Join us as we hike out 8th New Hampshire 4,000 footer, Mount Hale.  Located off 302 near Bretton Woods, Zealand Road is a seasonal road that accesses several great hiking trails including this hike. 

The road is closed in the winter, so check conditions prior to arriving.  The road closure would practically double the mileage on this one!  When we did this one, it was November.  The road was still open but there was plenty of snow on the trails.  The road actually closed about 10 days after we hiked this one.  We checked the conditions prior using several sources like All Trails, The Higher Summits Forecast, and New England Trail Conditions. 

The best bathroom options are the AMC Highland Center.  There are bathrooms at the entrance near 302 and at the trailhead of Middle & North Sugarloaf, but they are closed in the winter.  

After the hike we decided to check out North Conway.  We loaded up on dessert (for the couch that night) at Cafe Italia.  This place is LEGIT!  Check them out for awesome atmosphere, amazing Italian treats, and good Italian coffee.

Now that dessert was secured, we moved on to the main course.  We went to Wicked Fresh Craft Burgers, and this place is another gem!  The hand cut fries are awesome and their smash burgers are great!  Definitely check them out!

We also have a hard time going through Conway without stopping for a beer or a pizza at Tuckerman Brewery.  This has been a favorite of ours for a long time, and they even occasionally have a non-alcoholic beer of their own!  

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Thanks for joining us in our Season 2 opening episode where we talk all about our 2026 hiking goals and of course, Mike wants to talk skiing. 

This year Mike is taking G skiing on the Indy Pass.  This is the first in many seasons that G has tried skiing again.  Listen to her adventures while taking her first of her three lessons, including if she made it out unscathed or not. We both have the Indy Pass and she has 3 lessons to use this season via the Learn to Turn pass.  This program is fantastic for beginners like her. If you haven't joined, or click here if you would like to join the waitlist.

Similar to when I skied at Bolton Valley when we went to Vermont in Season 1, we will get out to ski as many resorts as possible this year.  

After G's awesome lesson at Tenney Mountain, we went to the Last Chair Brewery in Plymouth, NH for some great Apre's ski! 

When we went to Lost Valley a few days later, we stopped at The Pub at Baxter Brewing in Lewiston, Maine.

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For our Season 1 finally, We hiked a hike that has been on our bucket list for a long time.  We hiked the Lincoln - Lafayette Loop in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  This hike was outstanding! 

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Lincoln with hopes to hike on one of the 2 morning we were there.  We paid close attention to the Higher Summits Forecast from the Mount Washington Observatory. 

Once we decided Saturday was our hiking day, we decided to go to the Common Man in Lincoln for a healthy but hearty pre-hike meal the night before.

This hike is very popular, especially in the fall when we did it.  We arrived at the trailhead at 5:30am to get an early start and we are glad we did!  There is a Hiker Shuttle from Cannon which we thought was really cool! 

Besides miles of exposed ridgeline, this hike also has an awesome spot to take a break!  The Greenleaf Hut is on the descent from Lafayette.  The AMC does an amazing job keeping these places up! 

As we have done with every 4,000 footer we have done yet, we have enjoyed some of the best burgers in NH at BRGR Bar.  Takeout on the couch was a perfect way to start our recovery. 

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Thank You so much for sticking with us for Season 1.  Stay tuned for announcements on Season 2 of Around New England!!  Keep exploring one trail at a time!

Mike & G

This week we venture off to some cool family friendly spots in the Portland, Maine area.  We head to Mackworth Island State Park for some quiet views of Casco Bay.  

Next we headed to Fort Williams Park to see the famous Portland Head Light lighthouse and walk the cliff walk.

We finally had to check out Crescent Beach State Park where you can rent paddle boards! 

another spot we recommend is Fore River Sanctuary.  This is a beautiful hiking area that leads to Jewel Falls, Portland's largest waterfall.

When we explored most of these spots, we did it off season to beat the crowd.  G mentions The Hidden Outlet on the Route 1 Bypass in Portsmouth, NH as a great place to grab some good deals on outdoor clothing.

There are SO many great places for coffee and food in Portland.  Here is a list of places we mention:

Taco Escobarr

Portland Pie Company

Otto Pizza

Rose Foods (introduced to us by La Mulita Coffee.  The best in the Seacoast of NH!!)

Flatbread Company

Black Cow Burger & Fries

Bard Coffee

Salt Yard Cafe & Bar

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Join us as we explore Block Island which is a small but beautiful island just 13 miles off the coast of Rhode Island.  It is accessible by The Block Island Ferry.  Book your trip early, as this place gets very busy in the summer!  

When you arrive, you will see some of the bluffs that are visible from the mainland.  As you enter the Old Harbor to dock, Ballard's Resort which is a really cool place to grab a drink, a meal, or even to stay overnight.  The time we stayed overnight, we stayed at an adorable B&B, The Sea Breeze Inn.  This place was amazing!  We discuss all the benefits of staying here in this episode.

Just a few other beautiful landmarks to see are Southeast Lighthouse, which is on top of the Moheghan Bluffs.  This is another must-see spot!  Abram's Animal Farm has unique animals that you can see for free.  

Bring your bike.  This island has tons of cool spots to explore.  We checked out a beach on the west side of the island.  We had lunch there and could see NY, CT, & RI!  We even saw people horse back riding from Rustic Rides Horseback Riding.  It's magical.   

The town beach is a great family friendly place.  The Fred Benson Town Beach has a pavilion with concessions and showers!

Our favorite meal on island was at The Surf, located in the Block Island Beach House hotel.  The food was awesome, and the location and view are great!

We often wait until we get back on the mainland to eat.  One of our favorite places is right by the ferry.  We always enjoy Champlin's Seafood  There are so many good options in Narragansett, RI that are good seafood.  There is George's of Galilee, Iggy's, and Aunt Carrie's.   Which is your favorite?

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*They recently changed the path to a one way for the busy holiday weekend. Please feel free to follow Cannon Mt Instagram where they post updates. 

We hiked the famous Flume Gorge and Artist Bluffs on an incredible fall day.  The foliage was popping, and the people were out at some of New England's most popular spots.  Some of these people could benefit from reading our blog on trail etiquette!  Both of these activities are also on our NH Weekend Blog.

When we were done at the Flume Gorge, we went to the parking lot of Cannon Mountain to hike Artist Bluff.  On this day we could see all of the notch, the trails on Cannon and the Tramway was even running when we were there.  

After our adventure, we stopped in Lincoln at the Moose On the Run Cafe for some iced coffee drinks.  We were excited to see they sold Mad River Coffee House coffee.  

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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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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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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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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

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