Sunsets

Sunsets are something that most people don't pay a whole lot of attention to, unless they are on vacation.  Most of us don't get to go on a vacation that often, so does that mean that most of us don't see many sunsets?  I think it does.  I make a point to notice sunsets, because they are some of the most beautiful sites that you will see in a lifetime.  I work at Walmart as most of you know, so I don't have overwhelming amounts of joy in my day to day life.  But, at my Walmart we have one of the most wonderful vantage points for watching a sunset that I have ever seen.  It's great to see gorgeous sunsets over the mountains in the distance right from out parking lot.  That, my good people, is a gift.

Of course, there are places that you should run off to once in a lifetime to see some really amazing sunsets, like these along the harbor in Reykjavik, Iceland.  These are at midnight, in June, and the midnight sunset is something truly amazing.  I also love sunsets over the water, because they have a reflective effect that really enhances the experience.

I know that skyscrapers seem an odd view to take up for a sunset, but along the waterfront of the Hudson River in lower Manhattan, these buildings make a great backdrop for sunsets.  You have to take your time and enjoy the setting, in order to see things at just the right time, but it's beautiful.

The waterfront in Manhattan is not a continuous parkway along the entire island.  You can bike, walk, dine, catch a water taxi, go on a cruise, catch a ferry, go to the Statue of Liberty, visit the Intrepid, go to a park, and so much more.  It's an ambitious project, and go New Yorkers for making it happen.  It's great for all us tourists too.  We love a good view.

We all know I love Greenville, Maine.  I love the moose, the lake, the waterfalls, the mountains, and the people.  Still, the wilds of northern Maine are a great place to see sunsets.  Whether it be over the mountains, the buildings, or the bogs; Maine in the summer time has sunset around 10:00 pm, and it's amazing.  There are normally just the right amount of clouds which make the most amazing colors.  I get great shots of sunsets every time I go there.  I also have an amazing time and meet cool people too.

Provincetown, Massachusetts is one of those places that if you blink, you'll miss it.  We were out there, and there were some clouds coming in, so we took the pictures earlier than normal.  We thought that it would be a solid bank of clouds later on.  What we ended up finding was that Pilgrim Tower in twilight was just as beautiful as the sunset that we missed getting great pictures of.  Provincetown sits in a unique place on the East Coast.  There are only a select few great places to watch a sunset on the eastern beaches.  Provincetown sits at the end of Cape Cod, so there is water to the west and the sunsets are just as gorgeous as they are on the west coast.  Another really great place for that on the east coast is Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine.  If you sit on the top of Cadillac Mountain at sunset, it's amazing.

Mountain valleys can be interesting at sunset.  In Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, you don't get direct sunlight much unless you go up an Alp on one side of the valley or another.  It's a deep box gorge there, and the sunlight looks like no other place on Earth.  When the clouds roll in and the sun starts to go over the next ridge to the right, the distant valley glows.  You don't get the colors that you get in some other sunsets, but what you do get is the sensation that there is a heaven and that you're looking into it.  It's quite relaxing and pretty.

Lake Champlain between New York and Vermont is another great place to see sunsets.  It starts there with the seagulls sunbathing in the late afternoon light that reflects off of just about everything, and ends with a long lasting sunset that fades slowly, giving you the most colors for your buck.  Lakes also provide that big sky that makes sunset seem even more grand.

Evening is a great time to visit the National Mall area of Washington D.C.  The White House has a great viewpoint where the sunset will shine right behind it.  Also, the light makes the fountains glow in the twilight.  Honest Abe also looks fabulous in the evening with his lights shining on him.  It's a great time to visit that part of town.  You get to see some great light over the reflecting pool, and if you go on a Monday in the summer, you may get to see a free movie on the green.

Now, the desert is different.  On the Mexican Border of Baja California, there are hardly ever clouds.  It's dry out there.  I do however like the fact that the sun just makes the whole dune area glow orange, yellow and red.  I also like it when the moon is coming up as the sun sets.  It's just gorgeous.

Now, the one exception that I have found to the desert lack of clouds problem is January.  While at my mom's, I had a lot of stuff going on.  The only escape that I had in Sun City, Arizona, was to take a walk at sunset, despite the coyotes, and look at the sunset.  In January, there are clouds almost every night.  That makes for some of the most beautiful sunsets you've ever seen.  So, January in Arizona is not only a great idea to escape the cold, but a great time to see beautiful sunsets.

But, I love to look at sunsets even when I'm just around home.  The Northwest Hills of Connecticut have some great vistas.  Sometimes it's even great right from my back yard.  So, note to self; enjoy the sunsets.  It makes life easier.  It makes life calm and beautiful for just a little while.  If you can't run all over the world, then enjoy the beauty in your own back yard.

Enjoy!

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