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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

If your kids like Minecraft, they'll love this short hike. Why? Because the .5 mile out and back trail leads to a historic feldspar...

It had been a while since I'd visited this gorgeous nature reserve, but I returned last weekend to help my husband work his booth at the Laudholm Nature Crafts Festival (he's a potter, check him out here ). If you haven't heard of this craft fair, it's a juried event that includes 130 artists and their work is real good. It's also nature themed, so if you're a reader of this blog, I'll assume these crafts are right up your alley. For the past 35 years, this festival has bee

This hiking area includes a waterfall, easy trails and an old bear cage in the woods. The parking lot is located at 61 Cascade Road in Saco, just off of Route 1. Insider tip: this trail is down the street from Aquabboggan Water Park , so you could tack it on to the end of your wild day of mat slides, the Yankee Ripper and The Taco (they've changed the name, but we'll keep calling it The Taco, forever). You could also stop for an ice cream at The Dairy Corner in Scarborough o

My family recently spent a few days in Bethel and while there, explored several swimming holes and waterfalls in the area. On day one, we...

Where there's a swimming hole in Maine, there's often an old bridge or rope swing with people of all ages hurling themselves into the water. It's good old-fashioned fun and a favorite activity during our brief season of hot weather. This idyllic float/paddle spot off of Gambo Road in Windham, is not far from Babb's Bridge Swimming Hole in Gorham...one is just upriver from the other. It includes easy parking, a trestle bridge and rope swing, and access to the Mountain Divisio

Last week, my son Henry and I took a spontaneous camping trip to the Wolfe's Neck Campground in Freeport. I had a few days off, he was free (he's 12, always free) and we both love camping. It was the perfect escape. We'd already decided to explore all of the local destinations this summer, so it made perfect sense to also try camping close by. Lucky for us, they had a few open sites to choose from and we were even allowed to bring our dog. We've been taking the boys camping

Our 15 year old, Finn, does not like hiking. Never has, maybe never will. He's more into the adrenaline seeking sports like skiing,...

When we moved to our house ten years ago, we were most excited about the fact that it abutted Baxter Woods, a 30-acre city forest in...

Here I am, circa 1979, in my Sunday best and webbed lawn chair. I must have had some fancy plans, because I wasn't generally this clean...

I've been coming up with inventions my whole life. Some of these not so great ideas have included: an ice cube tray that only releases...

The path leading me to new trails is not always calculated or well planned. There's no master list or method to the madness. Still, I continue to find new trails every week because they are quite literally everywhere. Sometimes the best way to find them, is to just open your eyes. Last week, Finn and his friends asked if I'd bring them to the new skatepark in Gorham. My dog also (desperately) needed a walk, so I brought her with us in hopes of finding a trail nearby. The ska

I heard about this place three different times before deciding to explore it. The first time was from a camp counselor who was in WFA training with me. The second, from a postcard that arrived at my house. The third, from google when I searched "mini golf near me". When something keeps showing up in your life, just take the bait. In my experience, it usually leads to something good, as was the case with this curious desert located in the woods of Freeport. The 20 acres of rol