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Emmons Preserve is located at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust's headquarters, surrounded by trails, woods, and the Batson River. One of the highlights of this property is a wheelchair and stroller-accessible Community Labyrinth, designed in the same 7-circuit pattern found on ancient archeological sites. From early December through January 6th, the path is lit by solar lights after dusk for the holiday season. I'd only experienced the labyrinth under the summer sun and

This pic was from 2018, many moons ago before either of our boys had a smart phone. Now they're 13 and 16, so we've had years to flounder...

The Basin is a glacial pothole, 30 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep, located along the Pemigawasset River in Franconia Notch, New...

Located near Stow in Western Maine, this out-and-back hike is just over five miles with an elevation gain of 1,257 feet. The summit...

This short 0.5-mile out-and-back trail along a well-maintained boardwalk leads to the sixth tallest waterfall in Vermont, with 140 feet...

This rugged trail includes 150-ft cliffs overlooking Long Reach Reserve's unnamed island, a fairy house village, a short walk along...

The list of outdoor adventures in New York City is endless. I will share some of our favorites after two recent trips to the city during...

Each year during the first week of June, we gather with 25+ family members in Bar Harbor for several days. We stay in cabins on the same...

All hail the alewives! They have arrived at Mill Brook Preserve to make their annual migration to Highland Lake. These impressive fish are not to be confused with the alewives of medieval England, women who made ale and served it in their own homes before pubs existed. Although equally impressive, we'll stick with the aquatic version today. This preserve features a 6-mile trail system on 130 acres of forested land along the crystal clear Mill Brook. It is notable for the lar

The truth of it is, Maine trails and forests are not at their finest this time of year. Shoulder seasons offer dull browns, bare trees...

This place was so magical, I just kept waiting for the fairies and mermaids to appear. That didn't happen, but at least we still had Romy. Hiking with my dog is the next best thing to hiking with mythical creatures. She's playful, full of surprises and although she's no natural swimmer (like those mermaids), she almost always falls in the water. Located between Boothbay and Edgecomb, this extensive 5.3 mile trail network covers two peninsulas, scenic shorelines, aquamarine wa

This trail is wide, flat and goes on for miles - 28.9 miles to be exact. It includes 22 off-road miles in addition to scenic, on-road miles connecting Kennebunk to Bug Light Park in South Portland. It is flat almost the entire way, so it's perfect for all ages of walkers, runners and bikers. It's also a great choice for mud season. Our favorite starting point is at the Eastern Road parking lot in Scarborough. This trailhead leads to the Scarborough Marsh, the largest contiguo

A visual work of art that includes a one-mile, multicolored boardwalk for all ages and abilities. It's impossible to not fall in love with this place. Located on a 1,233-acre preserve, this unique coalesced bog is managed by the Nature Conservancy. A raised coalesced what, you say? Here's a summarized explanation from a sign along the trail: A bog forms over thousands of years when vegetation fills in natural ponds. The decomposed soil that remains is called peat. At Saco He

Just outside of charming downtown Brunswick, is a historic swinging bridge leading to a flat, paved trail along the Androscoggin River. Sunday was my first time discovering this bridge...one that I'd driven past at least a hundred times. You can only imagine how excited I was when we first pulled into the small parking lot and caught sight of the striking red bridge. Here's how the conversation went down with (ok at) my husband as we got out of the car. "Holy crap! How did I

It's thrilling to discover that two trail systems you've been walking for years are actually connected. This happened last week when I brought our dog Romy to a trail we visit often, Canco Woods. At the outer edge of our regular loop, there is a short path leading up to a neighborhood trailhead that I'd never explored, since we'd always turned around just before reaching it. But something inspired me to walk to the end this time...and I discovered that this trailhead led dire

I returned from my dog walk with Romy early this morning to find Henry waiting eagerly with this question, "Can I go on your morning run...

One of the secrets to getting my kids on trails, is to pair our nature walk with an activity they enjoy. Last Saturday, that meant poppin' tags with Finn - and I'm not talking about the Jay-Z version of shopping. We were poppin' tags Macklemore-style, at Goodwill Buy the Pound. Thrifting "the bins" is one of Finn's favorite things to do. If this language sounds foreign to you, don't worry, I'll shed some light on the pastime. I will also share details on the Shaw Cherry Hil

To be completely honest, I used to get turned around in these woods every time I visited. I've spent countless hours in here and am truly in awe of the fact that I sometimes find myself lost, STILL. That is why I love these woods. They are extensive, interesting and a real challenge! They include easy sections as well as rock boulders for climbing and difficult mountain biking. The woods are shady, filled with bird sounds, ancient trees and green ferns. It's heavenly in here,

At age 12, our son and his friends are old enough to walk themselves to the neighborhood coffee shop for hot chocolate, but young enough...

This was a trip. One that involved people in the middle of the woods with pickaxes, shovels, wheelbarrows and sifting screens, hoping to find the next lucrative stone. These gem-hunters are fueled by stories of other rockhounds who've found rare treasures here, like the woman who recently discovered a large piece of watermelon tourmaline worth a whopping $200,000. That was a story told to us by a middle-aged man we met, who'd been digging at Mt Apatite since childhood. He als