Tree-lined boardwalk up to the main entrance of Silver Springs State Park. Silver Springs State Park is a Florida State Park located on the Silver River in Silver Springs, Florida in the Ocala area. Silver Springs is often called the gateway to the Ocala National Forest, the second-largest, most southern National Forest east of the Mississippi. The park contains Silver Springs, Florida’s first tourist attraction featuring one of the largest artesian springs in the world. The park became renowned for the Glass Bottom Boat tours: guided boat rides where guests could travel around the spring on a vessel with a clear bottom in order to view life underwater. Today, visitors still enjoy the Glass Bottom Boat tours on top of the same crystal springs that have been enjoyed for decades and sustaining a wealth of aquatic life. The Silver Springs attraction dates to the 1870s. In 1985 the state of Florida purchased the land surrounding Silver Springs to spare it from development, creating the Silver River State Park. In 1993 the state acquired Silver Springs as well, and in 2013 the state of Florida took over control of Silver Springs, merging it with the adjacent parkland to create Silver Springs State Park. Designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1971, Silver Springs State Park and the surrounding areas offer a wealth of cultural and historical significance.—silversprings.com & Wikipedia
Geo. H. Stone General Store at Mystic Seaport Museum was built about 1850 as a house, this building was originally located in nearby Pawcatuck, Conn., and was given to the Museum in 1954. The creation of that exhibit was in large part the vision of George H. Stone, a retired merchant and resident of North Stonington, who personally stocked the shelves with his own collection of historic items. Rich in ambiance and nostalgia, the store is filled with reminders of community life and foodways of the mid-19th century. Mystic Seaport or Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea in Mystic, Connecticut is the largest maritime museum in the United States. It is notable for its collection of sailing ships and boats and for the re-creation of the crafts and fabric of an entire 19th-century seafaring village.—mysticseaport.org & Wikipedia
Rye Harbor State Park is a small state park located on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Rye, New Hampshire. Located on a grassy peninsula, the park offers scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Isles of Shoals and the town's harbor. Activities include saltwater fishing and picnicking. Amenities offered include benches, picnic tables, a small pavilion and restrooms. The park includes the 1614 Monument, an obelisk dedicated to Captain John Smith, who explored the coast of New England in 1614.—Wikipedia—This image was processed as an HDR (High Dynamic Range) composition.
