Ringing Rocks Park, Bucks County PA

I learned about this place on a show on the Travel Channel called Weird Travels and decided I had to go there. We drove two and a half hours to the Doylestown/ Bethlehem area of Pennsylvania above Philadelphia. The park is located in a beautiful wooded area. As you walk from the parking lot into the woods you notice that the ground is strewn with more and more rocks. The forest trail abruptly ends to reveal a large open field of boulders. The field is 5 acres big and 10 feet deep. It is a mystery how all these rocks ended up here. Furthermore, the rocks have unusual qualities. They ring, make music. Some have high pitch and others lower and then some just go "thunk". It is easy to determine which stones have a good pitch by their worn white marks from years and years of being hit with hammers by visitors. There is an eerie atmosphere as you clamber out over the rocks early in the morning, but as the park fills with visitors armed with hammers, all pounding on the rocks, the place becomes quite musical and entertaining.
(click on pictures for a larger view)

You can see that many of these boulders are very large.

A view of the field of rocks

This rock has a very good tone, visitors have worn a hole in the rock.

Another view of the rock field. It is said that a bird has never been seen flying over this area.

Interesting erosion patterns on the rocks

George "ringing" the stones.

A short walk past the rock field takes you through the forest to another interesting geological formation. There is a wide rock stepped platform that drops off to create a waterfall three stories high.

If this picture seems tilted it is because the rock floor does actually pitch to the right.

The rock floor is stepped down gradually toward the waterfall

View from the top of the waterfall.

Cascade Falls Trail at Patapsco State Park

The Cascade Falls Trail in the Orange Grove area of the Patapsco State Park is a 2.2 mile loop that treats the walker to beautiful cascades and rapids. (Click on the pictures for a larger view)

The combination of rock and water... lovely.

Me crossing the stream

A small waterfall on the trail

George

Patapsco State Park

A beautiful fall morning after a big storm seemed to be the perfect time for a walk. Today we went to Patapsco State Park. I was curious to see if the Swinging Bridge that I remembered from many years ago was still there. It is still there and still a wonderful place to walk and birdwatch.

The Swinging Bridge

Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) - Chick on the nest | the Internet Bird Collection

Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) - Chick on the nest the Internet Bird Collection
From our trip in July, this video was taken by our guide in Tambopata, Peru with a small camera held up to a spotting scope.

An Udderly Wonderful Breakfast

On the way from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Lititz, we stopped for breakfast at this restaurant. Not only was the breakfast wonderful, but they had probably the largest collection of ice-cream scoops anywhere.

Door handles...I like these cows.

Ice cream scoops. This is only maybe a third of the collection. Anytime anyone collects this much of anything, I find it interesting.

Lititz

Just north of Lancaster is a sweet little town. Founded in the mid 1700's by the Moravians, it is now a nice little day trip. The town is packed with lovely old historic buildings and quaint little shops.

The Sutter Inn, named after General Sutter, of Sutter's Gold fame, the founder of Sacremento, California spent the last 9 years of his life in Lititz.

They really don't want you to be hit by a car in this town.

The Wilbur Chocolate Factory, still in operation, now houses a small museum of chocoloate paraphenalia.

Chocolate molds

Candy stamps

A collection of antique cocoa boxes

I had to stop here and try out the merchandise.

A Key Lime Cupcake, was as good as it sounds and looks

First pretzel bakery in the new world, right here in Lititz, Pennyslvania

Kathy and the giant pretzel of Lititz

Chincoteague, Virgina

We were able to get away this weekend for a trip to Chincoteague, Virginia. The beach was packed with people and the wildlife refuge was packed with birds. We hadn't been there in a while and were surprised by some changes, like the new causeway bridge that now obstructs the pristine view of the marsh on the bay from our favorite hotel. Many shops on the island have gone out of business and new ones have sprung up, but generally things are much the same. The beach on Assateague Island now is much shorter beach and has no dunes. The wildlife refuge however, seems very much the same. It was good to see the water level high. Fall migration has started and we were able to see some nice birds. Here is a list of some of our favorites: Brown Pelican, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Black-Necked Stilt, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Long-Billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Osprey, Double-Crested Cormorant, Green-Backed Heron, Little Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron, Piping Plover, Caspian Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Laughing Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, American Oystercatcher, Canada Goose, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret.



A view of Snow Goose Pond in early morning

Bird tracks on the beach

Greater Black-Backed Gull

Here is the reason that most people come to the Wildlife Refuge on Assateatue Island, a view of the wild ponies of Chincoteague.

Birding at Bombay Hook Nationall Wildlife Refuge

The marsh was beautiful this morning, so many wildflowers in bloom and so many birds. Also so many horse flies, but lucky for us they weren't biting.

This fox greeted us as we entered the refuge.

An American Avocet, my favorite shorebird and we saw literally hundreds of them. What a treat!

Another of my favorites, the Black-necked Stilt. They are so delicate and graceful.

Here is a group of Lesser Yellowlegs.

Avocets, Yellowlegs and an Egret.

Great Egrets amd Snowy Egrets

Egrets and Glossy Ibis

Butterfly on Milkweed

Finally, here is me. We did most of our birding from the car in order to avoid those bothersome horseflies. It was a rather grey morning but I think that makes for the best birding.

Jerusalem Mill Walk

Accompanied by the constant hum of cicadas, George and I walked the trail this morning along the Little Gunpowder River between Jerusalem Mill and Belair Road. This is another of Harford Counties little gems located about 5 miles from my home. This is a historic site that has been around since Revolutionary times and had some importance during the CivilWar.
The Jerusalem Mill gristmill was built in 1772 by millwright Isiah Linton and was operated by miller David Lee. Lee's Merchant Mill produced the prized White Silk flour for sale locally and overseas. The Lee's sold the gristmill in 1886. Operation continued until 1961. The restored mill structure opened in 1995.

McCourtney's Store (Circa 1830's) was built by Ralph S. Lee and was in use as a general store when it was raided during the Civil War by Confederate Major Harry Gilmore's cavalry.

The Tenant Farmhouse was occupied by farmers who maintained the large barn on the property which is now in ruins.

One of the few remaining covered bridges in the US is part of the Jerusalem Mill Village complex. It was built in 1865.

Ruins of the old barn

The Little Gunpowder River