Bhavna and I explored the Washington Park, Washington Row, and Jackson Street.
After leaving Vita, Bhavna and I explored Washington Park, Washington Row, and Jackson Street. In Washington Park, between the streets of Washington Row and the Grand Army of the Republic, we found the Clock at Washington Park which is a historical landmark. The clock is a working clock. Natural plants and grass make up the numbers and the date. Every day the grass and plants are tended to ensure the date is updated. A lot of work has gone into making this park a great addition to Sandusky's downtown area, making it an even more appealing park.
Bhavna and I found an interesting bistro,grocery store, and bar located inside and old bank on Columbus Avenue.
After breakfast at Mr Smiths Coffeehouse, Bhavna and I explored more of Water Street, West Market Street and Columbus Avenue on foot.
Sandusky looks walkable to someone used to walking the streets of New York City, but it had a mediocre Walk Score. My experience is at odds with that score. There are several bicycle shops in the town, and the speed limit is low, but Sandusky also received a low bicycle score due to the lack of bike lanes. Princeton Township, on the other hand, has a higher walk and bike score. Downtown Princeton is the only part of Princeton with bicycle lanes; the rest of the town is full of narrow streets with no pedestrian sidewalks. Downtown Princeton is much smaller than Sandusky and has heavy vehicle traffic all year round. I think the algorithm on this website is full of shit.
I don’t see the town putting in bicycle lanes unless street parking is reconfigured. Sandusky has the same type of angle parking I have seen in other towns in Ohio. The streets are much broader than those in older states like New Jersey, and this type of marking maximises the number of cars that can park on the road. This works well for a town filled with tourists in the warmer months.
Just one block from Mr Smiths Coffeehouse, we stopped at Columbus Avenue and East Washington Row intersection at the entrance to what seemed to be a park. I was drawn to the massive columns outside of the building on the corner. I peeked through the glass doors and was soon pulled inside, but what I saw. I stood for nearly five minutes just looking up. I pulled out my iPhone to try to fit the entire room into one shot. The distortion is extreme.
As I turned to exit, I noticed a colourful piano in the corner bathed in light and shadow. This made me immediately run back outside to grab Bhavna, whom I had left standing on the sidewalk.
We went back inside so I could explore and take more photographs. The light from the southeast-facing windows cast strong shadows on the inside. I was drawn to the contrast between light and shadow. I struggled to find the right balance between the shadows and highlights. The iPhone’s computation photography engine seemed to find a sweet spot, but the image was bland. I set my Fuji X-T3 to auto bracket for exposure and later combined the images using Adobe Lightroom’s HDR feature. I like the result.
We were somewhat confused by the space. The space on the right side nearest the entrance appeared to be a cafe and even had cafe seating. The area on the left, nearest the door, had shelving with fresh produce, groceries, toiletries, etc.; the things one would find in an "upscale" bodega. Halfway down the left wall, I saw a beer and wine refrigerator. Occupying the second half of the right wall is a bar. Fortunately, we didn’t wonder for too long.
The establishment’s owner introduced herself and gave us a tour of Vita. According to the website:
Vita is more than just a bistro, it is a place to gather with friends, family or co-workers. Featuring a large seating area, Vita is the perfect place for coffee with your friends, an off-site office meeting location, or a dinner experience unlike any other. Vita also offers a variety of local, domestic and imported beers and wines, as well as a market for groceries and gifts. Add in live entertainment on select weekends and a visit to Vita will create memories to last a lifetime. That’s what we call “Livin’ la vita Locale!”
Got it! If you live in one of the nearby apartments or work in the area, Vita could be where you stop for coffee and breakfast, come back later for lunch, and stop in after work for a cocktail or to pickup some items to make dinner.
The menu was expansive and varied, so Bhavna and I decided that we would have lunch at Vita before departing Sandusky on Saturday.
Continuing my need to post about photographs taken decades ago on long-forgotten film cameras, today I am posting the last pictures from the before-kids vacation Bhavna, and I took to St. Vincent & The Grenadines. I wrote about my trip to Bequia to spend some time with my grandmother and the nature hike we took out to Trinity Falls when staying on the mainland at the Bank House with Dad. But I still have a few pictures from our drive along the Leeward Highway to Trinity Falls.
Most of the roads in St. Vincent are narrow one-lane roads that wind around the outer rim of the mountain ridge from the southern coast of the mainland up to the La Soufrière volcano on the northern end. One such road is the Leeward Highway. Using the word highway to describe this road is a stretch of the modern North American understanding of the word. However, according to Wikipedia, the word highway can be used for any major roadway. The British definition is a legal term to describe "...any route or path with a public right of access, including footpaths etc.". So the Leeward Highway is a major public road along the east coast of the mainland. Got it?
The roadway was so narrow that at one point, the driver asked us to exit the minivan and stand back while he navigated past another vehicle. The tyres of the back of the minivan were on the very edge of the left side of the road. One mistake and a 200-foot drop awaited the vehicle and its driver.
And for those who don’t know the word leeward, it's a nautical term to describe the side of a ship facing the direction toward which the wind is blowing and the side opposite the windward. In the Caribbean Sea, leeward is west, and windward is east. Got it?
While the highway is narrow and bumpy, the drive offers spectacular cliff top views, hidden bays, flora and fauna. We drove through Barrouallie, a small village established by French settlers in 1719 and the first European colony on St. Vincent. We also went through the town of Walliabou. Wallilabou Anchorage was one of many locations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines where Disney Studio filmed the movie ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.
The nature trail is to the north of Chateubelair, a large fishing village with archaeological significant rock carvings believed to have been left by Kalinago, the native inhabitants of the islands. Near the foot of the La Soufrière volcano, the nature trail is accessible from the Leeward Highway. Some of the previous trails had eroded and caved in.
Apologies for the quality of these photographs. When we took this vacation, APS film was being pushed by Kodak as the future of film photography. I was ignorant and bought into the hype. I purchased an APS film camera and several rolls of APS film, which was the worst camera to bring on a vacation. The quality of APS film was inferior to the 35mm film format it was intended to replace. 35mm film is still made and sold, but APS (along with Kodak) was relegated to the dustbin of history.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to using ALL the cookies. However, this website has no interest in selling your information. It does not explicitly use social media cookies from Facebook, Google, Twitter, Threads, Instagram etc. Read More
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.