Around New England

29. The Cog Railway

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 Washington without putting in the hard work of hiking it.  The Cog is near the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, one of the originals of the 33 grand hotels spread across New Hampshire.  The hotel is iconic from the ground, but is even more impressive when you see it from the summit of the mountain.  
After the Cog, we decided to go to Bethlehem, NH to The Place Above The Notch for a coffee and snack!  It was so good!  We had a tasty lunch at Rek'lis Brewing Company.  
After lunch we headed over to Littleton to poke around.  We love that town!  Listen to this episode for more details!
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28. Plum Island

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 beach access spots.  
After exploring the park for quite some time, we definitely needed to get caffeinated and maybe grab a little snack.  We discovered the amazing Changing Tides Cafe and it did not disappoint!  Take a listen!  

27. Camden Maine Hiking Day

Camden Maine is not only one of our favorite little seacoast towns to visit, but it's a great place to get some fun hiking in too!  Join us as we hiked around Camden Hills State Park.  We started by going up Mount Megunticook to the Ocean Lookout via the Megunticook trail, then headed over to Mount Battie via the Tablelands Trail, and returned to the parking lot via the Nature Trail.  Although the weather wasn't ideal, we enjoyed the hike and our timing was perfect for a few breaks in the clouds to get some nice views of Camden Harbor.
As soon as we finished, the rain started as we hit up Camden.  We found some delicious treats and coffees at Owl and Turtle Bookshop!  This place is so cute, and the food and coffee were great.  
Delicious gluten free beer Lucky Pigeon
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26. Mount Jackson and why the NH safe card is a good idea

We hiked Mount Jackson mid April. There was a still a lot of snow and ice, but it was beautiful! Listen to why getting the NH safe card is a good idea, accidents can happen to anyone anytime. Why packing a headlamp, spikes (is that what they're called?) and some Tylenol in your bag is also a good idea! 
Our after hike meal was at my personal favorite When Pigs Fly restaurant in Kittery, ME. If you're heading up to Maine this summer stop by and check them out, they're amazing!! 
#mtJackson #nh48 #hikenh

25. Artist Bluffs, Pawtuckaway, and Mount Monadnock - Great Solo Hikes

While G is away for work, Mike gets out and does some solo hiking, and decided to do a solo podcast about it too!  He explored three fun NH Hikes that were new to him.  First he discussses Artist Bluffs along with Bald Mountain.  A fun loop that hits two mountains and a beautiful lake was next at Pawtuckaway State Park.  Lastly he finally conquered the famous Mount Monandnock!  Listen to hear about his adventures, his ratings of each hike, and some tips on what to do and not to do as a solo hiker.

24. Mt Roberts a 52 With a view; a perfect family hike!

A hike perfect for the entire family, Mt Roberts located in Moultonborough, NH. This hike has great views from the parking lot and it continues to get better. 
If you're interested in the book we mention follow this link to purchase Ken MacGray's book: 52 with a View.  This book is a great resource for hikers in NH!
We visited Tuckerman Brewery for lunch dinner. They have amazing pizza and beer go check them out. They have had some of their own non-alcoholic beer in the past. Mike talks about how he learned about their process to remove the alcohol. 
We also chat about Whalers Brewing in RI & their fun vibe. 
Lago's for ice cream, trust us it is the best!

23. Mount Pierce our second of the 48 4k in NH

Hiking one of NH 48 4,000 footers was a success. We hiked Mount Pierce Aril 4, 2025. We experience weather changes and maybe all 4 season in one day on one hike. 
We also chat about the huts you can rent from the AMC. Have you ever stayed at one?
Check out trail conditions HERE around New England.
After the hike we headed home for a well deserved dinner. We got burgers from our favorite burger place around BRGR-BAR. Go check them out for amazing food and drinks! 
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22. Fenway Park: Baseball Games & Concerts

This week we discuss a classic New England landmark, Fenway Park! Being lifelong New Englanders, we are biased but we agree Fenway is the coolest ballpark!
We discuss the history of the ballpark, some facts about the Red Sox, some of our own baseball memories there, and of course our favorite....The Fenway Concert Series!  
Boston is well known for their food.  If your schedule allows, We recommend hitting up the North End prior to arriving at Fenway.  Galleria Umberto has some of the best pizza around.  
There are plenty of options for great food in and around Fenway Park as well. Some of our favorites that we discuss are; Blaze Pizza, Time Out Market, Trillium, Sweet Cheeks Q, El Jefe's Taqueria, Sweet Green, Cava, Yard House, & Tasty Burger.

21. Vermont Maple Weekend 2025

Today we chat about our experience with Maple weekend in the state of Vermont. This is a statewide event in March. You can checkout VermontMaple.org for upcoming events and a list of farms and sugar shacks. 
We visited two farms Baird & Bourdon Farm.
Baird Farm is in in North Chittenden and you can schedule your free tour on their website!
We also visited Bourdon Farm in Woodstock, VT. Not able to visit Vermont? You can order maple syrup from either place on their website!
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20. Bar Harbor Weekend

Join us for an incredible weekend away in Bar Harbor, Maine! On the drive up we stopped at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens to see the trolls!  
Check out Thomas Dambo website for more information on the artist who creates the trolls.
Once we arrived in Bar Harbor the timing of the tide allowed us to hike across to Bar Island.  We had dinner at the Upper Deck which was close to our Airbnb.
The next day we went to Acadia National Park and hiked The Bubbles and Jordan Pond then enjoyed a drink at Paddy’s then had a great meal at Geddy’s!  
The next day we were tired, so we enjoyed a car ride in Acadia National Park.  There is a loop that has several stops where you can explore.  Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, and Cadillac Mountain are all on the loop and are lots of fun to check out!
We had a great meal at Mainely Meat BBQ for dinner.  It was a really cool spot.
What trip to Maine would be complete without a stop at L.L.Bean?! A must do when driving through Freeport. 
Bar Harbor is an amazing part of Maine that we would recommend anyone to visit. It's truly an amazing part of New England!
 
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