Around New England

This week we were so excited to go to a listener's recommendation and We hit 3 New England states in one hike!  The Buck Hill Management Area has a trail that will take you from Rhode Island into Massachusetts, along the border of Connecticut, and back to Rhode Island again.  This 7.5 mile loop had just over 600 feet of elevation gain.   Be sure to wear your orange during hunting season as pheasan...

Join us this week as we hike on the stunning property of the Marsh Billings Rockefeller Farm and Museum .  This is actually a National Park , the first of which dedicated to land stewardship.  The trails are free to walk around.  You can park at the museum and use their facilities for free.  We have checked out the farm and museum many years ago and we had fond memories.  This trip was all about h...

Join us this week as we hike two more family friendly and dog friendly hikes around Portland, Maine.  First we hiked the popular Back Cove Trail area conveniently located right off 295. This is an easy 3.5 mile loop that must be a very popular spot for locals to get their exercise.  We can't say that we blame them!  There are city views as well as nice views of the water and the surrounding Back C...

This week we hike another 52 With A View mountain, Stinson Mountain in Rumney, NH.  This mountain has some great views and an awesome trail going up.  Listen to this podcast to avoid making the same mistake we made coming back down!  Overall this mountain is a lot of fun to hike.  It's relatively easy, and has great bang for your buck! We have done several on the list so far.  Check out our Blog o...

Thinking about getting into hiking but not sure where to start?  In this episode, we talk through the questions we wish someone answered for us when we were beginners.   In this episode we discuss things we wish we knew when we first started hiking, gear recommendations for beginners, hiking with dogs, what to do if you get lost, how to research your hiking destination, and of course what type of...

Join us this week as we go to Freeport Maine to hike and shop.  We hiked Freeport's highest point, Hedgehog Mountain .  This area is 196 acres and has over 5 miles of hiking trails.  It is maintained by the Town of Freeport, and it's in great shape. This is a dog friendly hike that is fairly easy.  It's close to the shops and has a viewpoint that can see all the way to Mount Washington on a clear...

Join us this week as we take a road trip around New Hampshire to 4 different family & pet-friendly waterfall destination hikes.  If you haven't listened to it already, check out our older podcast about Arethusa Falls and Ripley Falls .   Coffee: Pure & Brave in Plymouth, NH Frontside North Conway, NH Tiktok Instagram AroundNewEnglandPodcast.com

Join us this week as we hike Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, Massachusetts!  Located within the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation , This was a great family friendly hike with some great views!  We started from the parking lot at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area .  The trail name we did was Balance Rock to Old Indian Trail.  Balance Rock is a natural glacial phenomenon that is an easy .35 miles from...

Join us this week as we head back up to the Bethel, Maine area to hike the Mount Will Trail.   This is just one of the many trails maintained by the Inland Woods & Trails .  This non-profit organization maintains over 100 miles of trails in the area.  We first meet them at the Snowbound Expo and again at the Boston Run and Outdoor Expo .  We brought our dog, and there are many other dog-friend...

Join us this week as we hike one of the most popular hikes in NH, possibly even the US, Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH.  Although Mount Monadnock is attainable for almost any ability, it is still a challenging hike.  Be prepared to have fun, but also make sure you are prepared for a real hike!  It was over 4 miles total, and about 1,650 feet of elevation gain.   Besides this park having a strict n...

Join us this week as we hike a local favorite of ours, Mount Major .  This mountain is a great introductory hike for pets, kids, or anyone looking to take a nice step towards the more difficult mountains.   We have been to a few places to eat in the area.  In the summer, we have been to Pop's Clam Shell , right on Lake Winnipesauke in Alton Bay.  They serve seafood and a variety of other fried foo...

Join us this week as we travel to beautiful Manchester, VT to hike Lye Brook Falls Trail .  The destination of this 4.8 mile hike is one of Vermont's tallest waterfall.  The hike is fairly easy, kid and dog friendly, and the views are worth the mileage!  We saw a wide variety of hikers here.   After the hike we checked out nearby Depot Street Burgers for a delicious post-hike burger & beer.  W...

Join us this week as we go to Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, CT.  This family and dog-friendly hike has a cool tower (or castle) at the summit that has nice views of Long Island Sound and the New Haven area.  We did a 4.5 mile loop that included going past the summit and returning a less common trail.  It was not difficult and a lot of fun. After the hike we headed to the world famous Wooste...

Join us this week as we travel abroad to Ireland!  We hiked and ate at some fantastic spots that we simply had to share with you guys!  If you are ever fortunate enough to get to Ireland, be sure to take a day to have a hiking adventure.  We booked our trip through Ireland Walk Hike Bike .  We first learned about this Ireland based company on our first trip to Ireland.  We hiked a guided 16 km hik...

This week we talk about two short NH hikes that are perfect for families that enjoy getting out on the trails!  First we checked out Blue Job Mountain in Strafford, NH.  There are two peaks, with great views accessable by the Blue Job Mountain Loop trail.  Little Blue Job has an exposed peak and nice views of the White Mountains.  Blue Job has a fire tower that is available to partially climb up. ...

Today we’re going to break down outdoor activities to do in each season here in New England regardless of when you get to travel. We get this question a lot, "What do you think is the best season to visit New England?" While G loves the Fall, Mike prefers the warmer weather in the summer months.  Both of us agree that each season has its advantages.  Here are just some of the activities we discuss...

Join us this week as we take the puppy on her first RI hike at Lincoln Woods State Park .  This is a great park with many activities available year round.  The price is the best part!  It's free to get in!   Located in Lincoln, but also near Providence, Woonsocket, and Pawtucket, this spot is just a RIPTA bus ride away!  We went in the winter and hiked but this place is a gem in the summer!  You c...

This week we take the puppy to Pawtuckaway State Park to see how she does on her first winter hike!  Spoiler alert...She's going to be a great hiking partner!!  Pawtuckaway is great year round.  They have boating, fishing, hiking, biking, snowmobiling, and you can even ride your horse there!   Afterwards we had some amazing treats and coffee at Blooms and Brews .  If you are in the Deerfield area,...

Join us this week as we explore a few of our favorite New Hampshire Seacoast hikes, Odiorne Point State Park and Urban Forestry Center.  Located on the Atlantic Ocean, overlooking the entrance of the Piscataqua River and New Castle, NH is Odiorne Point.  This spot has picnic tables, a playground, great tide-pooling areas, nice hiking trails, and of course the Seacoast Science Center .  Don't miss...

This week we talk about the Thomas Dambo trolls located in Rhode Island.  We already recorded an episode on the trolls, but some have been added since our original troll podcast .  There are 2 located in Ninigret Park in Charlestown, 1 located in Arcadia Management Area, 1 located in Ryan Park in North Kingstown, and 1 located at Kettle Point Peir in East Providence.  All are unique and fun to che...

Welcome to this year's Vermont Winter Weekend!  We stayed in Williston again as we really enjoyed the location right off 89.  It's easy to get to Burlington or Bolton Valley .  We starte off at Bolton Valley to downhill ski.  G had a lesson as part of the Learn To Turn program by Indy Pass .  Mike had fun skiing some more challenging trails and skiing in the woods while G had her 2 hour lesson.  ...

Join us as we discuss all of our favorite hiking gear and where we shop as well as where you guys have recommended.  We discuss all clothing choices from shoes, socks, pants, tops, and outerwear.  This isn't the same as our blog about the 10 essentials , but a list of our own essentials that we try not to hike without. We talk a lot about our favorite items of clothing and where we got them from. ...

This week we head towards Boston for our new Puppy's first hike at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Medford, MA.  Known as "The Fells", this park is surprisingly large at over 2,000 acres! There is access from other surrounding towns, but we went to the Medford parking lot.   There are so many trails, it truly is a choose-your-own-adventure type of hike.  We did the skyline trail which had white...

Join us this week as we head to Gillette Castle in East Haddam, CT.  This beautiful castle was built in the early 1900's for William Gillette , best known for being the first person to be Sherlock Holmes in theater.  His home is amazing and is free to walk around.  Tours are available from daily during the summer, and weekends throughout the fall.  There is even a cool holiday showing.  We went wh...

This week we head to Bridgton, Maine to check out Pate Mountain Reserve .  Be sure to listen to hear how to pronounce it!  ;) This area is maintained by Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) and they do an incredible job!  It's a great hike to get a variety of trail experiences.  Bald Pate reminded us a lot of Mount Agamenticus in York, Maine.  Listen to our podcast about it here.    The Bridgton Maine area...