through that again. I'll be taking the scenic route home for sure.

- - - - -

I made an unscheduled stop in Mystic, Connecticut. It is an historic seaport town. It was very, very cute. Just what I imagined a quaint New England seaport would look like. Old drawbridge and all.

I remember seeing it on the map when I was planning the trip. I never really considered going there. But it looked interesting.

I'm glad I went. There was a really cool seaport museum, but I didn't want to spend that much time there. I was still hoping to reach Gloucester before the sun set.

- - - - -

I did reach Gloucester before sunset. Barely. Here's my favorite image.

If you'd like to see all of today's pictures, they are on my Flickr site.