Details Too /  by Dave Hileman

The vistas and mountains are awe inspiring but there are really neat things to see in the details. I have no idea what kind of mushroom this is or if it would be good on pizza, but it looked like a glaze was applied to it and it simply shown on the trail among the greens. 

1724 /  by Dave Hileman

This light was installed in 1724 in the Old North Church. There was quite a kerfuffle because the people did not think it was appropriate to celebrate Christmas but the man who paid for the two lights had them illuminated anyway and they have been used every since. 

Iconic Maine Lighthouse /  by Dave Hileman

Bass Harbor lighthouse has been photographed a lot. Morning, evening, night and even, like this, in the middle of the day. It is actually a small house but since it clings to the rock and you can shoot from the rocks below it looks taller than it actually is. In the evening the rocks are swarming with people, tripods and every kind of camera you can imagine. They start gathering well before sunset and I just was not up to another two hour effort so, here we are in the afternoon. And it was pleasant. 

Top of Champlain Mountain /  by Dave Hileman

I find this perennial pond that sits on the apex of Mt. Champlain highly interesting. It has expanded over the years and the foliage has grown up around the edge. We climbed up the Precipice Trail, a rather vertical 1100 foot climb that has lots of iron hand rails and ladders.  

JFK Birthplace /  by Dave Hileman

This modest home in the Brookline area of Boston. JFK was born in 1917 in the upstairs room on the right side of the house. The tour is ranger guided and was well done. There is a small gift shop in the basement but there is no parking. We parked on the street but the signs said "resident only." We and the two people in the rental honda were not ticketed but we were in and out pretty quick.

Poor Lobster /  by Dave Hileman

Found this guy, what is left, on a ledge beside the ocean. Not sure if it was a cooked one that a gull stole or if after time it just turned red. It was in an area that few people would see or go. 

Needs No Introduction /  by Dave Hileman

Never more true than the iconic Washington Monument. I am reading a fascinating book, "Washington's Immortals." It is about the regiment of Continental troops from Maryland that saved the army from destruction in August of 1776 and then continued in key battles of the Revolution where their valor and courage earned them the "Immortal 400" name. It is sort of like a Band of Brothers for the Revolutionary War. Doing this trek has opened ups lots on new interesting stories: Wright Brothers, Gen. Clark, Washington and two Civil War books so far. 

Arlington House /  by Dave Hileman

This home was once called the Lee-Custis house and was associated with both the Washington and the Lee families. It is quite a history. The grave in the foreground is John F Kennedy's with the eternal flame behind it. The flag is at half-mast because it is the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11.

Family Farms - part of the National Park Service /  by Dave Hileman

This area of Whidbey Island in Washington is set aside because of the unique nature of the farmland. Most of these are family farms that have been in operation for over 150 years. Ebey’s Landing
National Historical Reserve description from nps.gov "This rural historic district preserves and protects an un­broken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from the 1800s to the present. Historic farms, still under cultivation on the prairies of Whidbey Island, reveal land­use patterns unchanged since settlers claimed the land in the 1850’s under the Donation Land Claim Act." And it is beautiful. That is Olympic National Park in the distance over the heavy fog and a peek at the snow covered slope of Mt Olympus.

One Hundred Fifty: Celebrate /  by Dave Hileman

I discovered that I missed one of the sites we not only visited but took a couple of photos when we were in Washington. It is Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve and I have a better photo today in the National Park blog. You can read a bit more about the site on that blog. But happy to announce 150 National Park Service sites visited and we ought to see a few more in the next couple of weeks. 

Sunset at Seal Harbor /  by Dave Hileman

"Yours, O  lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O  lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things."   1 Chronicles 29:11 NLT

Thanks /  by Dave Hileman

Katherine is a ranger at the Arlington House located on the grounds of Arlington Cemetery. We were there on a busy Sunday and it was her last tour of the day. She was outstanding. Katherine is another example of how your experience at a National Park Service site can be enriched by an energetic, knowledgeable and enthusiastic (and funny) guide. She went well beyond what was expected and provided a memorable tour that enabled us to see much more than anticipated. The folks who staff the Park Service work with too few resources, too many people and work, often for years, with only the promise of another season. And most of them are, like Katherine, stellar. Thanks for the great time at Arlington House.