Boston has a wonderful walkway that follows the contour of the harbor. I was out for an evening stroll when I came upon a gorgeous sunset at the Zakim Bridge. TD Garden is to the left and Bunker Hill is on the other side of the bridge.

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 36 mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Shutter: 30.0s

The Freedom Trail Ticket offers discounted admission to the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House and the Paul Revere House.

The Old State House offers several interesting tours and activities. The guides explained the history of the Old State House, and provided insight on the Boston massacre and the War of Independence. Of the three points of interest, I enjoyed the Old State House the most.

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
ISO: 140
Focal Length: 58mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/250s

The Paul Revere house allows visitors to step back into time and see how the Revere family live. This is a self-directed tour with interesting Revere family heirlooms on display.

The Old South Meeting House has some exhibits that cover the history of the premises. Its claim to fame is its association with the Boston tea party. The colonists had met at the Old South Meeting House before heading to dispose of the tea shipments into Boston harbor.

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/5s

I love heading out before dawn and exploring a new place. A few weeks ago, I stayed at the Heritage House Hotel in Hyannis, MA. It is just a block from the Cape Cod Maritime Museum, which is perched at the entrance of Hyannis Harbor.

At first, I walked down Main Street. However, there were too many objects obstructing my view, so I turned around and headed to the harbor. When I arrived, I was greeted by a richly illuminated sky full of orange, red and pink brushstrokes. No better way to start the day than to be greeted by the warm sun.

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 70 mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Shutter: 1/3s

I was looking through some old photos (circa 2012) that I had taken with my previous camera. This view of the Lincoln Memorial comes from the Old Post Office. Only after processing this photo in Lightroom did I notice the rows of headstones from Arlington National Cemetery in the background—a particularly poignant observation on Memorial Day.

Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR IIs
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 200mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/320s

Lima may be the capital of Peru, but Cusco is definitely its soul. Here, you can witness the impact that colonial Spain had on the Incan Empire as you enter buildings in classic Spanish style erected on massive Incan foundations.

The CDC does caution visitors about acute mountain sickness because Cuzco is located 11,150 ft above sea level. I had brought some acetazolamide in preparation, but it was packed in the checked luggage, which the airline had misplaced. Fortunately, we immediately descended to the Sacred Valley, and I did not experience any severe symptoms.

From the Plaza de Armas, much is accessible by foot. We had no problem finding good restaurants in the area. Cusco is also a great place to get your laundry cleaned. Just outside of our hotel, several laundromats (lavanderias) were located nearby. I stopped in to inquire about the pricing, which was pretty uniform. The only difference is how early or late each place was open. I ended up dropping our laundry at a place that would deliver the cleaned and folded clothes the earliest the next morning. They even dropped it off back at our hotel. Quite a service!

Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
ISO: 110
Focal Length: 38 mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Shutter: 1/640s

Nothing came easy for the Quechua people. After all, you don’t build stone storehouses on the side of a mountain for no reason. Imagine harvesting a bushel of corn, then having to haul it up the mountain for storage.

Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, 42mm f/7.1, 1/250s

At first glance, these structures seem to be quite inaccessible. However, a close inspection reveals the pathways that lead to these well-preserved buildings.

Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, 62mm f/7.1, 1/320s

The Marais is home to Jewish shops, bakeries and restaurants in Paris. I loved exploring the neighborhood, smelling the aromas floating from the falafel shop, and discovering all that the Jewish Quarter had to offer.

The recent attacks in Paris have saddened me. I hope that in time the Jewish community will once again feel secure. We are all richer when we can indulge in the culture, arts and foods of others.

I had woken up early in Cusco to explore the Plaza de Armas. The previous night, this square was bustling with people coming and going to restaurants and nightclubs. Surrounding the historical center of Cusco, the homes on the foothills were glistening like Christmas lights strung around the city. The experience was absolutely magical.

This morning, the city was quiet and contemplative. At first, the sky was a rich, dark blue. As the last traces of night ebbed into day, the sky lightened. A touch of lingering sunlight illuminated the clouds with yellow and orange hues. A new day had begun.

The clock on the cathedral wall was pointing at 6 o’clock. Most of the city was still asleep, but I was in the square soaking up the radiance of the morning light.

Not sure if it was a bout of foolishness or naiveté, but I thought it would be interesting to travel with one lens. So, with a Nikon AF-S 28-300mm lens, I headed out to Peru. For one lens, it wasn’t a bad choice, but I did not go through the entire thought process carefully.

My preliminary thought was that at dawn or dusk, I would be using a tripod anyways, so I did not need a fast lens. Generally, that is true, except for one outlier situation: astrophotography. I immediately recognized my error when setting up my camera.

To compound the problem, I did not have my regular tripod for this photo. That mistake, to never be repeated, would be placing the tripod in checked luggage, which the airline could not locate for four days. Fortunately, I could make do with my table top tripod. The set-up was seriously constrained, but it was better than nothing. As it turned out, the night I took this photo was the only clear night at that location. I have been using Clear Dark Sky to predict optimal viewing conditions, but their dataset is limited to North America. 7 Timer provided me with the astro data for Peru.

Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 1,600, 28mm, f/3.5, 30.0s