Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Groton, MA

photo of Groton, MAGroton is probably one of the most beautiful towns within an hour's drive of Boston. In and around the town center are tree-shaded streets lines with historic old homes and churches, while a short distance away from the center are a number of apple orchards and farms. The photo shown here, which was taken in October of 2006, gives a view of a church that sits along a village green at the eastern edge of the center of town.

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

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Jeffersonville, VT

photo of Jeffersonville, VTAlthough they are separated only by a narrow mountain pass (or "notch," as it is called here), Stowe and Jeffersonville are vastly different places. While Stowe is a bustling resort with endless options for shopping, lodging, and dining, Jeffersonville is a rather remote place with charming inns, general stores, working farms, and winding roads. The photo shown here, which was taken off Route 108 in October, 2007, shows a stark view of the landscape coming out of town on the way to Mount Mansfield and Smuggler's Notch. I took the shot in black and white to emphasize the haunting feel of this part of Vermont, especially when there are low clouds and fog.

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

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Lake Placid, NY

photo of Lake Placid, NYSome of the most dramatic scenery in the Eastern United States can be found in and around the Lake Placid area within the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Just east, south, and north of the village are the highest mountains in the state as well as raging rivers and pristine woods. The photo shown here, which was taken in the late 1990s, shows typical view from Route 86 between Lake Placid and Wilmington, heading toward Whiteface Mountain, a ski area with the biggest vertical drop east of the Rockies.

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

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

New Canaan, CT

photo of New Canaan, CTThe Southwestern part of Connecticut has some really attractive towns and villages, and few are more charming than New Canaan. Bigger than many of the villages around it, but much smaller and more manageable that the nearby cities along the coast, New Canaan has a feel of yesteryear with its old-fashioned streetlights, charming downtown clock, and friendly little independent shops and restaurants. The picture shown here, which was taken in February of 2009, shows the heart of the downtown section of New Canaan.

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

Friday, April 17, 2009

Boston, MA

photo of Boston, MAThe city of Boston is densely populated in many areas, but it also has a park system that is about as nice as you will find in a large city. One of the most scenic open areas is the Public Garden in downtown Boston, which is shown in this photo, which was taken in April of 2007. The Public Garden and many other parks, including the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park, have a variety of plants and trees, allowing for beautiful and always-changing colors from the springtime to the fall.

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

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Blue Ridge Mountains, VA

photo of the Blue Ridge Mountains, VATaking a drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway can be an exhilarating experience, as it changes seemingly from mile to mile. While much of the North Carolina section is wild, rugged, and mountainous, parts of the Virginia section are a bit more placid and have a more historic feel, including, at times, almost a frontier-like quality. The photo shown here, which was taking while on a road trip in the early 1990s, shows a well-preserved old cabin along the Blue Ridge Parkway between Roanoke and the North Carolina border.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Blue Ridge Mountains, VA photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Little Compton, RI

photo of Little Compton, RIAs I mentioned earlier in a posting about Sakonnet, Route 77 goes through some of the most scenic parts of Rhode Island, if not all of New England. Open fields and meadows drop down to the ocean, farm stands are scattered about, and the towns, including Little Compton, are charming, rural places that are worlds away from Providence. The photo shown here, which was taken in the summer of 2004, is of a vineyard that is located just off of Route 77 and a short distance west of the center of Little Compton.

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

Friday, April 10, 2009

Chapel Hill, NC

photo of Chapel Hill, NCChapel Hill is one of the most attractive towns I have been to in all of America, so much so, in fact, that I could almost picture living there even though the heat can be extreme in the summer. The photo shown here, which was taken on one of those brutally hot (but otherwise beautiful) July days in 2008, shows a pleasant, tree-shaded part of the UNC campus in the center of town. This scene is a stone's throw from the shops and restaurants of Main Street, indicating the close connection between the university and the town of Chapel Hill.

For a larger version of this photo, go to the Chapel Hill, NC photo on the Travel Guide of America site.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Bar Harbor, ME

photo of Bar Harbor, MEBar Harbor, Maine, is an attractive town for strolling and picture-taking, but some of the greatest views of Bar Harbor are from 1,500 feet up. The road to the top of Cadillac Mountain has some spectacular views of the town (and the water and landscape around it) from several turnoffs, as well as from the summit of the mountain, where this photo was taken in May of 2008. The Porcupine Islands can be seen in the distance, as well as the mainland of Maine.

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

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Thirteen Mile Woods, NH

photo of Thirteen Mile Woods, NHRoute 16 in New Hampshire starts off as a fairly scenic road heading out of Portsmouth, but eventually becomes a somewhat ugly commercial strip as it passes through the eastern edge of Central New Hampshire. But as it approaches the White Mountains, it becomes quite beautiful, with particularly stunning scenery as it passes Mount Washington on the left. Relatively few tourists go beyond this point, however, which is a shame, because the upper stretch of Route 16 has some of the most incredible scenery in all of New England. One part of this stretch goes through the Thirteen Mile Woods, a remote region of waterways, spruce and fir forests, and low hills. The photo shown here, which was taken in late September of 2004, shows the breathtaking beauty of this area.

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

Friday, April 3, 2009

Edgartown, MA

photo of Edgartown, MAThe Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard is considered by many to be a playground of the rich and famous as well as a place that can get pretty wild and crazy during the summer in spots. But much of it is charming and sedate, feeling a lot like Cape Cod used to be before big parts of it became commercialized. And Edgartown is about as charming a village as you'll find, with white clapboard colonials, tree-shaded lanes, stunning water views, and refined shops and restaurants. The photo shown here, which was taken in the early 1990s, gives just a glimpse of this beautiful village near the southeastern edge of the Vineyard.

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

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Lake McDonald, MT

photo of Lake McDonald, MTOne of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen is in the western section of Glacier National Park in Montana. The western side of the park is deeply wooded and lush (unlike the dry, mostly prairie-like eastern side), which makes the lake feel both insulated and hidden. The photo shown here, which was taken in the mid-1990s, shows an eastward view of Lake McDonald from the tiny village of Apgar, about 20 miles east of Whitefish as the crow flies.

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