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NorthGeorgiaWX

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  1. NorthGeorgiaWX
    December 23, 1811 
    A cold storm hit Long Island sound with a foot of snow, gale force winds, and temperatures near zero. During the storm many ships were wrecked, and in some cases entire crews perished. (David Ludlum) 

    December 23, 1955 
    The barometric pressure dipped to 28.97 inches (981 millibars) at Boise ID, an all-time record for that location. (The Weather Channel) 

    December 23, 1982 
    A major winter storm struck Colorado producing heavy snow and blizzard conditions. A record two feet of snow was reported at Stapleton Airport in Denver, which was shut down for 33 hours. Up to 44 inches of snow fell in the foothills surrounding Denver. The storm hurt the ski industry as skiers were unable to make it out of Denver to the slopes, and the closed airport became a campground for vacationers. (23rd-25th) (The Weather Channel) (Storm Data) 

    December 23, 1983 
    The temperature plunged to 50 degrees below zero at Williston ND to equal their all-time record. Minneapolis MN reported an afternoon high of 17 degrees below zero, and that evening strong northerly winds produced wind chill readings of 100 degrees below zero in North Dakota. (The National Weather Summary) 

    December 23, 1987 
    A winter storm brought heavy snow to the Central Rockies, and also spread a blanket of snow across the Middle Missouri Valley in time for Christmas. Snow and high winds created near blizzard conditions in Wyoming. Snowfall totals in Wyoming ranged up to 25 inches at Casper, with four feet of snow reported at the Hogadon Ski Resort on Capser Mountain. The Wolf Creek Ski Resort in Colorado received 26 inches of snow. Totals in the Middle Missouri Valley ranged up to 16 inches at Alpena SD, with 14 inches at Harrison NE. Strong winds ushered unseasonably cold air into the southwestern U.S. Canyon winds gusting to 100 mph created ground blizzards in Utah. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    December 23, 1988 
    Low pressure in the Upper Midwest produced strong and gusty winds across the Great Lakes Region and the Ohio Valley. Winds in Ohio gusted to 47 mph at Cincinnati, and reached 51 mph at Cleveland. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    December 23, 1989 
    An historic arctic outbreak spread to the Gulf Coast Region, and a total of 122 cities across the central and eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Forty-one of those cities reported record lows for the month of December, with some cities breaking December records established the previous morning. Morning lows of 11 degrees at New Orleans LA and Lake Charles LA, 4 degrees below zero at San Angelo TX, and 26 degrees below zero at Topeka KS, established all-time records for those four locations. Yankton SD was the cold spot in the nation with a morning low of 31 degrees below zero. A storm system moving across the Florida peninsula and along the Southern Atlantic Coast produced high winds and record snows along the Carolina coast. Snowfall totals of 15 inches at Wilmington NC and 13.3 inches at Cape Hatteras NC were all-time records for those two locations. 

    December 23, 1998
    Freezing rain dropped around a quarter inch of ice across north Georgia from the mountains to as far south as the northern suburbs of Atlanta and Athens. Minor travel problems were encountered with a number of fender-bender automobile accidents. The Park Ranger at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Dade County reported power outages at the park. (NWS Atlanta)

    December 23, 2008
    Brief showers of moderate to heavy sleet fell across Dade, Walker, Catoosa, and Whitfield Counties during the mid and late morning hours. Some roads, especially in Dade County, became slick and hazardous for a few hours and as a result caused a couple of traffic accidents. (NWS Atlanta)

    December 23, 2009 
    Severe storms and heavy rainfall were associated with the same storm that brought blizzard conditions to the central parts of the U.S. on December 23rd and 24th. At least one death in Louisiana was blamed on the heavy rainfall and storms. There were 35 preliminary tornado reports and 34 hail and wind reports along the Gulf Coast over the 2-day period. The 10-year average number of tornadoes across the country in December is 36. (NCDC) 

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou           Snow Cover Analysis
                  WPC 72 Hour Snow Forecast
             
    View the full article
     
  2. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Just found out that my garage came in 2nd place out of more than 500 entries in RaceDeck's garage of the year contest!  
    2021 RaceDeck Garage of the Year Contest Winners Announced - RaceDeck
    RACEDECK.COM The fourth annual RaceDeck Garage of the Year contest has come to a close and it was nothing short of pandemonium! The RaceDeck crew received a record number of entries vying for the 2021 Garage of the Year, largely due to the over $5,000 worth of prizes on the line for contest winners, with the … Continue reading 2021 RaceDeck Garage...  
    I have all of the pictures at this link, from start to almost finish!
    Garage Makeover - Google Photos
    PHOTOS.APP.GOO.GL 159 new items added to shared album  
    Next post:
     
  3. NorthGeorgiaWX

    Garage Update 1/22/22

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Car
    Still waiting on the paint touch ups but most people wouldn't notice. We managed to get some more pictures on the wall, installed the new blinds on the windows and doors, and I got the new toolbox to replace my old red one. I added a rubber mat to the top of it to protect the finish. Other than the vanity and sink, I think we're just about done. 

     

     

     

     
     

     
    Next post:
     
  4. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Today in Weather History
    for June 29 

    June 29, 1931 
    The temperature at Monticello FL hit 109 degrees to establish an all-time record for the state. (The Weather Channel) 

    June 29, 1954 
    Hurricane Alice dumped as much as 27 inches of rain on the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The Rio Grande River at Laredo reached a level 12.6 feet above its previous highest mark, and the roadway of the U.S. 90 bridge was thirty feet below the high water. (David Ludlum) 

    June 29, 1987 
    Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes Region, with reports of large hail and damaging winds most numerous in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes in Michigan. A tornado near Clare MI was accompanied by softball size hail. In Colorado, an untimely winter-like storm blanketed Mount Evans with six inches of snow. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    June 29, 1988 
    Alpena, MI, reported a record low of 39 degrees while Jackson, MS, equaled their record for the month of June with an afternoon high of 105 degrees. Thunderstorms in the central U.S. soaked Springfield MO with 3.62 inches of rain, a record for the date. (The National Weather Summary) 

    June 29, 1989 
    Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the Southern and Central High Plains Region. Thunderstorms in Colorado produced softball size hail at Kit Carson, while pea to marble size hail caused ten million dollars damage to crops in Philips County, CO. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou              
    View the full article
     
  5. NorthGeorgiaWX
    If you were around here back on this date in 1993, you were waking up to one of the greatest storms to ever hit the US, the Storm of The Century. I had never been in a storm like this, so it made for a surreal experience for me, and unfortunately, I took ZERO pictures of the storm itself. I had a heavily wooded back yard, and I remember looking out over the yard while the storm was at its peak. The skies were VERY dark, darker than a normal thunderstorm, I'm guessing because of all of the thick snow that was falling. The winds were howling. I remember thinking this is what I had always dreamed of since I was a kid... when all of a sudden BOOM!!! The sky literally glowed! I'm assuming the eerie glow was because of all the heavy snow that was falling. It wasn't like a regular lightning flash nor was it like a regular clap of thunder. It was muted/muffled for sight and sound. Again... surreal is the only word I can think of that describes that experience. Thunderstorms with snow. I mean really, if you love snow, it doesn't get any better than this. 🙂
    So... .let's take a look at this storm a little closer in case you missed it. 

     
    From the NWS - (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/1993-snow-storm-of-the-century)
     
    Snowfall amounts were tremendous.
    Over the south, Birmingham received more than a foot of snow, the Atlanta airport received 4.5", while the northern suburbs received more than 10". The Atlanta NWS reported "Total snowfall by late evening averaged 18 to 24 inches from Rome to Clayton with near 30 inches from Fannin to Union Counties. Snow drifts up to 10 feet high were reported". I had around 10" at my house in Dacula, but it was hard to measure since the wind blew it around so much.
    Some additional totals from the Wilmington NC NWS office:
     
    Here's the summary from the Atlanta NWS office
     
    The impacts of the storm went far beyond the snow totals, with tornadoes, extreme winds, storm surge, and record cold. All in all, 318 people died as a result of the storm. 
    The development of the storm shows how the perfect setup brought the perfect storm.



     
    James Spann - Part 1
     
    Part 2
     
    Part 3
     
    Part 4
     
     
    Part 5
     
    Here are some additional links to more information about the storm:
    Birmingham NWS - https://www.weather.gov/bmx/winter_stormofthecentury NWS Overview - https://www.weather.gov/media/ilm/Overview_Kocin_Schumacher_Morales_Uccelini.pdf Hourly Automated Surface Maps of the Superstorm of 1993 - http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/arch/cases/930312/sfc/xcn.rxml Various Still Satellite Images - http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/arch/cases/930312/sat/vis.rxml NC State Climate Office Storm Summary - http://climate.ncsu.edu/climate/winter/event_details?e=129 NCDC Technical Report - https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/techrpts/tr9301/tr9301.pdf Water Equivalent vs Rain Gauge Measurements from the March 1993 Blizzard - https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/techrpts/tr9303/tr9303.pdf Diagnostic Analysis - https://www.atmos.umd.edu/~dalin/huo-zhangyakum-superstorm-m95.pdf National Disaster Survey Report - https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Superstorm_March-93.pdf "The 'Storm of the Century' or 'Superstorm' Derecho" - https://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/mar12-131993page.htm Wilmington NWS Summary - https://www.weather.gov/ilm/Superstorm93
  6. NorthGeorgiaWX
    December 22, 1839 
    The second of triple December storms hit the northeastern U.S. The storm produced 25 inches of snow at Gettysburg, PA, and gales in New England, but only produced light snow along the coast. (David Ludlum) 

    December 22, 1961 
    Holiday travel was paralyzed over extreme northeastern Kansas, and adjacent parts of Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. The storm produced 5 to 15 inches of snow, with drifts up to ten feet high. (22nd-23rd) (The Weather Channel) 

    December 22, 1983 
    On the first day of winter 75 cities reported record low temperatures for the date, with twelve of those cities reporting record low temperatures for the month as a whole. The mercury plunged to 51 degrees below zero at Wisdom MT, and Waco TX set an all-time record low a reading of 12 above zero. (The National Weather Summary) 

    December 22, 1987 
    The first day of winter was a relatively tranquil one for much of the nation, but heralded a winter storm in the Central Rockies. The storm produced 40 inches of snow at the top of the Pomerelle Ski Resort, south of Burley ID, the heaviest snow of record for that location. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    December 22, 1988 
    Strong winds prevailed in the foothills of Wyoming and Colorado. Winds gusted to 123 mph southwest of Fort Collins CO, and reached 141 mph at the summit of Mount Evans. An ice storm paralyzed parts of Upper Michigan during the day. The freezing rain left roads around Marquette MI blocked by cars and semi- trucks. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    December 22, 1989 
    A total of 137 cities across the central and eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Thirty-five of those cities established record lows for the month of December. Morning lows of 23 degrees below zero at Kansas City MO, 26 degrees below zero at Concordia KS, and 27 degrees below zero at Goodland KS established all-time records for those three locations. Unofficial morning lows included 50 degrees below zero at Recluse WY and 60 degrees below zero at Rochford SD. Broadus MT and Hardin MT tied for honors as the official cold spot in the nation with morning lows of 47 degrees below zero. Chinook winds at Cutbank MT helped warm the temperature 74 degrees, from a morning low of 34 degrees below zero to an afternoon high of 40 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    December 22, 2011
    Severe thunderstorms across north and portions of central Georgia brought strong winds and six tornadoes to the area. The strongest tornado, an EF-3, hit Floyd, Gordon and Bartow Counties. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down and several homes were damaged with one destroyed. These severe storms caused $3.2 million in property damage and injured 11 people. (NWS Atlanta)

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou           Snow Cover Analysis
                  WPC 72 Hour Snow Forecast
             
    View the full article
     
  7. NorthGeorgiaWX
    December 29, 1830 
    A very heavy snowstorm ushered in the "winter of the deep snow." The storm produced 30 inches of snow at Peoria IL and 36 inches at Kansas City MO. Cold and snow continued until the middle of February causing great suffering among pioneers. (David Ludlum) 

    December 29, 1894 
    A severe freeze hit Florida destroying fruit and causing considerable damage to trees. (David Ludlum)

    December 29, 1954 
    Fort Scott, KS, was buried under 26 inches of snow in 24 hours to establish a state record. (28th-29th) (The Weather Channel) 

    December 29, 1984 
    One hundred cities in the central and eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures. Kansas City, MO, experienced its warmest December day of record with a morning low of 60 degrees and an afternoon high of 71 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) 

    December 29, 1987 
    A storm off the Middle Atlantic Coast produced heavy snow in the Appalachians and the northeastern U.S. Snow and high winds created blizzard conditions in southeastern Massachusetts. Cape Cod received thirteen inches of snow, and snow drifts three feet deep were reported around Chatham MA. Strong winds produced wind chill readings as cold as 60 degrees below zero in southwestern New England. In the western U.S., a Pacific coast storm produced heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada Range of California, with 24 inches reported at Mammoth Mountain. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    December 29, 1988 
    A cold front brought rain and snow to the northwestern U.S. The rainfall total of 2.70 inches at Astoria OR was a record for the date. High winds along the eastern slopes of the Northern Rockies gusted to 81 mph at Livingston MT. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 

    December 29, 1989 
    Snow and ice prevailed from the southwestern U.S. to the Great Lakes Region. Flagstaff, AZ, received nine inches of snow in just six hours. Bitter cold weather continued over Maine. Portland ME reported a record twenty-two straight days with highs 32 degrees or colder. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    December 29, 1997
    A winter storm moved across much of the state causing snow to accumulate as far south as Coweta County. General snow accumulations ranged from 2 to 4 inches, but in the higher elevations of the North Georgia Mountains more than 5 inches accumulated. (NWS Atlanta)

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou         Snow Cover Analysis
                  WPC 72 Hour Snow Forecast
               
    View the full article
     
  8. NorthGeorgiaWX
    This is the part I hate. Sitting... waiting... Yes, we know the pattern is changing, but everyone wants to see concrete evidence, they want to see a big snowstorm barreling toward us like a giant avalanche. I know because that's what I want.  But I (we) have to be patient. We've had our 60 days of cold, 30 days of warmth, so it's now time for our 60 days of cold again. Winter is knocking on the doorstep, no question about it. But until the models can get it all figured out... we wait for our storms.
    I have a lot of pictures of me when I was younger and growing up in Nashville,  playing in the snow, and maybe that is one reason I love snow so much. I remember going out and staying out until your feet were frozen. You would come back in, throw the clothes in a dryer, eat something, throw the clothes back on and head back out.  They were great times. I remember one snow that was so large, that we blocked off the top of the hill where we would sled with a big berm of snow so no one could drive through. The mailman wasn't happy with us. 
     These early pictures had to have been taken when I was about 5 years old, so around 1960. I don't remember the snow back then other than from these pictures and only remember this house from these pictures. 



     
    But I do remember the snows we had when I was in the 6th grade on up. Listen to Bastardi talk about the winter's of the 60's, and you'll understand the snows I grew up with. Those snows brought so many great memories. And we're not talking little snows, I'm talking BIG snows. Take a look.
    I'm sure everyone has some favorite childhood memories and pictures of snow, so feel free to share them here. 


     
    My sister

     
    My mom

     
    "The Big Dipper"

     
    Me on the back of the sled with my tongue sticking out, Robert Hagstrom driving. He went on to write "The Warren Buffet Way"
    https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-warren-buffett-way-investment-strategies-of-the-worlds-greatest-investor_robert-g-hagstrom_bill-miller/251273/?mkwid=sGAAUWCGY|dc&pcrid=70112890512&pkw=&pmt=&plc=&pgrid=21326630352&ptaid=pla-485630667792&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvebhBRD5ARIsAIQUmnn86fJPe0goaigXQctAbBdXcTHbQI_er1CH2b-Z3fKSsTj3G_d8oN8aAqIoEALw_wcB#isbn=0471177504&idiq=1535729





     

  9. NorthGeorgiaWX
    January 12, 1888 
    A sharp cold front swept southward from the Dakotas to Texas in just 24 hours spawning a severe blizzard over the Great Plains. More than 200 pioneers perished in the storm. Subzero temperatures and mountainous snow drifts killed tens of thousands of cattle. (David Ludlum) 

    January 12, 1912 
    The morning low of 47 degrees below zero at Washta IA established a state record. (The Weather Channel) 

    January 12, 1982
    A freak snow storm, now known as Snow Jam, occurred in the Atlanta metro area at rush hour. Up to 6 inches of snow fell quickly in the afternoon bringing traffic to a halt. Stories of people leaving their cars and walking home were quite common across the Atlanta area as most, if not all roads, were blocked or impassable. (NWS Atlanta)

    January 12, 1985 
    A record snowstorm struck portions of western and south central Texas. The palm trees of San Antonio were blanketed with up to thirteen and a half inches of snow, more snow than was ever previously received in an entire winter season. (Weather Channel) (Storm Data) 

    January 12, 1987 
    Twenty-seven cities in the Upper Midwest reported new record high temperatures for the date. Afternoon highs of 72 degrees at Valentine NE and 76 degrees at Rapid City SD set records for the month of January. (National Weather Summary) 

    January 12, 1988 
    Parts of North Dakota finally got their first snow of the winter season, and it came with a fury as a blizzard raged across the north central U.S. Snowfall totals ranged up to 14 inches at Fargo ND, winds gusted to 65 mph at Windom MN, and wind chill readings in North Dakota reached 60 degrees below zero. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    January 12, 1989 
    A dozen cities in the southeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date as readings warmed into the 70's and 80's. Fort Myers FL reported a record high of 86 degrees. (National Weather Summary) 

    January 12, 1990 
    Gale force winds produce squalls with heavy snow in the Great Lakes Region. Totals in northwest Pennsylvania ranged up to eleven inches at Conneautville and Meadville. Barnes Corners, in western New York State, was buried under 27 inches of snow in two days. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou                        
     
    Snow Cover Analysis
                  WPC 72 Hour Snow Forecast
             
    View the full article
     
  11. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Jordan Pond, Acadia National ParkThis is going to be the story of our two week vacation through the New England states, complete with all of the places we will see, things we will learn, and memories that we will make.  Amy and I will include as many pictures,  videos, links to the places and things we do, as well as any other information we can find to help document the  entire trip. (You know, just in case you'd like to go sometime :-) 

    When I was 16 years old my parents took us on a trip to the New England states and I still remember parts of that trip to this day. Since my wife Amy has never been to that part of the country (except for a trip to NYC), it will be a new experience for her and a great refresher for me, and there are a lot of places that we'll be going that I've never seen as well, so this ought to be fun!

    This is going to be a driving trip.  We thought about flying up and getting a rental car up there, but there are so many great places to see along the way, it would be a shame to not take the scenic route by driving versus flying. The total round trip length is about 3000 miles, so it's going to be a long haul with many days in the car. And since I didn't want to put that kind of mileage on my own vehicles,  we are renting a SUV (Ford Explorer supposedly) for the trip. We have most of the itinerary planned now, so I'll be posting maps and more details as we get closer in time. 

    Basically, we pick up the rental vehicle at on Wednesday the 29th, start the trip on the morning of the 30th,  and we return home on Wednesday, June the 12th.  During the time we are gone, we will pass through a total of 15 states, 11 of which Amy has never seen. On the way up we will travel through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and into Massachusetts.  We will set up home in West Yarmouth (next to Hyannis, see map below) in Massachusetts for a stay at the Holly-Tree Inn condo. From there we'll spend almost an entire week exploring Cape Cod and the surrounding area before we embark on a two day drive up the coast to Bar Harbor Maine where we'll stay another two nights at the Coach Stop Inn Bed and Breakfast. We plan on getting off the beaten path and hug the coast as much as possible in order to see all the sights along the way. Our route will pass through a very small section of New Hampshire (Portsmouth) on our way into Maine, and we will be stopping at numerous places all along the coastline before staying at Kennebunk Friday night. The next morning (Saturday) we take the back roads that will lead use to Bar Harbor. Sunday morning after arriving in Bar Harbor, we have to get up REAL early so we can go capture the sunrise (the sunrise is 4:50 am!!!)  from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. From there we will drive up to the US-Canadian border at Eastport Maine, maybe see the "Old Sow",  the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere, and eat a lobster roll at Quoddy Bay Lobster before heading back to Bar Harbor. 

    The return trip begins after breakfast on Monday the 10th, and the first day on the road will lead us across the beautiful forest and mountains of northern New Hampshire. We stop for a three hour round trip ride on the Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington before continuing the trip south along the Vermont/New Hampshire border where we'll stop to sleep in Woodstock, Vermont.  After an overnight rest, we get up early the next morning to begin a long day of driving  toward the Cave Hill Farm Bed and Breakfast in Virginia. Rising with the sun on Wednesday the 12th, we'll drive on a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway through Virginia and North Carolina before hopping back on the interstate to finish the trip home. 

    We have a lot of things planned while we're gone, like stopping at the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, taking the ferries to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard islands for day trips, a  4 hour whale watching tour, a guided walking tour in Boston, a trip to the top of Mount Washington, and stops for what is supposed to be some of the best seafood (IE... lobster) and lighthouses anywhere.  In between, there will be a thousand other things to see and do, and I hope we can capture it all so you can follow our fun.  

    I'll break all of this out by making a new post for each day of the trip, so we should end up with a minimum of 14 different post. I'm sure I will also create a special post or three for those special side trips, highlights, and activities that we do.  I'm also sure the post will be delayed since I can't spend all my time writing blog post :-) Who knows... I've never documented  a two week trip before.  I'm just winging it right now ;-)The Hardware
    In order to capture all of the sights and sounds of the trip, I just "had" to buy more electronic gadgets and equipment.  Of course :-) The camera I really wanted to buy I just couldn't get right now, a Sony A6400 camera with a couple of nice lenses. Of course I couldn't just stop with the camera, I would also need a good gimbal to go along with it. By the time you add all of that up, I'm in the $2500 range (IF I'm lucky), so all of this will have to wait until sometime after the trip. That won't leave me with  a shortage of cameras though :-)Samsung S7 Edge 
    ​Even though this is my phone, this is one awesome camera. The picture quality is superb and it handles low light conditions with ease. While the camera can record 4K videos, I will have it set for 1080p resolution to help save space and make them easier to share. I plan of  doing a few time lapse videos using the camera and hopefully one of those will be the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.

    ​To make sure I get the best pictures and video possible from this camera, I purchased an EVO Pro Gimbal to help me keep things steady and a Sandmarc polarizing filter to help with the image quality/reflections in bright light conditions. The gimbal is the EVO version of the Zhiyun Smooth 4, and I have it paired with the FiLMiC PRO app (paid app) on my phone. I can control almost all of the cameras features from the handle on the gimbal, even things like exposure and focus, as well as start and stop videos and take pictures. The FiLMiC PRO app is a must have if you use your the camera in your phone for lots of photography and/or videos.  I'm also using another paid app called Lapse It Pro. Lapse It Pro is a full featured time lapse application for your phone.  ​EVO Pro GimbalSandmarc Polarizing FilterGoPro Hero4
    ​I've had this camera for a while, and it's still a great little camera. This has been my autocross camera for 3-4 years now. It too will take 4K videos but I will be using this in 1080p resolution. I really love the quality of this camera. I also like the fact that I can set it up to do time lapse videos, so it will be used for those as well. And like my S7, I also purchased an EVO SS 3 axis wearable gimbal that I can use with this camera as well as the new Akaso 4K camera that I purchased (see below).  I might look stupid with it on, but I also have a Stuntman Chest mount that I can attach the gimbal to for hands free recording. If you'd like to see how smooth the gimbal is on a chest mount... take a look at the video below.Akaso V50 Elite 4K Action Camera 
    ​I just got this camera for the trip. It was pretty inexpensive (cheaper than the GoPro) and packed with a lot of features, so I thought I'd see how it works compared to my GoPro. Preliminary thoughts are that the picture quality is not quite as good as the GoPro, which is a little disappointing. But I'll give it a chance and put it through its paces. Again, I will "probably" not be shooting 4K videos, but I might try to do one or two just to see how they turn out. 1080p is all that most people can stream, so I'm going to stick to that resolution for the most part.  

    This camera and the GoPro can be mounted on the EVO gimbal, a head strap, chest strap, pole, suction mount, roll bar mount, or any mount that a GoPro can mount on. I will have a lot of flexibility in how I mount and use these, so I'm going to try to be creative.  I'm really going to have to learn more about Adobe Premiere Pro to manipulate all my videos. Rove R2-4K Dash Cam 
    ​One more. :-) This will be my dash cam for the trip.  I haven't had it in the car yet, but played with it in the house and really like this. This tiny camera has a ton of features:Built in WiFi and GPS Car Dashboard Camera Recorder with UHD 2160P, 2.4" LCD, 150° Wide Angle, WDR, Night Vision 4K ULTRA HD RECORDING – The Rove R2-4k dash camera can record videos up to a resolution of 2160p. The Ultra HD video recording quality is so good that you will notice much more clarity and quality difference than all other car dash cams. Revolutionary Super Night Vision Technology (Ultra-low light Sensor NT96660 + OV4689) helps to get comparatively clearer footage and images from the recording in low light condition BUILT-IN WiFi – Use the ROVE App to view and manage dash cam recordings instantly on your iOS and android devices. By using the app you can download your recorded 4K videos directly to your smart phone and then easily share these on social media with friends and family BUILT-IN GPS – Built-in GPS accurately records your driving location and speed. View your driving route and tracker on google maps via Wi-Fi using the App or with our Car DV Player. We provide FREE Firmware Upgrade for this car camera FEATURES WITH STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY INCLUDED – The car dashboard camera has f1.8 aperture (the largest in the industry), parking mode, motion detection, 150° A+ wide angle lens, G-sensor, loop cycle recording, emergency video lock, time-lapse video, slow-mo video, supports up to 128GB class 10 - U3 speed micro SD card  Samsung S4 (x2) 
    ​When you need a backup. We have two working S4 Galaxy phones that also shoot 1080p videos. We will use these as supplemental devices just in case.  I also have a Samsung tablet that is used for various miscellaneous uses that will go with us. 

    ​That's all I've got :-) I really hope we can get some great shots of the trip... if not it will entirely be my fault :-) ​I almost forgot a couple of items that I can't do without. I know I'm leaving out things like my tripod, power strips,  various mounts, all kinds of cables, flashlights, kitchen sink, and all types of other assorted pieces that you would possibly ever need. Or not.  Be prepared I say! :-)

    Key Power Quick Charge 3.0  6-Port USB Wall Charger (x2)
    Because I have SO many devices that charge using an USB charger, I needed lots of charging ports. This is the latest charger that I've bought, and I bought two of them.Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Dual-Ports (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A) for Galaxy S10 / S9 / S8 / S7, Note 5 / 4, Nexus 6 and HTC combines with additional four USB ports (5V/2.4A) for iPhone, iPad and more. Ergonomic, compact and portable design, much more space-saving and well-organized while charging your devices. Wide input voltage range of AC 100V-240V, compatible with all 5V USB-charged devices. With the built-in multi-protection system and premium microchips, no worry to the event of over-voltage, over-current, overheating or short circuits, perfectly protect your device. Package includes 6-port USB charging station, 4.7 ft power cord, Velcro straps and USB charger stand. Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 5-Port USB Wall Charger
    ​This is the first charger that I purchased a year or so ago. These are the only way to  charge when traveling, especially if you have a lot of devices to charge, and I could really use one more like the one above. I believe I counted about 14 things that I own that need a USB charger. This one is a ​60 watt/6.4 amp charger. 

    With all three chargers, I have a total of 17 charging ports. I have a separate 2 port charger for our Fitbit's, and a separate charger for the storage battery (see below).Ultra High Capacity ZeroLemon ToughJuice 30000mAh 7A Output Portable Charger 
    ​While it says charger, it is a giant battery that you can use to charge your devices. This is a "MUST have" if you do any extended picture taking or recording and you aren't going to be near a power source. If you found yourself in that situation, this would be one of those items you wouldn't want to be without.High Capacity: World's Toughest USB-C/Type-C External Battery Pack @ 30,000mAh capacity.
    Charge iPhone X up to 11 times, iPhone 7 Plus/Galaxy S10/S10 Plus/S9 Plus/S9/S8 Plus/Google Pixel 2 XL/LG V30 7 times, and MacBook once. 7 amp outputs - 5 USB Ports: 1 Quick Charge 2.0 port (12V/9V) with legacy 5V/2A support, and 3 Ports for 1A charging. Convenient to charge multiple devices with only one ZeroLemon external battery pack. USB-C/Type-C Compatibility Anti-Shock Rugged Battery: Toughest Exterior with Largest Capacity USB-C/Type-C Battery  Another nice thing about the battery is that my laptop bag has an internal pouch for a storage battery and a pass-through to the outside USB port. The battery stays hidden and safe in the bag while I charge my devices outside the bag. ​View the full article
  12. NorthGeorgiaWX
    We made it! We arrived in West Yarmouth about 4:30 pm on Saturday.  Along the way we stopped to visit two lighthouses in Rhode Island and eat a lobster roll. :-)

    I've added a few pictures and a couple of videos below. Most were taken at the two lighthouses or on the way to them. Oh... and my lobster roll. :-) You can't forget the lobster roll. 

    We're just getting started so I'll have lots more pictures and videos. Now is when it starts getting good!
    EDIT: Here's the link to the photo album. 
    Here are a couple of videos I took on the ride, and both of these are from the Beavertail Lighthouse. I'll have more later. This first video is from the dash cam and the second video was taken using my S7 with polarizing filter.  View the full article
  13. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Mount Jefferson is the one with the snow. That snow doesn't melt until July. Incredible. A must do. Ride, don't drive. 

    If you ever get up to the New England states and you travel to New Hampshire, a visit to Mount Washington is something you do not want to miss. On a good day you will get to witness one of the most spectacular views anywhere in the country. Reaching 6288 feet into the New Hampshire sky, Mount Washington is the king of the White Mountains and is one of many peaks in the Presidential Range. If you look it up on Wikipedia, you'd see this...

    ​"The Presidential Range is notorious for having some of the worst weather on Earth, mainly because of the unpredictability of high wind speeds and whiteout conditions on the higher summits. Because of the poor weather conditions, the Presidential Range is often used for mountaineering training for those who go on to climb some of the world's highest mountains, including K2 and Everest." 

    One thing they tell you right before you get off the train at the top is "don't miss the train going back down",  You don't want to have to hike down this mountain. Even in the summertime, the top of Mt Washington is covered in fog 90% of the time. During the trip up and down the mountain on the cog railway you'll notice all of the stacks of stones known as cairnes (can be seen and talked about in the videos below). Those are used as trail guide markers for the hikers. Since you can hardly see in front of you in the fog, the markers are placed VERY close together to help keep you on the path and not fall off the mountain. As you approach the top of the mountain the Appalachian Trail crosses the tracks, and the hike across Mount Washington and the Presidential Range is considered to be the most difficult hike on the entire Appalachian Trail.  The Presidential Range of the White Mountains You have three ways to get to the top of Mount Washington, you can walk, you can drive, or you can take the cog railway, and that is the method we took. It's about a 4 hour hike to the top and then another 3-4 back down, so unless you are REAL adventurous and have perfect weather, that is probably out of the question. You can also take your own car to the top by driving on the Mount Washington Auto Road, but a word of caution. This road has no guardrails and if you mess up, there is nothing to stop you and your vehicle from tumbling to the bottom.  I haven't been on it but I hear from others that have that it's terrifying. It's makes it hard to enjoy the views when you have to worry about driving off a cliff. See the video at the very end of this post, then decide. ;-)

    So... that leaves the cog railway. THIS is the way to go. This is from their website: Here's a video of the train that took us to the top pulling into the station. They operate multiple trains up and down the mountain during the day and our engine is one of the bio-diesels that they run. The Cog Railway also has a couple of steam locomotives in case you want that old time feel to the ride.  Notice that the engine pushes the passenger car up the mountain instead of pulling. The engine has a cog (it's like a gear) that engages slots in the center of the track and that is how you get pushed up the mountain. The steepest grade is about 38%, so it looks like you're headed off into space at times. If not for the cog, the train would never be able to make it up the mountain.  The passenger car has two sections of seating. The left side of the car (facing forward) has three seats and across the aisle are two more seats. When you make your reservations (and you MUST or you probably won't get a seat and certainly not the best seat) you want to get the front seats on the left because the best views are on that side of the train. 

    The day we went up was about as good as it ever gets on Mount Washington, so the windows were down on the train. Keep in mind, some of the worst and wildest weather in the U.S. occurs on Mount Washington.  Most of the time the mountain is in the clouds with fog and mist. In the winter, that fog and mist become rime ice that covers everything up there.  For nearly sixty-two years Mount Washington held the world record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth: 231 miles per hour, recorded April 12, 1934 by Mount Washington Observatory staff. To learn more about the day that wind speed was recorded, click on this link.  Another item to note, the tree line starts about 5000 feet. Out in the Rockies, that elevation is about 10,000 feet. 

    The maximum temperature ever recorded on the summit is only 72 degrees and the high the day we rode up was about 60 degrees, so it was a relatively warm day on the top. The image below shows the conditions right before we started the ride up (we had a 12:30 pm train). It was an incredibly warm day at the bottom, we had seen temps in the low 80's driving to the mountain so we knew the top shouldn't too bad. Even the winds cooperated that day and stayed at speeds that wouldn't blow you off the mountain like they normally do.  Notice that our visibility was about 80 miles... today it's 1/16 of a mile (see image below). Here's a link to the current data. The image below is from today, June 14th about the time we left the station. Compared to our visit, it is much colder with no visibility today. Not a great day to go to the top if you want to see a view.  Conditions at 12:26 pm June 14. This is about the time we left. Compare this to how warm it was last Monday the 10th Mansfield Station The elevation at the bottom where you start the ride up is about 1600 feet. It's funny, but Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park is 1529 feet high and you think that's tall when you're on top of it, so this being at the bottom helps put things in perspective. 
    ​
    The station has a gift shop, a restaurant, and restrooms. If you didn't purchase your ticket online, you get your tickets here.  There are no restrooms on the train so go before you board. 

    ​It's very cool looking up toward the top of the mountain from the station. You can barely make out the tower on the top, and off in the distance you can see the train tracks going up the side of the mountain.  Now... picture yourself hiking that. :-)  The top is on the top of the peak in the right of the image. You can see the tracks in the distance to the right of the flag. I mounted my GoPro on the window using a suction cup mount. Stupid me... I could have mounted the actual camera part of it in the open part of the window, but instead, the whole thing was behind the window. It doesn't seem to hurt the image to much but I'm sure it helped with reducing the wind noise. Granted, the train only moves about 4 MPH, so the wind noise doesn't come from the train movement. :-) 

    Anyway... here are my videos from the front of the train. I should have mounted the camera on the left side window to catch the views, and I was going to on the way down, but someone on the other side of the aisle asked if they could swap seats with us for the return trip. And being the nice person that I am, we swapped, so I didn't have the best view coming back down. And trust me, the left side is spectacular.  The pictures I have just don't do it justice.  The conductor was great and full of information, I was glad I captured his narration on the videos. It is a ride you'll never forget. I've added a few pictures below, but if you'd like to see them all, you can click on this link. Keep in mind that during times of bad weather, the train may not go all the way to the top. They will ride halfway and when there is snow, they stop at a newly built platform and everyone can get off the train and hang out at a bonfire and eat s'mores. We were very blessed with our weather and it couldn't have been more perfect. Because the weather on the top is so unpredictable and generally not so good, it makes it very tough to factor in to your plans. You plan for the worst and hope for the best, and in our case, that's the way it worked out, so your visit may or may not go as well. That's Mount Washington.

    Once you're at the top there are several places to explore, and if you're hungry you can grab a bite to eat eat while you're there. And there is even a United State Post Office on the top so you can send mail with a Mount Washington postmark. The Mount Washington Observatory on top is continuously staffed even in the winter time. Research is conducted on new weather instruments and manually taken weather readings occur on schedule 24/7. 

    Not much more to say except you need to add this place to your bucket list. I do recommend the train up, but if you think you may want to drive up, watch this video below. You will be amazed and terrified at the same time. :-) View the full article
  14. NorthGeorgiaWX
    NOAA Satellite Image of Nantucket This was our first big adventure (and our first blog post together!) after arriving in New England. Exploring Cape Cod on Sunday was nice and scenic and the National Seashore was very awesome, but our Monday Nantucket Island trip was even better. 
    ​
    This also happened to be our first ride on the high speed ferry. Because we were staying just a few miles from Hyannis, we were close to the Hy-Line ferry terminal. Hy-Line operates a fleet of high speed ferries to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard and is the company we used for both island trips. 

    And high speed is an appropriate adjective to use as I clocked the Nantucket ride at 36 mph. This is not a little boat (158 feet) and it probably had at least 200 people on board, not to mention all of the luggage and other "freight" type baggage.  Being a guy... I was really interested in how they made this thing move so fast... and the reason is below. Sleepy passengers We arose early to depart at 5:12 am for the first High Speed Ferry to Nantucket. We arrived at the ferry at 5:20 am under some fog and high overcast skies and a temperature of 59º. Most of the other passengers were sleepy workers commuting to work with an early 6:10 am Monday departure time. On this ride, Amy and I paid extra to sit in the "Captain's Seats", the top level passenger deck with more room and larger forward facing seats, and the views were great. All of the pictures and videos that I took traveling to Nantucket were taken from inside the ship from these seats, and I was pretty happy with the way they turned out.  ​You can also get drinks and snacks on board during the ride.  The trip was about as smooth as it gets.  Other than the vibration from the engines there was no motion at all unless you happened to cross another ships wake. This water can get very rough and visibility can drop to nothing, so days like this are a treat. I spoke with a tour guide that travels back and forth on a regular basis and she told me about one trip where it was so foggy you couldn't see in front of you. She said they blew the horn continuously through the entire trip. They do stop the ferry if the seas get too rough, but I don't know how they determine that. 

    I have a few short videos of the ferry leaving the Hyannis Harbor and cruising across Nantucket Sound just to give you an idea of the views and the calm water.  As we approached the island the skies were dark from the rain clouds that had passed earlier in the morning. Here are a few pictures of those clouds as we approached Nantucket.  When we arrived on the island at 7:40 am, we were the life on the island! After the hustle and bustle of the ferry passengers settled, Nantucket was still asleep. It was cool, tranquil and quiet. It was so serene that the still beauty stops you in your tracks. The calm AFTER the storm feeling… PEACE that surpasses ALL understanding. It may be true that a picture is worth a thousand words and this one captured the moment perfectly. Our bus tour of the island wasn’t until 11:00 am so we had some time to explore a little of the town on our own. Of course, food was of interest. While scouting looking for something that was open, we walked around looking at all the cool shops and gorgeous old houses/buildings. Since it was so early, there really wasn't much open, so we headed back to this cute little place called "Provisions" that we saw after stepping off the ferry. We ate a wonderful breakfast sandwich  that was just what we needed. "The Original" consist of herbed egg frittata, cheddar, bacon and house-made tomato chipotle jam. They have all kinds of coffee as well as sweets, juices and other light food. Keep in mind, everything is more expensive on Nantucket, but with drinks we paid $19 for our breakfast. Remember... if you get to Nantucket too early... NOTHING is open, it's almost like a ghost town. This may have been one of the reasons it was so surreal. Take the 6:10 am ferry and see what I mean :-)  ​Once we were fed and we located the bus tour spot, we were ready for adventure. We pretty much scoured the town while Steve was able to capture some incredible images. The sun began to peep through just as the town seemed to wake up. PERFECT in every way! It actually warmed to 74 degrees later in the day. Below is a little slideshow of a few of the downtown pictures before everyone woke up. Notice that many of the buildings will have the date they were built on the front, and you'll see a few here but there are more in the link further down the page. Siasconset Post Office ​The 11:00 am tour guide was with Billy from Australia. LOL. He was AWESOME!!!!!!! I wish we had a recording! (EDIT: We found it!) Now I HAVE to return. Here are a few items I learned:
    ​
    There is a HUGE Preservation Society in charge of everything. Even 2% of real estate sales go to this establishment. Not sure of the political inclination, but if they are responsible for actually preserving this incredible island, then they are doing a mighty act. Only 12 colors can be used on exteriors and Billy spouted them off like the days of the week. The average home is $2.5 million (and I’ve always considered myself above average. HA! and Zillow sales confirm. LOOK!) and they just got squirrels. Can you believe that? Only sweet animals allowed here. I think rodents came over as stowaways. Gasoline is $4/gallon, there are NO traffic lights (Steve can put it on cruise and never stop), there has only been one murder in 150 years, one stucco house (before the conservation society), and CRANBERRY bogs galore. There are 11,000 residents year round and 60,000 during the summer. Oh, and the two hotels run $1000-$1500/night, so this sheds new light on the phrase “DON’T miss the BOAT!” You may end up sleeping on a bench!

    The history was fascinating! It embraces you and makes you a part of the island story. So much has stayed exactly the same since the island was placed on the National Historic Landmark District in 1966. It is considered the "finest surviving architectural and environmental example of a late 18th and early 19th century New England seaport town". I LOVE that.

    This is where naming your vessel began to identify the numerous shipwrecks. The island is referred to as the “Little Grey Lady of the Sea” and our ferry boat was the “Grey Lady IV.” There is a Whaling Museum with a remarkable scrimshaw collection and the quaint shops are curiously inviting. We saw the little airfield where “Wings”, the TV show, was filmed. Our stop at Sankaty Head Light and exclusive golf club was spectacular. The most amazing views and lighthouse stamped golf ball (found courtesy of Steve) were the bonus takeaways. 

    This island tour was an additional service available through Hy-Line cruises and was $25 per person. It is highly recommended by both of us in order to gain an understanding and appreciation of the total Nantucket experience . Billy’s narrated tour was truly a MUST in our schedule. Amy and her new lifelong friend The tour was about an hour and fifteen minutes, allowing us plenty of time to tour the town of Nantucket again on our own. Nantucket is the smallest of the two islands and is only about 48 square miles, so it would be real easy to navigate the island by bike. Both islands also have car rentals, so if you chose to get around and explore on your own, you have options. The video below is from the Sankaty Head Light over on the east side of the island. As you can see, there is a reason there are so many lighthouses in New England. Warm land and cold waters make for some pretty dense fog.  We purchased lots of goodies from several shops and also visited the Whaling Museum.  I had lots of pictures from this place and I have somehow lost them along with a few others. Hopefully I'll find them misplaced in another folder. I do have a video of an old restored clock that is on display there and I've included that video below. A little history of the clock...

    "In 1881, William Hadwen Starbuck presented the Town of Nantucket with an E. Howard No. 3 flatbed striking clock. Manufactured by the E. Howard Watch & Clock Co. of Boston, it was installed in the tower of the Unitarian Church and began operating on May 28, 1881. It powered the four clock faces of the south Tower and the church’s familiar bell, 52 chimes, three times a day, until 1957, when the dials were electrified.
    ​
    The Howard clock was donated by the Town to the NHA in April 1972 and was moved to the Peter Foulger Museum. It was restored in 2004–2005 to be installed in the glass-enclosed three-story stairwell of the Whaling Museum for its grand reopening in 2005, a location that displays the clock and its intricate mechanism in full view. Today, from the lobby to the museum’s rooftop belvedere, visitors can closely observe the clockworks chime the hours." It was afternoon and time to eat, so we went back to a location near the ferry dock and secured a lovely patio spot at The Tavern for a late lunch consisting of clam chowder (we were committed to having it every stop), roast beef sandwich, fries, and beer ($54). Yes... no seafood here, Nantucket is a little pricey and we were saving up for points north. 

    With newfound energy, we footed on, did a little more shopping, and enjoyed all that we could before leaving for Hyannis on the 4:15 pm ferry. We had planned on returning on the 5:40 pm, but by that time we were done so they let us swap. Finally, we have two short videos of the return trip. It was sunny but very windy and the back of the boat had lots of people on it until we got out in open waters... and then the wind and the spray chased everyone inside except for us, a couple of Hy-Line employees and this one girl. ​Every now and then she would get blasted by a COLD spray... and she never flinched. One person even came out and asked her if she was ok! :-) We talked with her after we pulled in and discovered that she had moved from Miami to just north of Boston and was here for the summer to work on Nantucket, and on this return trip she was headed back to the mainland. Amy just KNEW that she must have lost a bet. :-) Wouldn't it be great if you could somehow let these people know you have a picture of them? I wished I had gotten a video of her getting sprayed. :-)

    Both of these links are pretty explanatory, but if you'd like to see all of the Nantucket pictures, click on the first link. It seems I've probably lost about 100 pictures or so and can't find them anywhere, but the remaining pictures are located here. 
    Nantucket Pictures

    This link is to our YouTube playlist that has about 35 videos (still adding some) from the entire trip. 
    New England YouTube Playlist

    So a great day with great weather, and it just so happens that this wonderful weather will be our traveling companion over  the following 9 days. We were both  blown away by the beauty and charm of the old seaside port and the staggering amount of documented history. It's amazing and not uncommon to see building's from the 1700's that are meticulously maintained and still in use today. The fact that the brick and cobblestone roads and sidewalks have withstood the wind and weather and 300 years of use is amazing. Overall, our island trip was surreal and exceeded our every expectation (as each day has so far). I came as a visitor and left as a faithful friend, and this visit would be tough to beat.  But what we didn't know was that the next few days would end up being even better. :-)  Leaving Nantucket Harbor Entering Hyannis Harbor Ferry and Island Tour Cost Nantucket Climate View the full article
  20. NorthGeorgiaWX
    EDIT: This RSS import really messes with the blog post. This is a better link: http://blog.northgeorgiawx.com/new-england-trip/day-3-saturday-we-arrive   We made it! We arrived in West Yarmouth about 4:30 pm on Saturday.  Along the way we stopped to visit two lighthouses in Rhode Island and eat a lobster roll. 🙂
    I've added a few pictures and a couple of videos below. Most were taken at the two lighthouses or on the way to them. Oh... and my lobster roll. 🙂 You can't forget the lobster roll. 

    We're just getting started so I'll have lots more pictures and videos. Now is when it starts getting good!                                     Here are a couple of videos I took on the ride, and both of these are from the Beavertail Lighthouse. I'll have more later. This first video is from the dash cam and the second video was taken using my S7 with polarizing filter.   
    View the full article
     
  21. NorthGeorgiaWX
    After the fiasco from yesterday, we have decided to skip the stop in Philly to see Independence Hall, and I think that decision proved to be a wise one.

    Also... if you travel and use Google Maps... just know that the drive times you see is probably not going to be the time you actually spend on the road. Obviously Google doesn't know how many times you're gonna stop, and it doesn't know how fast you'll travel among other things. 

    The bridge you see in the picture above is one of many on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. Each bridge is a little different, but each one is very fancy. Those were kinda cool.

    Today we end up in Shelton Connecticut at a Hampton Inn. (EDIT: this was a GREAT place to stay). Tomorrow... onward through the fog!  
    View the full article
     
  22. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park
    This is going to be the story of our two week vacation through the New England states, complete with all of the places we will see, things we will learn, and memories that we will make.  Amy and I will include as many pictures,  videos, links to the places and things we do, as well as any other information we can find to help document the  entire trip. (You know, just in case you'd like to go sometime 🙂

    When I was 16 years old my parents took us on a trip to the New England states and I still remember parts of that trip to this day. Since my wife Amy has never been to that part of the country (except for a trip to NYC), it will be a new experience for her and a great refresher for me, and there are a lot of places that we'll be going that I've never seen as well, so this ought to be fun!

    This is going to be a driving trip.  We thought about flying up and getting a rental car up there, but there are so many great places to see along the way, it would be a shame to not take the scenic route by driving versus flying. The total round trip length is about 3000 miles, so it's going to be a long haul with many days in the car. And since I didn't want to put that kind of mileage on my own vehicles,  we are renting a SUV (Ford Explorer supposedly) for the trip. We have most of the itinerary planned now, so I'll be posting maps and more details as we get closer in time. 

    Basically, we pick up the rental vehicle at on Wednesday the 29th, start the trip on the morning of the 30th,  and we return home on Wednesday, June the 12th.  During the time we are gone, we will pass through a total of 15 states, 11 of which Amy has never seen. On the way up we will travel through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and into Massachusetts.  We will set up home in West Yarmouth (next to Hyannis, see map below) in Massachusetts for a stay at the Holly-Tree Inn condo. From there we'll spend almost an entire week exploring Cape Cod and the surrounding area before we embark on a two day drive up the coast to Bar Harbor Maine where we'll stay another two nights at the Coach Stop Inn Bed and Breakfast. We plan on getting off the beaten path and hug the coast as much as possible in order to see all the sights along the way. Our route will pass through a very small section of New Hampshire (Portsmouth) on our way into Maine, and we will be stopping at numerous places all along the coastline before staying at Kennebunk Friday night. The next morning (Saturday) we take the back roads that will lead use to Bar Harbor. Sunday morning after arriving in Bar Harbor, we have to get up REAL early so we can go capture the sunrise (the sunrise is 4:50 am!!!)  from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. From there we will drive up to the US-Canadian border at Eastport Maine, maybe see the "Old Sow",  the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere, and eat a lobster roll at Quoddy Bay Lobster before heading back to Bar Harbor. 

    The return trip begins after breakfast on Monday the 10th, and the first day on the road will lead us across the beautiful forest and mountains of northern New Hampshire. We stop for a three hour round trip ride on the Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington before continuing the trip south along the Vermont/New Hampshire border where we'll stop to sleep in Woodstock, Vermont.  After an overnight rest, we get up early the next morning to begin a long day of driving  toward the Cave Hill Farm Bed and Breakfast in Virginia. Rising with the sun on Wednesday the 12th, we'll drive on a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway through Virginia and North Carolina before hopping back on the interstate to finish the trip home. 

    We have a lot of things planned while we're gone, like stopping at the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, taking the ferries to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard islands for day trips, a  4 hour whale watching tour, a guided walking tour in Boston, a trip to the top of Mount Washington, and stops for what is supposed to be some of the best seafood (IE... lobster) and lighthouses anywhere.  In between, there will be a thousand other things to see and do, and I hope we can capture it all so you can follow our fun.  

    I'll break all of this out by making a new post for each day of the trip, so we should end up with a minimum of 14 different post. I'm sure I will also create a special post or three for those special side trips, highlights, and activities that we do.  I'm also sure the post will be delayed since I can't spend all my time writing blog post 🙂 Who knows... I've never documented  a two week trip before.  I'm just winging it right now 😉     The Hardware
    In order to capture all of the sights and sounds of the trip, I just "had" to buy more electronic gadgets and equipment.  Of course 🙂 The camera I really wanted to buy I just couldn't get right now, a Sony A6400 camera with a couple of nice lenses. Of course I couldn't just stop with the camera, I would also need a good gimbal to go along with it. By the time you add all of that up, I'm in the $2500 range (IF I'm lucky), so all of this will have to wait until sometime after the trip. That won't leave me with  a shortage of cameras though 🙂  
    Samsung S7 Edge 
    Even though this is my phone, this is one awesome camera. The picture quality is superb and it handles low light conditions with ease. While the camera can record 4K videos, I will have it set for 1080p resolution to help save space and make them easier to share. I plan of  doing a few time lapse videos using the camera and hopefully one of those will be the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.

    To make sure I get the best pictures and video possible from this camera, I purchased an EVO Pro Gimbal to help me keep things steady and a Sandmarc polarizing filter to help with the image quality/reflections in bright light conditions. The gimbal is the EVO version of the Zhiyun Smooth 4, and I have it paired with the FiLMiC PRO app (paid app) on my phone. I can control almost all of the cameras features from the handle on the gimbal, even things like exposure and focus, as well as start and stop videos and take pictures. The FiLMiC PRO app is a must have if you use your the camera in your phone for lots of photography and/or videos.  I'm also using another paid app called Lapse It Pro. Lapse It Pro is a full featured time lapse application for your phone.   EVO Pro Gimbal Sandmarc Polarizing Filter  
    GoPro Hero4
    I've had this camera for a while, and it's still a great little camera. This has been my autocross camera for 3-4 years now. It too will take 4K videos but I will be using this in 1080p resolution. I really love the quality of this camera. I also like the fact that I can set it up to do time lapse videos, so it will be used for those as well. And like my S7, I also purchased an EVO SS 3 axis wearable gimbal that I can use with this camera as well as the new Akaso 4K camera that I purchased (see below).  I might look stupid with it on, but I also have a Stuntman Chest mount that I can attach the gimbal to for hands free recording. If you'd like to see how smooth the gimbal is on a chest mount... take a look at the video below.      
    Akaso V50 Elite 4K Action Camera 
    I just got this camera for the trip. It was pretty inexpensive (cheaper than the GoPro) and packed with a lot of features, so I thought I'd see how it works compared to my GoPro. Preliminary thoughts are that the picture quality is not quite as good as the GoPro, which is a little disappointing. But I'll give it a chance and put it through its paces. Again, I will "probably" not be shooting 4K videos, but I might try to do one or two just to see how they turn out. 1080p is all that most people can stream, so I'm going to stick to that resolution for the most part.  

    This camera and the GoPro can be mounted on the EVO gimbal, a head strap, chest strap, pole, suction mount, roll bar mount, or any mount that a GoPro can mount on. I will have a lot of flexibility in how I mount and use these, so I'm going to try to be creative.  I'm really going to have to learn more about Adobe Premiere Pro to manipulate all my videos.     
    Rove R2-4K Dash Cam 
    One more. 🙂 This will be my dash cam for the trip.  I haven't had it in the car yet, but played with it in the house and really like this. This tiny camera has a ton of features: Built in WiFi and GPS Car Dashboard Camera Recorder with UHD 2160P, 2.4" LCD, 150° Wide Angle, WDR, Night Vision 4K ULTRA HD RECORDING – The Rove R2-4k dash camera can record videos up to a resolution of 2160p. The Ultra HD video recording quality is so good that you will notice much more clarity and quality difference than all other car dash cams. Revolutionary Super Night Vision Technology (Ultra-low light Sensor NT96660 + OV4689) helps to get comparatively clearer footage and images from the recording in low light condition BUILT-IN WiFi – Use the ROVE App to view and manage dash cam recordings instantly on your iOS and android devices. By using the app you can download your recorded 4K videos directly to your smart phone and then easily share these on social media with friends and family BUILT-IN GPS – Built-in GPS accurately records your driving location and speed. View your driving route and tracker on google maps via Wi-Fi using the App or with our Car DV Player. We provide FREE Firmware Upgrade for this car camera FEATURES WITH STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY INCLUDED – The car dashboard camera has f1.8 aperture (the largest in the industry), parking mode, motion detection, 150° A+ wide angle lens, G-sensor, loop cycle recording, emergency video lock, time-lapse video, slow-mo video, supports up to 128GB class 10 - U3 speed micro SD card   
    Samsung S4 (x2) 
    When you need a backup. We have two working S4 Galaxy phones that also shoot 1080p videos. We will use these as supplemental devices just in case.  I also have a Samsung tablet that is used for various miscellaneous uses that will go with us. 

    That's all I've got 🙂 I really hope we can get some great shots of the trip... if not it will entirely be my fault 🙂  
    I almost forgot a couple of items that I can't do without. I know I'm leaving out things like my tripod, power strips,  various mounts, all kinds of cables, flashlights, kitchen sink, and all types of other assorted pieces that you would possibly ever need. Or not.  Be prepared I say! 🙂

    Key Power Quick Charge 3.0  6-Port USB Wall Charger (x2)
    Because I have SO many devices that charge using an USB charger, I needed lots of charging ports. This is the latest charger that I've bought, and I bought two of them. Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Dual-Ports (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A) for Galaxy S10 / S9 / S8 / S7, Note 5 / 4, Nexus 6 and HTC combines with additional four USB ports (5V/2.4A) for iPhone, iPad and more. Ergonomic, compact and portable design, much more space-saving and well-organized while charging your devices. Wide input voltage range of AC 100V-240V, compatible with all 5V USB-charged devices. With the built-in multi-protection system and premium microchips, no worry to the event of over-voltage, over-current, overheating or short circuits, perfectly protect your device. Package includes 6-port USB charging station, 4.7 ft power cord, Velcro straps and USB charger stand.  
    Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 5-Port USB Wall Charger
    This is the first charger that I purchased a year or so ago. These are the only way to  charge when traveling, especially if you have a lot of devices to charge, and I could really use one more like the one above. I believe I counted about 14 things that I own that need a USB charger. This one is a 60 watt/6.4 amp charger. 

    With all three chargers, I have a total of 17 charging ports. I have a separate 2 port charger for our Fitbit's, and a separate charger for the storage battery (see below).  
    Ultra High Capacity ZeroLemon ToughJuice 30000mAh 7A Output Portable Charger 
    While it says charger, it is a giant battery that you can use to charge your devices. This is a "MUST have" if you do any extended picture taking or recording and you aren't going to be near a power source. If you found yourself in that situation, this would be one of those items you wouldn't want to be without. High Capacity: World's Toughest USB-C/Type-C External Battery Pack @ 30,000mAh capacity.
    Charge iPhone X up to 11 times, iPhone 7 Plus/Galaxy S10/S10 Plus/S9 Plus/S9/S8 Plus/Google Pixel 2 XL/LG V30 7 times, and MacBook once. 7 amp outputs - 5 USB Ports: 1 Quick Charge 2.0 port (12V/9V) with legacy 5V/2A support, and 3 Ports for 1A charging. Convenient to charge multiple devices with only one ZeroLemon external battery pack. USB-C/Type-C Compatibility Anti-Shock Rugged Battery: Toughest Exterior with Largest Capacity USB-C/Type-C Battery  Another nice thing about the battery is that my laptop bag has an internal pouch for a storage battery and a pass-through to the outside USB port. The battery stays hidden and safe in the bag while I charge my devices outside the bag.   
    View the full article
     
  23. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Today in Weather History
    for May 27 

    May 27, 1896 
    A massive tornado struck Saint Louis, MO, killing 306 persons and causing thirteen million dollars damage. The tornado path was short, but cut across a densely populated area. It touched down six miles west of Eads Bridge in Saint Louis and widened to a mile as it crossed into East Saint Louis. The tornado was the most destructive of record in the U.S. up until that time. It pierced a five-eighths inch thick iron sheet with a two by four inch pine plank. A brilliant display of lightning accompanied the storm. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) 

    May 27, 1987 
    Severe thunderstorms in West Texas produced baseball size hail at Crane, hail up to three and a half inches in diameter at Post, and grapefruit size hail south of Midland. Five days of flooding commenced in Oklahoma. Thunderstorms produced 7 to 9 inches of rain in central Oklahoma. Oklahoma City reported 4.33 inches of rain in six hours. Up to six inches of rain caused flooding in north central Texas. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    May 27, 1988 
    Sunny and warm weather prevailed across much of the nation to kick off the Memorial Day weekend. Afternoon thunderstorms in southern Florida caused the mercury at Miami to dip to a record low reading of 69 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    May 27, 1989 
    Unseasonably hot weather prevailed in the southeastern U.S. Ten cities reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the 90's. Lakeland, FL, reported a record high of 99 degrees, and Biloxi, MS, reported a temperature of 90 degrees along with a relative humidity of 75 percent. (The National Weather Summary) 

    May 27, 1990 
    Thunderstorms produced severe weather from north central Texas to the Central Gulf Coast Region. Severe thunderstorms spawned four tornadoes, and there were eighty-one reports of large hail or damaging winds. Late afternoon thunderstorms over southeast Louisiana produced high winds which injured twenty-seven persons at an outdoor music concert in Baton Rouge, and high winds which gusted to 78 mph at the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou              
    View the full article
     
  24. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Good Monday morning!
    Got rain? Let me answer that from here... yes you do. 🙂 
    Here's a look at the morning radar look at 4:30 am Lincoln time

    Lincoln-27.mp4  
    Radar estimated rainfall amounts

     
    Here's the word about today from the Omaha NWS office:
     
    So after the rain is over later this morning, it should be a fairly nice day at the airport. 
    Have a great day and a safe ride home!!! 🙂 
  25. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Today in Weather History
    for May 26 

    May 26, 1771 
    A famous Virginia flood occurred as heavy rains in the mountains brought all rivers in the state to record high levels. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) 

    May 26, 1917 
    A tornado touched down near Louisiana MO about noon and remained on the ground for a distance of 293 miles, finally lifting seven hours and twenty minutes later in eastern Jennings County, IN. The twister cut a swath of destruction two and a half miles wide through Mattoon, IL. There were 101 persons killed in the tornado, including 53 at Mattoon, and 38 at Charleston IL. Damage from the storm totaled 2.5 million dollars. (David Ludlum) 

    May 26, 1984 
    Thunderstorms during the late evening and early morning hours produced 6 to 13 inches of rain at Tulsa OK in six hours (8.63 inches at the airport). Flooding claimed fourteen lives and caused 90 million dollars property damage. 4600 cars, 743 houses, and 387 apartments were destroyed or severely damage in the flood. (Storm Data) (The Weather Channel) 

    May 26, 1987 
    Thunderstorms in southwest Iowa spawned five tornadoes and produced up to ten inches of rain. Seven inches of rain at Red Oak forced evacuation of nearly 100 persons from the town. Record flooding took place in southwest Iowa the last twelve days of May as up to 17 inches of rain drenched the area. Total damage to crops and property was estimated at 16 million dollars. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    May 26, 1988 
    There was "frost on the roses" in the Upper Ohio Valley and the Central Appalachian Mountain Region. Thirteen cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Youngstown OH with a reading of 30 degrees. Evening thunderstorms in North Dakota produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Jamestown. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 

    May 26, 1989 
    Thunderstorms in produced large hail in eastern Oklahoma during the pre-dawn hours, and again during the evening and night. Hail two inches in diameter was reported near Prague, and thunderstorm winds gusted to 70 mph near Kenefic. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 

    May 26, 1990 
    Thunderstorms produced severe weather from eastern Colorado to western Arkansas and northeastern Texas. Severe thunderstorms spawned three tornadoes, and there were eighty-eight reports of large hail or damaging winds. Evening thunderstorms over central Oklahoma spawned strong tornadoes east of Hinton and east of Binger, produced hail three inches in diameter at Minco, and produced wind gusts to 85 mph at Blanchard. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 

    May 26, 2010
    Scattered afternoon thunderstorms developed across north Georgia and propagated along southwestward moving outflow boundaries. A few of these storms became strong to severe on the northwest side of Atlanta. In the far northwestern part of Cobb County, quarter sized hail was reported and more than half a dozen trees were down. (NWS Atlanta)

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou              
    View the full article
     

Various Links

These are links to various pages on my Daculaweather.com site

NWS Links

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