New England 5: Covered bridge

New England is famous for its covered bridges. Having read 'The Bridges of Madison County' and seen the movie, (yes, I know that's in Iowa), I have a romantic notion of them and was keen to see and photograph some. The limitations of a group tour meant that I wasn't able to see more than a couple and they were not the most authentic versions either, so I didn't really tick that box in the end. However, this pedestrian bridge in Stowe, Vermont was quite attractive. I feel sure it is there primarily as a tourist attraction; it looked relatively new.

New England 4: Pumpkins

The scenery over to the east of New England, in New Hampshire, is pretty spectacular. The White Mountains include the highest peak in the northeastern US, Mt Washington. The area is a climbing, hiking, ski-ing magnet so many of the towns have a definite 'touristy' feel to them. The fall colours weren't quite as developed here as in Vermont, but it was still very attractive.

Everywhere we went there were pumpkins and squashes, in many different colours. The US puts much more emphasis on 'Fall' and 'Halloween' than we do here (though we are catching on!) with bright displays of flowers and pumpkins everywhere - in shops, hotels and on doorsteps. I liked the look of this farm shop near North Conway. The rock outcrop behind is Cathedral Ledge, popular with climbers.

(I cloned one intrusive overhead electricity cable out, left the thinner ones!)

New England 3: Truckin'

When I first arrived in the USA, I was like a child in a sweet shop, excited about all the 'American' things I've seen in movies.... A fire hydrant - wow! A mailbox - wow! Steam coming out of the pavement - wow! American trucks - wow! Some of those I soon became blasé about, but I have to say that my excitement at the big trucks never did wear off. This was an attractive example, at a cider mill we visited in Vermont. These beasts are very different from British/European trucks lorries, tending to have a lot more bling/shiny bits and those big engines at the front. Most of the trucks we see here have flat fronts, straight down from the windscreen. They're probably just as powerful but they don't look nearly as macho. As for the fire engines - wow and wow again! (I came back with six photos of fire engines.)
The trucks remind me, I guess, of that Kris Kristofferson movie, 'Convoy', that we were nutty about in the late 70s. Ain't nothin' gonna get in their way!

New England 2: Misty morning in Williamstown

Williamstown is an attractive town in the Berkshire hills, Massachusetts, dominated by Williams College, an elite, liberal arts college. It seems a very prosperous place, full of elegant buildings and pretty, painted houses. I was charmed by the 'New England style' homes, much copied in magazines over here in Old England. They are almost all wooden, clad in shingles or weatherboard painted in soft pastel shades. Many have large porches or wrap-around verandahs. I really want one now!

I like the harmony of colours in this photo.  It was taken in the early morning when it was really quite foggy but the diffused light was pleasant. The only thing that maddened me was all those infernal power-lines criss-crossing every street - often hard to avoid unless I wanted to get myself killed standing in the middle of a road. We have some thin telephone wires here but the thicker cables are usually buried.

New England 1: The Grist Mill at Weston

After a couple of years of day-dreaming, I finally got my act together to visit the USA - specifically the Boston and New England area. 'Clueless in Boston' and 'Naples and Hartford in Season' both do a great job of showcasing the attractions and I wasn't disappointed. I had two great weeks over there recently and enjoyed every minute. I've come back with around 1500 photos, all taken in RAW format, so it is going to take me a while to work through them all, to process and organise them. I will post a few of my favourites here, just for fun. (Anyway, I haven't taken any local shots for weeks so it's the US or nothing!)

I'll start with this one, taken in a pretty little town called Weston, in Vermont. Just before we left the town I stumbled across this little grist (corn?) mill with its waterwheel. I was so charmed by the scene, with the waterfall and the pretty foliage - and that gorgeous red paint. (I learned to call it Vermont Red, there is so much of it.) I was glad I didn't miss this shot - and, would you believe it, sharing my experiences with Jack from Hartford, we realised he had taken the very same view earlier in the summer. See here (3rd photo) for his version.  Now we just want volunteers to visit in the winter and the spring, for the complete Weston Grist Mill year. Any offers?