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Oct. 18 – Hickory Run Boulder Field

By on October 19, 2022 in The Pearl
“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen.” ~Benjamin Disraeli
After getting settled into our rental, which will be home for the next four weeks, we did a little exploring close to home. Hickory Run State Park is literally at our doorstep and has 40 miles of trails to explore. The most unique place in the park is the boulder field. Hickory Run Boulder Field is a product of glaciation, believed to have formed 20,000 years ago. The boulder field is about 16 acres in size and measures approximately 400 feet by 1,800 feet and 10-12 feet deep. It’s said to be the largest boulder field of its kind in all of the Appalachian Mountains.

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The Poconos

By on October 18, 2022 in The Pearl
“Two sounds of autumn are unmistakable…the hurrying rustle of crisp leaves blown along the street…by a gusty wind, and the gabble of a flock of migrating geese.” –Hal Borland
We decided this year we would spend some transitional time in Pennsylvania after putting up The Pearl and returning to Texas. The Pocono Mountains are about an hour east of our son Kyle and full of waterfalls, hiking and interesting little towns to explore. We hope to enjoy the fall watching the leaves change and exploring another beautiful part of our country.

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Oct. 18 – Hickory Run Boulder Field

By on October 18, 2022 in The Pearl
“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen.” ―Benjamin Disraeli
After getting settled into our rental, which will be home for the next four weeks, we did a little exploring close to home. Hickory Run State Park is literally at our doorstep and has 40 miles of trails to explore. The most unique place in the park is the boulder field. Hickory Run Boulder Field is a product of glaciation, believed to have formed 20,000 years ago. The boulder field is about 16 acres in size and measures approximately 400 feet by 1,800 feet and 10-12 feet deep. It’s said to be the largest boulder field of its kind in all of the Appalachian Mountains.

The boulders in the field range from one foot to nearly 30 feet in length. There are places where the field is almost all the smaller boulders and spots where it is primarily the larger rocks. The boulder field is extremely clean, in the sense that there is no fine material such as sand or clay filling the space between the boulders. And if you listen closely, you can sometimes hear water flowing beneath the rocks.
Looking back to the parking area from the boulder field.
This is the lone tree that grows in the boulder field.

Oct. 14 – The End of the Season

By on October 16, 2022 in The Pearl
“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.” –John Burroughs

It’s that time of year again…fall has arrived in upstate New York. The temperatures are dropping and the days are getting shorter, so it’s time to begin our migration south. September seemed a little cooler and wetter this year, and the trees have really gotten pretty. The hills around Ithaca and our marina are gorgeous. I like the fiery red trees the best…they are truly breathtaking.

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Oct. 7 – One World Trade Center

By on October 14, 2022 in The Pearl
“You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one.” ~John Lennon

The centerpiece of the 9/11 memorial plaza are the two pools sitting in the footprint of both the North and South Tower. Continuous running water flows from around the perimeter cascading down about 30 feet and creating the largest man-made waterfalls in America.

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Oct. 5-8 Girl Time in NYC

By on October 13, 2022 in The Pearl
“It’s the friends we meet along the way that help us appreciate the journey.” ~Anonymous

I took my annual trip to see my friend in Jersey City. Maybe two years in a row doesn’t make it a real tradition yet, but it sure is fun. They live on their boat at Liberty Landing and they have an amazing view of lower Manhattan from their back deck. Getting into the city is so easy on the PATH. We spent three days visiting, exploring a few of the fun neighborhoods in the city and I even got in a little shopping. The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful time. 

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Falls Has Arrived

By on October 9, 2022 in The Pearl
“Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly.” –Author Unknown

Our summer adventures are quickly coming to an end…the weather is cooling down, the leaves are changing color and boats are beginning to leave the marina. 

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Finger Lake Wineries (Part XI)

By on September 15, 2022 in The Pearl
“What do friends and wine have in common? The older, the better.” –Unknown

Lakeshore Winery first opened to the public in 1982, making it one of the oldest on Cayuga Lake. For the past 26 years, John and Annie have continued the traditions established by the first owners. Those traditions mean making a variety of wines of the highest quality; providing a fun, relaxed and educational tasting room experience; and having a good time doing it.

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Sept. 1-3 Hattie’s Visit

By on September 10, 2022 in The Pearl
“A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty.” – Unknown

Our little Hattie has been waiting all summer to have her special time on the boat. She’s been telling everyone that when she turned three she was going to Mimi and Poppy’s boat. Her time finally came and she was so excited and so were we. We truly love having your grandchildren spend time with us on the boat. It gives us time to really get to know them and they get to choose what they want to do and eat what they like. 

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Nova Scotia Lighthouses

By on September 5, 2022 in The Pearl
“We must never remain silent in the face of bigotry. We must condemn those who seek to divide us. In all quarters and at all times, we must teach tolerance and denounce racism, anti-Semitism and all ethnic or religious bigotry wherever they exist as unacceptable evils. We have no place for haters in America — none, whatsoever.” –Ronald Reagan

I’ve enjoyed taking pictures of lighthouses since we left Texas in 2011. I have a lighthouse map and an online photo album with 322 lighthouses. Nova Scotia has over 150 lighthouses along its shoreline. We didn’t go out of our way on this trip to find them, but we did stop and get a picture if we were close. Most of the lighthouses in Nova Scotia have a pepper-shaker-style tower and look very similar. 

The Cape Forchu Lighthouse, on a headland at the south western tip of Nova Scotia, is the light for the town of Yarmouth and its harbor. It was originally built in 1840 and replaced in 1961 with the current light.

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