We took a drive out to the Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
Entering Cape Cod:
A small visitor center at a rest area:
Salt Pond Visitor Center:
Map:
Shells:
Other exhibits:
Pond:
Boat:
Highland Lighthouse:
Province Lands Visitor Center:
Three Sisters Lighthouses:
Nauset Light:
We drove to the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park in Maine, including the Rockefeller Welcome Center in historic Rockefeller Hall and Schoodic Point.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
The welcome center in Schoodic Education and Research Center:
There’s only one part of Acadia National Park that requires a timed entry ticket, and that’s the Cadillac Mountain summit road. It is a popular place to visit, especially for dawn, as it is (for part of the year) the first place in the US to see the sunrise. We managed to snag one of the limited sunrise tickets, and got up at 3 AM to experience it.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
We drove the west-side loop in Acadia National Park in Maine, including Carroll Family Homestead, the Seawall area, and the iconic Bass Harbor Head Light Station.
Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some alternative stops marked:
Southwest Harbor:
We drove around the main park loop in Acadia National Park in Maine, including the main visitor center, a nature center, Thunder Hole, and Jordan Pond.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
The Wild Gardens of Acadia:
Thunder Hole Gift Shop:
Thunder Hole:
We went to Jordan Pond House for dinner:
Jordan Pond:
We visited the Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem, Massachusetts. It was the first National Historic Site in the US, established March 17, 1938.
The Salem Armory Visitor Center:
Custom House:
A couple of neighboring buildings in the park:
Waterfront:
Light:
We kinda visited Fort Williams Park & Portland Head Light in Portland, Maine.
I say kinda as we went into the park, but the parking wasn’t cooperating, so we just left again.
An interactive map of the park:
Entrance sign:
Portland Head Light, dimly visible in the marine layer haze:
That’s about it. Would have been nice to explore more, but sometimes it doesn’t work out.
We briefly visited the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont.
Billings Farm visitor center, which serves as the visitor center for the NHP when its one is closed, as it was when we visited:
The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion:
Info sign:
Pool:
The mansion again:
An interesting place.
We visited Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, New York. The fort started as a French base in 1678, then British in 1759, then later US. (Wikipedia article.)
An interactive map:
Visitor center:
Layout:
Exhibits:
Historic 1812 garrison flag:
Exploring the fort:
A talk and demonstration:
Gift store:
Lighthouse:
Some viewpoints on the American side of Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls State Park map:
American Falls:
Horseshoe Falls:
Maid of the Mist viewing tower:
View from the tower platform:
Maid of the Mist boat and access:
Nice!