October 9, 2012, Autumn in New England

I know, I know, I know.

This is supposed to be a blog about traveling the Rocky Mountains in the Sammi.  I know.

Sorry about that.  I had to add this little excursion to New England.

I took a business trip to Portland, Maine to attend a conference.  Having lived in Saratoga Springs, New York for several years some time ago I had to take the opportunity to spend a couple extra days in the area and take a drive back to my old stomping grounds after the conference. 

It was autumn and you simply can't pass up a driving trip across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont into upstate New York that time of year.

Portland Head Light, Fort Williams Park 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A stop along the way to upstate New York to visit with my niece Melisa and her husband Scott in Hanover, New Hampshire took me back to my youth.  What a great visit we had.  Bunking down in their living room for the night made me feel like I was in my early twenties again and the walk around the Dartmouth College grounds the next day was inspirational. 

 

Wow! The library there is impressive.  I could sit and read for hours on end in that beautiful place. 

 

 

 I'm not sure where this was but when I drove over the bridge you see in the background I simply had to stop and take a walk to the bottom of the gorge.

 

 

An Autumn festival somewhere in New Hampshire or Vermont

 

Back to the old stomping grounds of Saratoga.  I spent several years there thirty some odd years ago.  I felt like I was back home again.

Somewhere on 9P next to Saratoga lake.

 

And then on the outskirts of Saratoga there's Yaddo. 

There has always been something calming and enchanting about Yaddo.  Kind of like leaving the earth end entering a sanctuary.  I used to spend many an hour simply wandering around the grounds here.  Rumor has it Edgar Allen Poe wrote "The Raven" here but that's a claim of a lot of places. I wouldn't doubt it though. 

The entrance to Yaddo

 

 The rose gardens at Yaddo

 

There's more information all over the web about Yaddo.  You might find it interesting: http://yaddo.org

 

 

 Saratoga Springs city park

 

Main street Saratoga Springs

 

 

And then a couple nights with some dear friends of mine; Lee and Karen Hutson.

Lee and Karen build a log home on thirty some acres of ground with their own hands just a few miles outside of Saratoga.  It takes a good three quarters of an hour to walk around the perimeter of their yard.  Nice, real nice.

Lee and Karen's back yard

More photos from New England:

More photos from Autumn in New England