Tag: East Coast Road Trip
Cadillac Mountain Panorama
Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the east coast and is the first part of the country to see the sunrise each morning. At 1,530 feet tall, you can see most of Mount Desert Island from the top. As you can see from the photos on this page, fog is a common occurrence in the summer.
Cadillac Mountain is named for the French explorer, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac who was given 100,00 acres of wilderness (including Mount Desert Island) in present day Maine from the French government in 1668. Of course, this is the same Cadillac who founded what is now the city of Detroit and is the namesake of Cadillac Motors. I love that little Acadia to Michigan connection. Before the name was changed to Cadillac in 1918, the peak was known as Green Mountain.
Oceana Insignia in Bar Harbor, as seen from Cadillac Mountain
In recent years, Bar Habor has become a popular destination for cruise ships. I know a Canada/New England cruise is on my bucket list. A lot of people who cruise to Bar Harbor want to explore Acadia and of course, make a stop at Cadillac Mountain. The day we were exploring Cadillac Mountain, we could see a small ship off in the distance. The cruise nerd in me wanted to know which one it was, so I went onto CruiseTT, and discovered it was Oceana Insignia. It was funny walking around at the top of the mountain and seeing people who were dressed way too nicely to be exploring a National Park. I’m sure those were the cruisers.
If you visit Acadia, definitely make the drive up Cadillac Mountain. If you’re an early riser (and lets face it, I’m not) head up there at sunrise. The photos I’ve seen are breathtaking!
Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to stop back here next week when I will share about exploring Acadia by water! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
Salon in the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion with hand painted wallpaper
The Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, also known as The House of Seven Gables, is located in Salem, Massachusetts. It was built in 1668 by Captain John Turner and is the oldest timber frame house on its original foundation in the United States. What is the significance of this old, New England home? It was the setting of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel, The House of Seven Gables.
Unlike The Wayside, Hawthorne never lived in this home, but he often visited his cousin, Susanna Ingersoll who regaled him with stories of the home. At the time that Hawthorne visited, four of the gables had been removed to match current architectural trends, but Ingersoll showed her cousin the beams and mortises in the attic illustrating where the additional gables used to be. If you’ve ever read the story, you know that the house is practically described as an additional living character.
A rare photo of me outside the Counting House at the House of Seven Gables.
In the early 1900s, the home was purchased by Caroline O. Emmerton who worked with an architect to make the house reflect the one in Hawthorne’s story. Restorations included adding back the missing gables, creating a secret passageway in a chimney and adding a cent shop like the one run by Hepzibah Pyncheon in The House of Seven Gables.
Other historic Salem buildings have been moved to the grounds at the House of Seven Gables and can be toured with museum admission. Most noteably of these is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace.
If you are in Salem, I definitely recommend a stop at The House of Seven Gables. Unfortunately, due to the oppressive heat (it was 90 degrees at 10 AM), we didn’t get to see much more in Salem. After we left the museum, we headed north towards Acadia. Check back next week for our first look at Acadia National Park!
Thanks for stopping by! For more information about the House of Seven Gables visit 7gables.org. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
Wall of Monet paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Before our trip, we weren’t planning on stopping at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, but then we heard that they had the largest collection of Monets outside of Europe and we had to check it out. Gallery 252 is dedicated exclusively to works of Monet. Grand Canal, Venice hangs on the wall in there as well as Meadow with Poplars. They also have a large collection of American Impressionists and the most complete collection of John Singer Sargent anywhere. If you enjoy impressionist paintings, this museum is a must see!
Of course, the MFA is a large, urban art museum and has more to offer than just impressionists. They have a large wing full of modern art and as well as ancient art. One of my favorite galleries in the museum is the musical instrument collection. They had crazy instruments I had never seen before! Of course, this bass clarinet player had to take a picture of the small, curvy bass clarinet on display! They also have galleries dedicated to jewelry and textiles. If you enjoy art, there is something for you to see at the Museum of Fine Art, Boston.
If you plan to visit the MFA, plan to get their early or you will have to wait in line outside. It was 90 degrees and sunny on our Boston day and they didn’t have an awning or anything to stand under. It got pretty hot and uncomfortable waiting to get inside. We visited through the ROAM (reciprocal admissions) program with our DIA membership and the girl behind the counter was happy to tell that the DIA is one of her favorite museums. That made me smile.
To plan a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, visit MFA.org. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
Pin This:
A rare photo of me at the Eric Carle Museum
Ever since I discovered that there was a museum dedicated to picture book art, specifically Eric Carle art, I knew this was a place I would have to visit. So, when mapping out our East Coast Road Trip, I was excited to discover it was only about an hour out of the way.
The museum in Amherst, Massachusetts was founded by legendary children’s book illustrator, Eric Carle. The museum is definitely geared towards children and families with interactive exhibits at the children’s level. The museum is home to three galleries: the Eric Carle gallery and two rotating galleries. My favorite was definitely the Eric Carle gallery. It was interesting getting to see unpublished pages from his books as well as a timeline of his life. During our visit, the middle gallery featured the art of Leo and Diane Dillon. I don’t know that I had ever read any of their books, but the art featured was beautiful. The east gallery featured a Paddington bear exhibit that the kids really seemed into. I’ve never read any Paddington books or seen any of the movies, so I couldn’t really relate to it.
Admission to the Eric Carle Museum is only $9 for adults; youth, teachers, and seniors are $6. It is a small museum but it is definitely worth a visit if you have children or are just a fan of picture books like me! Admission includes the galleries, the picture book library (that is organized by illustrator, not author, in case you were wondering), and the art studio where kids can create their own art. The museum is also home to an auditorium that features films inspired by children’s books as well as live music, theater performances, and lectures. Most are included with museum admission. Beginning on September 8, the Eric Carle exhibit is transforming in celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! I wish I could go back to check it out!
Thanks for stopping by! To plan your visit to The Eric Carle Museum, visit carlemuseum.org. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
The first stop on our recent East Coast Road Trip was at the Onieda Community Mansion Museum. This is an interesting place with a unique history. We had first heard about the Onieda Mansion on an episode of Planet Money. You know the Onieda silverware company, right? Did you know that they started out as a 19the century, perfectionist cult and free love commune? The mansion house (now a museum) was the home of the Onieda Community from 1848-1880. Led by John Humprey Noyes, the community “challenged social views on property ownership, gender roles, child-rearing practices, monogamous marriage, and work.” The community was way ahead of its time in the in the rights of women, in that the women of the community were able to participate in community work and they played an active role in shaping policy of the commune. (wiki and Onieda Community)
The mansion house itself is a beautiful building with unique details. There are many community spaces to explore including a beautiful library. There is also a large meeting space where the 300 members of the community would come together for religious purposes as well as community meetings. It is hard to imagine 300 people living together under one roof. Nowadays, the building houses a museum, gift shop, as well as apartments, and guest rooms. It was a very interesting place, but I will admit it had a kind of creepy vibe to it. The Onieda Community may have failed as a cult/commune/eugenics experiment, but they do make nice silverware.
While in Onieda, we also discovered the Wold’s Smallest Church. The Cross Island Church was built for a wedding so it can house a couple with a minister while the guests watch from boats on the water. I wish we had heard about this place earlier because we may have called ahead for a tour, instead we viewed it from the road. More information about this tiny church can be found at RoadSideAmerica.com.
Thanks for stopping by and reading what has to be one of the strangest posts on this blog! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
Pin This:
Another Epic Road Trip is a wraps! 8 states – 4 of which were new to me. This was my third time in New York, but the first time out of New York City and the first time getting into New York by car (the first time was by train and the second was by boat). This was a varied trip. Over 9 nights we stayed at 3 hotels, 1 AirBNB, and 2 campgrounds. It was a very busy trip and we saw a lot of interesting places! I am excited to share the stories with you here!
Here is our itinerary and a preview of what is to come in this trip report:
Night 1: Syracuse, NY
Onieda House Museum
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Minuteman National Historic Park
Night 2: Auburn, MA
Boston Museum of Fine Art
Boston Freedom Trail
Night 3: Cambridge, MA
House of Seven Gables & Salem
Portland, ME
Night 4: Seawall, ME
Acadia National Park – Park Loop Road
Cadillac Mountain
Jordan Pond House
Acadian Nature Cruise
Night 5: Seallwall, ME
Jordan Pond Hike
Bass Harbor Head Light
Night 6: Seawall, ME
Maine Lighthouses
Night 7: Keene, NH
Albany Museum of Art and History
Watkins Glen Hike
Night 8: Watkins Glen, NY
Corning Museum of Glass
Rockwell Museum
Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Night 9: Watkins Glen, NY
Erie Land Light
Home
We were able to see so many different museums on this trip because of the ROAM – reciprocal museum admission program. I’ve mentioned before that we are members of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Before this trip, we upgraded our membership to a level that includes this reciprocal admissions program. 6 of the 7 museums that we visited were included and we were able to get in for free. If you enjoy museums, look into a ROAM membership before your next trip. It may save you money and it will definitely allow you to check out museums that you may not have visited without it. Check out a list of participating museums here.
Be sure to check back next week for my take on the Onieda House Museum. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.