Around New England

50. Mount Lincoln & Lafayette Loop

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 Observatory. 
 
Once we decided Saturday was our hiking day, we decided to go to the Common Man in Lincoln for a healthy but hearty pre-hike meal the night before.
 
This hike is very popular, especially in the fall when we did it.  We arrived at the trailhead at 5:30am to get an early start and we are glad we did!  There is a Hiker Shuttle from Cannon which we thought was really cool! 
 
Besides miles of exposed ridgeline, this hike also has an awesome spot to take a break!  The Greenleaf Hut is on the descent from Lafayette.  The AMC does an amazing job keeping these places up! 
This loop is the trail that has the most rescues in New Hampshire.  Many ill prepared hikers end up needing rescued.  This is a good reminder to renew your Hike Safe Card every January!
 
As we have done with every 4,000 footer we have done yet, we have enjoyed some of the best burgers in NH at BRGR Bar.  Takeout on the couch was a perfect way to start our recovery. 
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Thank You so much for sticking with us for Season 1.  Stay tuned for announcements on Season 2 of Around New England!!  Keep exploring one trail at a time!
 
Mike & G

49. Fore River Sanctuary, Mackworth Island, Fort Williams & Crescent Beach State Parks Portland, Maine

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 River Sanctuary.  This is a beautiful hiking area that leads to Jewel Falls, Portland's largest waterfall.
When we explored most of these spots, we did it off season to beat the crowd.  G mentions The Hidden Outlet on the Route 1 Bypass in Portsmouth, NH as a great place to grab some good deals on outdoor clothing.
There are SO many great places for coffee and food in Portland.  Here is a list of places we mention:
Taco Escobarr
Portland Pie Company
Otto Pizza
Rose Foods (introduced to us by La Mulita Coffee.  The best in the Seacoast of NH!!)
Flatbread Company
Black Cow Burger & Fries
Bard Coffee
Salt Yard Cafe & Bar
 
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48. Block Island, Rhode Island

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 place to grab a drink, a meal, or even to stay overnight.  The time we stayed overnight, we stayed at an adorable B&B, The Sea Breeze Inn.  This place was amazing!  We discuss all the benefits of staying here in this episode.
Just a few other beautiful landmarks to see are Southeast Lighthouse, which is on top of the Moheghan Bluffs.  This is another must-see spot!  Abram's Animal Farm has unique animals that you can see for free.  
Bring your bike.  This island has tons of cool spots to explore.  We checked out a beach on the west side of the island.  We had lunch there and could see NY, CT, & RI!  We even saw people horse back riding from Rustic Rides Horseback Riding.  It's magical.   
The town beach is a great family friendly place.  The Fred Benson Town Beach has a pavilion with concessions and showers!
Our favorite meal on island was at The Surf, located in the Block Island Beach House hotel.  The food was awesome, and the location and view are great!
We often wait until we get back on the mainland to eat.  One of our favorite places is right by the ferry.  We always enjoy Champlin's Seafood  There are so many good options in Narragansett, RI that are good seafood.  There is George's of Galilee, Iggy's, and Aunt Carrie's.   Which is your favorite?
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47. Flume Gorge and Artist Bluffs Franconia Notch, NH

*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!  Both of these activities are also on our NH Weekend Blog.
When we were done at the Flume Gorge, we went to the parking lot of Cannon Mountain to hike Artist Bluff.  On this day we could see all of the notch, the trails on Cannon and the Tramway was even running when we were there.  
After our adventure, we stopped in Lincoln at the Moose On the Run Cafe for some iced coffee drinks.  We were excited to see they sold Mad River Coffee House coffee.  
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46. Mt Tom Holyoke, MA

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 and stories.
Don't miss our post-hike visit to Nourish Wellness Cafe for a refreshing treat. Tune in for an engaging exploration of Western Massachusetts' natural beauty and history.
#HikingAdventures #MountTom #ExploreNewEngland
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45. Ragged Mountain Memorial Preserve-CT

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 hiking trail from Long Island Sound in CT all the way to the Massachusetts - New Hampshire boarder.  
After the hike, G found Provisions State Coffee nearby.  They feature Little Wolf Coffee from Ipswich, MA and that was very good, however....the pumpkin pop tarts and the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie both were to die for and both are made at Provisions State Coffee!
Don't forget to keep track of our social media so you don't miss out on the photos we mention, including a few of Mike's slight panic attacks.  Thanks for listening!
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44. Mount Moosilauke NH

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 degree views!  This section is also a small part of the Application Trail.
On the way home we tried a maple creemee (spelled creamie in NH??) at The Maple Creamery in New Hampton, NH.  It hit the spot and the vibes in this spot were cool! 
We were exhausted after the hike, so we hit up our favorite local post-hike takeout place, BRGR Bar.  As always, they didn't disappoint.  
Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to check us out on social media below!  You can also check out the Around New England Blog about all 4 of the 4,000 footers we have done so far.  
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43. Mt Pisgah and a visit to Ben & Jerry's VT

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 Center. 
Episodes we mention you can go back to:
Vermont Winter Episode.
Mt Gile Episode
Places we ate at that we mention-
Parker Pie Company
Movement Coffee Roasters
Ben & Jerry’s
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42. Burlington bike rental & a visit to Stowe, VT

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 Champlain.  The ferry take you and your bike over to South Hero.  We look forward to doing that next time when we plan more time for this adventure.
On the way out of town we tried Al's French Fries to see if they lived up to the hype.  Then we headed through Stowe on our way to Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.  We had a delicious lunch at American Flatbread.  This was the start of another amazing part of our trip.  Stay tuned for more Vermont adventures!  
 
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41. Mt Philo & Shelburne Museum VT

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 Inn.  They would take guests up to the summit by horse drawn carriages back in the mid 1800s!
After the hike, we checked out the Shelburne Museum.  It was a really cool experience where we even had the opportunity to meet one of the photographers from the circus exhibit.  That was special!
We tried hard to fit it all in but we tried hard!  We had so much fun at the Shelburne Museum, we found it hard to leave, so we had to push bike rentals onto the next day....Stay tuned for that soon!
For dinner, we went back to Zero Gravity Brewery!  They haven't disappointed us yet!  The food and the beers are great.  Their non-alcoholic Rescue Club is one of Mike's favorites! 
For dessert, we were on another Maple Creemee hunt!  We had a recommendation from a friend (who is a local) to try Little Gordo's Creemee Stand.  Unfortunately they are closed on Monday and Tuesday so that didn't work out.  We can't wait to try them next time!  We decided to try Ice Cream Evans by the water.  It wasn't too bad.
This day was an amazing part of our trip and we are very excited to share it with you!  Thanks for listening!