Transisition to Florida, Fall 2010

After a very enjoyable Summer with family, friends and life on Long Island's South Shore we head to Florida and a touch of Paradise.

                                                                  
  After a six hour drive from L.I., the second leg of our trip starts in Lorton, VA.

                                   "All aboard," AMTRAK's AutoTrain.

                                                                                                                                    
Two meals, a night's rest and 17 hours later we arrive in Sanford a two plus hour drive from our destination of Palm Beach Gardens.

                          Back to familiar scenery and life at PGA National.          

Two neighbors walk over to greet us!

Connie's Birthday!

     Ali comes for a visit and we go to Palm Beach Gardens Sunday Green Market.

=

                                    A selection of Florida honey's!

                                          

                                                         

                                 

                                                

                

A visit and walk through nearby
Grassy Wetlands Preserve.
                                                                  

                                                        

                          

                                                       

Dinner time!

CKK & JPK 

                                      

Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook - Panoramic Extraordinaire

Yesterday we had the occasion to visit one of the most interesting venues or pieces of real estate in North America.....It is a place of  extraordinary beauty and interest where  photographers and artists are inspired to capture amazing colors and scenery.

Geography buffs enjoy the unique perspective of over looking four boroughs of New York City, Sandy Hook, NJ, Raritan Bay, the entrance to New York Harbor, western Nassau County Long Island, NY and the Atlantic Ocean.  

We were high atop Mount Mitchell Scenic Overlook, Atlantic Highlands,  Monmouth County, New Jersey which sits on the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic coastal plane, 266 feet above sea level. It is the highest spot on the North American coast between Maine and the Yucatan in Mexico.

The saying, "on a  clear day, you can see forever," was never truer than mid day yesterday from Mt. Mitchell.

To pick out specific points of interest we used the telephoto lens of our cameras.

                                                        

The most recognizable landmark is the Verrazano Narrows bridge linking Staten Island on the left to Brooklyn on the right. The "VZ" bridge spans the lower entrance to New York harbor.

The skylines of Jersey City, lower Manhattan, mid-town Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens are visible from Mt. Mitchell. Depending on the viewing angle buildings verge and over lap, sometimes appearing different than in their actual location. For instance, the tall building which appears on the right side of the Verrazano Bridge in Brooklyn  actually is the 42 story Goldman Sachs Tower in Jersey City, NJ.

Sandy Hook in the foreground, Brooklyn and mid town Manhattan. The Empire State Building is the largest building in the center, the black building on the left is Penn Plaza and the Met Life building in on the far right.

                                           

                                                        

In the foreground is the Sandy Hook light house, across the water is Brooklyn's Coney Island with the parachute jump on the left and the ferris wheel right of center, the tall building in the distance is the Citi Bank building in Long Island City.

                                                    

Another visible landmark, near center of this photo  is the VA Hospital Fort Hamilton Brooklyn. The two red brick buildings to the right are located on along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The massive Goldman Sachs building in Jersey City dominates.                                    

                                             

While one is drawn to see what landmarks they can find in the distance, there is beautiful scenery at and below the overlook.

On September 11, 2001 hundreds of people were drawn to this scenic overlook to view the aftermath of the World Trade Center attack. Today, a beautiful memorial to all those residents  of Monmouth County New Jersey that lost there lives at the World Trade Center  stands atop Mt. Mitchell.

Individuals names are engraved in stone listed under their home towns.

Signage assist in locating scenic sights as well as coin operated binoculars for 25 cents.

Looking further to the right one finds aircraft approaching Kennedy Airport over Rockaway Queens

The view stretches into Nassau County as the National Grid Plant in Island Park and the Oceanside landfill are visible.

Looking far right or Southeast one spots the skyline of Long Beach, NY.

If you are in the Monmouth County area, on a beautiful day, we highly recommend a drive down Route 36 to the Atlantic Highlands area and Mt. Mitchell.  You won't regret it. Be sure to take your binoculars and camera.

CKK & JPK  10/3/10

Connie exhibits at South Ocean Art Gallery

Connie is exhibiting  a number of her latest art works at the South Ocean Art Gallery in Freeport through October 31st. The opening reception was held Friday evening.

                          

                           A large gathering of art enthusiast, family and friends were in attendance.

                                                               

               On exhibit were oils, acrylics, pastels and water colors Connie has worked on over the past year.

                                           Works of four other artist were also on display.

                                            Family staying until the end poise for a portrait.

from the Winderness Trail in Shenandoah County, Virginia - Meem's Bottom Covered Bridge

Each September we journey to the Shenandoah Valley of  Virginia to visit with a group of  friends, socialize, enjoy each other's company, swap stories and  play a couple of rounds of golf at the Bayse Resort.

This year, on our return trip, we detoured to visit one of the best known covered bridges in Virginia, the Meems Bottom Covered Bridge in Mount Jackson, just South of  highway I-81.

                                                                     

                                

     The Meem's Bottom Bridge was constructed in 1892-93. This 204 foot span over the North Fork of the Shanandoah River  takes it's name from the Meem family that owned an estate west of the river.

        Records show that one previous bridge was burned in 1862 as Stonewall Jackson went up the valley ahead of Union General John C. Fremont, prior to     the battles of Harrisonburg, Cross Keys and Port Republic. Another bridge was washed away in the flood of 1870.

       The span built in 1894 carried traffic for more than 80 years before being burned by vandals on Halloween 1976.

      After salvaging the original timbers, the bridge was reconstructed and undergirded with steel beams and concret piers. The bridge was open to traffic in 1979.

                                                                            
                                                                            

                                                                                                               
                                                          A short rest before journeying on.                                    
                                                           

                                                         
Five hours later our trip home detoured to visit John, Dawn and grandson Ryan. It was during this visit that the damaging line of thunderstorms and tornadoes passed over us and through NJ and NYC leaving a path of death and destruction

Thank you God and good luck charm Ryan for our safe passage!

CKK & JPK 9/10



                            

Hurricane Earl brings pounding and thunderous waves to the South Shore....

Hurricane Earl scooted past the south shore of Long Island late in the afternoon of  Friday, September 3th...... Gusty winds and 10-15 foot waves were in the forecast.....No one was disappointed by nature's extreme might, some of  the waves must have measured 20 feet in height. They pounded the shore with the sound of thunder, and woo's and ahh's from the people lining the boardwalk...... It was quite a show.

This was a photographers dream.....Spectacular, awesome, breathtaking and beautiful, take a look.
The following twenty photos are only an example of the evening....  ENJOY!
          

                                                      

                                                                  

                                                                      

                                                                                

                                                                          

                                                                           

                                                                                  

                                                                               

                                                                        

                                                                        

                                                                     

                                                                                

                                                                          

                                                              

                                                                     The end!