Of Nubbles And Goat Islands And The Number 100

100th Post Lighthouse Celebration Extravaganza Time!!

Hello, and welcome to my 100th photo blog post! I know - pretty exciting! We're nearing the end of the Maine 2004 photos. I've shuffled the order a bit, so that I can make Portland Head Light the finalé, next time. First, we have this stuff. Above: Goat Island Light (via the 500mm reflex lens), near Kennebunkport, ME.

One last jaunt down the Kennebec River for a sunlit 500mm shot of Doubling Point Light.

Here's Whaleback Ledge Light, at the southern tip of Maine.

Here's Portsmouth Harbor Light, in New Castle, New Hampshire.

And here we have Portsmouth Harbor AND Whaleback Ledge Lights. Whoopee!

After a long, hot, massively mud-puddly hike, we were still a couple of miles from Wood Island Lighthouse. Here's the 500mm shot. I think I could live there.

One of Maine's most famous lighthouses is Cape Neddick's Nubble Light, near York. The two shots above (first one by [Maris], second by Joe) required an hour wait for two minutes of sun, with a wall of storm clouds offshore. Totally worth it.

Finally, a quick stop on our way out of town the next day, to shoot this perfect little island again, this time under a blue sky.

Next up, Portland Head perfection. Thanks for sticking with me this far. Here's to the next 100 posts...

The Trains of New England

Okay gang - before we wrap up the 1998 trip to New England, here are a few parting shots to illustrate the fact that yes, there are trains and mountains here. The shot above is probably only remotely interesting to railfans - and even then, not very. This southbound Amtrak train, stopping at Kingston, RI station, is unremarkable. The diesel engines, however, would soon be replaced by electrics, as the infrastructure was nearly complete in the project that electrified the Northeast Corridor from Connecticut to Boston. Okay - even *I'm* bored...

The little rolling tourist trap above is the Old Colony Scenic RR in Newport, RI. Under-appreciated old equipment, but oh, the VIEWS...

A saddle-tank steamer, relegated to holding a paper company's PR office in place. Maine. The way life should be.

Yorkrail GP-9. I know it doesn't look like much to you non-railfans, but trust me - that machine is OLD. And that's cool. Think "'55 Chevy..."

Near Mt. Washington, NH.

Mt. Washington Cog Railway. Note the inclined boiler on the locomotive. Utterly unique. Best tourist trap east of the Mississippi.

... it climbs THIS...

... and pushes coaches full of people ...

... using the cogs in the center "rail" and a gear-like wheel - not unlike old wooden roller-coasters. It's hard to describe, really. Go there. Try it. Love it. Tell 'em Joe and [Maris] sent you. They'll say, "Who?" but that's okay.

You'll end up in the sky. No cell phones, please.

I know it's not America's highest point, but it's somehow exceedingly impressive. One of the windiest places on the planet.

Alien Landscape - Mt. Washington, NH - 1998.

Muchos Gracias for the visit, guys. Keep those cards and letters coming. More to come. Ta...

More Fun In New England

Our first trip to New England (in 1998) resulted from a check of the national weather map the night before our week off. We were simply following the sun, but we ended up falling in love with the whole region - especially the rural and coastal areas. Above is Spring Point Ledge Light near Portland, Maine, shot with a hand-held 500mm mirror reflex lens at a range of about 3 miles.

Point Judith Coast Guard Station, RI.

Kingston Station, RI. I want to pick this building up and bring it to the old B&O in Maryland.

Boston Harbor and Graves Lights, MA. This photo makes me crazy. It is fraught with technical problems, but I love the composition and the hazy softness. I will definitely re-shoot this, someday.

Cemetery - Salem, MA. OLD, spooky, haunted graveyard! Pilgrims and witch-hunters - oh my!

New England Church #9 - probably somewhere in Massachusetts.

Whaleback Light, ME. Another one that will need to be re-shot, but just in case it's gone next time we get up that way - here you go!

Turning inland from the Portland, ME area and making a few wrong turns, we found ourselves deep in moose country. The moose we encountered were entirely too cranky to allow us to photograph them, so we settled for this moose crossing sign.

There were supposedly wild snowmobiles roaming the mountains, as well. We didn't see any, though.

Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge - Cornish, NH. "Walk Your Horses Or Pay Two Dollars Fine." We ran ours, because we are daredevil outlaws livin' on the edge.

Bath, NH Bridge. Their fine was half as much as in Cornish, so we met them halfway and just trotted our little Chevy horses. It seemed like the right thing to do.

Thanks for stopping by. Next up, a last look at New England 1998, including weird trains!