Around New England

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
Our Socials & website-
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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!
 

40. VIN Center, Vermont Watering Hole & an intro to Maple Creemee's

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!  It was fantastic and we can't wait to go back!
After that we stopped by a really cool book store in Rochester, Vermont called Sandy's Book and Bakery.  This place was so cute!  We waited out a rainstorm inside here before heading to a really cool natural watering hole.  There were plenty of people swimming and taking advantage of this amazing place called Warren Falls!  
Finally, we hit up the famous Cold Hollow Cider Mill on the way to check in to our hotel. We had our first (of many) Maple Creemees.  If you don't know what a maple creemee is, be sure to give this episode a listen!   Day 1 was huge success!   
 
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39. Bear Brook State Park NH

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 handicap people to explore more of the parks!
After our hike we found the most amazing coffee shop in nearby Pembroke, NH!  The Vintage Coffee Cup Company was soooo good!  Their caffeinated drinks were amazing but the star of the show were the donuts!  These donuts from Brother's Donuts in Franklin, NH and they were amazing.  If you know donuts, these are on par with Allie's Donuts in Rhode Island.  The cruller was great too.  It isn't like the ones at Lil's Cafe (Although those crullers are in a catagory of their own really)!  We can't wait to return!  Thanks for listening!
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38. Glamping at Suncook River Campground NH

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's our style of camping!
Hopefully you have fantastic weather like we did.  There is really no need to leave the campground!  They have all the amenities that you might need or might have forgotten.  Just shoot the main line a text, and they will deliver whatever you need to your site and charge the credit card on file.  Easy Peasy!!  
The campground is centrally located in southern New Hampshire, so if there is bad weather, there are many things to do.  The Currier Museum and the See Science Museum are both in nearby Manchester.  Even the seacoast of New Hampshire isn't too far.  The Seacoast Science Center is another great rainy day activity.  
Bear Brook State Park is a very short drive from the campground.  We hiked about 4 miles there and barely scratched the surface of the 40+ miles of hiking the park offers.  Stay tuned for our podcast about our hike at Bear Brook State Park.
Before our hike we really enjoyed our breakfast at the very cute Shirley's Kitchen in nearby Pembroke, NH.  We highly recommend checking out all these fun spots.  Thanks for joining us!  
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37. Halibut Point State Park and The Crane Estate MA

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 great depression in 1929.  Back then they didnt have the technology that is used to harvest granite now.  Mike talks about the history.  The trails are fun and the views are incredible!
For lunch we went to a delicious lunch at Fresco's Seaside which was located just outside of the Bear Skin Neck area of Rockport.  The food was awesome and this place had the  classic New England vibes.
The Crane Estates is another incredible place in Ipswich, Massachusetts.  This place is jaw-dropping.  We discuss a wedding we went to this year, and the beautiful grounds.
As always, thanks for listening and keep exploring New England one trail at a time!
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