The Adirondack Hamlet Of Keene Valley, New York - Part 1

We arrived in the little Hamlet of Keene Valley and I decided to take some pictures. The first place I photographed was Neighborhood House, an assisted living residence. How nice it must be to spend one's old age surrounded by such beautiful mountain scenery:

I snapped a photo down a side street to show how every road took you toward Adirondack high peaks:

The Rustic Store, one of the few such places I haven't yet visited. I'll have to remember to do that soon:

The Birch Store. I have been in there but didn't find anything I wanted or could afford:

And if one wanted to buy property here, I would suppose that this Adirondack Realty office would be a good place to begin looking:

The Noon Mark Diner always seems to be doing a lively business. Nearby Noonmark Mountain, by the way, is one of the best hikes in all the Adirondacks, with 360 degree views. I've hiked it several times when I was younger:

The Trail's End Bed And Breakfast had vacancies, not that I'd be checking in. Are you noticing that every shot has a backdrop of Adirondack mountains?

The Skylight Gallery is named, I'd guess, after Mount Skylight, one of the most remote and spectacular of the high peaks. I hiked it once with my old dogs Casey and Poppy, and was so moved by the wild beauty of the summit that I broke into tears:

The Keene Fitness Center. I did not, alas, see any beautiful, buff bodies coming or going:

A Congregational church. Some day I'll take photos of all the churches I pass along my way:

A regional office of the Nature Conservancy:

The Ausable Inn. I once long ago had a pleasant lunch on the deck here, while my two dogs were tied to the railing. But there was still more to see in Keene Valley so I'll post more photos tomorrow:

The Final Leg Of The Trip Home

We were on our way home from the farm, the dogs and I. We'd gone hiking in Brasher State Forest and taken a driving tour of the northern towns of Bombay and Moira, New York. The dogs were fresh off a nice rest stop at Marcy Field and I was driving through the Giant Mountain region on my way to join up with the main highway back to Albany:

Snow was falling lightly - just enough to be pretty but without sticking to the roads:

Occasionally the clouds would part and allow magnificent mountain views:

We were close to the tops of most of the nearby mountains and they were wrapped lightly in clouds:

I parked on the shoulder of the road to get a quiet view of the Adirondack majesty:

The waterfall which normally cascades down that cliff appeared to be all frozen but I assumed the water continued flowing beneath the ice:

I still had about a two hour drive to get home but wanted to take my time appreciating the beauty at hand. Once I was on the highway there'd be no leisurely stops for scenery:

I passed through the mountain pass which leads past the trail heads to Giant Mountain, Rocky Peak Ridge and Noonmark Mountain, old friends of mine from my younger hiking days:

And shot one last photo before I pulled onto the main highway. It had been a pleasant, relaxing and fruitful trip up to the farm. I'm always anxious to go back: