Autumn in New England

Right about now is the time of year that the temperature begins to drop, your car is covered with a morning frost and your mind begins to remember just how cold it gets in winter. Just remember one of the best things about living in New England...autumn. It is a legend and for good reason. Here are some reminders that it's all worth it!

Nantucket

The trip to Nantucket required an early morning start. But once everyone had their preferred caffeine choices, we were all happy campers.

When we arrived it was a perfectly foggy Nantucket day. All of the bumper stickers are right, "fog happens". We lucked out with only two foggy mornings but the gray eventually gave way.
It may seem like a no-brainer but borrowing someone's sweet house is...well...sweet! My boss was incredibly nice and let us stay at his home. Here are some pictures from around the house:

The Cisco Brewery, Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyard are all located on the same property on Bartlett Farm Road. Tours are by arrangement only, but they offer tastings all day.

It was highly recommended, if not mandated, that we rent a 4x4 to take on the beach. The drive out to Great Point Lighthouse was by far everyone's favorite part of the trip. The weather was perfect and we watched seals swim by as we relaxed on the beach.
Unfortunately, we had to return to reality and leave the island. The ferry ride home was gorgeous. It was another true "chamber of commerce day".

But as soon as we left the harbor it was a wee bit windy and chilly.

Luckily, I came prepared...

Maine with Meg

Last month, Shawn and I went to visit our friend Meg in Portland. I don't think I've ever been to Portland before so I didn't know what to expect. It was great! It's almost like a mini-Boston. It has a gorgeous downtown and it's on the water. What else could you ask for?

We had lunch with a view at Portland Head Light. It is believed to be the inspiration for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Lighthouse".

I've known Meg since nursery school and not much has changed about our friendship since then. That's why Meg knew I would be pumped to meet Lenny. He is a 1,700 pound chocolate moose who calls Scarborough, Maine home.

Apparently, Shawn sees one ton edible moose every day because he doesn't seem that enthralled. Lenny is a super star...he's reportedly the world's largest chocolate animal sculpture!

The Big Island

We stayed at the Mauna Lani on the Big Island. It was paradise! Here are a few pictures from the hotel. Every inch was gorgeous and relaxing. The staff even greets you upon arrival with fresh tropical juices and beautiful leis. We were even surprised with an upgrade to an ocean view room and a complimentary bottle of champagne!

Guess what? The Big Island is big. It's not gigantic but we definitely underestimated its size. Most of the resorts are located on the opposite side of the island than the Volcanoes National Park. Since the only roads go around the coast of the island, a trip to the park makes for a long day of driving. Once you arrive at the park, you forget all about that because it is amazing!

While you travel along Crater Rim Drive, you can easily see steam vents. These appear when ground water comes in contact with the hot lava rock below the surface. The vapor makes its way back up and appears above ground as steam.

This entire picture shows Kilauea Caldera from Kilauea Overlook. It is 2 miles wide and 3 miles long. The depression in the center is Halema'uma'u Crater.

Apparently Pele doesn't always appreciate visitors to her home. Yes, the sign is warning you about the toxic fumes visible only a few feet from the sign.

At the end of Chain of Craters Road is the Holei Sea Arch. It is about 100 feet tall and was formed by waves eroding the lava. You can feel the raw power of the Pacific as you stand near the edge of the cliff.

The lava covered Chain of Craters Road 1995 causing its closure. There is a short path that allows you to walk on the lava.

This shows how the lava flows down the mountain side, destroying some areas and missing others. It is amazing how life can return to such a barren area.

There are two types of lava: pahoehoe (smooth, billowy) and aa (rough, jagged). Here are the aftereffects of the two flowing down a hill toward the coast. In this picture the darker lava is aa and the lighter colored lava is the pahoehoe.

Here are a few pictures from our drive around the Big Island. When you come to Waipi'o Valley, don't try to drive your car down to the bottom. The road down achieves a 25 percent grade! We decided to stick to the lookout.

The Akaka Falls travel 422 feet to the bottom.

A tsunami hit the town of Hilo on May 23, 1960 at exactly 1:04 am. The clock has stood still ever since. The wave originated from an earthquake in Chile and killed 61 people.

Wow. What a contrast! These are my feet on a black sand beach. My camera didn't even know what to do with this. Fortunately, the sea turtles do a better job blending in with the surroundings.