Day 1: Wed 6/23/10: PVD to SLC to Rock Springs, WY:

Flew all morning via Southwest, arrived in SLC around 10 AM. Called Acess RV to pick us up at the airport and we were introduced to our 23-foot motorhome, which was to be our home for the next 10 days. It was fully equipped with bathroom, heating, refrigerator, propane stove, generator, air conditioner, microwave oven, television and DVD player, and three sleeping areas (one master bed, one bed above the driving compartment, one living area that converted to a bed at night).

We had trouble finding the WalMart in SLC, so we stopped instead at Park City to stock up on food and supplies. The interstate in Utah and later Wyoming are wide and straight, and the speed limit is typically 75MPH, which is the fastest I’ve ever driven, never mind in a vehicle larger than I’ve ever driven. Strangely, after a few hours of driving my allergies started bothering me, and my eyes were strained and watery, even painful. At one point I had to stop the vehicle and allow W. to drive. We stopped again at a Wal-Mart and picked up some very nifty polarized driving sunglasses that fit over my prescription glasses, and the problem did not recur.

The kids enjoyed being able to eat in the vehicle. E managed to spill his cereal not once, but twice on the floor, and we had colorful particles of Fruity Pebbles in the cab for the rest of the trip.

Arrived at the KOA at Rock Springs, WY as a mid-point sleep stop, on the way to Thermopolis. Rock Springs is apparently not much more than a few restaurants (including an iHop), alon the highway, and the KOA is not much more than a dusty, hot parking lot with a pool. It was nothing like the campgrounds I was familiar with in the East, with no trees or natural setting of any kind. The evening was hot, and we went to bed with the RV windows open. As the night went on, the temperature dropped to the 50′s, and we were shivering in the vehicle. I had not yet discovered the thermostat and heater.

Day 2: Thurs: Rock Springs to Thermopolis

Eric spills his cereal and milk in the car, which we fear will leave a stinky residue (it doesn’t). On the way to Thermopolis we pass through the Wind River Canyon State Park, which is the first interesting natural setting, and we decided to stop for lunch. Unfortunately, we paid $6 to picnic in the state park, when we could have stopped at any rest stop for free. We then drove trough the beautiful canyon, arrived in Thermopolis and headed straight for the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. It is a very high quality museum with many significant artifacts from the local dig site (including a Supersaurus skeleton and an archaeoperix impression) and other specimens from other sites. There was also a tour of an actual outdoor dinosaur excavation site, which was highly impressive. We witnessed excavation of Camarasaurus bones and Allosaurus footprints and teeth. It was very hot.

We checked into Eagle RV Park and Campground in Thermopolis. Eagle was a nice step up from the Rock Springs KOA. There was no pool, but it did have cable TV. The campground owners informed us that the river float trip we had anticipated was cancelled due to high water. We got supplies at Blair’s market, and wine across the street at the combo liquor store/bar. Then we enjoyed a picnic dinner at the Hot Springs State Park, and E saw a deer standing on the very top of a hill. After dinner we drove through a bison sighting area, where we saw some bison right up along the road as the sun was starting to get low in the sky behind some clouds (8:30).

Sunset in Wyoming was after 9PM, and it was difficult to stick to our plan of going to bed early and rising early. We started fairly quickly going to bed around 9 or 9:30, and waking around 7AM. This second night we were smarter, and put on the heat and kept the windows closed overnight.

Day 3: Friday: 6/25/10: Thermopolis all day

The first thing we did after breakfast was get the key at the Thermopolis Hot Springs visitor center for the Legend Rock parking area. We drove about 20 miles to the site, which featured petroglyphs both ancient and more recent (“RH 1908″). I could have taken a closer look at some of the inscriptions, but it was really hot and the kids couldn’t take it much more. In addition to the petroglyphs, there was a nice colony of cliff swallows which built their nest in the cliff.

We returned the key to the Hot Springs State Park and had lunch there at a nice grassy picnic area. Then we went to the “teepee” water park, a small water park with some indoor and outdoor thermal baths, plus a waterslide. The kids especially loved the waterslide, especially E (it was his favorite thing of the trip). After water fun, what’s better than ice cream, which we partook at the Dairyland on Park Street. We were learning that we could take the RV most anywhere that there is onstreet parking; the wide streets of Wyoming were well accommodating our wide vehicle. Ice cream was followed by a visit to the Hot Springs Historical Museum, which was a superb little museum loaded with western artifacts including a stage coach, the bar from the Hole in the Wall Saloon, and recreated building interiors including a bank, dentist, doctor office, photography studio, and much much more.

We returned to the campground for dinner, then it was back to the Hot Springs Park for another look for bison. We didn’t have as much luck, but the sun gave us a better display than last night, and I shot a few scenics. Then we decided to check out the footbridge over the Big Horn river, but were nearly devoured by mosquitoes. We returned to the campground around 9:15, put the kids to bed, had some wine, and went to bed.

Day 4: Saturday: 6/26/10: Thermopolis to Cody

Filled up with gas in the morning, and I was passed by a band of motorcyclists on the way to Cody. We arrived at Cody at 11AM and bought tickets for a 1pm trolley (bus) tour of Cody. Then we headed to the Sierra Trading Post outlet store to get shoes for S and a sweater for W, was well as a national park pass. A coupon for a free t-shirt netted me one plain boring white t-shirt.

From 1-2 we took the Cody tour bus, which pointed out the historical sites as well as the new fitness center and some other Chamber of Commerce-type locations. It was rather difficult to imagine the area the way it was 120 years ago, since there were so few landmarks that survived. S loved the tour, I was not impressed. After the bus tour we spent about 2-4 pm at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, which was a set of several very high-quality museums together in one spot. The kids most enjoyed the Draper Museum of Natural history, where they enjoyed a “treasure hunt” in which they got a small brochure stamped at several embossing stations. My favorite was the Whitney Gallery of Western Art.

After the Cody Historical Center we stopped briefly at the back of a souvenir store to see a huge diorama/train set tableau of the history of Cody and the West. Of course the kids wanted to spend their $10 souvenir allowance. We had dinner at the Sunset House Restaurant, where I had bison steak; the flavor was remarkably good, but it was much fattier and greasier than I expected.

At Cody we stayed at a KOA campground, which was very clean and well-run, with a pool and trampoline and an advertised free pancake breakfast. Well, the pancakes were free, but everything else cost money. We considered going to the 8pm Cody rodeo, a famous nightly show, but we decided it would be better to skip it and turn in early so that we could get a good start on Yellowstone. Looking back, I regret that decision; probably the rodeo would have been a lot of fun. Instead of going to the rodeo, I bought a bag of “burn in the bag” charcoal, and we cooked smores by the RV.

Day 5: Sunday 6/27/10: Cody to Canyon Village

On the way out of Cody we stopped at the Yellowstone Gift Shop, a reputed location of an elongated penny machine. I also picked up a christmas ornament and magnet. We stopped for gas and a newspaper (E desperately wanted to see a weather report daily) and then at the Cody Dam Visitor Center, where another elongated penny machine awaited us. We also picked up a small animal identification guide, which became our constant companion throughout the trip.

As we entered Yellowstone, the canyon became more steep and spectacular, and we even saw snow on the side of the road. At the entry gate, we picked up a newspaper, and W discovered a 3pm ranger hike at Canyon. We decided to make that our day’s goal; but we still had a way to go, yet. At least the GPS gave us a running estimate of how long it would take to get there.

At the Dam, E had asked for a parks passport, and we debated the merits of the request on the way to Fishing Bridge, Yellowstone. We decided that collecting a set of something would be a good way to encourage E’s interest in the trip, so we picked one up.

On the way to Canyon we did stop to see pelicans at LeHardys Rapids, and for our first geothermal attractions: Dragon’s Breath and the mud volcano. Plus we saw some elk and bison.

We arrived at Canyon just in time to put on shoes and sunscreen, and join the ranger for his walk. It was a good presentation; the ranger gave an overview not just of the canyon but also of the whole park, its mission and history. We saw the lower falls from several vantage points on the south rim, plus bear claw marks, the different kinds of pines in the park, and more.

After the walk we made a beeline for the grocery store at Canyon, only to find the power out. The power outage made grocery shopping slow, and also made campground check-in extremely slow. We had a quick dinner and went back south to Hayden Valley to see wildlife: a few bison, elk, and one grizzly bear in the far distance. Then we returned to Canyon Village for ice cream.

At the campsite, I balanced two sets of three rocks. It was impressive enough that an elderly tourist had his picture taken with them the next morning.

Day 6: Canyon to Gardiner, 6/28/10

One of the problems with the RV style of travel is that I cannot get up early and drive to a location for photography. I have to wait in the RV until everyone wakes up; at that point, we can drive to the location and the others can eat breakfast while I do my photo thing. Such was the case this morning, as I waited until 7:30 to drive to Artist Point (sunrise was around 5:40). I shot what I could shoot at 7:45, had breakfast then returned to Artist Point again at 9:45 to catch the famous “10:00 rainbow”.

At Artist Point, E was clearly jumping to do some rock climbing and get some outdoor exercise. So we decided to split up, with W and S going to Canyon Village to do some shopping with E and I took the Uncle Tom’s Trail down to the lower falls. The trail wasn’t exactly rocky as much as it was a series of steps, many many metal steps down to the falls. When we got back to the top, we had to wait for W and S to return, as it was a short hike.

Next we drove again, toward Tower-Roosevelt. Prioritizing, we skipped the Lamar Valley entirely and decided to do a short hike at the Yellowstone Picnic Area, which was written up in one of our guidebooks as one of the top Yellowstone short hikes. The sun was scorching hot, but we enjoyed a view of the river valley which was breathtaking. And we saw some interesting birds. After the hike itw was time to drive to Mammoth hot Springs to get ice cream. There were quite a few elk grazing right there in the town square. E got his Passport pass, and there was a penny machine in the Mammoth gift shop.

From there it was off to Gardiner for grocery shopping. By then I was feeling woozy and tired, probably significantly dehydrated. We went to the Yellowstone Campground, a private campground in Gardiner, and I tried to nap while W and S watched a download of Dr. Who, which was quickly becoming S’s favorite conversational topic of the trip. In retrospect, what I should have done at that point was take E and the RV to the north entrance of the park, which I had wanted to photograph in evening light; however, I was so light-headed and tired that the thought did not occur to me. By the next morning, the gate was in shadow, and the shot was not ideal.

The campground was situated right on the river, but our site did not have direct river access. The sun was hot, with no shade anywhere; the campground was like a big desert parking lot. I tried some rock stacking, but the rocks were almost too hot to handle.

Day 7: 6/29/10; Gardiner to Grant Village

We got gas in Gardiner and headed to Mammoth Hot Springs. On the way, we had to stop at the sign that announced the 45th parallel. I thought it would appeal to E’s love of geography.

We saw the Lower Terraces, and even did the Upper Terraces Drive. The signs said that the Upper Terraces Drive was closed to RV’s, but our guide book said that vehicles under 25 feet were allowed; ours was 23 feet. It proved to be a fine decision, as we were well able to negotiate the drive. There were some particularly beautiful geysers along this drive.

After the Terraces, we saw a mother and bear cub along the road.

Then it was on to Norris Geyser Basin. I wanted to have lunch at an overlook, but we wound up having lunch in the parking lot of Norris. After lunch we sunscreened up and headed for the Norris Geyser Basin. Steamboat geyser amazed us with its hissing and gurgling, we were sure it was due to erupt any minute; it’s also the world’s tallest geyser. Then we learned that it has not erupted since 2005, and we gave up on it. My favorites here were porkchop geyser, churning pump geyser, and beautiful emerald spring.

From the Norris geyser Basin we drove to West Yellowstone, Montana. First I stopped at a photo store and bought a polarizing filter, which I had forgotten to pack. I knew that a polarizer would bring out the colors of the hot springs and darken the sky. I had also heard that geyser water contains silica, which can damage camera lenses. Next up was dinner at the Timberline Cafe, where I had trout. Then more souvenirs, a penny machine, ice cream, and a drive back to Yellowstone. We saw the Lower Geyser Basin and the Upper Geyser Basin as we drove on across the Continental Divide (twice) to Grant Village Campground. Grand Campground is a lovely wooded campground on Yellowstone Lake, but there are no views from most of the sites. There is no hot water at the campground. As we went to bed, we heard the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof of the RV.

Day 8: 6/30/10: Grant to Old Faithful to Colter Bay Campground

In the morning we rushed out to Old Faithful as early as possible. We caught the 10:30 eruption, which was mostly steam, then separated for a tour of the closest loop of the upper geyser basin. I shot a lot, my favorites being Blue Star Spring and Pump Geyser.

Back to Old Faithful for the noon eruption, which was better but some guy stood up in front of my camera, ruining my video. I’d have to reshoot OF from the front row. Had lunch in the RV, then it was back to OF for the 1:30 eruption, before which a child repeatedly asked “when will it erupt? when will it erupt?”, which became kind of a catchphrase for the rest of the trip. The eruption went off very beautifully, it was the best eruption of the day and I managed to sit right up front. We then took a longer geyser walk; I wanted to walk to the famously beautiful Morning Glory Pool but the kids were reluctant. It was hot but breezy and we persuated the kids to make the hike by promising ice cream at the end. I got squirted by the Sawmill Geyser. The water was hot but not painful, and spray did get on my new polarizing filter. Other favorites included Grotto, which according to E. looked like Abraham Lincoln, Beauty Pool, and of course Castle Geyser, whose eruption we had missed while eating lunch.

We returned to the Old Faithful Inn for the promised ice cream, and by that time it was nearly 4:30; time for Old Faithful to erupt one more time (the weather was turning cloudy). So we would up watching four eruptions total.

By this time we knew we had to head to Colter Bay, which was out the southern entrance of Yellowstone, in Grand Teton. At Colter Bay, we discovered that the float trip was booked solid, but there was room on a boat cruise (which was shorter) so we booked that. The guide also suggested we hike to hidden falls and inspiration Point at Jenny Lake. E got his passport stamped, and we had dinner at the cafeteria at Colter Bay. The campground was very woodsy and cozy, and even had electric hookups and hot water in the showers.

Day 9: 7/1/10: Colter Bay and Environs all day

Tried to get out a little early, and drove to the Oxbow bend overlook. Actually, we intended to turn for Jenny Lake, but it’s a good thing we missed it; we would not have stopped at Oxbow bend otherwise. From there, we backtracked a little bit to the Jenny Lake road, and at Jenny Lake had breakfast and took the ferry across the lake to the Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point trail. It’s a short but very rewarding trail; the waterfall is gorgeous and the view from inspiration Point is gorgeous. The whole hike reminded me of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, with thousands of pine trees and rocky overlook points. We had a small snack and hiked back down to the ferry.

We drove back to Colter Bay to make our 3:30 boat cruise time. On the way, we saw traffic stopped along the road, just south of the Jackson lake dam; there was a bear with two cubs eating a kill, and walking down to a stream for a drink. The spectators were blocking the road until a ranger came and ordered us to move along.

We arrived at Colter Bay just in time to get our stuff together and get on the boat. The tour was relaxing and informative, but probably not a highlight of the trip. In the evening, W went to get some computer time at the laundry room while the kids and I checked out the gift shop; then we headed to the lake to see if we could get a photo of the sunset on the Tetons. Unfortunately, we locked W out of the RV until we got back.

Day 10: 7/2/10: Colter Bay to SLC;

This day was mostly spent driving. In the morning we stopped at most of the viewpoints in the Tetons, including a return to Oxbow Bend. I had a sense that this was where Ansel Adams took his famous photo, but I’m still not certain. In any case, there are lots of very short trails to the river that were fun to explore. At one point I slipped and fell, and I think my sunglasses fell off my head, never to be seen again.

We took one last stop at the visitor center to get some final souvenirs, then it was off to Jackson for gas. We didn’t stay long in Jackson, and headed back to SLC via a route determined by my GPS unit. I’m not completely sure what route we took, but we followed the Snake River along the ridge of a canyon, with spectacular views and a twisty, windy road. Then, we were in Idaho, which was mostly flat but with mountains in the distance. Always mountains in the distance. We tried to spot which fields were growing potatoes, but it wasn’t always so obvious.

In Idaho, the interstate speed limits were 75, and the roads were dead straight, for the most part. Handling an RV at 75 mph was not difficult, really, but it did require great attention to the road, as there was no room for error. We stopped for dinner at a IHOP outside SLC, and arrived at Homewood Suites Salt Lake City around 7pm. I parked the RV across the street, in an area reserved for 45-degree parking. I parked parallel to the curb, so that the vehicle would not stick out into traffic. I was worried about getting a ticket, but I made it OK.

Day 11: 7/3/10: Salt Lake City

The first job of the day was to find a gas station where I could fill up the RV with gasoline and propane, then return the RV. W gave me permission to explore the city a bit while she and the kids rested up at the hotel. From the RV place, I took a light rail line to downtown. I got off by the courthouse, and admired the old buildings on Main Street downtown. I was impressed by the architecture and ambience of Salt lake City’s small but well-preserved Main Street, with its little bookstores and restaurants. At the north end of Main Street (actually, the center of town) is the Mormon temple complex, and north of that is the state capitol. The walk from the state capitol to our hotel was about 45 minutes; from the temple to hotel about 30 minutes. A hop on the light rail could shave 10 minutes off that time. Next to our hotel was a wonderful, lively farmer’s market.

After my morning walk, I joined W and the kids at the hotel for lunch and a dip in the pool. Dinner was at Denny’s, a short walk away.

After dinner I headed back downtown for some stock shooting at sunset. I had two specific goals: the State Capitol building and the mormon temple. As I arrived at the Capitol Building, the sun was behind a cloud. I waited and waited for the sun to appear from behind the clouds, and was eventually rewarded with a dazzling illumination of the capitol dome. There were a few other shooters there, including a local guy who I chatted with. I finished up the Blue Hour at the Mormon Temple, which was beautifully lit, but had an earth mover machine parked in front of it. It was tricky to shoot around the construction equipment. I was back at the hotel by 10:15.

Day 12: 7/4/10: Salt Lake City to Home

I woke at 5AM to shoot sunrise. My hope was to capture the first rays of the sun hitting the mormon temple. However, it turned out to be a poor result. Sunrise time was 6:02 AM, but the hills to the east meant a delayed sunrise. Also, the sky was mostly overcast to the east, so there was to be no direct sunlight this morning.

I had promised W that I’d be back at the hotel by 7:00, so I didn’t have much time to wait for better light. I made it back to the hotel at 7:05, then we were off to the airport and our long flight back home.

Sun, it rises from Kenneth Zirkel on Vimeo.

This is a tour that anyone in the NYC/Nassau County area can take with just one overnight stay in Cape May, NJ. I visited seven lighthouses, climbed to the top of five of them, and could probably have squeezed in one more, if I had planned better. Most of the lighthouses in New Jersey are open at least some of the time, and in general these lights are very visitor friendly and easy to find. Click the photo to see the whole post.

Start: Depart Long Island around 8AM under overcast skies; I suppose if I had gotten up early, I could have photographed the sunrise at Fire Island Light. But I did not.

Absecon Light, Atlantic City around 11:15 AM

Absecon Light is an oasis in a blighted urban neighborhood. The lighthouse is surrounded by a tall security fence; outside the fence is a blighted urban neighborhood of empty lots, rundown Victorians, and more recent housing projects. In the distance you can see the glittering new highrises and casinos which seem so out-of-place in this former Victorian seaside resort. This new development is some distance away, toward the center of town, but obviously creeping closer; the Revel Entertainment building is under construction just a few blocks away. This glass-covered skyscraper is significantly taller than the lighthouse, and threatens to make it a small blip in the skyline.

Inside the fence perimeter, the keeper’s house is in an obvious state of disrepair. Inside is a gift shop and museum, and for US$7 one can climb the 228 steps to the top of the light. At each landing there’s a window with a view facing a different direction, and a small exhibit shows you photos of that view from different times in history. It’s a bit depressing to realize that the blighted city of today was, about a century ago, a magnificently beautiful Victorian escape. The grand Victorians of yesterday have been replaced by concrete bunkers and empty lots.

At the top of the tower you are greeted by a volunteer keeper and given a small card which certifies your climb to the top. It’s a cute little souvenir, and a thoughtful touch. Up at the top it’s quite blustery, but there’s a magnificent view of Atlantic City. You can also get a fairly good view of the interior of the magnificent Fresnel lens, behind which are two 300-watt incandescent bulbs.

After climbing the light, I decide to take a short walk to the famous Atlantic City boardwalk to see if I could get a good view of the light from there. On the way I pass a scene which looks straight out of the television program “The Wire”, as two black youths in sweatshirts are approached by a motorist in a Lexus. I’m wondering if a drug deal is going down, while simultaneously hoping that they don’t notice me carrying several thousand dollars worth of photo equipment. I pass unnoticed, but somewhat shaken, quickly take some snaps from the boardwalk, and head back to the gated fortress Absecon to get some more photos before heading south. The weather remains overcast and intermittently drizzly.

Hereford Inlet Light: 2PM

This is a small neighborhood lighthouse, not nearly as tall or imposing as the major lights on the coast. It’s owned by a small town, and kept up with evident pride by the locals. The light itself is a garden is a gorgeous “stick style” Victorian mansion, and the gardens are likewise stunning, and kept up with obvious love and care. The keeper’s dwelling has been converted to a museum, which you can tour; unfortunately you cannot visit the lantern room. The weather remained overcast and more drizzly than before.

At this point, I had to decide if I could make East Point Lighthouse. I probably could have made it, but at the expense of time at Cape May. Since it was my first time going to Cape May, I didn’t want to make that trade-off. I wanted some time to scout the area, as it is a major tourist attraction and I wanted to have time to climb the tower, scout the area, and get good photos.

Cape May Lighthouse: 4PM

I arrive at Cape May Light with plenty of time to climb the light (the hours were not posted online, but I believe they are 10-6). The design is nearly identical to Absecon (as is Barnegat, as well), and again I am greeted by a guide at the top of the tower. Cape May is a dramatic departure from Atlantic City, another seaside resort, but one which managed to maintain its Victorian charm. The main attraction at the Point, though, is neither the lighthouse nor other works of man, but rather the migrating birds. Tripods here are for spotting scopes, not cameras.

The sun peeks out from behind the clouds once or twice, but not for long enough for me to actually take advantage of it. Cape May Light is very much open from the East, so I can easily shoot with the sun behind the lighthouse in the West. However, walking around to the South, it’s very hard to get a straight shot of the light. Further around, to the East, you can get the top of the light, but it’s hard, if not impossible, to get an all-around “lighthouse on the sand dunes” kind of shot. It’s kind of frustrating, until a few minutes after sunset, the sun illuminates the clouds from beneath, creating colorful bands of pink.

I spend the night at the modest West Cape Motel, which was the only place I found with vacancy, after calling quite a few places. Turns out, it’s in the perfect location, just five minutes from the lighthouse. Rooms are quite reasonable and clean, and I spent a few dollars more to get a mini-suite with two rooms and a full stove and refrigerator.

Sunday Morning

Sunday I shot Cape May Light again for 7AM sunrise. My plan was, if the shooting was poor, I’d leave at 7:30 to head over to the East Point Light. However, I was enjoying myself, and shooting some macros of pondside flowers. I figured I’d split the time I would have spent going to East Point between Cape May and Barnegat.

Barnegat Light: 10:45 AM

Barnegat features a small lighthouse museum, and here, like elsewhere, you can climb to the top. The area is relatively open, and there are multiple opportunities for good views.

Barnegat is lovely lighthouse which is a focal point for people gathering. There is a fishing pier along the shore here, and many locals enjoying themselves here. I saw one father impress his young son by catching a big fish, an old guy dispensing advice to anyone who would listen, and a small brown mink dodging between the rocks. Also, this was the day of a footrace which terminated at the lighthouse. Good thing I did not try to come later, as the roads in town were jammed with car traffic and runners by noon.

Sea Girt Light: 2PM

Visiting Sea Girt Light takes some planning; it’s only open on Sundays between 2 and 4 PM. But it’s worth it. I arrived just before 2, got some external shots, and then toured the museum. There are numerous volunteer docents, and you can climb upstairs and up a rung ladder through a hole in a ceiling to the lantern room. It’s small and absolutely lovely.

Navesink Twin Lights: 4PM

Time is running out, as Navesink is only open till 5. I have an hour to climb the north tower to the lantern room, and explore the large museum inside. The building closes at 5, but the grounds are open a short while longer. However, it’s a hard lighthouse to photograph, as there are two lights connected by a long, low east-facing building. It might be worthwhile to return here for sunrise.

Sandy Hook: 5:25 PM

Unfortunately for me, Sandy Hook lighthouse closes at 5PM, but the grounds are open until late. I shot mostly from the West; as the light is partially surrounded by trees I didn’t even try other angles, as the sun was sinking low.

Then it was back to Nassau County.

Note: Depending on how early you leave NYC or how fast you go, you might also be able to squeeze in a ferry trip from Cape May to Lewes, Delaware (at least two more lights, plus a sea view of Cape May) for a cost of about two hours time; or a trip to the very quaint East Point Light on the Delaware River (adds about an hour of driving time, plus shooting time). I decided to spend more time at Cape May instead, mostly because I wanted to have time to scout out the area, and also to walk up the tower. Also, as I shot in October, the days are not as long as at other times of year.

Sunday night, after we unloaded and had dinner, we biked to Arnold’s for ice cream.

Monday

I was excited to paddle, so the first morning I woke up around sunrise and took the kayak to Stage Harbor, in Chatham (with a quick stop at Chatham Lighthouse to get a quick photo).

After the paddle it was back to the lake house and a quick lunch, after which we went to the Sand ‘n’ Surf in Wareham to pick up a friend of Daughter’s, who was going to stay with us a couple of nights. That evening we cooked up some veggie hot dogs and veggie burgers on the charcoal grill.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning we mostly stayed around the lakehouse. We booked a seal watching trip in the afternoon on the Rip Ryder. The boat was a little smaller than we expected (you have to walk out in the water to get onto it, which was also unexpected), but I soon saw the advantage of that: this boat is small but fast. We boated out to a small feature off Monomoy Island known as the Powder Hole. The captain was somewhat apologetic that another boat had scared off a lot of the seals, but we got to see quite a few male and female Grey seals. Also, we were within view of the Monomoy Point Lighthouse, which was nice. After the powder hole area, we explored the shallow sandbars off the southeast tip of Chatham, where we saw a colony of female seals, as well as some fascinating natural sandbars. The next day, I read in the newspaper that kayakers had seen a shark kill a seal just that past Sunday in this area.

That evening after a dinner of Taco Salad, we bicycled to Arnold’s Lobster and Clam Bar. Arnold’s is famous for their seafood, which generates a huge line. But we were not there for the seafood, we were there for Arnold’s equally good ice cream.

On the way back to the lake house, it was after dark. Despite my precautions — everyone had lights and helmets — we had a serious accident when my wife quickly braked and went over, hurting her ankle badly. It was very difficult to get her back into the lake house for the night.

Wednesday

We spent most of Wednesday in and out of hospitals. It turned out that the wife suffered a serious fracture in her right ankle area. While the wife was waiting to get a soft cast, I took Daughter’s friend back to Wareham. When I returned, she was just finishing up. We stopped at Barnes & Noble in Hyannis, where I saw my iStockphoto image of Cape Cod’s Nobska lighthouse on the cover of an American Map road atlas.

Thursday

Thursday, we decided to try to enjoy our Cape Cod stay, even though the wife would be stuck in the lake house with limited mobility. My main goal was to try taking Daughter on the Province Lands bicycle trail. Son and I had done the trail two years previously, and I wanted to see if Daughter could do it on her new Trek. I was also interested in stoppling at lighthouses, so I decided to take the kids northward. First we stopped at Cape Cod Light (Highland Light), then it was on to Province Lands. It was extremely hot, but Daughter was game, so we gave it a try. She made it about a mile and a half, and we decided to turn back. That left us with one extremely large hill to conquer, and Daughter handled it fine. She did three miles total that day, which made me proud. On the way back, we stopped at Nauset Light for another photo. I wanted to stop at Nauset Light Beach, just to show the kids and maybe have a walk around, but it was too crowded to park, even at 4:30 pm.

Friday

Friday we sadly packed it up and left the Cape. Since we had brought two cars, this meant that I had to take a bus back to Eastham that night. By 11:30 PM, all four of us and two cars were back home again.

See my gallery of images from our Cape Cod trip.

From the put-in, I paddled south under the bridge, past into Stage Harbor. As you pass the marina and come around the bend, the Stage Harbor lighthouse is pretty soon visible. This lighthouse was my destination.

As I rounded the bend, I was against the wind but the sea was pretty calm. Lots of boats in the water. I passed the Stage Harbor Yacht Club and I paddled out across the harbor toward a narrow spit of sand, aiming directly for the Lighthouse. When I reached land, I pulled out; I was still inside the harbor, situated northeast of the lighthouse, which was still some distance away. I took some photos, then put in again and headed southeast to the harbor mouth, hugging the shore closely. The water was pretty calm, as I rounded the bend and hauled out again in the channel where Stage Harbor meets Nantucket Sound.

Stage Harbor Light is no longer a working lighthouse, and is in fact currently missing its lantern; it has been converted to a private residence. It’s a really pleasant spot to visit; there’s lots of boat traffic coming in and out of Stage Harbor (the harbor entrance is a narrow channel about 100 feet across). There are a few people walking around, and I had a chat with a woman and her 10-year-old daughter. She explained to me that this is her favorite spot on earth. I asked her how she got there, and she explained that there is a short hike from a parking lot for Hardings Beach.

Without bothering the residents, I took some photos of the lighthouse, including some self-portraits with the light. I had brought my 5D and tripod in a dry bag. I did not round the bend and go into Nantucket Sound; rather, I turned around and paddled back northeast through Stage Harbor and back under the bridge and up the Mitchell River a little bit; paddling this direction was quite easy because I was with the wind. I turned around and headed southwest again, into the wind, to head back to the bridge and my car.

Later during my trip I took a seal watching tour which took me in a powerboat around the Monomoy and Nantucket Sound area. There are lots of really interesting sandbars and wildlife to the southeast of Chatham. We saw a family with a canoe exploring there, and it looked safe to me. However, our captain said the winds can be really strong, and it’s easy to get tired. A few days later I read in the newspaper that two kayakers had reported seeing a shark attack a seal in the vicinity.