Overlooking several mountains that make for wonderful hiking and skiing, the North Conway area is rife with places to dine and stay a week or a weekend. We fought the Boston traffic for several hours to spend a weekend at the Buttonwood Inn. Our room consisted of a huge sleeping area and a sitting area with its own gas powered fireplace. The hardwood furniture and blonde plank hardwood floor created an airy ambiance that was inviting and relaxing…
We were lucky enough the other day to be able to get one last mountain hike in before 2015 came to a close at Kearsarge North in North Conway. Peaking out at 3,268 feet, it isn’t high enough to be a 4,000 footer but has a really steep climb in the middle. One of the newest experiences that we had on this hike was a large amount of ice along the route! Oddly enough, most of the ice was shaped…
On Friday night, Eric and I watched and read the updates coming out of Paris with heavy hearts. It is always horrible to hear these stories, and even more so when you have been to that place of destruction and hurt. Add to that the attacks in Lebanon and other events unfolding throughout the world and it can seem like there is no hope. But, as we know, you must hold out for that little sliver of hope to survive…
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…
Happy Halloween! Living in New England, we have the chance to be spooky almost all year round with our historic burial grounds scattered throughout the area (as long as the snow isn’t too high!). Here are some of my favorite photographs that I’ve taken at cemeteries this past month: The Death’s Head is one of my most favorite images in the world. Watching it evolve from the simplistic circle with two dead eyes and a long nose over to…
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…
By now, we all know that Etsy.com is the place to go when you are planning for a wedding. You can find amazing things there! I even bought my paper wedding bouquet and all our flowers from an Etsy vendor and they were amazing. However, did you know that there is a growing trend of travel gifts? I was just noticing this as I was starting my annual gathering of ideas for my large family. There are some amazing…
