Monday, February 23, 2009

Public Garden (Boston), MA

photo of Public Garden, Boston, MAThe Public Garden in downtown Boston is one of those places that explodes in color depending on the time of year you go. Colorful flowers abound in the spring, while incredible foliage can be seen in the fall. But it also has a somewhat haunting feel depending on the time of year--and the time of day--which is what led me to take a number of black and white photos there one day in April of 2007. The photo shown here was taken just before sunset from the banks of the small pond in the garden, looking toward the skyline of downtown.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Public Garden (Boston), MA photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Southport, CT

photo of Southport, CTThe photo shown here of Southport, CT, which was taken in February of 2009, was one of those "good timing" pictures. We were driving under a railroad bridge in this beautiful town when we happened to come across this scene from the road. It was in the middle of the afternoon with the sun just starting to drop a little behind the trees, so I pulled over as quickly as possible and took this picture while the lighting was still good. It turned out to be perhaps my favorite photo of our entire trip to Fairfield County, CT, which is a really beautiful area, by the way.

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

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Logan Pass, MT

photo of Logan Pass, MTI have been to a lot of beautiful places in the United States, but few match the scenic splendor of Glacier National Park in Montana. And few spots within the park are as awe-inspiring as Logan Pass. This photo, which was taken on a mild summer day in the mid-1990s, is only a few hundred yards from the Going-to-the-Sun Road (the main route through the park), but the silence and stillness from this spot is something I won't soon forget.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Logan Pass, MT photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Union, CT

Even though Boston is a large city with a good amount of sprawl, you don't have to go too far to find some really wild and remote areas. One example of this is Bigelow Hollow State Park, which is just over the border in Union, Connecticut (near Sturbridge), about an hour away from Beantown. The photo shown here, which was taken in October of 2006, shows the very bucolic Bigelow Pond, which is surrounded by low hills and has hiking trails running alongside it, as well as in the deep woods nearby.

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

Monday, February 9, 2009

Sebago Lake, ME

photo of Sebago Lake, MEEven though Portland, Maine, is a cosmopolitan city with a striking skyline and a real urban feel to it, you don't have to drive far to get into some truly rustic areas. Sebago Lake, for instance, is less than 20 miles from Portland, yet feels like it could be in the great North Woods of Maine. The photo shown here, which was taken in June of 2006, shows the mostly unspoiled southwest shore of Sebago lake near the tiny town of Sebago.

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

Friday, February 6, 2009

Eastham, MA

photo of Eastham, MACape Cod is a beautiful place, with long stretches of beach, haunting lighthouses, and sand cliffs above the ocean. Much of the Cape, however, is deeply wooded, with some very old pine, cedar, and maple forests in some areas. The photo shown here, which was taken in August of 2006, shows a part of Eastham (on the Outer Cape) that is near a sandy ocean beach yet feels almost like a dense rainforest. There are a number of deeply wooded boardwalks trails on the Outer Cape, with this one in the Red Maple Swamp near Fort Hill being one of the most scenic.

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

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Providence, RI

photo of Providence, RIProvidence has some very old sections--especially on the east side of the city--and Benefit Street, which is just east of downtown, is like a living, breathing museum piece with old homes, buildings, and churches. The black and white picture shown here, which was taken in December of 2006, shows a downright spooky scene of a church on Benefit Street. The day I took this, it was dark and gloomy out, which certainly helped the overall mood of this shot.

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

Monday, February 2, 2009

Near North Side (Chicago), IL

photo of Washington Square Park, Chicago, ILBecause Chicago is such a big city, people often assume that the areas in and around downtown must be little more than skyscrapers and busy streets. But this couldn't be further from the truth, as Chicago has a lot of open space, even in the center of the city. One of the nicest spots is shown in this photo, which was taken in November 2008. It gives a view of Washington Square Park in the Near North Side section of the city. It is only a few blocks from downtown, but is a quiet and attractive oasis that is also surrounded by some stunning architecture.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Near North Side (Chicago), IL photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Essex, CT

photo of Essex, CTIn some ways, Essex, CT, is nearly the perfect town; it is located on a lazy river, has interesting shops and restaurants, is blessed with beautiful scenery nearby, and has homes straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. It is also a nice place for fall foliage, as this photo which was taken in 2000 shows.

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