Summer Solstice and the Strawberry Full Moon

Yesterday was the summer solstice. Even more exciting, last night was the first solstice full moon in more than 50 years. The sun set and moon were supposed to appear almost immediately after one another (about a minute apart from where we were).

I love a good “5 to 9” adventure and this summer night was one of those times to just jump in the car and go. I raced home from work, changed my clothes, grabbed my camera, and off we went. We arrived at the top of Mt. Battie in Camden Hills State Park about an hour before the moonrise. We found a spot away from a few small groups that had made the trek. I set up my camera on a tripod and sat down next to Jared to watch the colors and light shift and change depending on the direction you looked.

Fading light as the sun set on the other side of the tall trees, Mt. Battie, Camden Hills State Park

Fading light as the sun set on the other side of the tall trees, Mt. Battie, Camden Hills State Park

A layer of fog covered the bay as we looked out at Camden and the islands in the distance. As the sun set behind us we kept our eyes on the thick strip of faintly pink sky near the horizon. The fog and haze was thickest where the ocean and sky came together.

We fell silent. The time passed when we thought we should see the moon. Every second felt long as we waited with anticipation for the first sight of the moon. Jared broke our silence as he pointed and said, “Look! Look the moon is right there. Can you see it?” I squinted my eyes slightly and focused in the direction he was pointing. There it was! The strawberry moon was right directly in front of us!

Strawberry moon from Mt. Battie, Camden Hills State Park

Strawberry moon from Mt. Battie, Camden Hills State Park

Adventure Tip: When it comes to seeing sunrises and sunsets you have to know where the sun or moon are going to be and then you have be out there to see what happens. Sometimes it gets really cloudy and you do not see much and other times you might think you will see nothing and you get an amazing show. Looking for more opportunities to see a show in the sky? Check out Nat Geo’s list for the season!

Jlynn Frazier

About Jlynn Frazier

Hi, I’m Jlynn Frazier and I am wild for adventure! I work a “9 to 5” like many people do and I am passionate about spending as much time outside in nature as possible. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you through stories and photographs and I hope to spark your curiosities to explore and protect all of our natural resources.