July 13, 2018 – New Hampshire – Smith Covered Bridge

Yesterday we visited the Smith Covered Bridge in Plymouth, New Hampshire. This is a bridge we have been to several times before. The Smith Bridge was built in 1850, but was destroyed by fire in 1993, and later rebuilt as a covered bridge. It is a long truss bridge with added arches, and crosses the Baker River.

We had a nice visit to the Smith Covered Bridge. The Bridge has a beach like area below, along the Baker River. This allowed for some Shadow swimming, which is always great on a warm summer day. Wilma mostly enjoyed chasing butterflies, which I find quite entertaining. The water was not rushing, but we did see people arriving with inner tubes, likely for some River fun. We walked around for a bit, and then sauntered across the bridge. The bridge has a hallway-like area on one side, allowing pedestrian crossing. I definitely appreciate this feature in a covered bridge, as I do not enjoy dodging cars. Not a lot of color, or any landscaped features, but I still relished taking some photographs before we headed off to our next destination (Rating: 3).

July 13, 2018

Winter 2018

July 13, 2018 – New Hampshire – Frosty Scoops

Yesterday we made a stop at Frosty Scoops in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Frosty Scoops is an adorable little ice cream stand on Main Street that sells homemade ice cream. They are connected to the Common Man Inn and Spa, a well known Inn, Spa and restaurant in the area.

We were very happy to find an ice cream shop with a window to get a treat to cool down on a nice warm day. I was pleased, and surprised to see the dog ice cream was free, and although just a tiny little scoop, Shadow and Wilma sure did not complain. I myself decided to order a frappe. We then found a nice corner, shaded area to sit, sip, and devour. The set-up for this outdoor area was perfect, with fun music blasting, a sandbox for the kids to play, picnic tables, outdoor games, and benches for guests. There was even a retro truck on display. Definitely a fun atmosphere to enjoy some ice cream on a summer day (Rating: 4, Dog Ice Cream: 3).

July 13, 2018 – New Hampshire – Rainbow Falls

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I went to Rainbow Falls in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Rainbow Falls is located in the Walter-Newton Natural Area. It is a source of Glove Hollow Brook, and is 25 feet in height. There are benches at the base of the waterfall to sit, relax, and enjoy the view.

The parking lot for Rainbow Falls was not marked, however, our research did us well, being able to locate the parking lot, and the trail. The parking lot is a dirt lot located on Cummings Road. We walked up the road a bit to the trail on the left, where the kiosk was located. One aspect of this trail I appreciated was that there were maps available to take, as well as a trail map posted at the kiosk.

We began our hike to the Fall from the kiosk. The trail was well marked, but I found it somewhat dull, and a little buggier then our “normal” adventure locations. We did find several spots where the brook was flowing, but overall the water was pretty dried out. There were little bridges along the way, some of which appeared oddly placed. Upon arrival to the falls we were quite disappointed, as there was barely a drop flowing from above. I guess we missed the prime time for the Rainbow Falls. We wandered around for a bit, before heading back. A disappointing stop, but we still enjoyed a good walk, and some time exploring (Rating: 2).

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Throwback Adventure – Stanley Park – August 2016

I will have sections of my blog that I will title “Throwback Adventure”, and will plan on posting them every Thursday. These are journeys we have taken before I started the blog, but are well worth sharing.

In August 2016 Shadow, Buster, and I visited Stanley Park in Westfield, Massachusetts. Sadly Buster has passed away since, but he definitely enjoyed his share of adventures. He was an amazing boy, and will always be missed. Stanley Park is a non-profit, privately owned park, that is approximately 300 acres in size. It includes: gardens, trails, playing fields, and a duck pond. The park was established in 1945 by philanthropist Frank Stanley Beveridge.

We stopped at Stanley Park after a wonderful visit with family. The park was beautifully landscaped, and highlights of our visit, included: a variety of bridges, an old working mill, the duck-filled pond, an old rustic church, and even a live swan! We enjoyed walking along the trails, and photographing the gorgeous scenery. This was as stop that I planned, but did not do any detailed research, so we wandered around without a map. However, I do think we found some of the highlights of this magnificent park (Rating: 4).

July 7, 2018 – New Hampshire – Ripley Falls

Yesterday we visited Ripley Falls in the Crawford Notch State Park of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Ripley Falls is a 100-foot waterfall, which flows over a rock wall that is at an approximate 60-degree angle. It is one of the steepest angled slides waterfalls in New England, and is sourced from the Avalanche Brook. The trail is less then a mile in length, however ascends up to 500 feet in elevation.

There was a sign for the Ripley Falls directly on Route 302 so the parking lot cannot be missed. We were excited to start today’s adventure on a much cooler summer day. We started the trail full of anticipation of the end result – a beautiful waterfall. The trail was full of rocks, and roots, and slowly would slope up before flattening. The sound of the rushing flume waters was constant on our journey to the falls, singing the sounds of nature. Parts of the trail were steep on the side, but not to a level of danger. We saw very few people on our hike to the Falls, but wondered if they had chosen to venture to other trails along the route.

It is hard to know what to expect when visiting a waterfall, but I was highly impressed, and mesmerized by the beauty, and height of Ripley Falls. Upon arrival we spent some time relaxing, and enjoying, with the entire site to ourselves. I jumped from rock to rock trying to photograph this majestic site, but sadly did not feel too successful in capturing the gorgeous flow of water, streaming from above. Shadow appeared a little disappointed as he had some difficulty following me as a traversed the rocks, however he enjoyed cooling down in the water, and sitting on the beach. I do think Wilma was enthralled with all the rocks, although she also appeared concerned that Shadow was not hoping along with us. We spent a good amount of time at this peaceful location, until dozens of other hikers began streaming in. The hike back to the car was quite quick as it was predominately downhill. I definitely was awed, and impressed with the Ripley Falls, and would highly recommend it to those other waterfall seekers (Rating: 5)

Throwback Adventure- Bridge of Flowers – July 2016

On July 22, 2016 my Mom, Buster, Shadow, and I visited the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. The Bridge of Flowers is a footbridge that connects the towns of Shelburne and Buckland. It once was a trolley bridge, and is now covered with flowers, literally a “bridge of flowers”. The Bridge of Flowers was created in 1929, and is now considered a nonprofit, maintained by gardeners and volunteers.

The Bridge of flowers is a stunningly beautiful, and rare find, being a complete bridge of colorful and aromatic flowers. The flowers are vibrant in color, fragrant and are flawlessly landscaped. Although the area is dog friendly, dogs were not allowed on the actual bridge. I was lucky to have my Mom with me who took care of Shadow and Buster while I did a quick stroll along the bridge. A unique and magnificent experience, definitely a must-see! (Rating: 5)

June 30, 2018 – Lake Saco Trail – New Hampshire

Today one of our adventures was to the Lake Saco Trail in Carroll, New Hampshire. This was our second time visiting the Lake Saco Trail. The Lake Saco trail is a short trail, bordering Lake Saco, and is located in the White Mountain National Forest.

When we arrived at the Trail we found that flowing water had overtaken the beginning of the Trail, appearing like a shallow stream. Apparently I did not have my water proof hiking boots, but we sure did not let that stop us on our adventure. We continued on, and journeyed to the dry portion of the trail, which included large boulders, fun little bridges, and gorgeous mountain views. I observed the mountains reflecting onto the water, just so picturesque. One of the bridges we encountered had actually collapsed, but I humored myself in still trying to traverse it. After a little wobbling, and a lot of encouragement for Shadow, we made it across. The trail mostly followed the water’s edge before merging into the forest. Simple, short, yet just so beautiful. The only thing that I do not like about this trail is that is sits just off the road, so the sounds of the highway slightly dampen the true nature experience. I will include photos from both of our journey’s below (Rating: 4).

June 2018:

October 2017:

June 30, 2018 – New Hampshire – Lower Ammonoosuc Falls

Today, one of our adventures was to the Lower Ammonoosuc Falls in Carroll, New Hampshire. This Falls is part of the White Mountain National Forest. It is a Cascade Falls with a 15 Foot drop. It is surrounded by rocks, and is a fast, and strong flowing cascade. As you might suspect, it is part of the Ammonoosuc River.

I was glad to have done some research on the Falls as the parking lot was not clearly marked from the road. Once we drove all the way into the lot, it was clear we had arrived at the Lower Ammonoosuc Falls Trail. We started on the trail, which was flat, and not too unappealing. After observing more closely we began to see many colorful, fluttering butterflies, and wild flowers along the trail, added some intrigue, and of course chasing for Wilma. Additionally, it was pleasant to hear the natural sounds of the River as we traversed this simple trail.

On the way to the Falls, we found many little trails to sneak over to the River’s edge. These were fun little spots, that often had beach-like areas. Shadow was able to swim in the River, while Wilma waded. I even decided to wade myself, enjoying quite the cool down in the chilly River water. On and off throughout our walk we stopped at these areas to hang out for a bit and cool down. Sand for digging, rocks for climbing, and water for swimming, I think just the perfect dog day!

On arrival to the Falls we found a heavy cascade of water barreling down into a large pool. The Falls was surrounded by large rocks, that helped create the crashing sound of the water. We were able to climb the rocks along the side and enjoy the view. Between the bright sun, and the moving water it was hard to capture a great shot, but of course attempted some videos as well. We did not observe anyone swimming, but a hand-full of fishermen along the way. This was a great area to hang out on a hot summer day (Rating: 4).

May 27, 2017 – Connecticut – Campbell’s Falls

On May 27, 2017 Shadow and I journeyed to Campbell’s Falls in Norfolk, Connecticut. (Wilma had not yet joined our world). Campbell’s Falls is located in the Campbell Falls State Park Reserve. It cascades nearly 100 feet, and is a part of the Whiting River. The Whiting River starts in Massachusetts, and the waterfall lands into Connecticut.

We visited the Campbell’s Falls at the end of a full day of adventures (hence the end of the video). We found a parking lot that led us to a short, but steep walk to the Falls. The Falls was absolutely breathtaking. The roar of the water, the mist of the Falls, and the singing of the flowing brook led to a true nature experience. We sat by the brook for a bit, and relaxed, taking in the sounds, smells, and sights. We then climbed halfway up the waterfall, taking some photos in the perfect little spot. I love finding landmarks of nature that provide the full sensory experience, and this definitely was one of those moments. The Campbell’s Falls was one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have seen, and I highly recommend a visit (Rating: 5).

June 24, 2018 – Massachusetts – Moore State Park

Today we visited Moore State Park in Paxton, Massachusetts. Moore State Park is approximately 400 acres, and was a former home to grist and saw mills. Portions of the park are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has a pond, trails, and various “Mill Village Features” on the grounds.

This is actually the second time that we have been to Moore State Park, the first time was with Shadow and Buster in July 2013, and the second trip today, with Shadow and Wilma. My GPS was not too cooperative today, but we were able to locate the Park after an unplanned detour. We started our journey down a paved road, with beautiful, natural landscape adorning the sides. We soon arrived at the pond where there were several rustic wooden rocking chairs, picnic tables, and a gazebo-like structure to sit and enjoy the view. The more we walked I began to have some flashback memories of our initial journey, remembering that we had been caught in a downpour, before relaxing for a bit in the gazebo-like structure. I believe that visit was a shorter stop, while today we spent about two hours exploring.

I decided to start on some trails, before coming back through the viewing area. The trails were not well marked, but I was quite glad I had printed a trail map, which helped me navigate the forest, and not worry about getting lost. We started on Judy’s Secret Garden Loop Trail, and then connected to the Stairway Loop Trail. The trails were kind of blah, but we enjoyed walking along the pond, and finding some cute rock benches along the way. The trails were very peaceful, with the sounds of birds singing. Shadow enjoyed some swims, while Wilma jumped onto all large rocks in her path. The trails were very quiet, and we only saw one couple walking their dog. It is always nice to find a tranquil nature trail, away from the bustle of society.

After our walks on the trails we headed to various areas of the park to find some of the “Mill Village Features”, and take some photographs. These included: the Old Sawmill, the Bat House, the Chalet Foundation, the Enchanted Bridge, and the Artist Overlook. I took photographs of four of these “Features” which you can view below. This was one fun component of the Park. Definitely a unique Park to explore (Rating: 3)