Martha's Vineyard

Weekends in May, before Memorial Day, are a great time to visit the New England islands. The weather has turned warm (for our three days it didn't drop below 70), but the post-Memorial Day crowds have yet to arrive. The beaches are empty, probably because the water is colder than penguins like it. Restaurants and bars are generally open, yet reservations are not necessary.

Our base was in Edgartown, one of the main towns on the island. The town is situated right on a beautiful harbor, with a small lighthouse (shown left). The base of sand was actually deposited by a hurricane, reshaping the coastal area. It's now a spit of sand that juts out into the harbor, with docks for yachts and rowboats alike.

Bikes are a great way to see the island. The island is flat, and bikeways are generally available for anywhere you want to go. Rental companies are common, and rent nice equipment. We spent a day biking across the island, from Harbortown over to Vineyard Haven and then up to Oak Bluffs. About a 12 mile ride, enough to exercise the legs and make the photographs feel like they were earned!

The island has a great feeling of calm, peace, and seaside. Clapboard houses, whitewash, and long long stretches of beaches make you want to wander. Oak Bluffs is an old Methodist community, filled with beautiful Victorian architecture and gingerbreading. Circling the Methodist cathetedral is gingerbread village, with every house an extreme example of colors and ornate woodworking. An eerie calm permeates the village, it felt like we were invading as we silently biked around the houses.

The entire island is a blend of old-time whaling culture with modern class. Edgartown is full of galleries, shops, high end restaurants and bed & breakfasts, next door to an 18th century whaling captain's house, in original condition. Restaurants trace their roots back to shipping companies, and you can feel the history of sailors walking the cobblestones with their families.

This last image is a panorma of the main park in Oak Bluffs. To the left in the image is the beach, and surrounding the park are large, beautiful victorian houses. The park green had visitors flying kites, biking, or simply enjoying a day in the sun.

Spring at Longwood

A few weeks late posting this, spring blooms have passed now and the trees are in full green. But it's not too late to share our day at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. A gorgeous spring day in April, bright blue skies, temperatures finally creeping out of the 40's and into a respectable zone, and the flowering trees were in full bloom. A day like that calls for some wandering about Longwood's 1050 acres.

The property was once the former estate of Pierre S. du Pont. Apparently a fan of horticulture, he preserved the property, including the trees, and eventually opened it to the public. Fleets of gardeners now keep the site immacculate, full of blooms in each season.

This image, the lone orange tulip in a field of white tulips, is one of my favorites from that day. The white tulips captured the brilliant sun, the furry edges of the blooms are unique, and this rebellous flower is a symbol of individuality in the group.

No variety of tulip is sacred in this garden, and fields of purple, pink, blue, red, and striped orange are available for visitors to walk right up to and enjoy. Capturing the sharp colors in the soft breeze required some patience, but fortunately the crowds are used to photographers kneeling on the edge of a flower bed for long periods and have no problem flowing around them.

In addition to the outside gardens, Longwood also includes a huge and

beautiful conservatory. Room after room reveals unique and fabulous arrangements. One room devoted entirely to orchids. One with a wandering stream and waterfall. One for desert blooms, and one for rainforests. This bromeliad shows off the perfect conservational design of nature, shaped to collect water from the air into its base.

I think the final image shows the essence of Longwood Gardens. Yes, it could be fields of spring blooms, or row after row of flowering cherry trees, or one of the majestic Italian water gardens with jets of shooting water fountains. But this orchid growing from a tree says it for me. Unique blooms, growing symbotically, in an environment that would not be normally be accessible for most people. But they are here for all to see and enjoy. Thanks to Longwood Gardens and their staff!