If you've been following this blog, you should know that there are not very many of you, and you have probably figured out by now that I enjoy to post pictures of sunsets and sunrises. The pictures lean toward sunsets, but that's mostly a function of the schedule I keep. Both astronomical phenomenon are equally beneficial from my perspective.
I also love travel and have been blessed with visits to four of seven continents and a fairly robust log of locales visited over the course of my life. Although the beginning and ending of a day are special experiences anywhere you find yourself, I do have some favorite locations. Without further ado, I give you six sunset vistas to add to your bucket list.
1. Key West, Florida - A week's worth of attending the Sunset Celebration hosted daily at Mallory Square Dock in Key West is worth the planefare and boarding combined. Every day that the sun makes an appearance is a celebration with performers, crafters, food, and hundreds of people gathered for the finale of the day. Key West in general is a very special place, and the Sunset Celebration lives up to the billing it receives as a party to acknowledge the glory of nature as the sun settles down into the Gulf of Mexico.
2. West Shore of Oahu - Anywhere along the western shore of Oahu, Hawaii delivers a sunset vista that should be experienced at least once in your life. Some of my favorite views of the sunset in Oahu came during the (more expensive) celebration at the Paradise Cove Luau. Having been to a luau or ten, the sunset as viewed from the beach associated with Paradise Cove makes this one special. If you're going to attend a luau anyway, and you should, might as well make it a two-fer and take in colors of the sky as the sun makes it's exit until the next morning.
3. Bridge over College Creek on Rowe Blvd, Annapolis MD - For reasons that I don't completely understand, the quality of lighting in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, particularly in Annapolis, MD, rivals anywhere else in the world I have traveled. The bridges over College Creek in Annapolis offer long stretches of water to reflect the spectacular pinks, reds, oranges, blues, and greens that often accompany the setting sun. Partly cloudy days with a clear horizon provide the best viewing, but if the sun is visible any day will do in a pinch.
4. Fairhope, Alabama - The bluff overlooking South Beach Park and Stack Gully has a concrete walking trail, numerous benches, convenient bathroom facilities, and a number of public art installations and piers that add interesting contrasts to the views of the sun settling down into the waters of Mobile Bay. In the winter the air off the bay brings a hint of warmth and in the summer there is usually a cooling breeze to cut some of the famous south Alabama heat and humidity. After the sunset, the town of Fairhope offers the same celebratory atmosphere that seems to be a theme to accompany my favorite sunset parks. The folks at McSharry's Irish Pub are always warm and friendly, and the shepherd's pie is well worth the visit after a long day of walking.
5. Anywhere on the ocean - Sunsets undefiled by city lights and foreground obstructions are near the top of the list. While I've never personally seen the green flash , I'm going to keep going to places with unobstructed horizons until I do see one or can no longer make the journey.
6. Wherever you are right now. I post quite a few of my sunset and sunrise pictures to other social media sites, and I had a friend comment the other day that I "was making everyone look bad with all these pictures of the magic moments" of the day. It's not that I'm a particularly good photographer or that fabulous sunsets are particularly rare occurrences. Every photo I post is a contemporary sunset or sunrise from the day it was posted unless noted otherwise (and that is a rare occurrence). I'm lucky because I put myself outside at the magical moment that happens almost every day and just wait for the unique but ubiquitous event to occur while I'm watching.
I'll leave you this evening with another view closing the chapter on another day.
Another great day for the books, and I'm looking forward to facing the mystery of tomorrow.
I also love travel and have been blessed with visits to four of seven continents and a fairly robust log of locales visited over the course of my life. Although the beginning and ending of a day are special experiences anywhere you find yourself, I do have some favorite locations. Without further ado, I give you six sunset vistas to add to your bucket list.
1. Key West, Florida - A week's worth of attending the Sunset Celebration hosted daily at Mallory Square Dock in Key West is worth the planefare and boarding combined. Every day that the sun makes an appearance is a celebration with performers, crafters, food, and hundreds of people gathered for the finale of the day. Key West in general is a very special place, and the Sunset Celebration lives up to the billing it receives as a party to acknowledge the glory of nature as the sun settles down into the Gulf of Mexico.
2. West Shore of Oahu - Anywhere along the western shore of Oahu, Hawaii delivers a sunset vista that should be experienced at least once in your life. Some of my favorite views of the sunset in Oahu came during the (more expensive) celebration at the Paradise Cove Luau. Having been to a luau or ten, the sunset as viewed from the beach associated with Paradise Cove makes this one special. If you're going to attend a luau anyway, and you should, might as well make it a two-fer and take in colors of the sky as the sun makes it's exit until the next morning.
3. Bridge over College Creek on Rowe Blvd, Annapolis MD - For reasons that I don't completely understand, the quality of lighting in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, particularly in Annapolis, MD, rivals anywhere else in the world I have traveled. The bridges over College Creek in Annapolis offer long stretches of water to reflect the spectacular pinks, reds, oranges, blues, and greens that often accompany the setting sun. Partly cloudy days with a clear horizon provide the best viewing, but if the sun is visible any day will do in a pinch.
4. Fairhope, Alabama - The bluff overlooking South Beach Park and Stack Gully has a concrete walking trail, numerous benches, convenient bathroom facilities, and a number of public art installations and piers that add interesting contrasts to the views of the sun settling down into the waters of Mobile Bay. In the winter the air off the bay brings a hint of warmth and in the summer there is usually a cooling breeze to cut some of the famous south Alabama heat and humidity. After the sunset, the town of Fairhope offers the same celebratory atmosphere that seems to be a theme to accompany my favorite sunset parks. The folks at McSharry's Irish Pub are always warm and friendly, and the shepherd's pie is well worth the visit after a long day of walking.
5. Anywhere on the ocean - Sunsets undefiled by city lights and foreground obstructions are near the top of the list. While I've never personally seen the green flash , I'm going to keep going to places with unobstructed horizons until I do see one or can no longer make the journey.
6. Wherever you are right now. I post quite a few of my sunset and sunrise pictures to other social media sites, and I had a friend comment the other day that I "was making everyone look bad with all these pictures of the magic moments" of the day. It's not that I'm a particularly good photographer or that fabulous sunsets are particularly rare occurrences. Every photo I post is a contemporary sunset or sunrise from the day it was posted unless noted otherwise (and that is a rare occurrence). I'm lucky because I put myself outside at the magical moment that happens almost every day and just wait for the unique but ubiquitous event to occur while I'm watching.
I'll leave you this evening with another view closing the chapter on another day.
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| Sunset - Residential Street - Spanish Fort, AL |
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