Around New England

Join us as we hike out 8th New Hampshire 4,000 footer, Mount Hale.  Located off 302 near Bretton Woods, Zealand Road is a seasonal road that accesses several great hiking trails including this hike.  The road is closed in the winter, so check conditions prior to arriving.  The road closure would practically double the mileage on this one!  When we did this one, it was November.  The road was still...

Thanks for joining us in our Season 2 opening episode where we talk all about our 2026 hiking goals and of course, Mike wants to talk skiing.  This year Mike is taking G skiing on the Indy Pass .  This is the first in many seasons that G has tried skiing again.  Listen to her adventures while taking her first of her three lessons, including if she made it out unscathed or not. We both have the Ind...

For our Season 1 finally, We hiked a hike that has been on our bucket list for a long time.  We hiked the Lincoln - Lafayette Loop in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  This hike was outstanding!    We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Lincoln with hopes to hike on one of the 2 morning we were there.  We paid close attention to the Higher Summits Forecast from the Mount Washington Observato...

This week we venture off to some cool family friendly spots in the Portland, Maine area.  We head to Mackworth Island State Park for some quiet views of Casco Bay.   Next we headed to Fort Williams Park to see the famous Portland Head Light lighthouse and walk the cliff walk . We finally had to check out Crescent Beach State Park where you can rent paddle boards!  another spot we recommend is Fore...

Join us as we explore Block Island which is a small but beautiful island just 13 miles off the coast of Rhode Island.  It is accessible by The Block Island Ferry .  Book your trip early, as this place gets very busy in the summer!   When you arrive, you will see some of the bluffs that are visible from the mainland.  As you enter the Old Harbor to dock, Ballard's Resort which is a really cool plac...

*They recently changed the path to a one way for the busy holiday weekend. Please feel free to follow Cannon Mt Instagram where they post updates.  We hiked the famous Flume Gorge and Artist Bluffs on an incredible fall day.  The foliage was popping, and the people were out at some of New England's most popular spots.  Some of these people could benefit from reading our blog on trail etiquette ! ...

Join us as we embark on an adventurous hike up Mount Tom in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In this episode, we explore the challenges and rewards of this steep trail, share insights on the best gear for the journey (spoiler alert, we love LL Bean !) , and delve into the rich history of the Metacomet Ridge. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or just starting out, this episode offers a blend of practical tips...

Join us on our first adventure in Connecticut as Around New England!  We went to Ragged Mountain Memorial Preserve in Berlin.  This hike had a little more grade than we thought we signed up for, but it is still a family and dog friendly hike and is only about a 30 minute drive from Hartford.  We even saw cool wildlife on the trail! This hike is also part of the New England Trail , which is a hikin...

Join us on our 5th 4,000 footer, Mount Moosilauke, but first we talk about some equipment failures like we had during the Mount Pemi episode !  Our day was perfect thanks to planning using New England Trail Conditions .  We hiked Mount Moosilauke and added the loop to hit South Peak.  The views on both peaks were phenomenal and the hike between peaks was an exposed trail that offered stunning 360...

Today we chat about our last two days in Vermont. To begin the episode we chat about the Indy Pass waitlist experience & if I got my own Indy Pass to ski this winter. We also correct ourselves from last week’s episode, Burke Mountain is an Indy Pass this year! A couple other Indy Pass resorts we mention that are in northern Vermont: Jay Peak, Von Trapp Family Lodge, Catamount Outdoor Family Ce...

This week we discuss our last day in the Burlington area, and we head to check int our Airbnb in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom for the remainder of our trip.   We start the dat renting E-bikes from Local Motion (thanks to another great recommendation from Hello Burlington !).  These E-bikes were great.  We rode them all the way out to the bike ferry station at the end of the causeway across Lake Cha...

Join us this week as we talk about our second day on our Vermont family vacation. Thanks to Hello Burlington for the great recommendations on family friendly hikes, we decided to hike Mount Philo in the morning.  This place was really cool.  There is an auto road to the summit, but we decided to hike it.  Fun fact, that road was originally build as a bridal path by the owners of the Mount Philo In...

This week we travel to Vermont to start our family trip!  We are so excited to share all the fun things we did in the Green Mountain State!  Our first stop was to the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences (VINS) Center in Quechee.     After exploring the VINS, we were hungry!  We stopped by a restaurant we've been meaning to try out on the way.  Worthy Burger in South Royalton did not disappoint! ...

Join us this week as we explore Bear Brook State Park .  No, we didn't find any bodies in barrels.  If you don't understand that joke, listen to Bear Brook Podcast narrated by Jason Moon (right after you listen to ours).  This 10,000+ acre state park is a fantastic way to get out in the woods without going too far.  They are even one of the only parks around to have a new Track Chair that allows h...

This week we go Glamping at Suncook River Campground !  That's right, glamping, like glamorous camping!  We are very excited to share all about our weekend with you all.  Even as inexperienced campers, we had a blast here.  The owners of this campground revived it a few years ago and are still making many improvements to make it even better!  Our dome style tent had A/C and a king size bed!  That'...

This week we explore Rockport, Massachusetts including Bear Skin Neck and Halibut Point State Park .  We also talk about Castle Hill at the Crane Estate in Ipswich.   Our first spot was to check out the quarry, the hiking path, and the rocks on the bold ocean facing the Atlantic Ocean.  Halibut Point State Park has some interesting history, the quarry business was run from the mid 1800s until the...

This week we headed back up to Crawford Notch State Park and checked out two of New Hampshire's most beautiful waterfalls, Ripley Falls and Arethusa Falls.  We first stopped at the AMC Highland Center to use the bathrooms and to check out the gift shop of course!  The AMC staff is always super helpful and are more than willing to talk to you about your hiking plans.  On this day, the staff member...

Maine's coastline has a ton to offer starting with one of the first towns you enter as you cross over from New Hampshire.  In this episode we highlight our favorite places in a town that is very special to us.  We discuss many hotels in York including the York Beach Surf Club , York Harbor Inn , Stage Neck Inn , Union Bluff Hotel , and the stunning Cliff House overlooking the cliffs into the Atlan...

Join us as we hike another 52 with a view, Mount Cube.  We loved this hike from the start to the end!  Both peaks had views but the south peak had the best views of the day!   We were pressed for time this trip so we couldn't stop for food but we found a place that we can't wait to try soon!  The Last Chair Brewery looks like it's our vibe and it has good reviews on google.   Until we try it ourse...

This week we go to Western Maine and explore Grafton Notch State Park in Newry Maine!  There are many different areas we explored right off the road.  Table Rock trail was the main hike we did and the views at the top did not disappoint!  We even hiked a small section of the Appalachian Trail! We also stumbled upon an amazing little roadside bakery stand called Puzzle Mountain Bakery .  Be sure no...

We tackled our 4th NH 4,000 foot peak!  Actually....G explains why it's barely on the list.  Mount Tecumseh is the mountain that Waterville Valley Ski Area is located.  We talk about our experiences including some excellent views from the ski trails!   After the hike, we went to a favorite amongst many hikers and skiers, Mad River Coffee .  The drinks, scone and the molasses cookie were top notch!...

This week we check out a few different segments of the East Coast Greenway .  The section in Maine is called the Eastern Trail .  We went from Kennebunk to Saco and back.  The trail goes through the woods and even crosses over Route 95 near the rest area in Kennebunk.  The segment in New Hampshire is called the Seacoast Greenway .  The sections from Portsmouth to Hampton have been completed so far...

Join us as we check out the locations within New England that have some of Thomas Dambo's famous trolls.  We explore Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine and Ninigret Park in Charlestown, RI.   One of our absolute favorite places for coffee and a snack after checking out the trolls, or before the beach is Dave's Coffee ! Best Beaches in RI Blog Bar Harbor Weekend Podcast

What an amazing adventure up The Cog Railway we had!  Join us as we tell you about how we ended up being invited to share our experience with all of you.  This locomotive has been taking people to the summit of the highest mountain in the northeast since 1869!  It has grades as steep as 38% which makes it the 2nd steepest railway in the world.   This is an excellent way to see the summit of Mount...

This week we are prepping for summertime activities with a visit to Plum Island off the northeast coast of Massachusetts.  This beautiful island has a park with many short walkabouts that we explored one trail at a time.  The dunes, beaches and salty marshes are a sanctuary for bird watchers (or birders?  Is that really a thing?).  We discuss the different trail options including some spectacular...