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Last Wednesday, our kids left for a trip to Quebec City with their uncle and cousins, and they wouldn’t be back until Sunday. In 18 years of parenting, Tim and I had never had the house to ourselves for five days. I’m pretty sure the longest kid-free stretch we’d ever had was two. As much as we enjoy our boys, this felt like a huge gift...and we were giddy about it. We spent the first few days together, enjoying things like reading books at the beach, not cooking, and leaning

There are few things I enjoy more than sitting around a campfire after a day of hiking with a group of good women. As with most hikes, however, this journey was not all butterflies and rainbows. My college friend, Melzy, was visiting from San Francisco and I had a weekend of hiking and camping planned for us in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Hiking together wasn't something we'd done back in our college days, but she'd since caught the bug, recently tackling a list of

Less than a mile north of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, is an easy and accessible trail that's also dog-friendly (on-leash). The wide, gravel path follows a 1-mile loop that winds through coastal forest and along the salt marsh, with distant views of the ocean. You'll find benches, boardwalks, and viewing platforms along the way, plus 11 interpretive signs for a self-guided tour of the ecosystem. It's always exciting to find a trail available to all ages and abilities, but w

There are three big rivers for whitewater rafting in Maine: the Kennebec, the Dead, and the Penobscot. The Kennebec and Dead Rivers converge at The Forks in Somerset County and include class 2 - 4 rapids. The Penobscot River runs through Baxter State Park and is a bit more intense with class 5 rapids. In mid May, I spent a weekend at Adventure Bound, a whitewater rafting and adventure center in Caratunk, Maine (The Forks), with 140 high school students and their outdoor club

In case you're wondering, he did make it across. The last thing you'd expect to find tucked within a bustling city of 70,000 people, is a roaring waterfall, but this is exactly what you'll discover at the Presumpscot River Preserve - and this is why we love (and live in) Portland, Maine. To be accurate, Presumscot Falls is technically a series of rapids and cascades, but I call it a waterfall because it's as breathtaking as those with steep, vertical drops. My kids viewing th

My niece, Lily, on Bald Peak Distance: 2.8-mile loop Elevation Gain: 676 ft Difficulty: Moderate Time: 1 hr 30 min Features: Rock scrambles, a few iron rungs, sweeping views Dogs Allowed on Leash: Small dogs will need assistance over large rocks If you're looking for a family-friendly hike in Acadia National Park, this loop offers two peaks with panoramic views from open granite summits, some fun rock scrambling, and easy parking with an outhouse at the trailhead. Scrambling

View of Little Shagg Pond from Bald Mountain Summit This hike is ideal for summer, offering two swimming holes: one at the start of the trail and a small beach just down the road from the trailhead. The southwest face of this mountain is a popular rock climbing area called Shagg Crag. Stop to watch climbers scale the vertical granite wall, an easy and worthwhile detour from the main trail. Located in Woodstock, Maine, this hike is just 30 minutes from Bethel and about an hou

When my son Finn was little, he used to watch a cartoon called “Veggie Tales.” He loved this show, but the fact that the vegetables had no arms was concerning to him, “But Mom, how are they gonna carry all their stuff?” veggietales.com The answer, which I never gave him because I was laughing too hard was this, “Their moms will carry their stuff. Mom’s always carry everything.” Not only will we carry the stuff, we may also carry the kids. Which is how it went down during thos

The stunning Colchester Causeway extends 3 miles into Lake Champlain, and is surrounded by expansive lake and Adirondack Mountain views. Explore on foot or on bike, with young kids, teenagers, or your dog - everyone will love this trail. At 2.5 miles across, there’s a “cut” in the causeway, but thanks to the Island Line Bike Ferry , you and your bike will be transported across the 200 ft gap to South Hero Island where there is more exploring to do. The ferry runs weekends onl

A special guest post. Romy after helping herself to the sugar bag I just returned from a dog walk where Romy found a hoagie on the sidewalk (if you didn’t grow up in Massachusetts, like me, this is slang for a submarine sandwich). This led me to pull hard on her leash to try and get her away from the questionable snack, ending in a battle of wills and frustration all around. My neighborhood seems to be a landing spot for road snacks, so this happens regularly. It’s a hot butt

So why should we be? Here's one final snowy adventure. My co-worker, Katy, gave me the go-ahead to share her most recent winter trip - an idea so full of fun, it’ll make you happy for snow in March after a long ass winter. A couple weeks ago, Katy told us she was logging off and would soon be unreachable (Slack was not going where she was headed). Once we’d all returned to the office, I asked where she’d gone on vacation and her nonchalant reply was this, “Did I go somewhere?

Sunrise run on the Back Cove in Portland Have you felt a mid-winter restlessness? A pull towards something that makes you feel ligher, more alive? An urge to bust out of your daily routine? This quest has been tugging at me for weeks. Maybe it’s the deep freeze we’re in, or maybe it’s the fury over the Epstein files. Whatever sparked it, I’m ready to act. While we can’t seem to control our corrupt government, we can control the quality of our days. Creating more joy in our da

This gem of a trail leads through an old apple orchard and open meadow, a wooded path along a hidden pond, and a beach with red sand. The red-sand cove, Jordan Point, is located at the western end of Crescent Beach State Park. This sweet spot is separated from the larger sand beach by a rocky ledge, so unless you follow the trail I'm about to share, you'd never know it was there. I heard about "the trail leading through the woods to Crescent Beach" from my friend Meghan many

This was my first big, snowy hike of the season, and it provided everything I was looking for after the Christmas holiday: quiet trails, gorgeous views, and a great workout. I love the holidays - the lights, the time with family, the excitement of our kids - but it's a busy, overstimulating time of year. I'm always eager to get to the mountains for a good, replenishing hike when it's all over. When planning a winter hike, there are several things to consider: Snowshoes or mic

Something occurred to me during a 5:30 a.m. run last week: exploring the outdoors in the dark is FUN. Running through the quiet streets and woods of my neighborhood, lit by the narrow beam of my headlamp and the warm glow of holiday lights, it struck me that THIS is my kind of adult adventure. It’s relatively safe, doesn’t take much time, and provides the same feeling of exhilaration I had as a kid - running around with neighborhood friends past sundown. If you struggle with

Photo Credit: Brian Threlkeld, Photography For The People As if six months of winter in Maine wasn’t enough of a challenge, some add cold-water immersion to their wintry list of outdoor activities. These hardy souls submerge themselves in frozen lakes and ice-cold oceans during the coldest time of the year. Last March, 15 swimmers took it to the extreme with a “Super Plunge” in Ogunquit - a fundraising event involving 24 polar plunges in 24 hours. While they did raise $80,000