Film 1/2/2019
Finally got some more film developed. Hope those watching enjoy
Film from Afar
Film is a beautiful art which is difficult to master, but is quite rewarding. I by no measure of the imagination have reached anything at the cusp of good, let alone master, but I enjoy the few rewards of my attempts at good.
These photos are in no particular order, but they stretch from Newfoundland to Ontario to Kelowna, BC to Vancouver Island to Crater Lake to Newport Beach, CA. Enjoy!
St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Blow Me Down
Icebergs - Whales - Moose - domesticated Husky - Viking village - Newfie Sweater photoshoot and more!
Gros Morne, Newfoundland
Newfoundland has always been a mysterious place to me. Where exactly is it? What’s there? Is it in any way related to Finland? After spending a short while on this mysterious island, I was only able to answer a few of these questions and came back with many more.
We embarked for Newfoundland after a series of unfortunate mis-schedules by the wonderful airlines that rule the skies, cause series anxiety, apologize for nothing, yet take your money and offer nothing more than a small seat in the sky and stress that shortens ones life. My brother, Walker, had planned to fly into Halifax, Nova Scotia, a day before we were to take a ferry from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Channel-Port aux Basques, NL. After several delays it first looked as though he’d make it in late, the night before, still allowing us time to drive across Nova Scotia. After a series of more delays the airline planned on getting him in the morning we needed to start our trek across Nova Scotia, no problem. And yet after more confusion and misstatements, Walker was set to arrive at the very last possible minute that would allow us to drive to the ferry, with a window that might not work. Luckily, Walker dished out his hard earned money in order to fly directly to Newfoundland so that we wouldn’t miss our float to the Rock.
Crystal and I then packed up camp in Halifax and drove across Canada’s Ocean Playground, Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is a series of long shoreline and lakes (I’ll have more about that in a future post). We hit rain midway through our drive and couldn’t see much of the countryside due to the fog that was blocking the views. We arrived in North Sydney in time to grab a bite to eat before hopping on the overnight ferry. We chose the overnight ferry due to their dog policy, which required our "celebrity" (Hudson) to stay in the car for the entire eight-hour ferry ride. Once loaded amongst the trucks, motorcycles, campers and RV’s we tucked the husky in for the evening and made our way up to the “recliners” we’d reserved. We crashed quickly in a theater like setting and got some restless sleep.
We woke in time to grab a snack and coffee, scrambled down to check on Hudson and pull off the ferry into the dreary fog covering Channel-Port aux Basques, NL. Our drive to Deer Lake and Walker’s overnight B&B was filled with wet roads, rain and fog blocking any views of the mountains covering the west side of this mystery land. We were also on the lookout for the rumored monstrous four legged beasts that were over taking the island, moose. Without a sighting of mountains or moose we were united with Walker for our official launch into Newfoundland. Destination, Gros Morne National Park.
After a three-hour drive involving up’s, downs and a fair amount of twists we arrived at our campsite in Berry Hill Campground, about 3km from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain’s tops weren’t visible, but the rain had let up. We quickly set up camp and set our sights on hiking a small lake within walking distance of camp.
Expecting nothing more than possibly a small shower or two we set out for the short 3km/45-minute hike to return completely drenched, head to toe, and feeling the cold chill of the Atlantic water in our boots. After taking some warm showers, thawing to livable temperatures and with rain still falling we decided on eating dinner in the small fishing town and hub for Gros Morne, Rocky Harbor. Later that evening, Walker, eager to warm up and dry out, started an unlikely fire in such conditions. Thereafter, in an attempt to dry wet boots, I melted Crystal's hiking boots…
I could ramble on about the specifics of hikes, mountains, the Western Brook Pond (a fjord), the earths’ mantle, beach caves, moose sightings, whale sightings, Norris Point, newfie sweaters, 90’s hip-hop poses and how we merely skimmed the surface of this mysterious place, but as I said before, Newfoundland is mysterious and you’ll have to formulate your own interpretation of the Rock from the few photos I captured. Enjoy!
New Brunswick/Bay of Fundy National Park
We hesitantly packed up camp in Maine, knowing we needed to head north into Canada. We had to be in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in a week to pick up an arriving guest and wanted to do some exploring enroute. Our sights were set on the Bay of Fundy National Park, about a half days’ drive from Mount Desert Island, ME.
This would be our first border crossing with our trailer, food, gear and Hudson. We weren’t entirely sure what to expect, but we were prepared for a worst case scenario of human and dog food confiscation, exact details of our every stop while in Canada, when exactly we’d be returning to the US, a full inspect and dissection of our trailer, bags and camping equipment… I half expected them to make me unfold our rooftop tent! Once we arrived at the border near Saint Stephen, NB, we quickly gave the first boarder agent our rundown and were quickly directed to pull our 4Runner and trailer over to the inspection area. “Here we go!” was our thought. After some confusion on what was deemed our misunderstanding, not their lack of instruction, we made our way into the main building and began an odd conversation with another agent. He asked what we did for a living, and, apparently “We took some time off work to travel around the US and Canada for an undetermined amount of time and we don’t have a home.” is not a satisfactory answer. This must have led the agent to think we were coming into Canada to squat and mooch off the Canadian Government’s social system or maybe we were possibly preemptively immigrating due to the inevitable election of one of two very horrible candidates running for U.S. President. Regardless of his exact thought process, we were asked to provide some sort of “proof” that we wouldn’t be illegally staying in Canada. After providing bank statements the agent hesitantly moved onto the next step of investigating our equipment.
We proceeded back out to the 4Runner and trailer, unlocked all the doors, ensured that there were no sharp object or syringes and then sat on the grass while the agent rummaged through our trailer. I do believe one saving grace from a thorough dissection of our gear and a tent pop was the fact that the agent was so enamored with our trailer. He repeatedly exclaimed how “awesome” it was and continued to ask questions about the trailer that weren’t pertinent to his inspection. At one point he finally asked: “Am I going to find any grass in here?” After explaining we were more hipster than hippy he quickly concluded his inspection, told us we did exceed the amount of beer and wine aloud in (but was going to let that slide as we were living out of our trailer), gave us a few tips for the next time we crossed a Canadian border and let us go our way. All in all, our time at the border only set us back 45 minutes and we learned how we could quicken the process at our next border crossing.
We finally arrived at our campsite late evening, set up camp and headed to the small town of Alma to eat dinner at a great little restaurant called Octopuses Garden. The next morning we headed further up to Hopewell, intent on walking on the bay floor in and around the Hopewell Rocks. The Bay of Fundy is one of the longest bays in the world which makes the tides rising’s and lowering’s much greater than other bays and shorelines. Hopewell Rocks is a unique section of the shoreline within the bay wherein over time the rising and lowing of the tide has shaped some fascinating pillars and arches along the cliffside. At high tide these rocks are mostly covered and look like little pods or islands and at low tide you can see them in full form, touching the bottom of the bay.
That afternoon we set our sights on a small trail along a creek that had several waterfalls along its’ way toward the Bay of Fundy. The trail was quite busy and as usual Hudson was the celebrity he always is with many people complimenting his looks and well behaved demeanor (if they only knew.) Hudson also managed to snag himself a blueberry bagel hidden in a hole along the creek. Initially, Crystal was convinced it was some poor rodent, turned away and couldn’t bare to watch Hudson chomp down this old stale bagel. I, myself, was in complete laughter over Hudson’s find and Crystal reaction.
We meandered further down the trail and found a waterfall all to ourselves. Hudson and I decided to jump in for a refreshing swim as the day was hot. After an exhausting day we made our way back to camp, ate dinner and crashed in the tent.
The next morning, we did some chores around camp (mostly laundry) and went for a small hike along the bays shoreline forest. That afternoon we returned to Hopewell Rocks at high tide to get a glimpse of the rocks covered by water. From the small platforms there’s not much to see and since we had Hudson kayaking around them wasn’t an option, but it was interesting to see how high the tide came up so deep in the bay.
The next morning we packed up camp and headed north. We had a campsite reserved just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia where we were going to stay for two nights before picking up our guest and continuing on with our adventure thereafter... The Rock, as some Canadians call it.
Acadia National Park
Mount Desert Island, Maine the location where the cold crushing waves of the Atlantic meets and weathers the foundation of Acadia National Park. Anytime we mentioned that we were on our way to Acadia, folks replied with a sound that resembled a “yeahhhh” followed by, “It’s awesome!” Besides seeing photos of Acadia or reading an article or two, I knew little about Acadia, but knew I wanted to visit. The hype we’d heard was legitimate!
For five nights we camped at Blackwoods Campground in the National Park, which had a nice wooded covering and no obnoxious neighbors (always a plus). Upon arrival, after camp was set up, I quickly jumped on the bike for a little tour of the campgrounds and quickly found a short path down to the “loop” of the park. This “loop” is the access point to everything in Acadia, from Bar Harbor to Sand Beach to Cadillac Mountain, it’s the tourist thoroughfare. The point at which I entered the loop was at the far end of the island where the jagged and rocky shore met the ocean. The beautiful sight of this shoreline is amazing. A thick treeline of tall evergreens meets one hundred feet (+/-) of granite weathered by the cold water of the Atlantic Ocean… I quickly returned to camp, grabbed Crystal and Hudson to return to the rising full moon. We spent our evening soaking up the moon’s rays with the sound of the Atlantic crashing on to the rocks as our background soundtrack.
The next four days of exploring Acadia left us with the same excitement we initially encountered, rugged beauty meets calm, yet treacherous, cold blue ocean.
We hiked every side of the island wherein every trail had it’s own unique views of the mountains and ocean. We woke early one morning (at low tide) so we could trek across the natural bridge to Bar Island which offers views of Bar Harbor and the northeastern side of Mount Desert Island. We didn’t hike all the trails or see every site in Acadia, but what we did get was enough to foretell of the sites to come.
Acadia was refreshing after a few days in Portland and was the perfect start to a slow emersion into mountains, wildness and the ocean.
P.S.: As I sit here in Cheticamp, Nova Scotia, typing this post I’m battling some very furious little bugs, not mosquito’s, but instead a God forsaken bug that kamikaze’s into you and furiously bites until it looks as though you’re bleeding… damn them!
P.S.S.: I'm finally getting this posted from Manitoulin Island, Ontario, thanks to the great internet connections we've had. Cheers!
Mass., Portland and our celebrity
After three nights in the White Mountains it was time for us to ramble on to our next, unplanned, stop. Since neither Crystal and I had ever been to Massachusetts we decided we needed to mark this off our “states list” and make an unscheduled stop in Salisbury Beach State Park for three nights to explore the area.
Salisbury is the very northern coastal beach town in Massachusetts before entering New Hampshire. The campground at the State park was enormous. With over 450+ campsites available it felt like we had moved into a neighborhood rather than a campground. With high winds they were experiencing there (up to 40mph gusts) we didn’t “camp” much, but rather explored the nearby port city of Newbury Port. It was quite a lovely little town with lots great little shops and markets. We got to visit their farmers market one day and enjoyed several meals at their local restaurants which was a nice change of pace and more importantly, saved us from the brutal winds. After wandering through their quaint downtown streets with Hudson, our husky, we quickly dubbed Hudson a “celebrity”, due to the crazy amount of attention he received. This celebrity status became more obvious to us in the next couple of weeks.
Though Newbury Port was a great little port city and we’d only gotten a small taste of Mass, we were itching to leave the “neighborhood” and get out of the cold winds. Time to settle for a while, off to Portland, ME.
Thankfully, we had scheduled a five-day stop in Portland, ME. We’d rented a small apartment in South Portland which would allow us to a break from camping and give us time to do some necessary chores and explore a city we’ve wanted to visit for some time.
Portland, ME, is a fun city with tons food from local farms and, more obvious, the Atlantic. They also have an excellent beer scene, which I was eager to check out. Some of the breweries we hit up were Allagash Brewing Co., Oxbow’s Brewing and Blending, and Bissell Brothers Brewing. We also thoroughly enjoyed Novare Res Bier Cafe which had an awesome variety of beers from just about everywhere. Our favorite stop in Portland was a restaurant called Fore Street, absolutely amazing food! Their menu is constantly changing as they receive the freshest ingredients from local farms daily and even have their own foragers combing the Maine countryside for those hard to farm specialties. Crystal and I are still talking about Fore weeks later, I’d highly recommend this to anyone visiting.
A first for me in Portland was the lobster roll. Never really had one, nor had I much interest in them either. I had a recommendation to check out J’s Oyster (thanks, Josh!), which is right on the docks where the local boats bring in the day’s catch. Nothing special about J’s, really just a small local dive, but the lobster roll was delicious. A local patron of the place, a bit tipsy, quickly labeled Crystal and I as “hipsters” and suggested we should try some LSD. “It’ll change your whole perspective on life.” Great tip, but I think our trip for the time being is going to enlighten us enough, don't need the addition LSD just a lobster roll!
As for the “celebrity” we were toting around (yes, Hudson still smelt of skunk, in case you were wondering), Portland was super dog friendly and had two great dog parks Hudson thought were amazing. Leashless, wild, mucking around on trails, through creeks, swimming in ponds and wrecking havoc on a beach were his favorite part of Portland. His least favorite part, but certainly one of ours, was “Skunkson” receiving a thorough bath from a groomer. Though he didn’t know it, this bath increased his status of celebrity.
[I apologize for not having photographic evidence of our stays in Mass. and Portland, for some reason I just wasn’t “feeling it”. I also don’t like to look like one of those tourist who isn’t taking in the sites because my face is glued to a camera or phone. Sometimes it best to experience it all without those modern devices.]
After recharging and getting our fill of city life, Crystal and I were ready to sleep under the trees and stars once again. Next stop, Acadia National Park and I promise there's photographic evidence of this stop.
New Hampshire and the White Mountains
So, with Hudson smelling like a mix fresh burnt rubber and grease (skunk), we made our way eastward toward White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. We’d located a "first come first serve" campground within the NF, Russell’s Pond, tucked several miles from the interstate and close to a 1000’ up. We got settled in, explored the pond and campgrounds, made dinner and finished by a warm campfire.
Woke up the next morning to heavy winds, high 30º temps and rain. Spent the day exploring Lincoln, Woodstock and a great little town north of the White Mountains, Littleton, NH. In Littleton is a great local brewery, Schilling Beer Co., where we grabbed a pint and some comfort food, pizza.
Woke up the next morning to a nice dose of warm sunshine. It’s amazing how much something as simple as sunshine can brighten things up. That day we set out and on the Kangamagus Highway and found a great hike up Hedgehog Mountain. I’ll let the pictures tell you the rest…
Next stop, Mass and ME.
Vermont - Lake Champlain and The Northeast Kingdom
Vermont is a little state consisting of just 600k (+/-) people and endless amounts of beauty. If we didn't have places to be we'd likely still be there exploring every mountain top and valley in between.
We stopped for an extended stay in Burlington for four nights. Camped right on lake Champlain and were within walking distance of the lively city and it's wonderful offerings. Hiked next to the lake one day, visited local vineyards and breweries another, ate at delicious restaurants and enjoyed some of springs local offerings. Envisioned a life here, just not sure about those winters though...
Next stop was further north and east, Barton, VT, which is right on Lake Crystal in what is known as the Northeast Kingdom. Little did we know that the mountains, lakes and valleys in Vermont were shaped by ancient glaciers, thereby giving this area gorgeous views at all turns. The weather at this particular time was starting to turn rainy about every other day which resulted in more time spent at camp than we would have liked. It also resulted in Hudson (our dog) getting sprayed by a "kitty" (with white strips down his back) the night before we left. Six baths later and the smell of fresh skunk in the car we moved a bit further east.
We stopped for two nights in Brighton State Park which is right on Island Pond. A beautiful park not far from the Canadian border and surrounded by farm country. Local farms means local produce and veggie stands, which we'll always take advantage of! Another thing Brighton State park had a lot of, was mosquitos... After two nights and many bites it was time to move on, but not before we stopped at one of the best breweries in the country, Hill Farmstead Brewery.
Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead is probably one of the most particular brewers I've heard of and pays very close attention to every detail of his craft, and it shows. Great beer on a very beautiful farmstead that's been passed down several generations. Though it's off the paved road and you think you probably took a wrong turn, it's was an awesome stop.
Growlers filled, skunked out husky, rain and wind coming in, we're off to New Hampshire.
The Adirondacks, NY
These photos are from several different day trips in the Adirondack Mountains. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the experience, though the photos don't entirely do it justice.
Cheers,
Dallas
Shaver's Fork, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
Here's some film shot from our last camping trip on Shaver's Fork, Monongahela National Forest, September 2015.
Welcome to our very first post on Ramblers Tonic! A place where we will share the adventures of The {Vaughn} Hannahs: Dallas, Crystal and Hudson the husky.
Here is a collection of photos Dallas captured on black and white film summer 2014.
Outer Banks, North Carolina
First sunset over the Pamlico Sound.
Walker and Hudson getting acquainted with our bug filled back yard. Huskies always be rolling....
Out of focus... just like he likes it.
