Category Archives: travel

January 9, 2024

Christmas In Salem 2023 Part 4 – The William Roberts House (Salem, MA) (Updated)

Date Of Event: December 2, 2023 (event is held annually the first weekend of Dec)

Location: 41 Washington Square North, Salem, MA

Cost: Tickets for Christmas in Salem are available online at www.historicsalem.org at a cost of $40 for non-Historic Salem, Inc. members and $35 for HSI members. Tickets purchased the day of the tour are $45. Tour tickets including the Friday night candle-lit preview are $120 for non-HSI members and $100 for members of Historic Salem, Inc. Christmas in Salem proceeds support the preservation mission of Historic Salem, Inc.

Hours: Sat & Sun 10-4

Parking: there are several parking lots and metered street parking throughout the city.

Website: Christmas In Salem

Summary: The Christmas In Salem event consists of a tour of historic homes and buildings in Salem, MA. Each year, home owners and building management open their doors to visitors to get a glimpse into what these historic homes look like and what stories they may have.

*I mistakenly posted photos from the fifth house on the tour originally. While the historical information was correct, the photos and commentary of the home are different. I have posted the correct photos in this post with my observations*

The fourth house on the Christmas In Salem tour is the William Roberts House on Washington Square North. This 4 family brick house was built by William Roberts, a mason, between 1825 and 1840. William Robert’s father, also named William Roberts, was lost at sea and his mother remarried John Osborn. Osborn is said to have taught the younger Roberts the stone masonry, plastering and brick-laying.

Roberts bought the land this house sits on in October, 1825, for the princely sum of $7,000. Well, princely for that time. Roberts then began building the house for his family (his wife and 7 children) on the westernmost part of the lot.

Because of financial hardship, Roberts had to assign his property to trustees. The house was eventually sold to Willard Brown who bought it in 1870.

This was one of the more interesting homes I photographed. From the entrance to the exit, which I will talk about more later, there were unusual decorations. For instance, this nutcracker. Look at its eyes! The eyes blink and the light of his pole changes colors.

One thing I’ve noticed as I post these houses is how much I truly do love Christmas and how Christmas and Salem seem like a perfect fit! I feel the magic of Christmas with each photo and I really have realized I should appreciate the season more. I’m already eager for Christmas in Salem 2024!

The interior of the house was tastefully decorated.

Dave Eng, who has been working in Salem for almost 50 years, decorated the home. And, after window shopping at his shop, quite literally, the decorations in the home are so Dave Eng. They are very tasteful and pretty.

I bumped into Dave while I was photographing Salem a week later. He was nice enough to pose in front of the window of his shop that he had decorated for the holidays.

After seeing the tastefully decorated living area, things took a turn. Some of the other decorations in the home were unique and certainly unexpected.

This tomb or coffin for instance. I’m not sure if there was anything in it and I don’t think I want to know!

OK, it’s just a tomb. But, then, as I looked at the wall, I noticed this. Yes, it’s nose lights up. I’m not sure what animal it was or as supposed to be. But, I hope it wasn’t Rudolph!

Not to be outdone, there was a visitor in the dining area. Meet Dolly (at least that’s what I think they called her)

There was also this mannequin all dressed up for the holidays!

This mannequin was just sitting on top of the fridge. Just hanging around.

The bedroom and kitchen were decorated more traditionally, relatively speaking.

And a keyboard player helped keep the Christmas spirit alive with some holiday tunes!

12 Comments | tags: Christmas, Christmas In Salem, Massachuetts, New England, Photography, Salem | posted in Christmas, Christmas In Salem, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Salem, travel, traveling

January 2, 2024

2023 Rewind Part 3 – Holidays, Events And People

By New England Nomad

Date Of Post: January 2, 2023

Location: All over New England

Summary: I have photographed a lot of events and people last year. Below are some of my favorites!

Welcome to part 3 and the final installment of my 2023 rewind. In this post I will be showing my photos of events and people from a variety of places around New England.

2023 was a busy year for events and celebrations! One of my favorite annual events I like to photograph is the Salem’s So Sweet festival in Salem, MA in February. Two dozen ice sculptures were displayed throughout Salem. The sculptures are lit up each night which makes them even more fun to photograph! Below are just a few of my favorite sculptures.

Some of the sculptures had lights that changed colors.

Only one of these images is an actual sculpture. Grizzly was nice enough to pose for this photo.

Another event I was fortunate enough to photograph was the Celtic Celebration in March at Old Sturbridge Village. The Celtic Celebration was a celebration of how Sturbridge celebrated the holiday in the past. Lee (MA) Irish Dance performed Irish dances

And Celtic Harpist Cate Mahoney performed Celtic songs.

There were also quite a few sand sculpture attractions and competitions during the summer.

The annual Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail in Yarmouth, MA, featured 32 sand sculptures located throughout Yarmouth and Dennis. These are just a few of my favorites. All sculptures were made by Fitzy Snowman

The, of course there was the annual Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic in June.

Melineige Beauregard won first place at the competition for her sculpture “Love Is A Universal Temple.”

Sadly, most of the sand sculptures at the Revere Beach sand sculpting competition were damaged or entirely destroyed by all of the heavy rain during the event. However, one sculpture did withstand the inclement weather conditions. Appropriately, it was the sculpture of King Kong.

I also came across a few sand sculptures in Rhode Island during the summer. They were sculpted in preparation for the Atlantis Rising sand sculpting event in October. Unfortunately, I could not make it to that one!

I made it out to Rhode Island again for the Green Animals Topiary Garden in July. The topiary featured a variety of animals sculpted out of the greenery.

In addition to the various sculptures of animals, the topiary also had a special exhibit by Sean Kenney. The Sean Kenney Nature Connects exhibit included several sculptures entirely made out of Legos!

I also made out to Newport, Rhode Island, to photograph the Umbrella Sky display.

And the Newport Kite Festival at Brenton Point, Newport, RI.

I also made it out to Salem MA, for my annual Halloween photos.

And I was able to photograph the Salem Zombie Walk.

But, one of the most fun and interesting photo shoots I did last year was the Beep Baseball event in September. Beep baseball is baseball played by visually impaired players.

After the game, I made it out to the Salem Lawn Vintage Party. Various dancers with various dancing skills cut a rug (lawn?) with music provided by Annie and the Fur Trappers.

Last but not least, I took in a trip to, of course, Salem, MA, to check out their Christmas decorations.

And, there were a few special visitors during my visit! And, I though, you weren’t supposed to be able to catch the Gingerbread Man!

The Gingerbread man was in Salem as part of an ad campaign by The Good Witch. Only in Salem.

And what would Christmas be without a trip to Yankee Candle Shop in Deerfield, MA!

So, as you can see, 2023 was a pretty busy year for me! And I look for to doing a lot more in 2024!

19 Comments | tags: Massachusetts, New England, new hampshire, photograhy, Rhode Island, Salem, sand sculpting, sand sculptures, travel | posted in New England, photographs, photography, photos, travel, Uncategorized

December 31, 2023

2023 Rewind Part 2 – Sunrises/Sunsets, Full Moons and Nature

By New England Nomad

Date Of Post: December 31, 2023

Location: All over New England

Summary: I have been lucky enough to photograph quite a few sunrises, sunsets, full moons and nature throughout the year. Here are few of my favorites!

Although it’s not particularly close to me (an hour north of Boston on a good traffic day), Hampton Beach, NH, is my favorite place to take sunrise photos. The beach is always clean, there always seems to be waves and, as a bonus, it is relatively close to my favorite wildlife sanctuary.

I took this photo on a more calm day at the beach in August. Although it was August, there was a slight chill in the air that morning.

I generally prefer to show calm, peaceful settings in my photos. That is one of the great things (pr not so great things depending on who you talk to) about photography. You can find and show serenity in even the most chaotic places and times. There’s enough chaos in the world.

You can see and hopefully feel the morning chill in these sunrise photos from Sep (at the top) and Nov (at the bottom)

Some of the best sunrise photos don’t show the actual sun. And, contrary to my earlier comments, it’s ok to show some chaos! These photos were taken during my visits to the beach in September (in the first group) and November (in the second group of photos). As I mentioned earlier, it always seems to be wavy there.

Of course, I also took a sunrise photo in Boston. But I don’t usually shoot from there. I tend to like photographing the cities and towns surrounding the Boston area. Like most big cities, there are so many photographs of Boston. So it’s hard to get photos from places that haven’t been taken in the city.

I do like to shoot sunrise photos at Independence Park in Beverly, MA. There’s a nice jetty you can walk on and take photos. This photo was taken in February. So, it was tricky to not slip on said jetty.

Although it may not seem to be the case, it’s actually not very easy to find places to photograph the sunrise from my location. Yes, Massachusetts, and New England for that matter, does have a pretty long coast line. But, it’s not always easy or possible to get to some of these locations before the sun rises or sets and some places are not accessible as they are on private property. The worst thing is arriving at a location with nowhere to park or with no public access. Combine these factors with my desire to shoot from lesser known locations and I end up with a smaller list of places to shoot from.

That being said, there are some places I can still get to in time for the sunrise and sunsets. Below are a few of my other favorite spots. As you will see, I’m more of an early riser. So I have mostly photos of sunrises. Also, there is something special and inspiring about a sunrise. All of the promise and opportunity in a sunrise is inspiring.

Castle Rock, Marblehead, MA

Fort Pickering Light, Salem, MA

Red Rock, Lynn, MA

Hingham, MA

Revere Beach, Revere, MA

Springfield, MA (sunset)

Wollaston Beach, Quincy, MA

Speaking of Wollaston Beach, I went to this beach in February of this year on the coldest day of the year and the coldest day in some time. The temperature was -9 with a windchill of -31. There were strange weather conditions. The best I could describe it was like “Hoth” from the Empire Strikes Back. Except colder. Weirdly, there was even some mist or “sea smoke” coming off the frozen water which usually only happens when warm weather conditions mix with cold.

This particular photo opportunity made me think of a question people ask when they find out I get up so early in various weather conditions. When people ask me is photography fun? I often say “sometimes” or “maybe”. Yes, it’s extremely fun in May or June with sunny skies and “shorts weather.” But, it’s not always shorts weather. At the same time, I like the challenge and I couldn’t imagine sleeping in or doing anything else. At best, I’d call it a “labor of love.” The end result makes it all worthwhile. Besides, what else am I supposed to do!? I suppose it’s something like an athlete or artist. I know I definitely don’t enjoy running or working out. But I appreciate the feeling of accomplishment afterwards and I welcome the challenge. Occasionally the actual process is “fun” like when you photograph an owl or some other beautiful bird or landscape. But, mainly, it’s a lot of work. “Fun work.” It may sound weird. But, iykyk.

One of my favorite, and sometimes challenging, photo shoots is photographing the full moon. Sometimes, like in this photo, the moon can be hard to get photos of behind the clouds. But, in this case, the clouds gave a mysterious and forbidding appearance.

Webb Park, Weymouth, MA.

I also got some nature photographs throughout the year. Spring, summer and fall give great backdrops for nature photography of course. I took these photos in Topsfield, MA, Manchester, CT, western MA among other places. Unfortunately due to my busy schedule and the fact leaves fell off their branches before foliage got into full swing, I didn’t get many foliage photos this year.

Thank you as always for stopping by viewing, liking and/or commenting! I always appreciate you all!

25 Comments | tags: full moon, New England, photograhy, photographs, photos, sunrise, sunset | posted in flowers, nature, photographs, photography, photos, travel, traveling

October 24, 2023

Big E Circus Spectacular (Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: Sep 22, 2023

Location: Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Ave West Springfield, MA (1.5 hours southwest of Boston, MA or half an hour north of Hartford, CT)

Summary: A group of international performers came to the Big E Circus Spectacular to show off their talents

While most of the 1.4 million people who visited the Big E Festival in West Springfield this year came for the food, beverages and rides, my favorite attraction was the Circus Spectacular! Each year, a dozen or so performers come to put on a show for the 1,600 plus spectators.

Chu-Chuan Ho started off the Circus Spectacular with his Diablo act.

Susan Vidbel kept the audience in suspense with her Cloud Swing act.

The Amazing Alec, a chair balancing extraordinaire from the Big Apple Circus, showed off his balance and strength.

The Italian performer Gimmi Fornaciari, also known as Laserman, kept the crowd captivated with his lightshow.

The Drazdov Trio mixed aerobatics, agility and strength in their Russian Bar show.

And, last but not least, the High Wire Sky Cycle kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

The annual Circus Spectacular is only one part of the Big E Festival. I am working on editing photos from the festival and hope to post them soon!

19 Comments | tags: Big E, Eastern Exposition Center, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photos, travel, West Springfield | posted in Big E, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, travel, Uncategorized, West Springfield

September 9, 2023

Drastic Park (Windsor, CT)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: September 9, 2023

Location: Corner of Clapp Rd North, Windsor, CT Route 159 (10 minutes north of Hartford, CT or 1.5 hours southwest of Boston, MA)

Cost: Free

Parking: There is no parking lot or places to park at Drastic Park. But, you can park on the shoulder of the road on the corner of Clapp Road North.

Summary: Three sculpted monsters in the shape of dinosaurs are located on the corner of Clapp Rd North.

You don’t have to go to Universal Studios or the museum to see dinosaurs. They’re “alive and well” in Windsor, CT!

But, these dinosaurs don’t have bones, tusks or horns. The dinosaurs at Clapp Rd North are made of railroad ties, excavator buckets, air tanks, and other bits of scrap metal welded together.

The sculptures all have names loosely based on the names of actual dinosaurs.

The first dinosaur-like creature is called Erysocialismop.

The second sculpture is called Alloliberalsaurus.

And the third sculpture in the group is called Tuoujangocommunisaurus.

The sculptures were made by a heavy equipment contractor named Lon Pelton. Over the years, they have gone through some transformations. But, luckily, they have just been re-painted recently before my visit.

While these dinosaurs may seem friendly, don’t pet them or try to feed them! They seem to do just fine finding food on their own!

5 Comments | tags: connecticut, dinosaurs, fun, New Englaand, photograhy, photographs, sculptures, travel, windsor | posted in connecticut, dinosaurs, fun, New England, photographs, photography, photos, sculptures, travel, windsor

June 19, 2023

2023 Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic (Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: June 18, 2023

Location: Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH, 160 Ocean Blvd, Hampton, NH

Cost: Free

Parking: Metered parking and several parking lots are available in the area. See below for parking restrictions, availability and costs

https://hamptonbeach.org/vacation/parking/

Universally Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Summary: Ten sand sculptors put their talent to the test in the 23rd annual Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic. The sculptures will be available to be viewed until Sunday, June 25 and they are lit up at night

It’s amazing what you can do with sand, especially if you are one of the gifted artists at the Hampton Sand Sculpting Classic.

The sand sculpting event, which took place June 15-17, attracts world renown sculptors from all over the United States and abroad. But, if you pay attention to the event or visit the competition, you may notice some familiar names as many of the artists compete in the event each year. In fact, one of the persons instrumental in the creation of the event, Greg Grady, has competed each year since its inception in 2000.

Some fun facts about the sculptures: 200 tons of sand is imported for the sand sculptors to use for their own sculptures and for the main design. Those sticks on tops of the sculptors you may see in some of the photos are not for artistic value – they are used to prevent birds from landing on the sculptures. And each sculptor is given 10 tons of sand to make their work of art.

Each year, the sand sculpting classic has a different theme. All of the sculptors work together to make the sculptures in the centerpiece design. Some of the themes in previous competitions were “The Greatest Show In Sand” (in 2022) and Sand, Sun and Fun in 2021″ (in 2021 of course). This year’s theme is “The Sand Before Time” with a nod to the Old Man of the Mountain (I had a hard time finding it too).

Although it’s good to see teamwork, this is a competition after all. Each sculptor had 3 (or more like 2 and a half) days to make their sand sculptures. From Thu morning until Saturday afternoon the sculptors toiled away, despite some inclement weather. But, despite the wind and rain they carried on.

The sculptures are listed below in the order they are located. Whenever possible, the meaning or other information about the sculptures are included in the description. The information and quotes were found on the Hampton Beach Facebook page and various new stories.

“Audio Immersion” – Rusty Croft (Carmel, California)

Rusty’s inspiration for this sculpture came from unexpected source; Audible. He said he enjoys listening to audio books. He went on to say how the immersion of a story or music can take you out and how you can be encapsulated by these different mediums, especially when you listen with noise cancelling headphones. This experience of listening to words or music can be immersive to your ears eyes and mind. Rusty also mentioned how the piece shows, “how your mind doesn’t need your eyes to see a vision sometimes, it’s just the audio. The sound comes through without them.” He also made a joke about how he ironically lost his own earbuds in the sand while making this work of art.

“The Devil In The Details” – Chris Guinto (Captain Cook, Hawaii) – Governor’s Choice Award

Chris Guinto secured a spot in next year’s competition by winning the Governor’s Choice award, perhaps not so ironically, with his sculpture “The Devil In The Details.”

“Love Is A Universal Temple” – Melineige Beauregard (Captain Cook, Hawaii) 1st Place Winner & People’s Choice Winner

Melineige, who won first place last year, snagged first place this year as well for her sculpture “Love Is A Universal Temple.” It is also the third time in four years she has won first place in this competition.

Melineige said the sculpture, which shows a mother and child embracing in the shape of a cathedral, was about ” “the feeling of being in love, whether it’s human or animal,” Beauregard said. “It’s very sacred. It is its own temple by itself.”

For her efforts, Melineige was awarded $6,000 for first place and another $1,000 for the People’s Choice Award.

“Obsolete” – Carl Jara (Lyndhurst, Ohio) Third Place

Carl, another familiar face at the competition, won third place for his effort “Obsolete.”

Carl said his sculpture was based on being old and obsolete and was “something of a vulnerable piece” for him. Carl went on to say he has been sculpting for 32 years and sculpting at this event for 23 years (every year it has been held) and he’s seen the progression and change over the years.

“For an old guy like me, you know with years of experience…I don’t have time to innovate again. I feel sometimes a little obsolete,” Carl said explaining his sculpture. He also stated this “old God” feels these same feelings of being obsolete as there are no “new god’s” and, out of sheer frustration, he has thrown his six pack into the TV monitor while he sits on his lounge chair with his fast food or chips by his side.

“Futurism: Man’s Best Friend 2.oh-no” – Greg Grady (New Hampshire)

At this risk of dating myself, all I could think of when I saw this sculpture was Muffet (the dog from the TV show Buck Rogers). If you get that reference, it may be time to join AARP.

“Ascent” – Bruce Phillips (California) Fourth place (tie)

Bruce Phillips said this sculpture is about how Artificial intelligence is basically replacing free thought.

His sculpture tied for 4th place with the next sculpture.

“Raptor Ryder” – Karen Fralich (Ontario, Canada)

Karen tied for 4th place with her “Raptor Ryder”. Karen said the inspiration for this sculpture was based on two of her favorite things and was tied into the “Sand Before Time” theme. “Heavy metal and dinosaurs, two of my favorite things” she explained.

“Guardian Of Her Dreams” – Matthew Deibert (New Jersey)

Matthew Deibert, a retired Atlantic City firefighter captain who has been competing in sand sculpting competitions since 1999, made his debut at this competition this year. His piece “Guardian of Her Dreams” depicts a young girl sleeping in bed with her teddy bear, sword in hand, protecting her from nightmares.

“The Struggles We Face”- Josh Gordon (Massachusetts)

Another familiar face at the competition, Josh Gordon, created the sculpture “The Struggles We Face.”

“Dave Is Here” – Abe Waterman (Prince Edward Island) Second place & Sculptor’s Choice Award

Abe’s sculpture was a tribute to another sculptor, Dave Andrews.

Abe said he made this sculpture in honor of fellow sand sculptor David Andrews who had previously competed in the Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting competition. Sadly, David passed away last year. Abe said the sculpture is for David, “but it’s also for all of us.” He went on to say “David was an incredible guy and sculptor.”

This sculpture of Andrews also won the Sculptors Choice Award, voted on by those competing in the contest.

The sand sculptures are expected to remain up until Sunday, June 25. Then, they will be taken down. They will also be lit up at night for evening viewing.

10 Comments | tags: Hampton Beach, New England, photograhy, photos, sand sculpting, sand sculptures, travel | posted in Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH, New England, new hampshire, photographs, photography, photos, sand sculpting, sand sculptures, travel

October 19, 2016

Nelson Memorial Park (Plymouth, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates of Visit: October 8, 2016 & October 16, 2016

Location: Nelson St, Plymouth, MA

Hours: Open everyday, dawn until dusk

Cost: Free

Parking: There are about 50 parking spots

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: Free parking, handicap-accessible, picnic benches and tables, playground area, beach area, restrooms, boat docking area, seasonal water play area, bike path

Web Site: Nelson Memorial Park

When people think of Plymouth Massachusetts certain places automatically come to mind; Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth Rock, Nelson Memorial Park. No, that’s not a typo. In fact, Nelson Memorial Park may be one of the best kept secrets in Plymouth (except may be the Grace Trail).

Located approximately a mile from the aforementioned rock, Nelson Memorial Park is a family friendly park with activities for children, pretty views and ample parking.

The water activity area, called a “splash pad” is an area that shoots out water for children, and probably even a few adults and dogs, to play in. A sign states that due to water restrictions the pad will be on only on days when the air temperature is above 80 degrees. There’s little threat of that happening for some time, although we have had some unseasonably warm weather lately.

The park is relatively small but it still offers some very pretty scenery. I’ve always marveled at how clouds, even wispy clouds, can really accentuate the beauty of an area, especially by bodies of water.

Some kayakers took advantage of the warm weather and calm water.

There is also a bike path from Nelson Memorial Park that goes all the way to North Plymouth (roughly 1.5 miles from Nelson Memorial Beach or over 2 miles if you start from Grace Trail which is located behind the park’s parking lot).

Although it is a small park, Nelson Memorial is a wonderful, peaceful area just minutes from the busy waterfront and downtown areas and a must-see if you’re in the Plymouth area.

A boy and his dog take in the views at Nelson Memorial. This is why dogs are so great. No matter how bad your day is or how lonely you might feel, you always have your dog.

There were many other dogs at Nelson Memorial Park and I was able to get some great shots of a few of them.

Remy is a 13 year old Lab, Boxer and Rottweiler. He had head and leg injuries when he was adopted. But, he looks fine right now!

Stella is a 7 year old Boston Terrier with a special talent. She likes to chase balls and hit them with her head, soccer style.

Below is a video of Stella playing.

Similar Places In New England I Have Visited:

Salem Willows (Salem, MA)

Odiorne Point State Park (Rye, NH)

4 Comments | tags: blog, dogs, fun, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Plymouth, travel, water | posted in beach, dogs, fun, Massachusetts, New England, park, photographs, photography, photos, Plymouth, travel, Uncategorized, water

October 27, 2015

Haunted Decorations (Salem, MA)

By New England Nomad

There’s something magical about Halloween. It’s a time when adults can still pretend to be a kid again, even just for one night. Even the most mature, sober person can forget their responsibilities and relive their carefree days just a little.

For the remainder of the week, I will be posting the remaining photos from my trips to Salem, MA. In this edition, I am posting photos of the various decorations, some other miscellaneous things and, of course, a few dogs from my travels in Salem.

Salem is known world wide for getting into the spirit of Halloween. Everywhere you look, there are decorations of the season.

Besides the vendors selling merchandise there are also games and other fun types of activities. This particular activity was meant to see if people could maintain eye contact with a complete stranger and possibly make a connection, even on just a platonic level. It sounds like a good ice breaker to me. The comments about the activity on the board are very interesting and humorous.

Salem is also creative in how they tie the season to other causes like this witch who encourages people to keep Salem “wicked” clean.

Even Witch’s Brew Cafe got into the mix.

Other stores and attractions, many open only for the Halloween season, decorate for the season.

Some stores have humorous names without even realizing it. Of course, this is a name of a hole in a barrel that often contains alcohol. But, it may have a double meaning..

This is why Salem is so great. The people even get into it. This resident decorated his or her residency and put out a can for donations for the Lion’s Club.

This ghostly figure was seen in Salem harbor.

Salem is also known for its art and not just during the Halloween season. There is art everywhere it seems. These paintings on Essex Street portray a mermaid and a fish-type creature.

The dogs in Salem also get into the Halloween spirit. It’s hard to tell from a front view but Astro had tarantulas drawn on his fur.

Molly was quite the cute pumpkin.

Oz was dressed as a Cadaver dog for Halloween.

I will continue my Halloween in Salem themed photoblogs throughout the week. Thank you for stopping by and Happy Halloween!

Please stop by and “like” my Facebook page:

New England Nomad

10 Comments | tags: art, attractions, decor, decorations, dogs, Fall, Halloween, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photos, Salem, scary, statues | posted in art, attractions, decor, decorations, dogs, Fall, massachusetts, New England, photography, photos, road trip, Salem, scary, statues, travel

September 27, 2015

Waterfront Park (Woods Hole, MA)

By New England Nomad

The last leg of our summer’s swan song at Cape Cod was spent at Waterfront Park in Woods Hole. Waterfront Park has several statues and sculptures. The most recent statue is a memorial to environmentalist Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring and the Sea Around Us. Both books are considered influential books in the environmentalist movement. Carson had worked with Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) which is located in Woods Hole.

The waterfront also has a shaded sitting area for the weary traveler to rest their bones.

There is also a sun dial statue dedicated to Robert Crane, one of the original financial supporters of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The sun dial was constructed so that you could tell what time it is from any direction. And, yes, it is accurate. A somewhat elaborate explanation is included on the ground in front of the sun dial.

The “Flukes” is a bronze sculpture by Gordon Gund. Gund, a successful businessman, was inspired to sculpt The Flukes after seeing pilot whales off the coast. It looks like more of a slide or play thing which explains the sign in front of the sculpture. I suspect it is not much of a deterrent.

The Waterfront is also the main point of embarkment for the ferry to the islands of Cape Cod, mainly Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

The waterfront also has some pretty views of the water and pretty flowers.

The waterfront park is also known for its friendly visitors. I met this friendly guy named Charlie as I was leaving.

Goodbye summer! See you again in 2016.

Leave a comment | tags: cape cod, dog, flowers, memorials, Park, photographs, Photography, photos, road trip, sculpture, statues, summer, travel, water, waterfront, woods hole | posted in cape cod, dog, memorial, park, photographs, photography, photos, road trip, sculpture, statues, summer, travel, water, woods hole

September 25, 2015

Nobska Beach (Woods Hole, MA)

By New England Nomad

After a short stay at Scraggy Neck, it was time for our next stop on our Cape Cod Farewell Summer trip.

Our next destination was the Nobska Beach in the quaint village of Woods Hole in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The Nobska area is so pretty and there are so many attractions because of its sheer beauty, I decided cover the Nobska area in two separate blogs.

The first thing that stands out at Nobska beach are the array of flowers and the makeshift trails at the beach (that and the lack of parking). The only parking available is on the side of the road along the beach and a scant few spots in front of the light house (I’ll be posting photos of the light house in the second part of the Nobska photo blogs).

Nobska Beach offers views of both Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island.

Boats and the ferry make frequent trips to the islands

If you hadn’t noticed, one of the treasures of Nobska Beach are the rocks and the rock formations.

But, to capture the real beauty of the views from the beach, it was necessary to walk down a narrow trail down to this modest rocky ledge.

But, the ledge was wide enough for me and my camera. And the views were well worth the extra effort.

Nobska Beach is also home to a variety of wildlife.

At the base of the beach there are two memorials. A memorial for Dennis Jeff Sabo lies under some plants, almost unnoticed. The memorial does not give any more information than his date of birth, date of death and name. A Google search yielded no results. The lack of details about Dennis adds to the memorials’ mystique.

The other memorial is dedicated to Neilie Anne Heffernan Casey. Neilie was a passenger on Flight 11 on September 11, 2001. A memorial and bench bearing her name lay in the area now dubbed “Neilie Point”. A beautiful reminder of an awful day.

1 Comment | tags: attractions, beach, besutiful, birds, boats, cape cod, clouds, flowers, landscape, landscapes, memorial, memorials, Photography, photos, road trip, rocks, sand, summer, sun, travel, traveling, view, views, water | posted in beach, beautiful, birds, boat, boats, cape cod, flowers, memorial, photography, photos, road trip, rocks, travel, traveling, trip, views, water

New England Nomad

Category Archives: travel

Christmas In Salem 2023 Part 4 – The William Roberts House (Salem, MA) (Updated)

2023 Rewind Part 3 – Holidays, Events And People

2023 Rewind Part 2 – Sunrises/Sunsets, Full Moons and Nature

Big E Circus Spectacular (Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, MA)

Drastic Park (Windsor, CT)

2023 Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic (Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH)

Nelson Memorial Park (Plymouth, MA)

Haunted Decorations (Salem, MA)

Waterfront Park (Woods Hole, MA)

Nobska Beach (Woods Hole, MA)

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