All posts by Tom Dills

Postcard From The George Eastman Museum and House

Central staircase at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York

Kathy & I drove to Rochester today to visit the Eastman House and – more importantly – meet up with some of our photo friends (more on that later).  This photo is not necessarily representative of the experience but is one of my favorites for the day.

We’ve got one more day in the Finger Lakes before we head south on Saturday.  We should be sleeping in our own bed on Sunday and are looking forward to it!

Postcard From The Glenn H Curtiss Museum In Hammondsport, New York

Curtiss JN-4D “Jenny” at The Glenn H Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York

Other than the Wright Brothers, perhaps no other individual is as important to the history of aviation than Glenn Curtiss.  Just a few years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903, Curtiss, almost single handedly, improved and advanced the newfangled airplane to see ever expanding commercial, military and personal application.

Curtiss’ various ventures centered in the area around Hammondsport, New York.  The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is a tribute to this aviation pioneer and is a fascinating place to learn about this area of aviation history.

Postcard From Seneca Lake, New York

Morning on Seneca Lake at Plum Point Lodge near Himrod, New York

I’m finding it quite easy to make these early morning excursions when I am in an interesting place to photograph.  I went out this morning in front of the lodge where we are staying.  It is still cloudy, although forecast to start clearing today.  The soft cool morning light made long exposures easy.  In this case 7.5 seconds on a tripod gave the water a nice blur while preserving some of the detail.

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post that we are now officially at 49 states!  The last one, of course, is Hawaii. We have plans to go there in February.

Postcard From Burlington, Vermont

When In Vermont…Ben and Jerry’s

What better symbol of Vermont than a Ben & Jerry’s?  While this is not the original – it was torn down long ago – this one is the flagship store in downtown Burlington.  The factory is located a few miles east in Waterbury, but the store and visitor center are undergoing renovation and currently closed.  We made do with this one.  What flavor did we choose? New York Super Fudge Chunk – Chocolate Ice Cream with White & Dark Fudge Chunks, Pecans, Walnuts & Fudge-Covered Almonds!

Site of the original Ben & Jerry’s store in downtown Burlington, Vermont
When In Vermont…Ben and Jerry’s

Postcard From King Arthur Baking Company, Vermont

The King Arthur Baking Company store in Norwich, Vermont

Who knew there were so many kinds of flour?  I guess I did, but seeing so many varieties in one place was fascinating.  Kathy & I like bread, but like so many things, we like to eat it but are happy for others’ passion in baking it!  But it was the first stop after we crossed into Vermont, so we stopped in, wandered around, took a few pictures and left.  It was pretty busy, we didn’t have anything we wanted to take home, and knew that we would soon have other “souvenir” opportunities – in the afternoon we stopped and purchased at (a) a distillery, (b) a maple syrup and cheese farm, and (c) a maple syrup museum (who knew?).

The King Arthur Baking Company store in Norwich, Vermont

Postcard From White Mountains National Forest, New Hampshire

Beaver Pond on SR 112 near North Woodstock, New Hampshire. In White Mountains National Forest

We’re now in Vermont, but I wanted to post another photo of some of the small amounts of fall color we’ve been seeing.  This is from a spot along SR 112 – before the official start of the Kancamagus Highway.  We actually had (slightly) better conditions on the west side of the “Kanc” while the Highway itself was largely socked in with fog.

Postcard From Mount Washington, New Hampshire

At the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire – 6,288 feet. 30 degrees, 40 mph wind and blowing freezing rain!

Blue skies and sunshine just wouldn’t have been the right way to experience Mount Washington, said to have the “worst weather in the country” according to some.  We saw no sunshine today, and in fact were amazed at the strength of the blowing snow, ice and wind at the summit.  We rode the cog railway – no way were they letting cars to the top in those conditions!

Lots of fall color around, although we were faced with a lot of fog, rain and tourists.  Photos to follow, however!

Freezing conditions at the top of Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Evidence Of A Meticulous Mechanic

Evidence of a meticulous mechanic! Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania

I spotted these tool boards while we were visiting Steamtown National Historical Park in Scranton, PA.  I was on a catwalk over the work area and didn’t have a way to access the main floor for a better view.  I’d like to meet this guy! 🙂

Evidence of a meticulous mechanic! Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania

As I often do when we travel, I’ve been adding selected photos to a page on my Adobe Portfolio website.  Check back periodically as I add more as often as I can.  Just know that I’m a few weeks behind!