Seriously, why do you need Ripley's Believe It Or Not Palace of Wonders or whatever when you've got this?
Lindsey seemed impressed.
I pretended to be pensive.
At this point, we scoured the gift shops and procured Monty. Typically, we decide that his first adventure should be a trip down the falls. He and his canoe survived unscathed... this time...
On a walk back to the car, we saw some very friendly squirrels. There was one that was brown and with a white tail, but he moved fast enough and was far enough away that I didn't get a good photo. This guy was so engrossed in his dinner that he let me get this close with a 55mm lens (which is all I was carrying at the time).
After Niagara Falls, we camped in the Finger Lakes region of New York over by Seneca Falls, so, naturally, we stopped at the nearby museum for Women's Rights in the morning. For those who don't know, Seneca Falls was where the suffrage movement for women really began, with a convention to write the Declaration of Sentiments. Monty was suitably impressed.
Here's the park ranger in front of the whole document carved into a water wall.
Monty reading the first few lines.
Lindsey and Monty in the Wesleyan Chapel, where the convention was held.
Statues of the founding women.
The Chapel from a distance.
Across the river was a seemingly abandoned knitting factory. I love old decrepit buildings like this.
On we went to the Adirondacks, spending the night at Paradox Lake. Monty held on for dear life on the side view mirror as Lindsey unpacks the car.
Tuckered out, Monty snuggles in the tent.
The late afternoon sunshine sneaks through the trees and makes everything glow.
All over the campground they had some fabulous rocks with tree roots just growing around them like mythical creatures.
Me using Lindsey for a sense of scale. She's just so perfect at five feet, you always have an accurate measure.
Paradox Lake at sunset.
Monty decides to go for an early morning paddle.
Before a hearty breakfast of coffee and cup 0f noodles.
Next we stopped at Natural Stone Bridge and Caves. They had a frisbee golf area with some odd obstacles, so Monty taunted a cave man, nearly escaping with his life.
And then rode on a fragile old carriage that he was taught not to sit on. Being a Canadian Mounty, I think he feels that he's above the law.
Lindsey and Monty with the raging rapids in the background.
Here's that natural stone bridge and cave I mentioned.
And those rapids really did a number on Monty. You'd think that surviving Niagara Falls, he'd fare better.
Another shot from underneath the bridge.
And inside they had it lit with some fun lights.
Monty snapping a photo, because the sign said so.
More modest waterfalls than a couple of days earlier.
Monty tries out a slightly larger vessel and ends up stuck up on the rocks. When will he learn?
Lindsey pretending to jump into one of the caves.
And making faces at me with Monty.
After the caves we were off to learn some history. Being Canadian, and a history buff, Monty read the sign about Fort Ticonderoga very carefully.
The fort was very heavily fortified. Ugh...
Monty's ancestors were in the circus, so he couldn't help himself.
Monty not being too careful of his surroundings while admiring the view of Lake Champlain.
There are just so many cannons to choose from!
Even some high above!
Lindsey goes for a stroll around the walls.
I continue to be impressed with the pointy fences and the clouds.
Flags on the walls to confuse the enemy?
Lindsey's had enough with me and threatens to shoot! Good thing the powder was wet.
So she moved on to another cannon, which also didn't work, thankfully, because I like my wife with her head still attached.
The buildings safe and sound within the fort.
Monty felt compelled to salute his native flag.
For once, Lindsey is tall enough to join the military... a few centuries too late. Oh well...
I do my best to look patriotic.
This guy succeeds much more admirably. Perhaps it has something to do with our choices in hats.
Monty hitches a ride in my pocket. Ungrateful freeloader...
And so we find ourselves very briefly in Whitehall, NY. Birthplace of the U.S. Navy. Gateway to... Vermont...
Monty pretends that his canoe is acceptable as a Naval vessel.
After a long drive through.. umm.. Vermont.. (a whole 90 minutes!) we arrived at our friend Cat's house up on a hill in Norwich. She has just the most killer view, and a killer driveway.
After a long trip so far, Monty indulges in a frosty pint of Bass.
It's been about six year since we've seen our friend Matt, and he's been busy working on an M.D. PhD at Dartmouth.
Professor Cat shows off her phrenology head. She wasn't so sure about the strange bumps in my head, however.
Monty gets a hankering for ice cream, and he demands the best... Ben and Jerry's. So we hit the factory.
A Cat, Lindsey, and Monty sundae.
Cat, Lindsey, and Monty decide to swap out the canoe for a cooler ride.
A bumper sticker I can agree with, outside of the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
The train tracks outside of the coffee roasters.
Quechee Gorge in Vermont... prime temptation for...
Monty to go for a paddle. Duh...
Cat and Lindsey pose for me.
Cat's got a sunny halo.
Lindsey's got one too! She's my angel. Awe...
The mill at Simon Pearce's glass blowers.
They make their own power with the mill, and the covered bridge certainly looks cool.
Oops... stick got a little stuck.
The generator that they brought down from Nova Scotia.
People in Vermont sure have to put up with some disappointing scenery on their commutes...
How ever do they handle this sort of stuff?
And Cat's view sure sucks.
Hanover's just so cute. All two or three blocks of it!
Lou's is a Dartmouth institution. I love quirky little diners with good food, and more importantly, good coffee. And the mugs rock, so I bought one.
Dinergoers pondering the many choices for breakfast.
Yummy pure maple syrup... the *real* stuff.
Up next is the Portland Headlight in Portland, Maine. While I think it's a cool lighthouse, I had trouble getting a cool shot of it, because there's been so much work done to make it accessible, which is a good thing and all, but asphalt driveways and yellow handrails just don't seem authentic to me, but I did my best.
Up up and away!
The lighthouse protected ships from these pointy rocks.
Our gracious friend and host, Bates professor Michael Sargent, showed us how to have a Mainely good time (sorry, I like puns).
Lindsey and Michael talk shop.
Nearby was an old mansion and battery. I just love crumbling buildings, don't you?
More laughing, Lindsey must have said something funny, because it sure wasn't me.
Cool trees showing off their mad Roman numeral skills.
Here's that battery I was talking about. This was our country's best defense against Nova Scotia or something. Not really, but it sounds funnier that way.
As you can see, it's in a bit of a state of disrepair, thus, perfect for cool photos.
Finally, up at the battery, do I get a view of the Headlight that I can approve of. Much better than close up, don't you think?
Lindsey, however, I think looks better close up.
More crumbly buildings... sheesh... this is a bad habit...
There we go! The basilica in Lewiston. The swankiest building in town.
For breakfast the next day, Michael took us to an organic farm for a yummy meal.
And a misspelled, but appreciated, tribute to Willie Nelson.
Then we were off for a damp tour of the Bates campus.
Legend has it that there was a beer funnel system in this dorm.
I like columns. I think that's what's missing on Stony Brook's campus. Don't they just look smart and pretentious?
Monty goes for a paddle on the quad.
At a Thai dinner, he decided to trade in his canoe for something a bit more stately.
But then the temptations of the local liquor store's beer cave got the better of him.
Being a Mounty, he's got special covert ops skills, which is why he generally prefers Secret Ale.
After our visit to Bates, we made our way up to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. We stopped for a quick bit in Bucksport for some photos, because the light was interesting.
Seaside rocks are cool.
Monty goes for a quick paddle, trying not to get shipwrecked.
Finally we arrive in Bar Harbor, and Monty tries to fit in with his canoe, but doesn't entirely succeed. He had a good time playing with the big boats.
I snap a photo of the three of us, and then we met our future selves. After I took this photo, a couple came over to us and we started chatting. It was a photographer who was a former information systems guy with his psychology professor wife. Our future seems to continue to be a happy one, with summers spent in Maine.
The sun waning through the clouds in the harbor.
All sorts of neat boats parked, ready for action.
Bar Harbor at night is just so quaint!
After dinner, I went out behind our hotel to play a little. I didn't bring my tripod on the trip (we had enough stuff in the car already), so I made do with some bricks I found to steady the camera.
I love shooting at dusk, it's just such a surreal time of day.
And so peaceful.
The next morning we headed back into town for a bit before heading to Acadia, and found the Hemporium. I just thought this was funny. No real story here. I promise.
In Acadia, we stopped by the road to check out a nest of baby peregrine falcons. Really, I swear they're up there. Luckily, the helpful ranger had a spotting scope so we could see the cute chicks.
Cool trees at Acadia that look almost like they've been sculpted from metal.
Sandy Beach!
The tide coming in over the rocks.
Lindsey and Monty hanging out at a safe distance.
Monty gets shipwrecked! Luckily, I was nearby to rescue him before he was ensnared by the evil seaweed monsters.
More surf coming in over the rocks, Monty got out in the nick of time!
Lindsey gets a kiss from her beau.
More Acadian views... from Thunder something point. I wish I could remember what this lookout was called.
More rocks... is this getting boring?
Perhaps some more trees to break up the monotony of this naturally beautiful park.
Rain pools up above the water.
Monty gets stuck in a tree. I'm not quite sure how.
Monty and Lindsey in Bella, Lindsey's faithful Prius.
Lindsey and Monty giving the illusion of speed.
Next we ascended to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, and here's my Cadillac of panoramic views.
Monty decides to get a closer look and take the stairs.
Turns out, he does prefer this serene outlook.
I, on the other hand, get caught up photographing otherworldly lichen.
More majestic views, how can one tolerate this stuff? Doesn't it just look so fake?
This guy thinks so too. But then again, he also attacked his reflection in someone's shiny chrome bumper, so I wouldn't trust his opinion either.
Clouds rolling in over the park.
So we headed to lunch, and I spotted this building - "Odd Fellow's Hall." Sounds like home to me.
In Boston, Monty meets his nemesis, a common garden gnome.
So he decides to escape by jumping Harrison Ford in The Fugitive-like down the staircase at our friend Susan's house.
And so ends this chapter of Monty's adventures. We had a swell time, and most importantly, Grandma enjoyed her birthday present. Thanks for following along!
-Sam
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