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A must-see waterfall if you're in Stowe! Less than 5 miles from the Sterling Pond Trail , which I shared details on last week, is an easy...

Since our boys were little, most of our vacations have involved camping or trips with extended family. Last summer, we rented a lakehouse...

Photo by Northern Outdoors (Post originally published in August of 2023) White water rafting offers unrivaled family fun. Lucky for us, we have access to three places to raft in Maine: the Kennebec River, the Dead River and the Penobscot River. 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. I've never rafted the Penobscot, bu

With all the fresh snow we've had this past week, I feel like a kid in a candy shop! Finally, winter has arrived, along with all the outdoor recreation this season has to offer. This past weekend, we spent Saturday and Sunday at Riverside Golf Course in Portland for sledding and cross-country skiing. The beauty of Riverside is that it offers something for everyone, even your dog, who is welcome on these trails. While cross-country skiing with friends, our kids hit the sleddi

Our 14-year-old woke up on Monday morning, lukewarm about school because his schedule said it was a "Blue" day. This meant French class and no recess, which only happens on "Gold" days. As I empathized with him because I was lukewarm about my work day too, I shared the strategy I often use to make undesirable tasks more fun: I pair them with something good. I've been using this strategy since college when I'd pair studying (a most dreadful task) with sitting in my favorite ca

Maybe I was a strange child, but I had a pet cemetery under a tree in the backyard of my childhood home. It wasn't for our family pets...

Located within the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area, this 4-mile out-and-back hike is among the most stunning in midcoast Maine....

Back in 2018 and 2019, I organized regular meetups at Portland skating ponds for multi-generational hockey games. It was called "Skate Club" and provided a way to spend time outdoors with friends and family of all ages. I always brought extra hockey sticks, and even crafted skating aids out of PVC pipe for beginners. As with all of the programs I created back then, my motivation was to get my own kids outside and to continue building a community of outdoor lovers to spend ti

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