Travels in the 2nd half

Prayer Ribbons, Pelourihno, Salvador, Brazil Ephemera - e·phem·er·a noun: Things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time. ·Items of collectable memorabilia, typically written or printed ones, that were originally expected to have only a short-term u sefulness or popularity. Maid of the Mist. Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Travel is the essence of ephemera. When you visit a place, you are creating experiences that are, by definition, short-term. If it is your first visit to a place, your senses may feel bombarded with stimuli. Everything is new, and you just drink it in like a dry sponge. Or, you might be returning to a place you have been before. Now you are looking for specifics; “Is that café still open?” “Smell the bread from our favorite bakery.” “The soup here is the best tasting  in the world.” Fabrics. Palermo, Sicily, Italy All of these experiences are short-term. So we try to burn them into our memories. But memory is fleeting, so we try to help it out. We ...

Hessian Lake About six weeks into New York’s “stay-at-home” orders during this COVID-19 crisis, I began to crawl the walls.I had been in my apartment for 22-23 hours every day, only going out to shop or get in a walk for exercise. That was when I found out that New York’s State Parks were open. So, on April 28th, day 41 of social distancing, I drove the forty miles north along the Hudson River to Bear Mountain State Park. Fishing at Hessian Lake Bear Mountain State Park is a 5200+ acre (8.1 sq. mile) treasure, just outside the New York Metropolitan area. It sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, stretching from the water up and over Bear Mountain. It includes over 200 miles of hiking trails, camping sites, a museum and zoo, a carousel, and a seasonal swimming pool and ice skating rink. There is also the Bear Mountain Inn, a hotel built in 1915, which also houses a restaurant, cafeteria and a gift shop. Bear Mountain Inn and Anthony's  Nose by Zeete via Wikicommons Bear Mountai...

Swan lake Being stuck at home 98% of the time has forced me to look for places I can visit in order to get some fresh air and exercise. One place near my house in the Bronx that allows for this in a beautiful setting is the Rockefeller Preserve State Park, in Pleasantville NY. The Rockefeller Preserve is a state park that is located about 25 miles north of Manhattan. It is the former estate of William Rockefeller , the older brother of John D. Rockefeller. The family began the transfer of the land to New York in 1983. Today the park covers over 1700 acres and contains 55 miles of carriage trails for hiking. The park has been identified as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society . It is home or a rest area for over 180 species of birds. The hiking paths pass through several habitats, including open meadows, dense forest, brooks and Swan lake, which covers 24 acres. The park’s visitors center has a small art gallery, that under normal times hosts shows, mostly of local ...