Hazy Evening On The Delaware ...

“The water you touch in a river is the last of that which has passed, & the first of that which is coming. Thus it is with time present. Life, if well spent, is long.”

       ~ Leonardo da Vinci

              ~ 1452 ~ 1519

            ~   “Leonardo’s Notebooks”

The historic Northampton Street Bridge, commonly called the Free Bridge, spans across the Delaware River linking Phillipsburg, New Jersey & Easton, Pennsylvania as sunset neared on June 30, 2023.

I shot this from the banks of the river on the Phillipsburg side facing Easton, as wildfire smoke from Canadian wildfires moving through the area caused hot milky skies and haze in the evening sky.

The bridge is colloquially referred as the “Free Bridge” to distinguish it from the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge (previously the Bushkill Street Bridge), a short distance upstream. It underwent a rehabilitation/improvement project that spanned from late 2021 until spring 2023.

The bridge that connects the two states was completed in 1896 and survived massive flooding from Hurricane Diane in 1955. It underwent a thorough restoration in 1990 and is one of my very favorite places to photograph.

 

Historic Phillipsburg was established March 8, 1861 and named for William Phillips, an early settler of the area. The historic town of Easton was founded in 1752 and is located at the confluence of the Delaware River and Lehigh River, known as the Forks-Of-The-Delaware. Both are Delaware River Towns.

The Free Bridge can also be seen from across the Delaware River at Delaware Canal State Park, Easton, near the Forks of the Delaware Trailhead of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L Trail).

Running from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, the D&L Trail passes through the Lehigh and Delaware rivers and their canals in Pennsylvania.

 

October Crossing ...

“Praise the bridge that carried you over.”

       ~ George Colman

          ~ English dramatist

          ~ 1762 ~1836

As an autumn morning begins to segue into afternoon, traffic crosses the Riverton-Belvidere Toll Supported Bridge on a beautiful mid-October day.

The bridge, which opened in 1904, links Belvidere, New Jersey and Riverton, Pennsylvania and spans the Delaware River, which straddles New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

I shot this from the Riverton side of the bridge as Belvidere lies ahead, with the bridge framed by fall foliage.

A Delaware River Town, Belvidere, one of my very favorite places, was established April 7, 1845 and is a charming Victorian town located on the banks of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers. The town’s name means “beautiful to see” in Italian.

Riverton is part of Pennsylvania’s Slate Belt.

 

Morning On The Delaware ...

 “Let us cross over the river, and rest in the shade of the trees.”

   ~ Stonewall Jackson

   ~ 1824 ~ 1863

The last words of Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, who served as a Confederate general (1861-1863) during the Civil War, and became arguably the best-known Confederate commander after General Robert E. Lee. Jackson played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the Eastern Theater of the war until his death, and had an important part in winning many significant battles.

 

The serenity of a beautiful mid-October morning reflects in the Delaware River, showcasing autumn’s splendor in this shot I captured overlooking the river that straddles New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

This view was from the Riverton-Belvidere Toll Supported Bridge, my vantage point on this picture perfect morning.

The bridge, which opened in 1904, links Belvidere, New Jersey and Riverton, Pennsylvania.

A Delaware River Town, Belvidere, one of my very favorite places, was established April 7, 1845 and is a charming Victorian town located on the banks of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers. The town’s name means “beautiful to see” in Italian.

Riverton is part of Pennsylvania’s Slate Belt.

Warm December On The Delaware ...

“In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

                       ~ Albert Camus

                           ~1913-1960

A speedboat cruises on the Delaware River under the Free Bridge on a beautiful & mild mid-December afternoon facing the historic town of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, as seagulls take flight at right.

A portion of the historic Northampton Street Bridge, commonly called the Free Bridge, can be seen from my vantage point across the river at Delaware Canal State Park, Easton, Pennsylvania near the Forks of the Delaware Trailhead of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L Trail). The iconic Jimmy’s Doggie Stand can be seen to the right of the bridge. The American flag billows in the breeze to the left of Jimmy's.

The Free Bridge that spans the two states was completed in 1896 and survived massive

flooding from Hurricane Diane in 1955. It underwent a thorough restoration in 1990 and is one of my very favorite places to photograph.

 Phillipsburg and Easton are both historic Delaware River Towns. Phillipsburg was established March 8, 1861 and was named for William Phillips, an early settler of the area. Easton was founded in 1752.

  

The Forks of the Delaware is the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers where Phillipsburg and Easton meet; it is where the Lehigh River merges into the Delaware River.

The trail is positioned between the Delaware River and Delaware Canal, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978. The site possesses national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America.

Running from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, the D&L Trail passes through the Lehigh and Delaware rivers and their canals in Pennsylvania.