Outer Banks Dreamin'

In June 2004, I was taking in the warm-welcoming scenes of North Carolina’s Outer Banks for the first time since I was five years old. Below is a slideshow I created which reveals the many moments captured through the lens of my Minolta film camera; from lighthouses and marinas, to beach houses and natural scenery. Is it any wonder why the Outer Banks is such a beloved place?

By the way, just in case the slideshow doesn't play on here, you can also check it out on my youtube channel which is caroldfotojrn247. It is my most recent video upload on there as well, entitled "Outer Banks 2004."

The only regret was not writing about that trip to the Outer Banks while there, so that words and photos could work together in capturing memories.

However, there is the possibility of returning to the relaxing Outer Banks sometime soon with a few of my cousins. Although the plans are still just within the phase of talking about going, there is a great desire to make the trip happen. Between me and at least one of my cousins, we will definitely take a lot of photos throughout our stay. Not only that, but I hope to have learned more about video and will also be blogging about each day spent in the Outer Banks.

That reminds me…I need a new wireless device for my laptop as soon as possible; the internet does not work when I leave the house. Not good for anyone interested in travel writing and travel photography, that’s for sure.

Anyway, through our common grandfather, my cousins and I have many ancestral ties to the Outer Banks and we plan to meet up with relatives when we go. My mother has been in contact via email with some relatives since before the 2004 trip and also met with them at the time. That particular trip to the Outer Banks happened partly for the sake of family history as well having the chance to return after so many years.

The most interesting thing found out so far through my mother’s family history research is that one ancestor was a keeper at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. It would be interesting to see what else my cousins and I could find out on a future trip.

I am not sure yet how many of us will be going, however there was a particular beach house I noticed the last time there. It was called, “Six Cousins Cottage,” located near the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, and I have six cousins on my mom’s side of the family. If only we could all stay at that beach house for a big family gathering with all of our ancestral ties to the Outer Banks.

Until that next visit, I am sure that I will not be the only one Outer Banks dreamin’.

Saving La Ronda

Facebook is where I first heard about the historic mansion known as La Ronda, located on Roscommon Road in Bryn Mawr, PA. Due to its history and architectural detail, many people have been rallying for the mansion to be preserved rather than be demolished. As someone who loves historic sites, I decided to go up to Bryn Mawr and see the La Ronda mansion for myself and photograph its ornate exterior details.

The window details were really impressive as well as the chimney with a style you just don't see everyday...or anymore for that matter.

I also love this detail on the front wall of the mansion, such as the sculpted bust of a knight in armor above a family crest shield. It's the kind of detail that speaks of great history associated with La Ronda.

I have seen a few old photos of La Ronda’s interior posted online, and they showed how grand the mansion really was. There was a great hall, like those you would see in a high society scene from many historical period movies. If only there were scheduled tours of La Ronda to this day, but given the situation of whether or not it will be preserved, I’m not sure about the interior condition. On the Facebook group page called “Save La Ronda,” someone posted a message that the mansion was being ransacked for artifacts prior to demolition.

However, I know that those on the preservation side still hope to save the mansion from being demolished and I would love to see it saved as well. It is a wonder to me that this place, or any other historically significant site, could possibly be torn down. Any historic site in tells some part of the story of the country they are located in. For more information on the La Ronda mansion, check out the savelarondanow.com Web site.

Visions of Nature

Whether on vacation, taking a short road trip or even just going out around the local area, nature can offer many images to a photographer. There is no telling what will be seen, or where, and so the camera is always on hand these days when on the road. In some respect, a photographer may not be surprised to come away with nice images of nature from certain places. However, other places have been a surprise regarding the location of the photo taken and how something suddenly catches the eye.

The photo below was taken at a local cemetery during the early part of May 2008, on a day with no particular plans. The splash of pink petals set against the green of the trees and lawn was appealing; and in this, a surprise find. This calm scene, although taken in a cemetery, seemed to say “life” with the pink blossoms of Spring on the bush.

The following photo was taken a few years ago while walking around at Delaware County Community College between classes. The scene was found just tucked away behind the main campus building containing all the classrooms. It is another example of how random exploring can give way to something pretty in nature, such as the colorful leaves of autumn.

During an Outer Banks vacation in June 2004, a thunderstorm developed overnight halfway through the week, knocking out power until the morning. The photo below is of the remaining stormy skies as viewed from the 3^rd floor deck of the Cape Hatteras Motel. As much as storms can scare people, they always draw us in to some degree. It was the dark stormy blue colors of the sky against the ocean that warranted taking a picture and capturing it forever.

Whether someone is into photography or not, one thing is for sure; nature, with all its colors, can inspire the artist in everyone. Nature is something that can easily turn a casual photographer into much more, and even inspire travels to see other places for the first time. Personally, there are so many visions of nature out there which have yet to be seen. So there will be many more posts here in the future, sharing nature captured in images from many places.

Been There, Hope To Go Elsewhere

Recently on Facebook, I saw a note entitled “Where you have been” posted by someone on my friends list. In that list of both states and countries, a letter ‘X’ marked the 11 states which she had traveled to so far.

This reminded me of the travels I have had up to this point in my life, which included eight of the lower 48 states. That actually counts traveling within my home state of Pennsylvania; the other seven states I’ve been to are New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. However, I hope to visit many more states in the future…all of them if possible.

Left: A class trip on the Staten Island Ferry, 1993.

Right: Morey's Pier at Wildwood, NJ in 2003.

Left: A trip to Baltimore Inner Harbor, 2001.

Right: One of many decorated horse statues lining Hwy 12 in the Outer Banks, this one

representing the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, June 2004.

I haven’t been to another country yet, and there are so many I hope to visit in my life. Most of the countries that I would love to visit are in Europe, and six of those are where my ancestry originates…Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, France and Germany. Other European countries of interest to me include Italy, Greece, Romania, Spain and Portugal. Going to other countries such as Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Mexico and Canada would also be on my travel list.

The note shared by my Facebook friend made me think that I should at least visit Canada sometime for starters with international travel. Although a visit to Canada isn’t possible at the moment, I decided to map out a trip that included some New England states as well as the nearest cities of Canada using Google Maps. It was just for fun really, but what I mapped out would make a great trip.

The route I mapped out followed the northeast coast up through Maine before finally crossing the border into Canada at Edmundston. Maybe from there, I could go on a scenic excursion to Halifax, Nova Scotia before heading back northwest. The cities of Quebec, Montreal and Toronto would be the next quick stops and then I’d re-enter the United States at Niagara Falls. To get home from there, I would head from Buffalo to Ithaca and southward into Pennsylvania again.

Such a trip would allow me to add a letter ‘X’ to five more states along with one country to my own list of where I have been.

Photographing History

During any trip, local or not, one subject of interest is photographing different styles of old architecture that come into view. What makes me take notice to such structures is my interest in historic travel destinations and individual sites. Some nearby areas have a great number of old buildings, making it an easy road trip of photographing architecture from the past.

As for houses in particular, some may have those historic markers and may be in the process of being restored or have been restored. Other houses, however, are abandoned relics with untold stories that always draw my attention to them. I wonder what stories they hold; stories that can be added to the history of their surrounding communities. Maybe when their stories are finally discovered, those stories will help to save these long abandoned old houses from demolition.

Of the two photos below, I believe that the one on the right is currently in use. However, the one on the left is now the only old structure standing near new homes.

Unfortunately, many other old abandoned homes seem as though they may be demolished soon because new housing has built up around or near them. So I like to photograph old buildings for the purpose of documenting them, preserving them in images to compliment their stories.

Along with whatever untold stories yet to be found in these abandoned houses, the architectural details from another time also catch my eye. Turrets, gables, widows’ walks, Greek Revival columns and intricate wrought iron work…such details in old buildings bring some extra charm to a neighborhood. The photo below is an example of historic detail found on a building at a nearby college campus.

Given my interest in old architecture as a photography subject, some of my favorite destinations include Cape May, NJ and Gettysburg, PA. However, there are quite a few old homes in my local area which I have taken photos of in recent years. Some are Victorian, others go back to the 1700s and there are also a few castle-like buildings on college campuses. The photos below are examples from two different nearby college campuses.

Whatever architectural style and whether abandoned or in use, old buildings have such great character. Unique and often mysterious standing among newer development, they keep us connected to the history of our hometowns.

Valley Forge

Valley Forge National Historical Park is located within 40 miles away from home, yet still hadn’t been explored in person until earlier this summer. The idea came to mind after hearing about tours of the park via a 90-minute trolley ride which started at the visitor center. A tour guide would tell trolley passengers about the park’s revolutionary history as well as the history of particular sites along the way.

The first stop on the tour was an encampment of re-enactors near some of the park’s well-known log cabins. Here, the trolley pulled over so that riders could walk around and get a close-up view of those donning period costumes. It was very easy to feel swept back in time as re-enactors went about their revolutionary era activities.

After 15 minutes, it was time to board the trolley again and continue on to the next points of interest.

At the National Memorial Arch, the trolley took passengers slowly along a semi-circle path to allow for some photos to be taken. Then the trolley continued toward the statue of General Anthony Wayne on horseback. For those interested in local lore, a Google search on General Anthony Wayne will quickly give way to tales associated with him.

Touring Valley Forge, passengers could take in the wide variety of terrain in the park. Thick wooded areas, gentle hills, steep tree-covered slopes, grassy fields with maybe a few lone trees were among the natural surroundings which revolutionary war soldiers were once stationed near. Cannons and log cabins stood in various places throughout the tour. They seemed to have a lonely sense about them, with only the occasional deer grazing nearby in the fields.

Varnum’s Quarters was the last stop on the trolley tour. At this point, passengers could get off of the trolley and walk down a path to take a tour inside the house. Before getting too far from the trolley, there is the statue of Major General Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben. His statue stands near a curved bench shaded from the sun and overlooks a vast field. It is a great picnic spot, and there is a designated picnic spot (Varnum’s Picnic Area) across the road behind the statue.

After learning a little bit about von Steuben’s role in the Revolutionary War, trolley passengers would then continue down the path to Varnum’s Quarters. Picture a brown and tan stone-face structure with small windows, two floors and at least one chimney. It is in a very quiet area and that only made its history feel more alive there.

Heading back to the visitor center, the trolley went past Washington Memorial chapel without making a stop there. It is definitely worth checking out on another visit to Valley Forge. The old architecture and its details make the chapel a great subject to photograph. Speaking of old architecture, just across from the visitor center is a couple of old houses not in use. So while visiting Valley Forge next time to photograph the old chapel, taking photos of the old houses will be on the agenda.

Overall, the trolley tours of Valley Forge are very much recommended to anyone who hasn’t seen the historic park set within beautiful scenery. No matter what means a visitor uses to get around and see it, Valley Forge is an American must-see. The trolley tours are a great way to ride into the past and learn about the role that Valley Forge played in America’s Revolutionary War.

An Introductory Post

As a young girl, I grew up in a mid-sized suburban town and always looked forward to family vacations. Those times did not come around often, but just being in another place was exciting. So at an early age, my desire to travel was ignited. In some way or another, recording travel experiences was always a part of the fun. Looking back, it seems as though collecting postcards and jotting down memories was my own variation of travel journalism.

In high school, I went on a variety of trips with an outdoor adventure club and typed up stories to remember them by. Looking back, my only regret is that I had no camera on me to compliment those stories. I think that in those days, I didn’t really consider myself as being very good at taking pictures. The shaky-handed or slightly thumb-obstructed image was what came out in many instances. Yet I always wanted to take really good travel pictures because of that interest to see places and document them well.

Years went by with the occasional day trip and a couple of those one-time-use 35 mm cameras would always be handy. On a trip to Washington, D.C. for Memorial Day 2001, I took a picture of the Washington Monument from where I stood near its base. I had hoped to capture Old Glory waving in the picture as well, but wasn’t sure until the film was developed how it would turn out. I just hoped that the flag waving did not block out the top of the monument.

Ever since taking that picture, I have looked for more opportunities to go places with my camera in hand. It made me want to pay more attention to composition and get creative with photography wherever I go.

In 2004, I went on a family trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was the first time I had the chance to travel with my own decent film camera. It was a Minolta Maxxum 5, and there were many opportunities to practice keeping the hands steady along with working on the composition of pictures. I used both color and black and white film to capture images of a destination I enjoyed visiting.

These days, the camera I use is a Canon PowerShot S5IS and it also has video capabilities. For now, I stick mostly to still images and continue to work on composition. But photography is only a part of my venture into the digital world of blogging. I want to document travel in written word, complimenting that using my passion for photography and any new knowledge I gain regarding video.

In the fall of 2006, I took my first college journalism class and found out many doors that it could lead to. The natural choice for me was to take the door that linked journalism to travel and photography, as is joining the blogosphere to document my travels. Having gained some written journalism skills now, my goal with this blog is to put those skills to use with my photography to tell my travel stories.

As an adult college student in a career change, I continue to pursue an education in journalism. So the travels I write about and capture in pictures and video will be fairly local at first. Before the summer is over, there are a few excursions I plan to go on and share experiences of on here.

One final point in my introductory post is this. In recent years, I began to deal with some back problems from time to time, varying levels of stiffness or pain in the lower lumbar area. However, pursuing travel to document in a blog is in part a message of not letting something stand in the way of my goals. It shows that people can do many things, beating whatever obstacle they may face.