Modern Day Thoreau » new england

New England Vineyard Logos: Massachusetts & RI

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:41:38 +0000

I decided to put together a collection of identity designs from vineyards throughout New England. This will be a 6 part series that includes NY state as well, so be sure to say tuned and subscribe to my RSS feed so you know when they each are posted. Also feel free to add a link to one not included that you know of in the comments.

Massachusetts & RI

Links:

Photo of the Week: 3-8-10

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:55:30 +0000

Well I just finished a redesign of ModernDayThoreau that I feel makes the site more approachable and easy to use. Please let me know what you think in the comments.

Also here is the photo of the week(although not every week as you can tell) for the second week in March

In northern New York at the military barracks, this abandoned building stood out…If you view the original size you can see a disturbing message above the door.

Photo of the Week: 2-12-09

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:14:03 +0000

Taken on the Ponkapaug Trail hike, this little tree was all alone in the field. Click the image to see the full size.

Ponkapoag Pond Walking Trail

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:32:17 +0000

Last weekend I bravely decided to go for a winter hike in the cold January weather in the hills of the greater Boston area. Blue Hills Reservation is a great spot that offers numerous trails of all different lengths and skill levels (if you’ve read any of my other post you know I’m quite fond of the spot). On saturday, in the low 20° New England weather I thought I’d try a trail that was a little more flat since the ground was so frozen. So, me, my trusty side-kick Erin, and my camera embarked on a small winter quest. Ponkapoag Pond is located on the southern part of the reservation just south of RT 95 and is on a dead end street right off the highway, so you can’t miss it. The first part of the trail in a 1/4 mile path that is fitted for vehicles and is actually just an access road to YMCA center and subsequently the trail itself. The trail is 4 miles in total, but due to the cold, we only were prepared to do about half of that, which included our trek down the frozen boardwalk and eventually to the pond itself. As we walked along, we passed several groups of people who were cross-country skiing as well as several snowhoers. This would would be a great place to get som exercise and enjoy the outdoors as well. As we ventured down the boardwalk trail, it was easy to see several meters into the brush since there were no leaves, but we weren’t fortunate enough to spot and winter woodland creatures on our journey. We passed serveral clearings along the way that provided great shots of the marshy surroundings, and with the sun in the 2 o’clock spot (or 10 if your facing back) there lights provided great shadows.

At the end of the trail we came to what seemed like a huge clearing, only to realize it was actually the pond and it was frozen solid. There were several people ice-fishing and several more cross-country skiing as well. We figured it had to be safe enough to walk on, so we ventured out on the ice. It was very convienent that the ice was covered in snow, as it made it very easy to walk on.

There is something very peaceful about a frozen pond and the cruching of the snow under your boots. It’s a very relaxing experience, assuming your warm enough to enjoy it. While the glare off the vast snow-covered pond, made it hard to get a good exposure, the visual camera (the one in our head), always takes a perfect shot.

I highly recommend this as a nice way to get outdoors in the winter to remain sane, and given that it only took us 2.5 hours including traveling from Quincy and back its a nice way to spend the afternoon even when its 20° out. Check out more photos from the hike here.

Rockland, Maine for Couples

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:36:31 +0000

Rockland ocean front

As the winter months approach in New England, I find myself desiring less day hikes and more multi day trips. New Enland in the fall and winter is one of the most beautiful places I know, and as such, I feel compelled to travel to all over it to take in as much as I can. This last weekend was my 25th birthday (or as my mother so nicely points out that I’m halfway to fifty) and I decided to take a 2day/1night trip to the beautiful coastal town of Rockland Maine. Rockland is an old fishing town whose roots are planted as deep as the great forests that surround it, and whose citizenry is kind and welcoming to visitor and local alike.

Background:

Rockland Maine is a coastal fishing town about halfway up the Maine coastline, about 1.5 hours from Portland. For most of its history Rockland was a fishing town, but in the early 1990s the town saw a shift to a more service related economy and with the help of famous arists like Andrew Wyeth and Leo Connellan, Rockland became a popular tourist destination for the mid-Maine coast. One of the most popular artistic destinations is the famed Farnsworth Art Museum which was commissioned in the will of Lucy Farnsworth. The downtown area of Rockland has transformed from a fish processing center of the Maine coast into an assortment of unique shops, boutiques, fine dining and art galleries. Rockland is now the commercial center of the midcoast Maine region, with many historic inns, a coffee roaster, a food co-op, a community radio station WRFR.

For my birthday my girlfriend reserved us a room at the Old Granite Inn in downtown Rockland. The Old Granite Inn is a classic Maine B&B with a modern and unique twist. The building is an old Elks Lodge that was renovated into a B&B by owners Ed and Joan. The inn is right at the far end of main street and provides unobstructed views of the harbor, pier and ocean beyond. Upon entering we were greeted by the owners’ dog Zack, a friendly English Springer Spaniel whose laid back personality fits his owners. The rooms here all have a bit of a modern zest that provides the feel of a luxory condo in the city, but the friendly and open atmostphere of the midcoast Maine region.

After checking in to the B&B, Erin and I ventured out into the heart of Rockland to explore what the town had to offer. The main street in town, aptly named Main Street, is riddled with cute boutiques and quaint art gallories. Each one seems more unique than the previous, and each one offers new treasures to uncover. Main Street also has its fair share of restaurants for

Old Granite Inn

your dining delight, and all have an excellent array of fresh seafood choices. But more on this later.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the 7/8 mile long rock pier in the harbor of Rockland that leads to a lighthouse at the end. The pier (pictured below) is a little outside of town, but juts into the harbor very noticbly from anywhere in town. Its main purpose is as a breakwater for the boats in the harbor and also a lighthouse for incoming fisherman. The lighthouse is open in the summer months, but when we were there it had already closed for the seaon. Still there is something interesting about exploring abandoned buildings, even if seasonal. From the deck of the lighthouse you are privy to extravagant views of the Maine coastline that might stretch as far as Bar Harbor on a clear day. While the pier is very safe under most conditions, several locals told us that if the moon is right, and its been raining a lot they’ve been able to kayak across the pier covered in water. But there is no worry of a flash flood overtaking it, so tread confidently. The area around the pier is also a playground/sunbath for the local seal population, and even though it was mostly cloudy, we caught one lying on a rock a hundred meters or so away.

Back in town, it was getting close to dinner time, but we didn’t want to use our one meal on only one restaurant, so we decided to try a couple and break up the meal. For pre-dinner drinks and appetizers we went to In Good Company, an old bank that had been converted into a 8 table dining experience. The ceilings are high, the kitchen is inthe open (with only the head cook/owner making all the meals) and the wine cellar is the old vault. The food is a mixture between a french bistro and European cafe. The lighting is dim and romanitic, but still appropriate for a first date, and the menu is superb. The food constantly changes, so there isn’t a worry about having tried the whole menu and the wine selection. We ordered the proscuitto and provolone stuffed green peppers and the french baguette and cheese platter. The former of the two went great with the South American wine we had, providing a perfect blend of spices, salts, and fruits. The latter of the two was a

The Pier Lighthouse

fresh baguette from the bakery down the street and some freshly sliced cheddar and butter. And if it doesn’t sound decadent enough, then the icing on the proverbial cakes is that the entire menu is all locally grown foods (with the exception of the wine).

After our taste explosion of a pre-dinner meal, we decided to try out the local tavern up the street that touted local beef burgers and Maine-made beer from Sebago Brewery. When we got there the place was packed, which is always a good sign if the local eat there too, and we had to wait at the bar for a few minutes for a table to open up. We ordered a couple of Sebago beers and observed the local scene in all its glory. When we finally got seated, half a beer later, the service was friendly and welcoming. I ordered the aforementioned burger and Erin ordered the fish n’chips. Both were amazingly fresh and delicious, and Erin couldn’t stop raving that hers was “the best and most fresh fish n’chips she’d ever had”. We ended the night with a few beverages at Bull Fenney’s where we got a chance to meet some interesting characters. Now mind you it was the day before Halloween, but we ended up sitting next to a couple who had just gotten married and the entire wedding party had dressed as zombies. It was one of the coolest things we’d seen in a while.

To summarize, Rockland is a great little coastal town that has some quaint and special places. Its a great place to visit for romantic weekend away or just a fun getaway with friends.

Photo of the Week: 10-29-09

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:21:28 +0000

Well I am back after about a month long hiatus so without further delay here is the Photo of the Week for the last week in October. Enjoy.

Boston from East Boston

Check out more photos on my Photo Site and on my Flickr

Photo of the Week: 9-18-09

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:36:20 +0000

Sorry for the delay in this post, but here’s the photo of the week for the second week in September. You can see more of my photos on my flickr page.

Photo of the Week: 8-28-09

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:54:29 +0000

Hey all,

Here’s my photo of the week. This was taken on the south shore of boston during the Thayer Trail hike. Enjoy!

Dandelion Trees

Check out more of my photos.

Smugglers Notch Hikes: Sterling Pond Trail

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:00:07 +0000

Sterling Pond Trail to Long Trail via Smugglers Notch Pass.

If you fund yourself in the Stowe, VT area during the summer months, Smugglers Notch Resort has a great array of trails for hiking around it’s three different mountains, Morse mtn. Madonna mtn. and Steeling mtn. The trails range from moderate to hard and include x-country skiing and mtn bike trails as well. One thing to note is that the altitude range is from 1100′ and the base to 3640′ at the top of

A view from the Top of Mt Madonna

Madonna mtn so it’s important to pace yourself at a pace slower than you might be used to if your not accustomed to higher altitude hiking.

Sterling Pond trail is a great late morning to early afternoon hike that will take about 3 hours or so including so resting time at the top for a beautiful view and some lunch. The trail starts across from the parking area at right in the middle of the Notch and has about a 880 foot vertical ascent. This is about 3 miles south of Smugglers Notch Resort on Rt 108. The start of the trail consists of old wood/rock steps that in some spots are better avoided. Since the trail is pretty popular, it well cared for and easy to navigate as long as you use general precaution on slippery rocks and such.

The climb is pretty intense, especially in the hot/humid summer months so I made sure to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated and focused. There are several spots where I really needed to pay attention, or I could have easily found myself tumbling down the side of the mountain. Along the way there are several relatively flat spaces where I was able to take a break and look out over the greater Burlington valley. I could tell I was getting close to the top of the trail when the trail started to become more and more narrow as the pine trees close in. It almost felt like the beginning of a journey into Narnia and I half expected so see a Satyr standing by a clock as I exited the green.

I now stumbled upon what seems to be a large access road (at 3000′?!?!), but would later realize was a cross-country trail that was part of the famous “Long Trail”, (no its not just a great beer). So I wondered down the trail in the direction of what seems to be the pinnacle of the Mt. Madonna. About a

The Rock at Sterling Pond

1/4 mile down I cam to Sterling Pond. Its a beautifully peaceful lake perched at 2800′. There is a large boulder at the end of the lake that I sat on for some time and just looked out at the beauty of world. It really made me think about life and all that we miss in our busy lives.

Further around the lake there is another trail that leads to the top of one of Smuggs ski lifts. I was amazed are how strange these large human movers look when not running and when not surrounded by snow and winter wanderers. It almost seemed abandoned. There was a ski hut, which seemed to be for the medical team, that was empty with the door open. Naturally I decided I had to take a look around and see what was inside. When I entered I immediately felt like the door was going to slam behind me and the horror movie would begin…but it didn’t. It was a a very well planned space with sleeping quarters and a kitchen. I wanted to unpack my bag and move in…permanently…but figured I’d eventually get kicked out. The view out the large 10′x25′ window overlooking the entire valley was spectacular and I could hardly believe that such a prime piece of real estate could be abandoned.

I decided it was also completely necessary to climb up the ski lift and take a look around. When you ski you really only appreciate the structure for its delivery services, but in fact it really is amazing that these thousands of yards of cable and steel just emerge through the millions of acres of forest. I really was able to appreciate the amount of time, planning and resources that go into ski mountains.

It was now lunch time and what better place to sit and eat than atop a mountain overlooking miles and

Yet another breathtaking view

miles of beautiful untouched forest. As I sat and enjoyed the beautiful, although humid, weather I started to really understand Thoreau and his desire to separate from society. There something empowering and enjoyable about knowing you only have to answer to yourself and the forest around you. If you respect the forest, it will respect you.

The remainder of my hike was slightly less satisfying having made it to the top, and it always seems the descent if less exciting then the ascent, but I guess that is due to the anticipation of the unknown.

Check out more photos from this hike on my flickr photostream.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.

~Henry David Thoreau

Photo of the Week: 8-7-2009

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:30:28 +0000

Well, I missed and entire week. So here is the photo of the week for the first week in August. Its summer themed so enjoy. Also look forward to my next hiking post after the weekend! Cheers!

Location: Outside of Juice n’ Java on Block Island

Check out more on my newly rebuilt design site and ReTweet if you enjoy!