While the ducks and the wealthy elderly, who can afford to do so, fly south for the winter, there remains a few select people who are quite possibly brave and/or dumb enough to head north. I am one of such esteemed few who celebrate the phrase that brave is interchangeable with stupid. Despite this, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. While the weather gets cooler I’m heading further north for even cooler weather, this time to Montreal, Canada.
Settling a town on the coast of a large protected bay can grant you access to many things the open waters and narrow rivers can’t. Most importantly to those many things is of course the Naval Academy for the United States Armed Forces. A naval school within this bay city can mean only one thing. Boats. Lots of them. And within Annapolis are many a seafarer of varying expertise with every other family owning a seafaring craft of some kind.
Generations of people have lived here and although most of the residents here teach at the Academy, many have settled in a s civilian residents. Many of these residents own boats. Most use them for personal leisurely purposes, while others on the other hand have turned their interest of the open waters into a business. Theses select few cultivate and harvest the fruits of the Chesapeake Bay and have done so with such efficiency the science of aquaculture had to be researched. Now we have set restrictions on what can be harvested. Instead of making the harvests less desirable, it just made every delicious morsels even more sought after.
Each region in the United States had its regional specialty. Our forefathers, as they settled in the regions, slowly discovered the fruits of the lands and traded with one another using the indigenous specialties to increase the growing power of the country. In the modern era we have refrigerated transportation by truck and even air transportation for express service. We soon discovered that several factors affected the freshness of whatever we were transporting, stress in livestock or refrigeration complications, despite the advances in technology we came to accept that product freshness can only be maintained by keeping food local and regional.
The Chesapeake Bay region is known for its shellfish and fisheries. Its easy access to estuaries and the ocean have stressed the region’s wildlife populations through overfishing sending the populations dwindling. I remember once seeing an image showing the “catches” throughout the years getting smaller and smaller as time goes on and overfishing takes over.
Overcome by the needs and wants of the modern working human, one can’t help but be overwhelm by our most base desires. Food. Food was what our nomadic ancestors chased after as sustenance and was a driving factor in the evolution of our social structure as we know it. We may all not agree on what to eat but we can damn well be sure that we need to eat.
Sometimes when life gets too much and you’ve done nothing but work you just need to get away. (If the Lenny Kravitz hit “Fly away” doesn’t come to mind, it just may have… you’re welcome.) Along for the ride is the Olympus TG-1 with the FCON-T01 and the TCON-T01 accessory lenses…. Also the LG-G2 because I forgot to charge the batteries on the TG-1 (gross incompetence abounds!!).
Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love nestled in the eastern region of the state of Pennsylvania, is relatively close to where I’m based and has plenty to offer for the “one nighters” or those who need more time to enjoy the city. Not only does this city have the distinguished moniker it also houses the most important locations and artifacts of the forming of the United States of America. The city is rich in culture and history; from the seemingly randomly strewn art pieces scattered in the city to the historical Independence hall, there is something for everyone here. Foodies have a welcome spot in the city as well, Philadelphia is famous for its sandwiches to its locally grown produce and meats.
New Shoreham on Block Island has one major city/town center. This center is responsible for the major deliveries to the island and is home to the town hall and commerce centers. The Historic Old Harbor District is lined with shops, restaurants, and hotels. More importantly this is where one of the two major ports are located, with the other port being located in Champlin’s Marina which connects Montauk, NY to the island during peak seasons.
Once you venture away from the city you are either greeted with thickets on either side of you which opens up to a grand vista of the ocean when you head south, or you are surrounded by beaches on either side of you heading north. There are private and public lands here open to hikers and there are signs that encourage hikers to enter and pass through prompting you to leave your car behind promising views and experiences worthwhile the trip.
When I say “open to hikers” I also mean open to bikers and intermediate and beginner explorers with hiking trails of varying difficulty. You don’t need to be a super pro to experience what the island has to offer. In fact most places can be driven to with the walking distances being relatively short. The major spots require longer walks but the views are worth it with the implied isolation being a bonus for those seeking some peace and quiet.
There is something therapeutic about waking up next to a large body of water. Some people get it, others don’t. I suppose I’m fortunate enough to get it. It could be the ions and negatively charged whatever’s but I really enjoy being next to large bodies of water. In this case the body of water is literally across the street being the Atlantic Ocean.
The wisp of the fresh ocean air awakens you and riding on a boat so early in the morning can wake up and revitalize your body more than coffee can, at least I think so. The cold sea air with the bucking of the boat on open ocean has made many people lose their balance and ultimately their last meal. I’ll admit that when I was younger I had a massive case of sea sickness which I eventually overcame. But the imagery, the sensations, the simple joy of riding a boat to a destination and suddenly losing sight of land is exciting.
It is a very very rare thing that I fall in love with a place that I travel to, I’ve learned to understand and appreciate each location’s specialty whether it be the looming desert hills as the sun crests over their peaks in the cool mornings or the wide expanse of ocean that stands before my feet as I wade in the cool surf and even the sound of the forests in the dark. Each place has it’s own thing to offer from how welcoming it’s inhabitants are and what amenities and attractions each place has to offer.
Now here is Block Island. This post is titled “Side B” because this trip to Block Island is actually my second one. I just never got around to posting the first trip because A: I got lazy; and B: I have no excuse aside from being lazy. Regardless on this return trip I wanted to recapture what made me fall in love with the island to begin with and to see what exactly it was that brought about my allure with this sleepy island village. So come and join me as I revisit the Island and pick apart my mind as I figure out why Block Island holds a special place in my heart.
Flight. One of Man’s greatest achievements that has brought the world together. The concepts of which has perplexed man as far back in recorded history with the ancient Egyptians all the way into the classical era with inventions by Galileo and Leonardo Da Vinci. History culminating into the Industrial era with the famed attempt of the Wright brothers proof of concept and their flight over a small hill in the Eastern United States. Little did they know that their fixed wing wooden aircraft would evolve and soon conquer the skies, bridge gaps, and unify information and people together unlike any other invention.
There are a plethora of visions and expectations when one says Las Vegas. One night stands, excessive inebriation, unique and interesting encounters with the LVPD, and the inevitable trip with MedicWest/AMR to the hospital. And one would be correct to have those assumptions. After all, why would a city with a nickname such as “city of sin” be prim and polished be devoid of such debauchery? Shouldn’t the main focus, or at least there be a section, where one can seek the evil wants and needs of man? Yes, such places do exist but more importantly however is something that is constantly and incredibly overlooked. That the city of Las Vegas needs people to run it. And that when it comes down to it. The “Sin City” of Las Vegas is just like any other town and has a population that lives and thrives in their communities. So despite the glamor, the lights, and the implied chaos. Beneath the visage of the Neon Lights there await things that one wouldn’t expect, the inner workings of Las Vegas that the tourists would quickly overlook.
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