a little place in the country

On my recent road trip I took a little detour up along the Hudson River, and stopped at the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York.  It was getting late in the day, and so I missed the last tour of the interior of the house, but the building and grounds were just beautiful in the fading afternoon light.

 The building has such fantastic architectural details, shapes, and shadows.

And the gardens, even this late in the season, were still lovely, 

full of light and little unexpected treasures.

road trip

There's something about a road trip, no matter where you're going or for what purpose, that feels so freeing, so full of possibilities.  I've driven the route between Massachusetts and Maryland dozens of times, but the sights always intrigue me.

The Vince Lombardi rest stop (the first bathroom on the New Jersey turnpike) has saved my life on a number of occassions.  I have practically kissed the ground right at this spot on several trips where I got stuck in bad traffic in the city.  O Vince Lombardi rest stop, I love you so.