Postcards are a way of saving memories. Since I’ll soon be starting my seventh year writing Back Road Journal, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite memories and photos through the next several posts called “Postcards”. The first being New England Post Cards / Favorite Photos about my wonderful years living in New England. For my longtime followers, see how many you can remember and for my new followers, take a look back at what you have missed. I hope you all will enjoy them.
I believe that my husband’s and my time spent in New England provided some of our most wonderful memories. Our apple farm in New Hampshire is where we called home and our small cottage on Long Lake, just 45 minutes north of Portland, Maine is where we spent our summers. Many a ride was taken on back roads as we discovered what makes New England such a special part of our country.
During one of our summers in Maine, we drove up to visit the Mid Coast region. This is where you will find Rockport, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. It is one of the Maine’s most beautiful areas and was on our bucket list. This region is known for its quaint harbor villages, light houses, its rugged but beautiful coastline, its offshore islands, bald eagles and seals.
During that week’s visit, I got a literal bird’s-eye view of Camden harbor from the open air cockpit of a 1933 Waco biplane to celebrate my birthday. Wearing “Snoopy” leather helmets but without the benefit of goggles like our pilot, my husband and I took a thirty minute flight over the coast. It was the most adventuresome birthday gift I’ve ever received.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show.
Our small lakeside town of Naples, Maine is located in what is called the Lakes Region. It always put on a fun parade to celebrate the 4th of July which we loved attending. Later in the evening, watching the sunset from our dock on the lake was always a spectacular event, barely outdone by the fireworks at night.
Summer living at the lake provided quiet moments of relaxation as well as lots of water activities and, of course, lobsters and Maine blueberries. I guess you could say there was never a dull moment.
New Hampshire’s historic Seacoast region is definitely a great place to visit. Many happy hours were spent driving along its back roads and its eighteen miles of shoreline, discovering small towns and visiting the historic city of Portsmouth.
Several summers we visited the idyllic island of Nantucket off the coast of Massachusetts. It is one of those special summer destinations that you hate to leave.
One of the things that makes New England special are all the wonderful gardens you see everywhere. While gardening is challenging because of the short growing season, critters and brutal winters, the end result was most rewarding.
All those critters that I spoke of, they used to love visits to both our garden and orchard. You might say that cuteness is what made us decide to share our bountiful crops with so many of the “native New Englanders” although we didn’t have too much to say about it.
We grew the most wonderful tomatoes each summer in Maine and when we closed up the cottage in the fall and headed home to New Hampshire, our heritage apples were ready for picking. I think you could say we had the best of both worlds as far as bountiful New England crops.
What better way to end my story about time spent in New England than with one of the amazing sunsets that we enjoyed from the dock of our cottage in Maine.
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I hope that you enjoyed my New England Postcards as I believe that they show a little of what makes New England such a delightful place to visit or perhaps even live there. I know they represent some of my fondest memories…perhaps you will visit this beautiful region and make memories of your own.
Back Road Journal 
Absolutely picturesque! That sunset shot is breathtaking beautiful!
I have to agree with you Angie, New England is very picturesque. Sunsets at the lake were stunning with the reflections on the water and the mountains in the background. Thank you for your compliment, I’m happy you enjoyed the post.
Wonderful memories!
I’m grateful to have experienced my life in New England, thank you Kay.
It looks so beautiful – you must miss it.
Hi Mad Dog, I do miss New England. Everything EXCEPT winters. 😀
I bet!
Lovely photos that most definitely say New England. Your cover photo is exceptional.
I appreciate your nice compliment Jovina, thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos.
Beautiful collection of photographs showcasing your adventures in the northeast. Thanks for the ‘postcards’ 😊
I’m happy to know you enjoyed my “postcards” Ingrid, thank you for your compliment.
I remember so many of these wonderful postcards. Your time in New England was certainly a special part of your life but I’d imagine that you don’t miss the long cold winters.
You’ve been a longtime follower Peter and I’m glad you enjoyed a look back at my wonderful time in New England. So true, I definitely don’t miss the long, cold, snowy winters that were part of life there.
Love your photos! You had some magical moments in New England. And we were all along for part of the ride! Thanks for that.
Thank you John, I’m glad you liked the look back through my photos. You have been following along on my adventures a long time and I’m grateful.
Love it Karen—the coast of Maine is one of my favorite places—nothing beats a good lobster roll right out of a street vendor’s cart. I use to tell my husband I wanted to live in Camden. And we spent one July 4th in Bar Harbor which was so much fun.
New England is a beautiful spot…just wish I think I could ‘survive’ the winters 😉
I’m glad you enjoyed the “postcards” Julie. Oh yes, New England has so much to offer but you are right, those winters can be challenging.
I so enjoyed visiting New England thought the lens of your camera! Beautiful!
Thank you for the lovely compliment, Pam. I’m so happy you enjoyed the photos.
So many beautiful images, Karen! They take me back to when Mark and I lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire – love seeing the photographs of Strawbery Banke! When you think back on your days in New England, what do you miss most? Some of ours – in addition to friends, which were most important – are lobster, lilacs, and lily of the valley. We called them the “L” words.
Thank you David, I’m glad that you enjoyed the photos and they brought back nice memories of your time living in New England. I agree with you, I do miss the beautiful flower gardens. One thing about living in Florida now, we get a lot of our northern friends visiting when they want to escape winter. 😀
Lot’s of good memories there. I’m not a fan of the Florida heat, but it’s easy to understand wanting to leave the cold New England winters as well. I might have kept that cottage on the lake as a place to go and beat the heat – of course your jaunts to the Alps takes care of that as well 🙂
Hi Larry, we definitely swapped climates and yes those Alps are a great place to escape to when we want some cooler weather. We thought seriously about keeping the cottage on the lake but in the end, we decided to sell. Closing it down, draining pipes, having the dock pulled out of the water and storing the boat and jet ski… it was a lot of work for such a short season of use. What we do have are lots of great memories and we can always go back and stay at one of the wonderful New England inns for a visit.
I remember many of your beautiful posts from years ago and reading about your idyllic life on the east coast. I love that part of our country and hope to go back one of these days.
Hi Gerlinde, Yes…the two coasts of our country are very different. I’m glad you you have enjoyed been such a loyal follower during our adventures in New England. Thank you!
New England is on my bucket list. I have a feeling I will love it there!!! Great photos.
Hi Pam, I’m glad that you enjoyed the photos and I do hope you will be able to check New England off your bucket list someday…I know you will love it.
Your fabulous postcards from New England have me longing to return to that part of the east coast. Fall weather and apple harvest is so enchanting.
Thank you for your lovely compliment Deb. Yes, fall is probably everyone’s favorite season in New England. Gorgeous weather, apple picking and the fall foliage are delightful…I do hope you get to return.
Thank you Karen for the lovely photos. Wonderful memories, yet now you can reminisce without all the labor and upkeep!
I am still here and in the middle of my peony harvest.Hundreds of bouquets in the fridge and more cutting to do. Wet forecast does not bode well for Saturday market sales, yet perhaps Mother Nature will hold off a few hours.
What travels do you plan for the summer?
You are so right Diane, life is definitely easier here in Florida. 🙂 I do hope the weather holds out for you, we have had rainstorms each afternoon for the last three days. Travel plans are in the works, we are doing something very different for this year’s trip to Europe. I think everyone will enjoy following along…more to come soon. 🙂
I had such a lovely journey through New England this morning. Coffee in hand. Willie Nelson on the Victrola I traveled the highways and byways. The streets and alleys . Sipping lemonade-aide and enjoying life. Thank you dear Karen for a most delightful way to start my day. Cheers Virginia
I appreciate your very kind words Virginia…it is followers like you that make me enjoy sharing my blog. Thank you!
Nice photos and great memories for you, Karen! New England is gorgeous!
Thank you Pam, the photos do bring back lots of fond memories of New England. It is a beautiful part of our country and I’m glad that you enjoyed them, thank you.
You’ve made me long for a trip to the northeast! What beautiful photos–it’s been a decade since our last visit to that area of the country. It’s time to get back.
I think you are right Liz, a trip back to New England after a decade seems like a great idea. Thank you for your compliment, I’m glad you enjoyed the post and photos.
New England should hire you as part of their visitors bureau because you could definitely bring in guests to visit NH and ME. Perfect post. Of course, I’m prejudiced but that’s okay because we know a good thing when we have it. 🙂
You gave me a chuckle Judy, thank you for your sweet comment. I’m sorry that we never had the chance to meet in person when we lived in New Hampshire…we were only a couple of towns away from each other. Your blog keeps me in touch with that pretty part of the state. 🙂
Karen, it’s been several months since you posted (I’ve been checking!) so I’m glad to see you’re back. Your photos of New England look great and remind me that I need to get back to that part of the US. I remember visiting Acadia National Park about 40 years ago and having to climb some sort of ladder to reach the top of some boulders. Apple pie, here I come!!
That is so sweet of you Fran, thank you for not giving up on me. 😀 I had some personal commitments that kept me away from my blog but the last project was finished last night. Phew…glad I’m back to doing what I love. Now I have to try and catch up with what has been happening with all my friends. I do hope you get a chance for apple pie in New England.
beautiful images! you’ve captured maine well. i moved from florida to belfast, maine and i feel extremely blessed to live in such a beautiful place.
Thank you Amy for your nice compliment, I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. It sounds like we have a lot in common. We lived in south Florida, moved to New England for twenty years but moved once more, now living on the Treasure Coast of Florida. You do live in a beautiful place, enjoy!
Nothing better than summers in New England. The vegetables grown in Maine soil are some of the best I’ve ever eaten. Your photos bring my childhood to me all the way to Australia.
So very nice to hear from you Maureen, I think of you and John often…you are definitely missed. I’m so happy that you enjoyed the photos and that they brought back nice memories of Maine. You are right, I think the tomatoes that we grew in Maine were some of the best we ever had.
So much fun to look back and remember with you what you have shared since we’ve been acquainted. I see you even stuck a photo of Indian Island in the mix.
I’m glad you enjoyed this post Linda. I can’t look back at the photos without remembering the wonderful weekend we shared with the two you. 😀
Hi Karen – I love these pics and memories of what I call home. New England is near and dear to my heart. I spent most of my growing up in RI and NH, but lots of trips to ME and CT and VT too. You captured it all so beautifully. We moved south to SC in 1990, but came home to NH in 2004. I love it here – I miss the shorter winters of the south and the people, but I love the four season we get in New England – changing leaves and crisp nights. Thanks for this great snapshot of New England!
Thank you Allie, it makes me feel good to know that so many of my New England friends liked the photos. I appreciate your lovely compliment. I know what you mean, I like living in our area of Florida but I loved living in New England.
Picture perfect memories!! What an adventure you’ve had over the past 7 years. Here’s to many more!!
Thank you for following along on my adventures over the years Jan. I’ve got new places to take everyone and a few delicious treats that I’ll be sharing over the months ahead.
how utterly wonderfully gorgeous it all looks. lucky you to have lived there. cheers sherry
Hi Sherry, I know it is halfway around the world and very different from where you live so I’m glad you enjoyed the post and photos…thank you. We were lucky to have spent some wonderful years in that beautiful part of our country.
Thanks for the memories Milady . . . .
My pleasure, Eha. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Oh, what great memories! I’ll be visiting New England again next month and am already looking forward to it!
Thank you for your nice compliment. I do hope you have a wonderful time on your visit, Kiki, it is very pretty in June. This is the first year in a long time we will not be visiting your country of Germany…heading to new areas of Europe this fall.
Oh, I hope we’ll still be reading about your European adventures!
Thank you for the beautiful pix of some of our favorite places! Maine is incredible any time of year!
It is my pleasure to share the photos, I’m happy that you enjoyed them Angela. Thank you!
I always loved your posts about New England, such a beautiful part of the country. The winters are difficult though, so I get why you moved to Florida. We are considering buying a house in Arizona to escape to in the winter, not all winter, because I do like a little snow, just not into March or April like it was this year. Hope you are well.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the photos Angela, thank you for your nice compliment. We certainly did love our time spent in Maine each summer.
Thank you for the beautiful photos. After spending last summer going down the west coast, this year we plan to see what the northeast has to offer. These lovely images are getting me so excited to see the sight!
Hi Julie, I believe you will enjoy this year’s trip doing the east coast. Happy Travels.
Always a sucker for a lovely sunset, Karen, but what a super birthday present, and a fabulous place to have called home. 🙂 🙂
Hi Jo, we did have a fabulous place to call home and yes, flying in that biplane was certainly a memorable birthday present. 😀
Hi Karen, what beautiful pictures, really enjoyed all.what amazing yours travels!
Thanks you! and thanks by the lovely words in my blog after my Mom’s loss. xo
Thank you Gloria for your kind words. I’m glad that you enjoyed the photos. I know you will miss your mother but I hope each day without her gets easier for you.
What wonderful memories from some truly beautiful moments, Karen. I was always partial to your posts about the loons around your dock. I enjoy seeing your post cards. Each one is very special!
Hi Debra, I’m glad that you enjoyed looking back over the years. I meant to have a photo of the loons in my postcards. We were lucky that our lake was a nesting area…they are a magnificent bird to see up close.
Such a lovely selection of shots. Love that pastel sunset at the end.
Thank you for your compliment, Ladyfi, I’m happy that you enjoyed the photos. Sunsets were amazing at the lake and that one at the end is one of my absolute favorites.
So wonderful to showcase your memories like this! And what a stunning part of the world to live in.
Hi Tandy, I’m glad you enjoyed the “postcards”, I thought it would be a fun way to look back at our time spent living in New England. You are right, it is a gorgeous part of our country. Thank you for your compliment.
What a beautiful part of the world! I have never visited New England. Very pittoresque! I love your pictures Karen!
Thank you Alida, I’m happy that you enjoyed seeing a bit of New England. I do hope that perhaps you will be able to visit someday and see it in person.
Love this idea and these beautiful memories, Karen!
Thank you Ksenia, I thought “postcards” would be a fun way to look back at our time in New England. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
These photos are -so- beautiful, so idyllic, it’s almost hard to believe that such a place exists in real life!
I appreciate your lovely compliment, Hannah. Yes, I do think New England is a special. I’m glad that I got to experience so much of it over the years we lived there. It was a wonderful part of our life.
Beautiful photos and memories!!
Thank you Jenna, for your nice compliment.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this post! Congratulations on 7 years of fabulous posts and photos. Each one of these photos is indeed gorgeous enough to be on a post card.
Thank you so very much for your kind words, Bobbie. I appreciate your being one of my longtime blogging friends, let’s share many more together.
I have always wanted to do this trip. You’ve convinced me to make it happen!
Hi Abbe, I do hope you get to make a journey to New England. I really believe you would enjoy your visit there. Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Hello.
How delightful post. I love all of your photos and I found one pearl among them. Second photo from the top presents a tall ship. I love tall ships and that is why ask if You know its name. Tall ships visit Finland every fourth year and I shoot photos from them if possible. If You do not mind, I show here my photos from last year that You understand better me.
Tall ships in Kotka, Finland
Happy weekend!
Thank you so much Sartenada, for your kind words. I’m very happy that you enjoyed the post. The ship in question is The Margaret Todd, a 151 foot four masted schooner that takes tourists for a sail in Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor, Maine. It was launched new in April
of 1998. The tall ships that you have seen in Kotka are wonderful, thanks for sharing. 😀
All so lovely Karen. I am thankful you are sharing these. I have never been so this is a delight for my eyes. Congrats on 7 years of sharing your travel. Have a fabulous weekend.
Thank you for your nice wish and lovely compliment Linda, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post. I’ll be having new “postcards” up soon, next up from Italy.
Wonderful photos, Karen! I love the one of the deer looking up to see which apple it might be able to reach 🙂
Thank you for your nice compliment Susan, I’m happy you enjoyed the photos. Yes, the deer thought they lived nearby a great “apple store”. With three hundred trees, we always had plenty to share with the critters.
You have some beautiful memories here… thanks for sharing.
It was my pleasure to share Mae, I’m glad that you enjoyed looking back at our time spent living in New England.
I loved this post 😃 such beautiful photos. I can see why you have so many fond memories. I too share my orchard with the critters … Now that potting shed, wish I had one just like it!
I’m glad you enjoyed it Julie, thank you. I know what you mean about my potting shed, it was a dream come true. The critters would make me crazy when they got in the veggie garden but with three hundred apple trees, we had plenty to share. I wasn’t happy sharing the pears and cherries though as we didn’t have that many trees.
It has been in my travel bucket list forever. What a gorgeous place!
I hope you get a chance to visit New England Denise, it really is a wonderful part of our country.
Love New England and Maine especially. We’re heading there next month and I can feel myself relaxing just thinking about it! Thanks for sharing these great post cards!
I know you will enjoy your visit Monica and summer is the perfect time to visit. Thank you for your compliment, I’m glad you liked “postcards”.
HI Karen! what a gorgeous collection of photos. We are on the west coast, but I’d love to take a good long road trip all through New England! And– I can’t believe you lived on an apple farm– sounds idyllic! hugs!
I know you would enjoy a road trip through New England, Rhonda. It’s very different from the west coast of our country. Our apple farm was a beautiful piece of property with views to the mountains. Idyllic but a lot of work to take care of and I was the one who did it.
Sounds like someplace we would love Karen. thanks. xo
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos! I would love to travel up to the New England area sometime!
It was my pleasure Nancy, I’m happy you enjoyed the photos. I do hope you get a chance to visit New England, you would love it.
My how time flies!!! Fabulous journal of memories!
So true, MJ. I can’t believe it has been seven years since I pressed that publish button and started this blog. It has been nice having you following along…thanks!
I’ve wanted to go to New England for so long and now I really want to go after seeing these beautiful photos!
Hi Marcie, I hope my photos do inspire you to make a trip to New England sometime in the future, I know you would have a great time.
What a gorgeous post Karen! It must have taken forever to pull together! I’ve been to Boston and to Vermont but that is all (unless you count the Bangor ME airport 🙂 ). There were a lot of people from NH vacationing in VT when we were there. Maine is definitely on my bucket list.
Thank you for the nice compliment Inger, I’m happy that you liked the post. It did take some time to put together but fun looking back at the wonderful moments we shared while living there. We often took rides from New Hampshire over to Woodstock, Vermont for lunch and then rode back. The winding back roads made for a lovely day trip. I’m happy you have Maine on your bucket list. 😀
Beautiful post and postcards, Karen! I think that out of those gorgeous landscapes and views, the thing I’ll remember most is the lobster (is it called a sandwich? a bun?). I guess it’s called a food obsession!
Thank you Sissi for your kind words and for being such a longtime follower of my blog. What you are thinking of is called a “lobster roll”…probably the most famous sandwich in New England and what a delicious one at that. 🙂
Such evocative photos. All they need is the “wish you were here” inscription. GREG
You gave me a smile Greg. Yes, they should have said “wish you were here” or even “I wish I was there”. Thank you for your kind comment.
You have taken some really fantastic photos. I always imagine how much more awesome things would even be in person with the sounds and the fresh air. I particularly love the fireworks pic (so hard to get good pics of fireworks) and the critters. I have a weakness for critters.
Thank you so much Laura for your kind words about the photos. You are right, it is much better in person that what a camera can capture. Ah the critters…we named the chipmunk “Bad” because he would eat the cherry tomatoes but he was so cute, you just couldn’t get too mad. We fed him sunflower seeds and he stopped eating the tomatoes. 😀
Such a beautiful place and beautiful pictures. They actually make me a bit sad, because I realize I will never get to see that beautiful place in real, that and so many other wonderful places in this world. Life’s just too short…
Life is too short Adina to possibly see all our beautiful world has to offer. I’m glad that you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite photos and memories of New England. Thank you!
This was a fantastic tour of a beautiful area – I haven’t explored it enough obviously! I used to come to Portland Maine on business several times a year. Such a lovely place. Thanks for sharing – it was a lovely virtual vacation 🙂
A virtual vacation, I like that description Tricia…thank you. Our cottage in Maine was less than an hour away from downtown Portland, so we often made a day trip for lunch. Great restaurants there and some nice specialty shops.
As a youngster, I used to love to receive post cards from places I could only dream of. Looking at the image on front of the card then reading the description on the back, hoping one day to visit there. Your post cards today gave just such a feeling.
Thank you for stopping by for a visit and leaving such a nice compliment Ron, it is much appreciated. I’m glad that you enjoyed my “postcards”. I look forward to having you follow along for future “postcards”. I’ll be taking you to Italy next. 🙂
Hi Karen, if only we could have Florida’s winter weather it would be the most perfect place to live. You have captured New England very well, and we are looking forward to our trip to Southwest Harbor, ME in August. And of course Acadia National Park. You hit the nail on the head that while gardening is challenging because of our short growing season, critters and brutal winters, the end result is the most rewarding. I will be perfectly happy now until next March 🙂 I enjoy January and February playing at the ski resorts, but come March, I want to start gardening! xo
So very true Deb, if it wasn’t for winter New England would be wall to wall people. Summer on the other hand is a true delight. I’m glad you enjoyed the post, thank you. Oh, and enjoy Maine…wish I was joining you. 🙂
I love this post and this concept, Karen! And since we are now living in the New England area (well, close enough here in upstate New York) this first one in the series is particularly interesting to me. I totally took notes of places to visit on future vacations thanks to this post. Awesome!! 🙂 Happy early Memorial Day weekend, my friend!
Thank you David, I’m so happy that you enjoyed the post. Hopefully, it will give you some ideas for future trips. Next up will be “postcards” from Italy, hope you will like them as well.
Beautiful photo gallery, Karen. That was quite some adventurous birthday treat. 🙂
Thank you Sylvia, for your nice compliment. Oh yes, the biplane ride will go down as one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever had. 😀
I certainly did enjoy seeing your beautiful photos, with captions, of New England! I hope one day to be able to visit some of that gorgeous area. Thankfully from you, I enjoyed an armchair stroll!
I’m happy you enjoyed the photos Kitty and I appreciate your lovely compliment. I do hope you will get the opportunity to visit New England someday, it is lovely.
It looks so stunning! I’d love to visit one day. I love the fauna and the food!
Hi Lorraine, I do hope in all your travels that you get a chance to visit New England. I’m sure you would love it.
How wonderful. I’m wild about New England and have enjoyed a bit on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket so I adore seeing your photos.
Thanks for coming over to Marmelade Gypsy and leaving such a lovely comment. Looking down on your posts, I can see I will be a follower!
Thank you Jeanie, for your visit and l appreciate your kind words. I look forward to your following along. 😀
WOW!! Your photos highlight everything I LOVE about New England!! The winters not so much, but the other 3 seasons make it so worthwhile (sometimes..lol!)
Hi Karrie, I think we love the same things when it comes to New England. Even the beginning of winter wasn’t bad. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, thank you.
New England is a place I have always wanted to visit and your pictures have shown me why. Absolutely gorgeous.
Hi Darlene, I’m happy that you enjoyed the photos.I hope that you do get a chance to visit one day.
Such gorgeous photos Karen! It would be a beautiful place for my family to visit and we are not that far away so very doable!
Thank you Fida, for your nice compliment. I believe that you and your family would have a great time visiting New England…there is so much to see and do.
I’ve heard such wonderful things about this part of the country, but I’ve never made it that far north.
Hi Jeff, You definitely should try to head north, I think you would really enjoy visiting New England.
Fantastic memories – and photos.
Amalia
xo
I appreciate your nice compliment Amalia, thank you.
The “postcards” are wonderful. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you via our blogs across the years.
I appreciate your kind words Sheryl and thank you for following over the years. It has been a pleasure knowing you as well.
This is such a lovely posy Karen, I would love to see more of your postcards. Happy 7th year of blogging, what a journey!. I wish I’ll visit there soon.
Thank you Amira for your lovely compliment and wish. I just posted a postcard about Italy…I hope you will like it too.
simply stunning we visited Maine last summer and loved it reminded me of Scotland 🙂 I am sure you miss it lots.
Hi Rebecca, I do miss New England…that is except those long, snowy winters. I’m happy that my post brought back memories of your visit to Maine.
What wonderful photos!
Born and raised on MDI. I always enjoy seeing and reading about it.
Home.
Following!
~Kevin
Thank you for stopping by for a visit Kevin. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post…where you grew up is a beautiful part of our country.
beautiful view and photos