Blue skies

Took a last minute day trip to Albany, NY for the Giants training camp scrimmage against the NY Jets last weekend. Great day for a drive. Took some shots from the "scenic overlook" spots along the Taconic State Parkway in Columbia County. My whole life I've lived here, driven up and down the Taconic en route to college, and I never stopped at the overlooks. There always seemed to be more to see where I was going. The journey seemed inconsequential. But when you've been there and back again so many times, maybe Point A or Point B isn't quite what you thought it would be and you realize what you might be missing in between. Detours are good. Getting lost here means you'll get found over there. Over there is good, too. Over there, up on the overlooks, I found endless blue skies and distant mountain views. Nature's version of the blue light special.

An overlook isn't someplace you tend to linger, good view or not. Although, by simply getting out of my car with my tripod and taking pictures, I was able to coax a few drivers out of their cars to take a better look. I even took a picture of an older couple on their way back home from their own Point A. They'd never stopped either. Busy day at the overlook.

Note, I wouldn't recommend flying into the exit at 70mph. The exit ramp was obviously designed back in the dark ages when folks actually drove 55mph. I guess you're not supposed to be driving that quickly up there. It's the country, afterall. Slow down, you move too fast, etc.

Here's a few shots from the trip. Those are the Catskill mountains in the distance, beyond the pines. I'll spare you the Chad Pennington fan shots I took. An equally impressive sight, but his eyes weren't quite as blue. ;-)

p.s. These are untouched...the sky was really this blue!