Tag Archives: Sunrise

Travel

Acadia National Park: An Island Of Heaven On Earth

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View of bay and islands from higher vantage point with trees (NPS/Kent Miller)
Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain offers hikers views of Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands, along with some of the earliest sunrises to hit North America. (NPS/Kent Miller)

Nestled along Maine’s craggy shoreline, the seaside wilderness of Acadia National Park  offers mountain climbing and hikes, boulder-strewn beaches and coastal drives overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Acadia was designated a U.S. national park in 1929 and now welcomes 4 million visitors each year. Its 47,000 acres (19,000 hectares) of protected land make up the only national park in New England and encompass much of Mount Desert Island, the region’s largest.

The heart of Acadia is Sieur de Monts springs, a historic landmark near cultivated gardens, hiking trails and bird-watching spots. It’s also a stop along Acadia’s Park Loop Road, a 27-mile (43-kilometer) scenic drive that connects lakes, mountains and shoreline. Early bird adventurers will want to head to Cadillac Mountain — one of the country’s easternmost points — to catch one of North America’s earliest sunrises.

Wildlife viewing opportunities abound as Acadia is home to myriad animals including deer, seals, porcupines, loons and bald eagles.

Bass Harbor Head Light Station at night (NPS/Kent Miller)
The National Park Service manages three lighthouses in Acadia, including Bass Harbor Head Light Station. (NPS/Kent Miller)

While Acadia is open year-round, roads can get icy in winter. Fall brings a riot of color when deciduous trees change their leaves, drawing visitors from around the world to witness the symphony of yellows, oranges and reds.

Summer is the park’s most popular season, when Maine’s natural beauty and lower temperatures draw visitors north from major cities. The park is a four-hour drive north from Boston, which is known as the birthplace of the American Revolution and home to numerous historic sites.

Many visitors to Acadia stay in neighboring Bar Harbor, Maine, a small town known for its scenic views and fresh lobster.

For the Silo,  Noelani Kirschner/ShareAmerica.

Art

Terrace Photographer Captures Sunrise And Sunset From Fourteenth Story

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Great vantage point! A "terrace photograph" from Kim's new book.
Great vantage point! A “terrace photograph” from Kim’s new book.

“It’s important in today’s world that we counter all the bad news we read or hear about by savoring positive moments as if our lives depended on it.” So says author/photographer, Kim Weiss, who every days stops to “smell the sunshine” and photographs nature scenes from her 14th story balcony. This daily ritual, now documented in a small gift book and peppered with inspirational words is called Sunrise, Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe & Gratitude, Weiss’ offering that reminds us that there’s more to life than what the media shows to us.  A significant portion of the proceeds from book sales is donated to AVDA – an organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence.

Kim Weiss- "Sunrise, Sunset" author/photographer
Kim Weiss- “Sunrise, Sunset” author/photographer

“I never thought that my hobby of photographing the sun would turn into my ‘passion project,’ never mind a book,” says photographer/author, Kim Weiss about, Sunrise, Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe & Gratitude (HCI Books) “Odd as it is to go from publicist to ‘author,’ I was moved to share the sense of awe I get to experience every day from my 14th floor terrace.” Her universally loved sunrises (& sunsets) fill the pages, accompanied by the sage words of inspiring people we admire. Each week commentary from people like Candace Bushnell, Lisa Nichols, Jack Canfield, Joan Halifax, Marty Becker, Marci Shimoff and many, many more complement the visual beauty of the sun rising and setting.

“I’m actually thrilled to see that a growing number of admirers of my photographs have convened on Facebook and Instagram and not only like my pictures but are inspired to post their own,” says Weiss. “We’re many thousands strong and have posts from Nova Scotia to Guam.”

Another lovely photo from Kim's book.
Another lovely photo from Kim’s book.

Sunrise, Sunset, (which happens to fit nicely inside a bag, or perch on a nightstand), is the ultimate gift book for saying “thank you,” sharing a blessing, or offering an oasis for spiritual awakening. From sunrise to sunset this book will be a perennial source of inspiration.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Weiss (Boynton Beach, FL) has been a publicist in the book industry for many years and coaches other writers aspiring to be bestselling authors. Her love of nature and photography began when she was just a little girl and bloomed into the writer and photographer she is today. From her 14th floor terrace she witnesses the beauty of nature and captures it through the lens of her camera. As a storyteller, Kim has contributed to the hugely popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series and The Ultimate Bird Lover. 

Weiss’s actively growing community of backyard photographers can be joined on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KimWeissSunriseSunset and all her events and reviews can be seen at: www.sunrisesunsetbook.com

Sunrise Sunset, happens to fit nicely inside a bag, or perch on a nightstand :)