It always amazes me how quickly the sun rises. In Atlantic City, or any eastern facing beach for that matter you get a clear view of the horizon. From the time of this picture until the sun is fully out of the water is only about 5 minutes so you have to have a plan. Just me and the gull and the sea. You can buy a print of this one and see others at my commercial gallery.
Before the Rise
The Steel Pier has withstood many a challenge over the years including storm after storm that have attempted to destroy it. There are no more “Famous Diving Horses” which have been replaced at one end of the pier by helicopter rides and the Darwin Awards favorite, “The Slingshot” but the pier lives on and seems almost ageless. No matter your age, if you are in Atlantic City you gotta check out the pier! You can see other images and buy prints at my commercial gallery.
The Ageless Steel Pier
I love the way shore birds seem to rise up to greet the rising sun. At the beach in Atlantic City there are mostly gulls but hearing them call out to the morning sun is a great way to start any day and is soothing to the soul. You c see other images and buy prints at my commercial site.
The beach at Atlantic City for a long time has been considered one of the best beaches on the East Coast. I remember going there as a teen and was just amazed at how wide the beach was and the fine white texture of the sand. The city has gone through a lot of changes since my youth. There were no casinos when I worked there for a Summer and now casinos outnumber salt water taffy shops. However, the beach has been a constant and now thanks to conservationists will continue to be so. After Hurricane Sandy they planted all these beach grasses. These will help to hold the dunes in place and protect the beach from erosion. Way to go New Jersey! You can see other images and buy prints on my commercial gallery.
When you get up to take pictures of a sunrise you typically don’t see too many people. Of course as I passed the casino at Revel there were still people gambling and the hotel security people were posted at their stations trying to stay awake. On the boardwalk there was only this bike rider and me enjoying the morning spectacular. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery.
Boardwalk Bike Ride
Recently my wife and I celebrated our 42nd Wedding Anniversary (June 6). Last week my wife retired from her job as a High School French Teacher. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter in our life will be although it will probably begin with the publication of my first novel. We are now editing the novel together. In any case these events require a little celebration so tomorrow we are off to Revel in Atlantic City and have a spa day on Wednesday at the Bask Spa. Why, because we deserve it. I am sure there will be some new pictures when we return.Meanwhile please check out my other images at my commercial gallery.
I was very unimpressed with Honolulu and Waikiki Beach. Maybe it is because I visited Kauai and Maui many times before ever spending any time on Oahu except for the airport. Maybe it was because I thought Miami had better beaches. Maybe it was because Honolulu reminded me of Miami. Maybe it was because of all the street hustlers and the crowded beaches. In any case the one thing I did like was Diamond Head. It was a great place to hike and quiet and serene compared to noisy Waikiki beach. You can buy a print of this on my commercial gallery and see other images by clicking here.
Diamond Head
Whenever we travel on vacation we miss our dog so we tend to glom on to other peoples dogs. These two were playing on the beach at Kaanapali beach in Maui near a Maui Family Sunday Picnic. Making friends with the dogs got us invited to the picnic. Got to love the friendliness of the Hawaiian people. You can see other animal images at my Animals and Flowers Gallery by clicking here.
Dogs at Play
On a recent trip to Mars I observed these cloud formations leading me to the conclusion that life is possible! Oh, wait a minute it wasn’t Mars it WAS Maui. This is a morning view from the crater at Haleakala National Park in Maui. The park is 10,000 above sea level and quite a miraculous ride to the top. It can be very cold so make sure you bring a warm jacket or coat. The astronauts trained here before the moon mission because NASA thought the terrain was the most similar one in the USA to the surface of the moon. The views are spectacular. You can see and purchase other views of this site on my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Crater at Haleakala
One of the advantages of staying at Ka’anapali Beach in Maui is that each day you are treated to a beautiful Sunset. Sure very rarely it may rain but one of the most difficult decisions of the day is where to view the setting sun. In summer I like to be dinning on the beach at The Barefoot Bar or Pacifico and see the setting sun as we enjoy cocktails before dinner. In the winter, it is fun to be in Turtle Bay or Black rock to see the cliff divers. You can see other stunning Maui vistas on my commercial site by clicking here.
Just Another Maui Sunset