Tag: New York

Onieda Community Museum

On August 20, 2018

The first stop on our recent East Coast Road Trip was at the Onieda Community Mansion Museum. This is an interesting place with a unique history. We had first heard about the Onieda Mansion on an episode of Planet Money. You know the Onieda silverware company, right? Did you know that they started out as a 19the century, perfectionist cult and free love commune? The mansion house (now a museum) was the home of the Onieda Community from 1848-1880. Led by John Humprey Noyes, the community “challenged social views on property ownership, gender roles, child-rearing practices, monogamous marriage, and work.” The community was way ahead of its time in the in the rights of women, in that the women of the community were able to participate in community work and they played an active role in shaping policy of the commune. (wiki and Onieda Community)

The mansion house itself is a beautiful building with unique details. There are many community spaces to explore including a beautiful library. There is also a large meeting space where the 300 members of the community would come together for religious purposes as well as community meetings. It is hard to imagine 300 people living together under one roof. Nowadays, the building houses a museum, gift shop, as well as apartments, and guest rooms. It was a very interesting place, but I will admit it had a kind of creepy vibe to it. The Onieda Community may have failed as a cult/commune/eugenics experiment, but they do make nice silverware.

While in Onieda, we also discovered the Wold’s Smallest Church. The Cross Island Church was built for a wedding so it can house a couple with a minister while the guests watch from boats on the water. I wish we had heard about this place earlier because we may have called ahead for a tour, instead we viewed it from the road. More information about this tiny church can be found at RoadSideAmerica.com.

Thanks for stopping by and reading what has to be one of the strangest posts on this blog! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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East Coast Road Trip Recap

By Ashleigh

On August 14, 2018

In National Parks & Places, Road Trip, Travel

The view from Cadillac Mountain

Another Epic Road Trip is a wraps! 8 states – 4 of which were new to me. This was my third time in New York, but the first time out of New York City and the first time getting into New York by car (the first time was by train and the second was by boat). This was a varied trip. Over 9 nights we stayed at 3 hotels, 1 AirBNB, and 2 campgrounds. It was a very busy trip and we saw a lot of interesting places! I am excited to share the stories with you here!

Here is our itinerary and a preview of what is to come in this trip report:

Night 1: Syracuse, NY
Onieda House Museum
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Minuteman National Historic Park
Night 2: Auburn, MA
Boston Museum of Fine Art
Boston Freedom Trail
Night 3: Cambridge, MA
House of Seven Gables & Salem
Portland, ME
Night 4: Seawall, ME
Acadia National Park – Park Loop Road
Cadillac Mountain
Jordan Pond House
Acadian Nature Cruise
Night 5: Seallwall, ME
Jordan Pond Hike
Bass Harbor Head Light
Night 6: Seawall, ME
Maine Lighthouses
Night 7: Keene, NH
Albany Museum of Art and History
Watkins Glen Hike
Night 8: Watkins Glen, NY
Corning Museum of Glass
Rockwell Museum
Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Night 9: Watkins Glen, NY
Erie Land Light
Home

We were able to see so many different museums on this trip because of the ROAM – reciprocal museum admission program. I’ve mentioned before that we are members of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Before this trip, we upgraded our membership to a level that includes this reciprocal admissions program. 6 of the 7 museums that we visited were included and we were able to get in for free. If you enjoy museums, look into a ROAM membership before your next trip. It may save you money and it will definitely allow you to check out museums that you may not have visited without it. Check out a list of participating museums here.

Be sure to check back next week for my take on the Onieda House Museum. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

Chris Corner #4: The Verrazano Narrows

By Chris

On March 11, 2016

In Chris' Corner, Travel

Verrazano Narrows Bridge in Morning Fog by Christopher Mowers on 500px.com

Last summer, Ashleigh and I had the joy of taking a cruise on the Norwegian Gem out of New York.

Not only was cruising out of New York great because it is a relatively short drive for us compared to Florida, but it was incredible to sail from a pier in Manhattan. These views were unbelievable.

Most of the pictures we got in New York Harbor were from our departure. The weather was outstanding. The thing that was really difficult though was that everyone else was also outside trying to get pictures. We decided we would get up early on our arrival day and try to get pictures with fewer people on deck.

One problem- the weather didn’t think this was such a great idea. Seriously, we didn’t get much. I don’t know how on earth I managed to capture this image, but I’m glad that I did.

About the Photo:
I took this photo at 55 mm, f/4.5, ISO 200, from the Promenade deck of the Norwegian Gem. I captured this photo the day that we drove home from New York, and on that car ride home, listening to the Improve Photography Podcast, heard all about the new dehaze slider in the lastest Lightroom release. I used that same dehaze slider on this photo with excellent results.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Date Taken:
June 21, 2015

Thank you for reading. You can see my best work on 500px and can also find pictures of the “trying my hardest to be good at this” type on Flickr or Pixoto.

Also, be sure to like the Go See Do Facebook Page, and follow Ashleigh on Instagram and Flickr! Check out our Gear page to see inside our camera bag!

2015: Year in Review

By Ashleigh

On December 28, 2015

In Travel

2015 really was a big year for me. About this time last year I decided to make photography a big focus for 2015 and I did. I started this blog, which has been a big motivator for me to work on my photography. To look at the stats and see that my photos are being viewed all around the world has been very enjoyable for me. I dedicated my summer break to improving my photography and I managed a photo a day project. This year, I realized that portrait photography is actually fun and something I’m not too bad at. I had my first three portrait shoots this year. I’m trying to keep this blog on the topic of nature and travel photography, but if you are interested in my portrait photography please visit MowersPhotography.com.

This year, I also had an amazing cruise vacation! I fell in love with Norwegian Cruise Line and ever since I got home I’ve been dreaming about getting back to sea! Sailing out of New York was truly an amazing sight and it may have been my favorite part of the whole cruise! I have been telling everyone that will listen to me that if you haven’t been on a cruise before, you have to try it! In my opinion, it is the absolute best way to travel!

Thank you for stopping by and being a part of my blog journey this year! It has been a lot of fun for me and I can’t wait to see what 2016 will bring! Maybe I’ll start sharing my portraits here, we’ll just have to wait and see! As always, if you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr!

Wordless Wednesday: Skyline Sailaway

By Ashleigh

On August 12, 2015

In Travel, Wordless Wednesday

Norwegian Gem – A Final Review

By Ashleigh

On August 3, 2015

In Travel

Sailing under the Verazzano Bridge on the way back into New York Harbor.

So far I have reviewed the ports from my cruise: Port Canaveral, Great Stirrup Cay, and Nassau and I’ve reviewed the dining. All I’ve got left is the ship itself. The Gem debuted in 2007 and can hold over 2300 passengers. It is considered a mid-sized ship, but there is so much going on that it feels like a much larger ship. Whether you’d like to lounge by the pool, practice your golf swing, or go on a scavenger hunt with the family, there is something for everyone to do on sea days.

We had an obstructed ocean-view cabin on deck 8. It was on the smaller side but it wasn’t uncomfortable for the two of us. If there were any more people, it would have been crowded. There was a lot of storage built into the cabin so things weren’t lying around and getting in the way. I think next time we would pay a little more for a full ocean-view or a balcony.

There are a lot of entertainment options on the Gem. There are big nightly Vegas-style shows, Second City Comedy shows, and numerous musicians around the ship. We’re not into Vegas-style shows so I can’t speak to the those, but the Second City shows were hilarious! I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time! We also really enjoyed the piano and guitar players on the ship. On the last night they had a huge jam session where all the ship’s musicians came together and even let musically-inclined passengers join them on stage.

The crew was great! The food was great! We loved that you weren’t seated with strangers at dinner. There was a lot to do on the ship. Overall, we loved the Gem and can’t wait to sail with NCL again in the future!

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To book your Norwegian Cruise Vacation visit NCL.com.

Back from Paradise

By Ashleigh

On June 29, 2015

In Travel

I am back from my cruise to paradise on the beautiful Norwegian Gem. We had perfect weather, assuming you can handle the heat! There were barely any clouds the whole week until we sailed back into New York harbor where the rain and fog rolled in and made for some unique, if not eerie, photos.

If the opportunity comes up to cruise out of New York, take it! The views while the ship is sailing out of New York harbor are stunning and unforgettable. I will definitely be posting more photos from my relaxing voyage in the upcoming weeks.

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr!