Travel Photography - Favorites from California

Water Lilies at San Juan Capistrano

In August, we traveled.  Vacation to California early in the month, then a business trip to Philadelphia later on.  Hysterical.  Delicious.  Saturated.  Gluttonous.  Exhilarating.  I could go on, but thankfully you might say, won't.  For now, I will share some of my photography from the road. 

One of my favorite stops - kind of a surprise - was at the Mission at San Juan Capistrano.  Yeah, I had heard all about the swallows and certainly enjoyed the story - But the gardens, and the buildings, and I just fell in love with the feeling of the whole place.

Loved the cacti and the adobe.  They compliment each other.

The flowers, the palm trees, oh my!

 

 

 

 

The blooms and the arches.  So pretty.

Our stop at San Juan Capistrano was on the way between Los Angeles and San Diego.  In San Diego, we planned a trip to the world famous San Diego Zoo.  Here are two of my favorites from that day?

I know you're not supposed to cut off the heads of zoo animals but I just loved the shot of the little guy.  The giraffes are my second favorite animals of the day.

This one - the flamingo - is my favorite.  Just look at how delicate the feathers are.  How soft a place to rest one's head.  Too bad you have to stand on one leg to do it.

Spend the day: Six Flags New England

I suppose you could call me a theme park snob. I guess I am approaching that level in my quest for higher drops, more inversions, the smoothest, tallest, fastest . . roller coasters. It started a few years ago, in the first few years of my relationship with my now husband. My previous roller coaster experience was tame, and the only loop I think I had done was a dozen years behind me. Not that it frightened me, in fact I recall enjoying it very much, just that my life at that time did not include targeted trips to theme parks. Not really. Fast forward and I fell in love with the feeling of the launch on the Incredible Hulk coaster at Universal Studios in Orlando. Rode it over and over that first day.






Since then it’s been a fascination and a focus of our travels. We went to both Busch Gardens in one year, riding Sheikra in Tampa and then the Griffin in Williamsburg. Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster was a top thrill and there I found my favorite coaster to date, Millennium Force.



So I was kind of skeptical about going to Six Flags New England Six Flags New England.  in Springfield, Massachusetts over Memorial Day weekend. The ulterior motive was to buy season passes that would save us money when we go to California later this summer and spend a few days at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, home to some record breaking, incredibly innovative coasters. We knew that Six Flags New England (SFNE) had a few coasters, and we had heard they were okay, enough to satisfy a winter’s worth of thrill craving, but my skepticism went deeper. I remember when this park was not a Six Flags, but a run down little local New England amusement park called Riverside. When I lived in Connecticut, we had gone a few times, a Friday night here and there, rode the Cyclone, ate cotton candy, and played carnival games on the midway, that kind of stuff. My memories include heaping trash cans and having to park way down the street on someone’s lawn, kind of like when you go to the fair, long and dusty and hot and sticky.

I’m pleased to say that on this trip, I was quite surprised and we had a great time. The “we” in this case is my husband and 11 year old daughter.

Boy has the place grown up and cleaned up and prettied up. Entering the parking area – a large PAVED – well organized setting (although the $15.00 parking fee is a bit much for this part of the country) – we joined other early visitors on the tram to the entrance. The tram dropped us off at a footbridge over the road – wide and nice, with lots of available trash cans for your refuse, none of which we bulging over with trash – and brought us to the ticketing area. We found our way through the turnstiles and into the season ticket buyers office, got our photos taken, were given a coupon book to use throughout the season – some we can use in California – and once the park was officially opened, with the cutting of the opening ribbon for the day, we were off to the biggest roller coaster in the park, Bizarro. The roller coaster that was once named Superman, and had won consecutive best steel coaster awards, had been renamed a few years before and given a new persona with a soundtrack . We didn’t care who the hero or villain was, we just wanted a great drop (221 feet) and a little air and a lot of exhilaration. It did the trick. And the wait wasn’t too long – about 20 minutes the first time, longer on consecutive rides as the parked got busier during the day.

We rode Bizaro three times that day and twice the next. We also enjoyed Batman another steel coaster with a semi – floorless coaster with some great corkscrew turns. We rode that one a couple of times as the lines were pretty long. We tried Minderaser but all three of us came out feeling like we’d been beat up, and I was really looking forward to it, as I like the seating style, suspended from above with feet dangling. It was just too rough. I don’t like wooden roller coasters for the same reason, too brutal, headache inducing not worth the no thrill, so we didn’t go on either wooden coaster in the park. And for smaller metal coasters with a fun twist, both the Flashback and Pandemonium proved to be really fun. The only ride that gave me pause was not even a roller coaster. It was the twenty story drop tower, aptly named Scream, which wasn’t as bad as I expected. And up that high over the Connecticut River, I swear I could see Hartford, the city where I worked for ten years and where my daughter was born.

I’ve been proven wrong. The park was clean, even the bathrooms, which had attendants and touchless everything – soap dispensers, water, air dryer. The food was typical park fare – burgers, fries, pizza, etc. All overpriced and under portioned, but that’s the theme park way, except for Busch Gardens parks – awesome food – another review . .



Overall, visiting Six Flags New England was a great experience. We had fun. It was well managed and well organized. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and give it a try. Before you go, you might want to revisit my THEME PARK TIPS.



Also worth a look is the Roller Coaster Database, where you can find info about the record holders, what’s new, and some park history. http://www.rcdb.com/



I’d love to hear from anyone about their memories at Riverside in Agawam, MA or your experiences at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Maple Syrup Sunday in Maine

If you read my last post, you know that I’ve been exploring my Franco American heritage. In my contacts with the Franco American Center on the campus of the University of Maine in Orono, I was lucky enough to meet Lisa Michaud. Lisa extended an invitation to visit Dragonfly Farm & Winery in Stetson with her group. On Sunday, March 20th, a small group of us were welcomed warmly by the Nadeau family and given a tour and tastings of the operation.



 Bangor is a relatively large city in this part of the state. My home is just over the bridge, in Brewer, and maintains the feeling of a populous area. As we drove out of Bangor, into Kenduskeag, then Corinth, and finally into Stetson, the land and homes transformed into fields and farms. The day felt like spring, with blue sky and sunshine. It was nice to be getting out of town.

I’m not sure what I expected when I thought of a “farm”. I didn’t really expect livestock or rows of corn, but I was surprised to see two beautiful modern homes flanking the curved driveway. A small sign by the road told us we were in the right place. Between the homes and the road, blue tubing stretched from tree to tree, intertwining, meeting, and all the while, collecting sap from the maples. Co-owner Todd Nadeau, offered tastings of the sap out of one of the buckets hanging on the tree. It was only slightly sweet, unexpectedly refreshing.


Next Todd showed us the vineyard. It was obvious that this is a passionate endeavor. He and his wife Treena started this vineyard seven years ago with 275 vines. It has now grown to 600 vines, many different varieties and a distinctive fruit wine selection.


 For us, though, that day was about all things maple. Todd led us down to the edge of the woods, to the “cabane a sucre” or sugar shack, the home of the maple syrup production on the farm. Todd’s parents, Rita and John Nadeau, are from Jackman, Maine. As Rita explained, many of her friends and family made maple syrup when she was growing up. As retirement neared, the Nadeau’s decided to make the move. They built the “cabane” with wood from the land, and recently purchased a large evaporator to increase production of maple products.

 Pails hung from most of the trees, already tapped and running. John Nadeau let the kids in the group install a tap and hang the bucket with the cover on the tree. It didn’t take long for the clear liquid to start dripping from the tap.

Steam billowed out of the cupola vents on the roof of the Cabane. Inside, the evaporator was bubbling and frothing, filling the room with warmth. Rocking chairs and a woodstove gave the space such a homey feeling that it was difficult not to sit and relax. Rita was taking out the plates and napkins and serving up a slice of Maple Sugar Pie to each of us. It was delicious, sweet and creamy. I remembered my grandmother making sugar pie when I was young. Rita said it was a traditional recipe. On the stove nearby, she had pots bubbling the evaporated sap, boiling it down to syrup. Periodically she would pour some into a container where she would compare the color to a set of samples. She explained that syrup is lighter in color early in the season, and deepens as the weather warms.

After the pie, we went back out with John to collect sap from the buckets that hung on trees around the cabin. He used a tractor with an industrial sized plastic barrel strapped to the front. The kids took the buckets off the trees and poured the liquid into the barrel. John let the little ones ride with him from tree to tree.

When we made our way back to the cabin, Rita instructed us to fill a child’s sled with snow. With our hands, we packed in the crystallized snow and brought the sled back. After some stirring and testing, it was finally ready. After handing everyone some popsicle sticks, they poured some hot thick syrup onto the pressed snow. We swirled the warm gooey maple onto the sticks and enjoyed the maple taffy.

My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves visiting the Dragonfly Farm and wish to extend our thanks to the Nadeau family and the Franco American Center for giving us an experience that we had never had. Many of my ancestors had their “cabane a sucre” and supplemented their farming in the off season with maple syrup production. It was a nice reminder of simpler times.

This past weekend was Maple Sunday here in Maine. That’s when many maple farms open their doors and allow the public in to see how maple syrup is made. Dragonfly Farm and Winery is a participating farm. For more information, visit their website. Here is a link to Dragonfly Farm and Winery in Stetson, Maine. http://www.mainewinegrower.com/


Here is the link to the Franco American Center in Orono. Great resource for history and support. http://www.francoamericanarchives.org/

FAMILY TRAVEL: THE UNEXPECTED PIT STOP IN NYC

My husband is one of those people who hate surprises. Rather, he hates to be surprised but he loves surprising others. On our recent road trip to Virginia, my daughter and I found ourselves the recipients of a well planned, and well executed surprise.


It had been discussed that we would stay overnight at my parent’s house in southern Maine prior to leaving for Virginia. We had to deliver our cat to be cared for in our absence, and pick up a few things for the trip, plus it gave us a head start of a couple of hours and broke up the trip nicely. We had planned to leave at about 4:00 am, scooping my daughter up in her pj’s and setting her up so that she could sleep until Massachusetts or beyond. It was decided that we would try to minimize our stops by packing plenty of drinks, snacks, and sandwiches for the road. My husband and I talked about all of this.

That morning comes, the food and kid go into the car and off we go on our much anticipated vacation.

We drive easily through Massachusetts and Connecticut, familiar territory for me, having lived near Hartford for a dozen years. We pass through New York City, wrangling the earphones from my daughter and forcing her to pay attention to the sites, the buildings and things she doesn’t normally see in her daily life in Maine. Clear sailing over the George Washington Bridge and into New Jersey. Soon, though, my husband is looking anxious and fumbling for his notes. We get off at an exit near the Meadowlands. I ask why and he says he’s looking for a Park & Ride to switch drivers. I think to myself that we could simply pull over to switch drivers but I can tell he’s clearly up to something at this point. I think back over the prior couple of months and things start coming together. We just had our 1st anniversary and my daughter’s birthday was coming up and he had told us that he had a surprise for us that would occur between the two events. He had been especially interested in what I planned for each of us to wear on this day “to travel”. This is a man who rarely notices that I am wearing shoes, much less what they are. He had asked me recently what I would take if I was to be walking around a big city for the day. I knew something was up.

The Park & Ride is found and we park. He’s got a pack of index cards in his shirt pocket and hands one to Nola. It reads:

THIS IS NOT A TIME TO FUSS

JUST JUMP ONTO THE BUS

THERE’S A SIDE TRIP AHEAD OF US

AND THIS IS YOUR NOTICE



He makes sure we have comfortable shoes, a jacket, and my camera. We walk over to the tiny bus station, purchase tickets, and get on the bus marked “Lincoln Tunnel”.

Just before we arrive at Port Authority, a second card appears from the pocket:

NOW – GET OFF THE BUS

START THE WALK AHEAD OF US

PAY ATTENTION AND FOCUS

AND STEP OVER THE HOMELESS

We get off the bus. He directs us out onto the street. We’re mystified. My daughter has only seen New York in movies and for me it’s been about twenty years since my last trip. At the sight of the yellow cabs, the buildings, the noise and the people she exclaims “This is not like Maine.” And she’s grinning and amazed. The next card reads:

FEEL FREE TO GUESS AND DISCUSS

WHERE THIS TREK WILL TAKE US

A CIRCUS? A PALACE? MAYBE TEXAS?

JUST WALK - IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS



So we walk. We pass street vendors and souvenier salesmen. We skirt around Times Square. We cross over 42nd and Broadway and take some photos. We detour through Bryant Park. My husband is steering us down 5th Avenue as he hands us the next clue:

NEARBY IS SOMEPLACE REAL FAMOUS

OUR LUNCH THERE WILL BE SCRUMPTIOUS; NOT TASTELESS

“PARTY OF FOUR” TELL THE WAITRESS

When I see that we’re stopping at the American Girl Store and going inside, I’m about to cry. This man has done this for my daughter. This man who is uncomfortable not knowing what happens next and hates crowds and dislikes spending money has made reservations for us to have lunch at the American Girl Café.

SINCE THERE’S NO ONE AS PRECIOUS

I WANT TODAY TO BE PRICELESS

AND FOR YOU TO FEEL LIKE A PRINCESS

OTHER GIRLS WOULD BE SO JEALOUS

The store is amazing, filled with dolls and clothes and accessories. And very PINK. There’s a hair salon and a hospital. Girls are clutching their dolls and packages. We check in at the concierge (yes, a concierge!) and make our way up to the Café on the 3rd floor. The line for the 11:00 seating is already getting long and we join in. Prior to seating, the host asks if my daughter would like to select a doll to dine with us, as there is place at the table for guest’s American Girl dolls. We hadn’t brought my daughter’s doll with us, given that we didn’t know we were coming here, I hadn’t thought to pack it and since my husband didn’t want to give away the surprise, he hadn’t taken it either. So she selected a doll to be our “fourth” in the party.

Lunch is a fixed price, except for special drinks. My daughter orders a strawberry smoothie.

The waiter is jovial and brings us a plate of cinnamon rolls, then a platter of veggies, dips, fruits, rolls, and cheese. The choice of entrees ranges from TIC TAC TOE pizza to chicken tenders to salads to a burger.

the cinnamon rolls

the coconut chicken salad

the chicken tenders and mac & cheese

the caprese chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries

The setting is white linen tablecloths, bright pink flowers and black accents everywhere. The whole place is so well done in the theme. The lampshades are whimsical with their flower designs. The walls are black and white striped.

Hot pink reigns throughout. All around us are little girls and their dolls, some families celebrating birthdays, some mother daughter pairs. Most are dressed up in some way.

The presentation for dessert is fabulous. A plate with a small heart shaped frosted cake, a butterfly cookie, and a small flower pot full of chocolate mousse. All of it was delicious and exciting to be part of.

We finish our meal, return the doll, and head back out to the street. The next card reads:

NOW I’LL MAKE YOU A PROMISE

THIS TRIP HAS AN ADDED BONUS

AGAIN – SOMEPLACE FAMOUS

CAN YOU GUESS THE NEXT ADDRESS WITH SUCCESS? NEED A COMPASS?

We start walking. My husband tells us that we have a bit of time to kill, but that we do have to be somewhere.

We walk to Rockerfeller Center and peek into the windows at the Today Show.

We go to Time Square and check out the Lego store and the Toys R Us with the giant ferris wheel inside.

We watch the mimes and I look for the Naked Cowboy. Soon we’re walking again and are surrounded by Broadway theaters. My daughter points out the sign for the Lion King and gushes about how she’s always wanted to see it. Somewhere along the way, another card:

CUTENESS + GOODNESS + SWEETNESS

YOU AS MY STEPDAUGHTER – I’M GRACIOUS

IT ALL MAKES ME EXTREMELY JOYOUS

MY LOVE FOR YOU & MOM IS MONSTROUS

Soon we’re at that theater that is home to the Lion King. Then the final cards, one for each of us, with tickets to the show that will begin shortly. The cards read:



For my daughter:

100 DAYS AGO I PROMISED YOU A SURPRISE EARLY BIRTHDAY GIFT YOU WOULD SHARE WITH YOUR MOM. I WOULD HAVE BEEN “LION” IF I WASN’T TELLING THE TRUTH. ENJOY YOUR GIFT!

For me:

100 DAYS AGO I PROMISED YOU A SURPRISE ANNIVERSARY GIFT YOU WOULD SHARE WITH NOLA. I WOULD HAVE BEEN “LION” IF I WASN’T TELLING THE TRUTH. ENJOY YOUR GIFT!

He ushers us to the entrance and helps with our bags. He’s off to see the King Tut exhibit (for $100 less, he points out) and we go in and find our great seats in the first row of the mezzanine.



The show is amazing. The actors, the props, the staging and movement. The music and scenery. For our first Broadway shows, this is a great choice, I think.



We meet up after the show and tell him all about it. We retrace our steps and get back on the bus, headed for New Jersey, where my husband has booked a hotel for us. We’re all pretty tired after the long and exciting day and enjoy a picnic of sandwiches on the bed in our room. In the morning we’re off to Virginia, to the next part of the road trip, to Williamsburg and all that holds.

Yes, this is a long post. Maybe I’m making up for the fact that I’ve been slacking with them lately. Really though, chronicling our adventures that day and the surprise of it all might just trigger the thought in you to do something for someone that takes them by surprise. Maybe you’ll just think about taking your daughter to lunch at the American Girl Café or to see a show on Broadway when you never have before, or even if you have done so many many times.



Do the unexpected. Surprise someone you love.

Vacation Countdown

98 days ago, my husband, thinking he would cheer us up at dinner one night, announced that there were 100 days until vacation. He thought he was doing a good thing. The weather at that time was still cold and dreary and we needed a boost in spirit. My daughter and I, upon his announcement, drooped our shoulders in defeat – what? A HUNDRED days?

We’re two days away from leaving. You’d think we’ve never gone any where before, given how excited we are. It’s not the first time we’ve been to Virginia or to Williamsburg, or to Busch Gardens. Our prior experiences have been good ones, and the road trip portion of this vacation throws in an added element. So we’re excited and anxious. And the countdown is on. The checklists are being checked off.



Find someone to stay at the house and tend to my garden – check



Shop for road food and snacks – check



Get car serviced – check



Charge camera batteries, dump memory cards and reformat, charge phones. Get a car charger for the phone and laptop. Check check check.



Packing – do the laundry, decide which shorts and tee shirts we need. Which sandals? Which bathing suits? Beach towels, surf board, blankets, sunscreen, and goggles.



Got it.



Waist packs, water bottle holders, hats, good walking shoes, cell phones programmed with other family member’s cell phone number for when we’re at the park.



Yep.



Get hair cut & color. New contact lenses. Refill prescriptions.



Done.



Forward the voice mail, set up the out-of-office reply, delegate my assignments to be covered in my absence.



Big check.



Transplant the herbs, weed the gardens, trellis the unruly peas, harvest the lettuce.



Done. Done. Done.



I love that feeling when you finally get the suitcases packed, the car packed, everyone buckled in and ready to go. The tank’s full of gas. I can breathe a sigh of relief at that point. Everything’s done except the fun. There’s no turning back now.

The truth is that for me, the planning and preparing for vacation is just as much fun as the actual going. That anticipation of a good time, of being away from the normal everyday life, of a change of scenery and new experiences makes the whole thing so much more than just the time spent away. Its anti climactic to return and have nothing on the horizon to look forward to, travel wise, I mean. Yes, we’ve got a birthday party to plan, and school shopping to do, and plenty of summer time left to enjoy, but no big trips planned, no reason to keep the suitcases out.



Yet.



Who knows what may transpire during our travels? We may decide that we’ve just got to do this more often.

So here it is. The culmination of months of planning will occur sometime Friday morning, as we load up the car, lock up the house, and head out on the road.



I won’t be posting while I’m gone. I will be taking hundreds of photos to share. I will be taking notes about our travels and experiences and plan on writing about them when we return. I will review the hotels, restaurants, and roadside attractions. I will refocus, closer to home, and write more!



Have a wonderful week everyone!

Maine Travel: Just another friday night in Old Orchard Beach

Friday night I was driving to my parent’s house in Biddeford, Maine. I had a two and a half hour drive and listened to public radio most of the way. Nearing Portland, I put in a cd and found myself cruising through the city tapping the steering wheel along to the Zac Brown band’s “Toes” – got my toes in the water, ass in the sand . . . not a worry in the world . . .” and it put me in the “Life’s too short” mindset for the rest of the trip. I decided that I would swoop in and pick up Nola and take her “down the beach” that night. It was a gorgeous early summer night, warm, with a light breeze. I knew about the Spirit of America Balloon Festival that was going on over the weekend.

“Down the beach” is the local lingo for going to Old Orchard Beach. When you live in the area, you pretty much stay away from OOB (another local description) during the summer. For us kids, it was a once a year thing. Go down the beach, walk around, go out on the pier for some “Pier Fries”, ride a few rides, play a game or two and be done with it. As a teen, going to OOB was a thing you tried to do Friday nights, as a group of girls to go chase down the boys. In college, it was a source of employment for me and a few other local kids. I sold music in a little walk up booth right on the street. I think I made $200 a week managing the place for its owner who lived in New Hampshire. I have good memories of working down there. I even met my first husband there. He and a bunch of college students from Canada had come to work for the summer.

Old Orchard Beach is a community of about 9,000 year round residents, according to their website. The part I’m talking about is the main drag as they say, Old Orchard Ave and East Grand and West Grand Avenues branching off in their respective directions parallel to the beachfront. The amusement park is right on the beachfront. Lights flashing, bells ringing, kiddie rides, bumper cars, roller coaster, and games galore. It is quite the place.



We went straight out on the beach to check out the balloons. A live band was playing in the square and booths were set up selling balloon memorabilia. At sunset, a “Moon Glow” was scheduled. We went out to join the crowd watching the balloon crews, waiting for inflation. After a while we walked through Palace Playland, winding around the kiddie rides and game hawkers. My daughter rode the roller coaster there. One of the nice things about Palace Playland is that you can buy tickets for rides individually. It’s not necessary to buy a whole day pass. It certainly is more economical to do so, but if you’re there for a couple of hours, it’s nice to be able to just do a ride or two, eat some cotton candy, and while away an evening.

We got some Pier Fries (vinegar and salt please!) and went back out on the beach. There was a light breeze and though it felt nice and warm, it was enough to keep the balloons from going up. They stayed grounded and we played in the sand near the Pier with a full moon over the water. Later we went up on the Pier for some kettle corn and an awesome fresh, gooey, caramel apple rolled in coconut. We walked up the street one side and down the other. I showed Nola whereabouts I met her father. The building is long gone, overgrown with brush and empty. Stores there are still selling some of the same things they did 25 years ago; T shirts and sweatshirts and just about anything else that you can decal with Old Orchard Beach. Bikinis. Beach mats. Sunglasses. All the same stuff in stores bright and lit up to attract customers.

To me, its fun once in a while to be in the midst of that carnival madness. It was a beautiful night spent with my daughter at a place we rarely visit, mainly because of its proximity. Places in your backyard are seldom appreciated as much as those far away. Sometimes it’s good to make that little connection with the past and create some memories to share in the future.

If you’re in southern Maine at any time, it’s worth a trip to Old Orchard Beach. The beach itself is sandy, wide and a great place to park for a day. It’s a bonus to have all of that fun stuff a few steps away.



Here’s their website: http://www.oobmaine.com/