Did you know that this year marks the 100th birthday of what is considered America’s best idea? The National Park Service will turn 100 years young on August 26 and is celebrating this year with programs, special events, and lots of cake. While many people believe that there are only the 59 “National Parks,” in reality there are many many more UNITS of the system. There are 409 units of the National Park Service from Acadia National Park in Maine,…
What a year it has been! Between the record snows of February curtailing almost ANY travel, even to the grocery store, to my first attempt at a ropes course and chasing fall foliage throughout New England, it was a great year. It saw us attempt (and successfully complete) our first ever 2 country trip (with plans to go back!!) and use our local beaches on an almost weekly basis. 2015 was pretty darn great. 2016, though, should be amazing….
Remember how one of our plans for 2016 was to do more hiking? It was partially inspired by wanting to feel and get healthier, but also because of an idea that I had years ago when my dad was first diagnosed with leukemia. Unable to bike ride for very long (and lacking a bike) and not really interested in doing a marathon, I found a different type of charity activity: hiking! First called “Hike for Discovery” and then a few…
Like many other people, we usually have an extra little Traveling Companion when we go out, especially hiking. Meet Larry the Pirate! We found Larry on The Cape in 2004. Since then, Larry has become a vital part of our hiking routine, accompanying us up several of the Presidentials, Mt. Flume, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Lafayette, Little Haystack, and several other mountains in the northeast. Traveling companions like Larry should have a few particular characteristics. First, they should be cute in…
As Autumn breathes one last gasp here in New England, I’ve been chasing foliage every chance I have been able to find. Though it is past peak in many parts of Northern New England, Central Massachusetts was exploding with color this last week. Taking advice from my cousin, Joe, I wandered off to the Quabbin Reservoir to see if I could find anything worthwhile. I was pleasantly surprised by not only the beauty of Boston’s water supply (more on that…
Sitting at the table the other day, we were talking about travel plans for 2016. Though we have a lot of different ideas, one thing that we agreed upon was going hiking again. A long time ago, we were trying to complete the 4,000 footer list for the White Mountains. About 18 mountains (out of 48 total) in, we lost some steam. Having to drive 3 hours each way for some of the peaks was starting to get tiring and…
If you live in the New England area and have not gotten out to see the leaves, stop and drop everything. They are amazing this year and you owe it to yourself to go and watch one of the most spectacular death scenes in the world. Throughout New England, there are beautiful old trees that produce amazing color just hanging out in the town green or some lucky (for now) person’s back yard. Personally, I hate raking so I’m OK…
Whether they are of mice or men, they truly do often go awry unfortunately. For the past two years, I’ve been trying to get us out to Boston Light. This is an amazing site that is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. As a cooperation between the National Park Service, Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Coast Guard, it truly is a unique site in America. Situated on Little Brewster Island, the Boston Light is…
Last year, I received a request from my niece to take her on a birthday trip to the New England Aquarium. A really loves animals and spent the day staring at the penguins, leafy dragon seahorses, and giant fish there in amazement. This year, I decided our trip would be a little bit different. I had heard about a sanctuary up in Ipswich, MA that I thought would blow her away; a place called “Wolf Hollow.” Recently, A has been…
Growing up in Massachusetts, you learn to either live with or adore the Kennedy family. They are EVERYWHERE it seems, and many visitors like to visit places related to the family. It is no surprise, then, that Boston was chosen as the location for President John F. Kennedy’s library. What is surprising is that I had never been to this museum until last week! Sure, I’ve toured through its amazing collection and seen Ernest Hemingway’s bullfighting photos next to Bobby…
