The North Bridge has been painted and photographed from numerous angles, but there is hardly a more striking view than that from atop Minuteman National Historical Park at the height of summer. The winding river, sloping landscape and blanket of purple loosestrife frames the famous bridge in a near perfect setting.

There is a calmness that takes over Concord in mid to late summer, a stillness that while seemingly present in this picture, is more likely to be found on the Main Streets of Concord in August. I drove through two of Concord’s Centers today, West Concord and the Milldam District (more typically recognized as the Historic District) and I found it both a happy circumstance and a bit disconcerting that I could drive with such ease through the intersections and narrow roadways. There were just a few people dotting the sidewalks and a car or two occasionally passing by. This is typical August in Concord and Carlisle, where a good portion of the residents relocate to the Cape or Maine for a few weeks during the summer season. I could easily imagine this having been what it was like fifty or more years ago, before the population boom in this region.

Oh, and as to the landscape photographed above, the place was thriving with visitors, history enthusiasts and families picnicking on the expansive green…they were just off camera.