Friday, January 30, 2009

Waterville Valley, NH

photo of Waterville Valley, NHEvery now and then, I take "throwaway" pictures that turn out to be among my favorites. This scene of Waterville Valley, NH, which was taken from a cross-country ski trail in February, 2005, is one such shot; I just happened to be finishing up my skiing for the day when I came to this outlook along one of the lower trails near the village. I took a very quick black and white photo (it was cold out), put my camera away and my gloves back on, and forgot about the picture, until I looked at it a day or two later. It is tough not to take a good picture in scenic Waterville Valley, but this one was purely an accident.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Waterville Valley, NH photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Bodega Bay, CA

photo of Bodega Bay, CABodega Bay is one of those spots where the Northern California coast becomes really wild and rugged. A tiny town located between San Francisco and Mendecino, Bodega Bay is one of my personal favorite spots along the entire coast of California. This picture was taken from Route 1 on a chilly November day in 2004, and shows the sheer power of the ocean in this part of the state.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Bodega Bay, CA photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Grafton, VT

photo of Grafton, VTVermont has some attractive villages, but few are as nice as Grafton, VT. The entire village looks like a museum piece, but it's a real, working town. Its riverside location in a deeply wooded valley seemingly in the middle of nowhere just adds to the mystique of the place. The photo here, which was taken in the late 1980s, gives just a taste of the charm of this stunningly beautiful village.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Grafton, VT photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Randolph, MA

photo of Randolph, MASometimes the most interesting scenes can be found in the most unlikely of spots. This photo, which was taken in January 2009 while on a snowshoe hike at the AMC Ponkapoag Camp south of Boston, shows a section of Randolph that many people don't know about. Randolph is a community south of Boston that is mostly residential and commercial, and is probably not seen as a place of scenic beauty. But some of the Boston area's most remote--and scenic--areas can be found in the Randolph section of the Blue Hills, as can be seen here.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Randolph, MA photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Mt. Katahdin, ME

photo of Mt. Katahdin, MESome say that Mount Katahdin in Northern Maine is the one place in New England that has a distinctly western feel to it. From the bottom especially, the broad, massive mountain with its series of summits looks like something you might see in Montana or Wyoming. This photo, which was taken in the late 1980s, gives a view of the Knife Edge from the true summit of the mountain. There is a trail along the Knife Edge (which I took partway) that has dizzying views 2,000 feet below from either side of it.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Mt. Katahdin, ME photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Dupont Circle, Washington, DC

photo of Dupont Circle, Washington, DCFor all the bad press that Washington, DC, gets as a corrupt, crime-ridden city, it really is a beautiful place in many areas. The northwest quadrant of the city is particularly attractive, with tree-shaded streets and parks found in neighborhoods such as Georgetown, Kalorama, and Dupont Circle. This photo, which was taken near Dupont Circle in April of 2006, shows a section of Massachusetts Avenue called Embassy Row, which has a large number of mansions and lies within one of the wealthiest parts of Washington.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Dupont Circle (Washington, DC) photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Thendara, NY

photo of Thendara, NYThendara, NY, is a tiny hamlet located next to Old Forge (a popular resort town) in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. The photo shown here, which was taken in August of 2006, shows a spectacular sunset that caused driver to pull over and take pictures along the Moose River, which forms the border of Old Forge and Thendara. I used both color and black and white in taking pictures of the sunset, but the black and white ones actually came out more interesting, as the contrast of light and dark was quite striking.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Thendara/Old Forge, NY photo on the Travel Guide of America site. Please note that the photo comes under the "Old Forge" heading on that site, as the photos were taken right on the border of the two communities.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Newport, RI

photo of Newport, RIIt is relatively difficult to watch a sunset over the ocean in New England, but there are some west-facing areas scattered about that make for great sunset viewings. As this photo from the summer of 2003 shows, Newport, RI, is certainly one of these spots. Not only does the Ocean Drive south of the city center offer terrific places to watch the sun set over the ocean, but the downtown section of Newport is also a good spot for this. This photo shows a particularly nice sunset from the docks right in the heart of the city.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Newport, RI photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

New Milford, CT

photo of New Milford, CTMuch of Connecticut is very scenic (especially once you get off the highways), and the western part of the state is particularly nice. Many of the towns near the New York border are utterly charming, with church spires, village greens, and, in the fall, foliage that rivals that of Vermont. This photo, which was taken on a cool, crisp day in the fell of 2006, shows the village of New Milford, which has an extraordinarily beautiful village green and is perhaps one of the prettiest towns in the state.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the New Milford, CT photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Coeur d'Alene, ID

photo of Coeur d'Alene, IDThe panhandle of Idaho is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful spots in the entire United States, and after visiting this area in the early 1990s, I find it hard to disagree with that assessment. This photo, which was taken a little south of Coeur d'Alene on a warm spring day during that visit, shows the contrast between the relatively flat fields and meadows of the valleys near the lake and town, and the towering mountains a short distance away.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Coeur d'Alene, ID photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Sunderland, MA

photo of Sunderland, MAThis photo, which was taken in June of 2007, shows what kind of scenery can be found in the beautiful Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. Just an hour and a half from the Boston area, Sunderland is a small town surrounded by hills and mountains and looks more like it might be in Vermont rather than Massachusetts. I took this photo from the top of windswept Mount Sugarloaf, which rises sharply from the Connecticut River and the western edge of town.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Sunderland, MA photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Harrisville, NH

photo of Harrisville, NHNot all old mill towns are ugly, sinister-looking places. Take Harrisville, NH, for example. Harrisville is indeed a former mill town, but it also happens to be one of the most picturesque villages in New England. From the river that roars through the town to the historic houses and churches that line the quiet streets to the serene pond that comes right up to the town center, Harrisville is a living postcard. It is also a great place to view foliage, as this picture taken in October of 2006 shows.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Harrisville, NH photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Westport, CA

photo of Westport, CAThere isn't much to Westport, a small town north of Mendocino and Fort Bragg in Northern California. But what the town lacks in shopping and dining it more than makes up for in jaw-dropping scenery. The photo shown here, which was taken from Route 1 on a particularly beautiful day in November of 2004, shows the awesome natural beauty of the Westport area, with scenes that rival any along the California coast.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Westport, CA photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Waterbury Center, VT

photo of Waterbury Center, VTRoute 100 is one of the most scenic roads in Vermont, if not all of New England, and the section that runs from Stowe to Warren in the North-Central region is one of the nicest parts of the road. Waterbury Center, which is a small village south of Stowe on the way to Warren, has some spectacular rural scenes that are absolutely stunning in the fall. This photo was taken behind Waterbury Center near the Cold Hollow Cider Mill just before the peak of foliage season in 2007.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Waterbury Center, VT photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Northeast Harbor, ME

photo of Northeast Harbor, MEIt seems that in some ways, the further north and east you go along the Maine coast, the more interesting the landscapes and the lighting get. And this certainly is the case with Mount Desert Island, which is where much of Acadia National Park lies. But outside of the park are equally stunning vistas, including some really haunting ones around the tiny town of Northeast Harbor. The black and white photo shown here, which was taken in May 2008, shows the foreboding beauty of the Maine coast from a spot called Clifton Dock. From this part of town, one can hear the sounds of buoys and a lighthouse in the distance, and little else.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Northeast Harbor, ME photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Cobble Hill (Brooklyn), NY

photo of the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, NYBrooklyn, NY, is a special place. If it were not part of New York City, it would still be one of the biggest urban areas in the eastern United States, and yet many of its neighborhoods feel like small villages. One of the most charming sections is Cobble Hill, which is near the desirable Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. As this photo (taken in May, 2007) shows, Cobble Hill has much of the same type of attractiveness as Brooklyn Heights, but it is also a bit quieter, with most of its tree-lined streets more residential than commercial.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Cobble Hill (Brooklyn), NY photo on the Travel Guide of America site.