Continuing our series from Bermuda in April, the following photos provide a look around the Royal Naval Dockyard, which now functions as a cruise port and location for dining, shopping and museums.
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Too Many Photos of Somewhere Not in Pennsylvania, Pt. II
The Commissioner’s House at the National Museum of Bermuda. Calico Jack’s, now a restaurant and bar. Heritage Wharf and the Commissioner’s House. The ferry has arrived. The Clocktower Mall. The 2017 America’s Cup hull of Oracle Team USA. Some jet skiers braving the cold waters. Fort St. Catherine near St. George. The reef is very close to the channel in some spots. -
Too Many Photos of Somewhere Not in Pennsylvania, Pt. I
The following post (and two more to follow) are from a recent cruise to Bermuda which I took in mid April. The first entry is from a trolley tour around the West End of Bermuda near the Royal Naval Dockyard and Somerset Parish. Even though the weather was overcast, there were still some lovely coastal views.
One of the famous Bermuda Moon Gates. 
Old bus shelter of Bermuda limestone. 
I love the colorful buildings here. 
The world’s smallest drawbridge – from a photo of a fellow traveller. 
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A Pair of Parks
A trip into Bucks County led me to several covered bridges. Near the Cabin Run Covered Bridge is Tohickon Valley Park, a pleasnt spot with parking, picnic tables and fishing access to the Tohickon Creek. It is close to several other county parks. The 612-acre Tohickon park also has playgrounds,hiking, ball fields, and a swimming pool in season. Overnight stays include group and family camping and cabins on 22 campsites. It is deceptively large, which is why I missed a portion of it when I was there.
Views of Tohickon Creek. 
Nockamixon State Park has been featured on this blog before.so I will not go into detail here. It is a large park in Bucks County with a lake, full service marina, hiking, picnicking, hunting and fishing. It is actually a decent location for astronomy close to the city of Philadelphia. The Tohickon boat launch area is used for astronomy and provides fairly open horizons and a 20.10 mag/arssec^2 sky.
Almost sunset, but not quite. -
State Parks Redux
Tuscarora State Park sits in a valley north of Blue Mountain near coal mining regions of Pennsylvania. It is a lovely park, but one which has serious problems in terms of ADA access, especially to the lake and beach.
I passed this farm on my way to my next location. It was then on to Beltzville State Park to view a covered bridge I only recently realized was there.
The Harrity Covered Bridge. 
The dam is run by the Army Corps of Engineers. -
Eagles Mere
Eagles Mere is a borough in Sullivan County with a population of 151 at the 2020 census (full time residents). Eagles Mere was laid out in 1877 and incorporated in 1899. The Eagles Mere Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Eagles Mere’s name literally means “the eagle’s lake”, the word “mere” being a poetic synonym of “lake”. The town has an extensive history of tourism, having been developed as a resort town and was once served by a narrow gauge railway. My family has visited the area since I was a child.
Some of the summer sailboat fleet. 
The clubhouse at the lake with a swimming beach. 
St. John of the Wilderness Episcopal Church. 
The Eagles Mere Inn. 
One of the large Victorian style homes.
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Back to Lake Naomi
The annual weekend trip to Lake Naomi in the Poconos was blessed with lovely weather – and I got to extend it by a day. Here are some views of the lake.
A panorama of the same area. 
This woman with three small dogs was quite the character. 
St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church in nearby Pocono Summit. I’ve always been fascinated by this Church and decided to take a closer look. 
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Lake Somerset has a Nature Park
Located in Somerset County, Lake Somerset is a 253-acre impoundment owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and managed by the Fish and Boat Commission for public fishing and boating. The lake historically has stocked the lake with Channel Catfish, Muskellunge and Walleye fingerling. Fish habitat structures have been placed in the lake over the years a fish habitat improvement program. Boating is limited to boats powered by electric motors and un-powered boats. Two launch ramps are available along with associated parking facilities. Un-powered boats may be moored at the lake in accordance with Commission property regulations. The lake was extensively renovated beginning in 2017. The county has created a nature park around the lake. It seems like a lovely amenity for the region for birding and walking as well a boating and fishing.
There was a small boat concession operating at the lake. 
This fishing pier seemed quite popular. 
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Getting Away from It All in Tunkhanock
Tunkhannock is the county seat of Wyoming County, 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Wilkes-Barre. In the past, lumbering was carried on extensively in the area and served as the economic base. Today, many residents are employed by the Procter & Gamble plant in nearby Washington Township. As of the 2020 census, the borough population was 1,766.
The name Tunkhannock is derived from the Minsi-Len’api term Ptuk’hanna’unk, which means “Bend-in-river-place”, which is to the town’s west, upstream at the radical bend called “The Neck” on the Susquehanna River. The historic district was added the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
The town has some lovely Victorian style houses. 
The rhododendron were in full bloom. 
The Wyoming County Courthouse. 
I love these small town movie theaters. 
Some store fronts along Route 6. 
Nearby Miller Mountain was recently reacquired by the state after being in the hands of a ski area developer for quite a few years. It is one of the more recognizable peaks in the Endless Mountains region. It is a “stand alone” peak, which is separated from the remainder of the Allegheny Plateau. In 2023, Miller Mountain was purchased by the state, and added to the Pinchot State Forest.
The Susquehanna River flows past the mountain where the slopes rise to over 1,600 feet (490 m) above the riverbanks and the town of Tunkhannock. It is believed to be the last undeveloped mountain of its size in the Commonwealth that had been privately owned.
A nearby boat launch along the Susquehanna. -
Vosburg Neck – The Most Compelling New State Park
Vosburg Neck State Park lies five miles west of Tunkhannock in Wyoming County. The park’s 669 acres feature historic buildings from the 1700 and 1800s, a canal bed and rail bed,, and a 1700s-era cemetery. Recreational activities include eight miles of trails, non-motorized boating access, and picnic areas.
The park is one of Pennsylvania’s three new state parks, and the most developed to date. The park was formerly the Howland Preserve. It is located in an oxbow on the north branch of the Susquehanna River known as the Vosburg Neck and features a diverse range of habitat.
The park office. 
The Riverside Barn seemed to have been in use for a private function before I arrived. 
Private residences dot the area. I also lust after one of these trailers 
The boat launch. 
A lovely private home. 
The cemetery. -
A “Natural” Lake
Harveys Lake, one of Pennsylvania’s few natural lakes, is found in Luzerne County. It has a surface area of approximately 621.5 acres, or nearly a square mile, and it is situated entirely within the borough of Harveys Lake. By volume, it is the largest natural lake in Pennsylvania, and by surface area, is the second-largest lake. It is a glacial lake surrounded by hills and is the source of Harveys Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River. Despite being a natural lake, it has a stone masonry dam. The lake’s watershed has an area of approximately 3600 acres. Nearly all of the developed land in the area is close to the lake itself, and the lake is surrounded entirely by a paved road. As you can see from the below photographs, the area around the lake is heavily developed with homes and other buildings built right up to the lakeshore around nearly the entire perimeter.
It is sad that few of Pennsylvania’s natural glacier lakes have been preserved in their natural, undammed state, with limited development. Few Pennsylvania residents will ever get an opportunity to experience a natural lake or learn about and appreciate their ecological importance. What has happened to Harveys Lake is, unfortunately, fairly typical of these lakes.
The day I visited, there was intermittent rain and heavily overcast skies, which do not make for the prettiest pictures.
