It’s been cold—not brutally cold, but cold—in Boston lately, and as often happens in January, I’ve been thinking about summer, and all the things I like about it (I will forget all those things as soon as it is July, 95 degrees, and muggy). Recently, I also learned that there is such a thing as a dark sky park, a place low enough in light pollution to give you a great view of the stars, so now I’m daydreaming about a trip to one of them this summer.
“Auroras,” by Joanna Klink, makes me think of summer and stars. I love its opening lines: “It began in a foyer of evenings / The evenings left traces of glass in the trees.” That’s a wonderful image: the last of the daylight caught in the tree branches while the sky above them turns black.
In other poetry-related news:
Michael Klein’s review of Mark Wunderlich’s The Earth Avails in The Boston Review is excellent.
I thoroughly enjoyed this interview with Susan Howe on The Poetry Foundation’s website. I haven’t read much of her poetry, so if you can recommend the book I should start with, please leave a note!
Rosemary and Reading Glasses 
“The evening left traces of glass in the trees.” Nice! I see that they put Big Bend on the list, but if you are interested in stars and summer nights, you should try camping at the Davis Mountains State Park in Ft. Davis, Texas. The sky is wonderful there, and there is the added nearby attraction of the McDonald Observatory, right up the mountain, which gives star parties twice a week. If camping is not your deal, they have a historic adobe hotel in the park built by the CCC. You have to make your reservations to stay in the historic section of the hotel about a year in advance, though.
Now the hotel–that’s what I’m talking about! I seriously have a magnet on my fridge that says “I love not camping.” Looking forward to H getting a little older so we can plan more sight-seeing expeditions like this!
Hah! I think the historical part of the hotel is very much worth staying in. The modern part is just like a regular motel, only maybe less nice than most. There are also some really nice B&B’s in Fort Davis, which is a little farther away from the Observatory. Yes, great trip for when H is older! He’s been looking so cute in those snow pictures, by the way.
Thanks for the info! And thanks on the pictures 🙂
Brooksville, Maine, would be my favorite star-watching destination.
In truth, an excellent spot. Though the best stars I ever saw were in Honduras.
I have to join the dark sky competition, and recommend the dark sky circle at Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia. We take the kids there every summer, and it’s the best place on earth (although, I may be a little biased). Not too far if you ever take the ferry to Yarmouth!
Now, since I’m a total non-camper, are there places with plumbing/beds nearby? We would love to get up to Canada soon — Montreal is always on our scope, and I’d love to see PEI and Halifax. Which reminds me–seriously need to get my passport updated.
There are little cabins for the non-campers. Very cozy! But, you still need to bring your own bedding, kitchen things, etc. Right outside the park there are some cabins and B&Bs.
All of your wish-list destinations are good choices. The dark sky circle/campground is 2 hours from Halifax.
This reminds me of summer sleeping out under the stars in the farm fields of my youth. Lovely!
I’m glad you liked it, Denise!