June 2, 2019 – Garwin Falls – New Hampshire

**Update** – I reviewed the Wilton, New Hampshire Parks and Recreation website and Garwin Falls is currently closed to the public – glad we could visit before this the closure – please check with them before visiting to make sure you have current updates/information

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Garwin Falls in Wilton, New Hampshire. Garwin Falls is approximately forty feet tall and is part of the Wilton Reservoir. There is a short walk to get to the Falls that passes some smaller cascades and a dam. The parking lot for the Falls only has several spots, and there is no cost to park. Garwin Falls is located on private property, however remains open to the public.

We had a jaw-dropping Adventure to Garwin Falls. Amazingly this Falls is only about forty five minutes from my house yet I only recently discovered it online. I was thrilled to find a local waterfall and could not have been more impressed at the beautiful site. We began our walk parking at a very small parking lot, luckily, not arriving at a busy time. We traversed the simple and wide trail for a short time before arriving at several cascades. The cascades were small but lovely. We walked along the brook and found some sandy areas. Shadow and Wilma enjoyed some drinks of fresh water, and of course Shadow made sure to take a quick dip in the stream! We took our time exploring this simple spot, walking until we could see the dam up ahead. We then returned to the main trail to continue on our journey.

We walked for another short walk before arriving at the massive Garwin Falls. I could not believe the size of the Falls as I was not expecting to be impressed. The Falls was thunderously singing a sweet song as we wandered over to the edge of the Falls. We were able to walk right up to the edge, and of course I took numerous photographs. I was absolutely stunned at this magnificent creation, wide in size, tall in height, and perfect in melody. We stared for some time, before talking along the edge of the brook. Agile Wilma jumping along, while Shadow a bit unsteady on the uneven surface. I attempted to balance across on a log, but was not able to get Shadow to follow so Wilma and I crossed to take a couple photographs before balancing back across. We took are time at this breathtaking location, pleased to only see several visitors who were all leaving when we had arrived.

On the way back to the car we wandered off the trail several times to explore the brook and upper cascades. We viewed the dam from below and atop, quite grotesquely plastered with graphity. Not what you expect to find in such a serene and natural environment, however we did not let this deter us from a fantastic visit to the Falls.

Garwin Falls was definitely one of the most picturesque waterfalls I have ever seen. We will be back again to visit this spectacular site (Rating: Waterfall: 5).

June 1, 2019 – Crescent Ridge Dairy – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma and I Adventured to Crescent Ridge Dairy in Sharon, Massachusetts. Crescent Ridge Dairy is a Farm that includes a shop, farm animals to view, and an ice cream stand. They specialize in local produce, and homemade products.

We had a mouthwatering Adventure to Crescent Ridge Dairy after our nearby hike at The Bradley Estate. It was great to arrive at this ice cream stand to find no lines! I checked out the menu and quickly decided to choose cookie doe ice cream with whip cream, and of course a dog ice cream for my two best friends. Once our order was ready we headed over to a shady area to gobble up our ice cream. So tasty! I was actually unable to finish my ice cream, however packed it up for a future treat. We walked around the property and found some benches in the back, and farm animals on the side. Wilma was thrilled to see the goats, and it appeared as if she wanted to play with them. It definitely brought a smile to my face. Shadow was more interested in trying to find leftovers under the tables, my always hopeful boy! We were quite happy to visit Crescent Ridge Dairy today (Rating: 4, Dog Ice Cream: 5)

June 1, 2019 – The Bradley Estate – Massachusetts

Somehow this blog posted before I finished it so I have deleted that, and here is the final blog posting…

Yesterday Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to The Bradley Estate in Canton, Massachusetts. The Bradley Estate was inherited by Doctor Arthur Tracy Cabot before being acquired by his niece Eleanor Cabot Bradley in 1945. It is a 90 acre property that includes the estate, fields, woodlands, and gardens. The Estate is a popular location for weekend weddings. It is owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations.

We had a peaceful Adventure to The Bradley Estate. We arrived to find the property almost empty from visitors. There was as $5 parking fee, but yet our admission was free due to our Trustee membership! I had researched the property ahead of time so had known that dogs were not allowed in the formal gardens, but were permitted on the trails. We decided to head over to the front of the Estate to take some photographs. There were flowers of varied colors along the paved road, many with unique shades. I took numerous photos before soon arriving at the Estate. The Estate was lovely with gardens on either side. Although there were no “no dog” signs I decided not to venture too far adjacent to the property unclear of the forbidden boundaries. Instead we then veered over to the trails and began on our hike.

I was quite pleased to find some more flowers along the trail, many adorning the rocks. This provided quite the picturesque scene. There were Azalea’s, Rhododentron, wildflowers and more. We wandered past what appeared to be a farm, and some fields before heading into the woods. The trails were simple, but tranquil, birds chirping, and an occasional smells of fragrant flowers flooding the air. There were several moments when the sounds of busy roads overtook the nature walk, however overall it was quite serene. The trails were not labeled, and somewhat confusing but having studied the map before our journey I figured I was in the right general direction. At one point we arrived at the back of the Estate, a nice surprise along the way. This helped me to know we were on the right track to our trip home.

Throughout our hike Shadow and Wilma often trotted side by side seeming to be energized on this beautiful morning. Some of my favorite parts of the trails were: the colorful flowers along the path, the bright greens of spring, the tall ferns on the trail, and a rustic fence along the way. So as you may guess this is yet another property I discovered through the Trustees of Reservations. Although I was bummed that we could not explore the gardens, we definitely had a lovely Adventure to the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate (Rating: 3).

May 27, 2019 – Circle Museum – New York

I am a bit behind on my blog from the weekend as we had a busy weekend of Adventures. Therefore I will be sharing these Adventures throughout the week.

On Monday we had our last Adventure of the weekend at the Circle Museum in Austerlitz, New York. The Circle Museum is an eight acres property that includes a gallery, and metal sculptures scattered throughout the forest and hillside. The sculptures are created by artist Bijan Mahmoodi and range from straight-forward themes to abstract art.

We had a creative Adventure to the Circle Museum on a lovely spring evening. This stunning location was found by my friend as we researched stops for our journey home. I was immediately impressed as there were numerous sculptures of all shapes, sizes and colors in every direction. It was hard to know where to start but we began zigzagging in and out of these creative sculptures, analyzing our thoughts on their appearance. I tended to think many resembled bugs, while my friends’ thinking was much more inventive. It was such a fun location with endless sculptures throughout the grounds. We wandered for awhile before heading up a little hill to view yet more sculptures. Throughout our visit Wilma was overly focused on which direction everyone was headed while Shadow a bit tired from our long weekend enjoyed some rolls in the grass. Such a special outdoor Museum of inventive artwork. So glad we were able to visit this splendid Museum (Rating: 4, Company: Just right!)

Throwback Adventure – Rye Beach – New Hampshire

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. Many of these Throwback Adventures will include our Buster, who was known for his crazy tail, his happy howl, and his zest for life. We miss him dearly…he is forever in our hearts!

In April 2015 Shadow, Buster and I Adventured to Rye, New Hampshire to explore a dog friendly Beach. Although I am not sure specifically which beach this is I know it was in Rye, New Hampshire, somewhere along 1A. (I do not believe it was labeled when we visited). Rye New Hampshire is a coastal town in southern New Hampshire. It is home to the largest coastline in New Hampshire.

We had a sunny Adventure to the Beach in Rye, back on April 12, 2015. The beach was very rocky, with tidal areas to explore. We were able to find some sand areas to sun-bathe and enjoy the day. It was our last stop on a busy day and we were happy to relax and enjoy the breeze. It was fun looking at photographs from this outing reminiscing about yet another Adventure we had with Buster. So glad he was able to have lots of travels! We will definitely have to visit Rye again in the future.

May 27, 2019 – Granny’s Ice Cream – New York

I am a bit behind on my blog from the weekend as we had a busy weekend of Adventures. Therefore I will be sharing these Adventures throughout the week.

On Monday Shadow, Wilma, My friends, and I Adventured to Granny’s Ice Cream on Route 29 in Johnstown, New York. Granny’s Ice Cream is part of the Royal Mountain Campground, and offers soft serve ice cream and other light food items.

We had a tasty Adventure to Granny’s Ice Cream to begin our Memorial Day. I would say Granny’s Ice Cream is in somewhat of a remote area, however was quite busy, likely due to the campground, and popular motorcyle route. Wilma seemed a bit unsure of this unfamiliar environment so she hung out with one of my friends, while our other friend, Shadow, and I waited in line. (Maybe because there was a big wandering around on a leash – haha!) I decided to try the cotton candy soft serve, and of course two dog friendly ice creams. Shadow and Wilma gobbled up their ice cream quickly as we sat in the grass. I savored my cotton candy ice cream, until Wilma, had a moment of excitement and ended up IN my ice cream. The aftermath left her quite thrilled as she was able to lick up this new flavor on her covered foot! Luckily I was just about full, so I guess the moment could remain humorous. We sat for a bit socializing with our friends, relishing the last day of our vacation. Nothing too fancy, but definitely glad to chow down on some ice cream, something I had been hoping for since the weekend began. It was a delicious stop on our journey back to Massachusetts (Rating: 3, Dog Ice Cream – 5, Company: Just right!)

March 25, 2019 – Wintergreen Park – New York

This weekend Shadow, Wilma, my friends, and I Adventured to Wintergreen Park in Canajoharie, New York. Wintergreen Park features the Canajoharie Creek Gorge and Wintergreen Falls. The Falls is 40 foot in height and includes smaller cascades. Trespassing signs are posted at the gorge as a result of numerous deaths and accidents, so it is not accessible to visitors. The Park also features a 1.5 mile “scenic trail” which leads guests to the viewing deck above Wintergreen Falls. There are picnic areas within the Park.

We had a water filled Adventure to Wintergreen Park on a warm spring day. We were excited to go on yet another Adventure with friends! Quickly we found the “No Trespassing” signs specific to the gorge. We wandered around leisurely, savoring the sounds of rushing water. The rocks around the gorge were gorgeous, and although I was bummed to not get an up close and personal view we appreciated the landscape from afar. The birds were chirping and it was a simple, but lovely natural area.

We were determined to find the “scenic trail” and although we expected to find it near the gorge we eventually located it in an unforeseen spot near a panoramic field. We were excited to traverse this trail. The trail followed the creek from above, through the woods, and across a bridge. The trail was surrounded by bright greens color, including some wild flowers here and there. There were several little spots to view the cascades, however the sight was mostly covered by leaves. Wilma often trotted a head with my friends, while Shadow and I took in a casual walk at his pace. It was fun watching Wilma trying to figure it all out, quickly gaining the trust of new leaders. We appreciated this short hike, and soon arrived at the viewing deck. Shadow and Wilma became instant celebrities with photos and belly rubs from a family of children who were ecstatic with their presence. We checked out the view, again quite covered with leaves, however took in the moment. We enjoyed some time at the landing before heading back to our cars. It was so nice to have friends join us on this Adventure! Lots of laughs along the way (Rating: 3, Company – Amazing!)

March 25, 2019 – Dinosaur Footprints – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, our two friends, and I Adventured to Dinosaur Footprints in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Dinosaur footprints is the location of more than 130 tracks carved into sandstone. Researchers believe this prints are from two-legged carnivorous dinosaurs, by the great Tyrannosaurus rex, and from various fossils. The property is owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations.

We had a paleontological Adventure to the Dinosaur Footprints on a warm spring day. We were excited to have friends along with us on today’s Adventure! We followed a short path down to the sandstone where we found numerous dinosaur prints engraved in the rock. Some of the prints were small and others were large, some hidden, and some clear. It was fun to imagine their paths as they walked many years ago. There were informational kiosks along the way providing lots of information about the site.

We continued walking where we found water streaming through two cement holes and down, forming a scenic, rocky area. We hopped along careful not to slide on the slippery rocks. We did not find any additional tracks in this area but enjoyed exploring. From afar we could see the Connecticut River, a large River with flowing current. It was the perfect backdrop to this unique location.

So as you may guess this is yet another property I discovered through the Trustees of Reservations. We enjoyed our lesson in history today at this distinctive site. So glad we could visit the Dinosaur Footprint property today (Rating: 3, Company – Perfection!)

Throwback Adventure – Wendell State Forest – Massachusetts

In August 2013 Shadow, Buster, My Aunt, My Uncle, My cousin, My cousin’s son, and I visited Wendell State Forest in Wendell, Massachusetts. Wendell State Forest is 7500 acres of forest land which includes several ponds, streams, and trails. It is popular for swimming, fishing, hunting, and biking.

We visited Wendell State Forest almost six years ago on two lovely days. I was picking up my cousin’s son Cameron for the weekend so we choose Wendell State Forest to meet as it was centrally located. Wendell State Forest ended up being a great find as we had a wonderful time. There were two main activities we especially appreciated. First, we spent plenty of time on the beach! Cameron enjoyed some swimming, hunting for salamanders, and catching guppies. Shadow and Buster loved sitting in the beach and of course the cool water, while I was able to catch up with family. There was not a sole around which made the beach especially tranquil. Nearby we found a bridge where Cameron located a variety of snakes sunbathing in the rocks, although far from my favorite site, it was fun seeing Cameron’s excitement in these long scaly creatures.

Our second main activity was a hike around the pond, also quite barren from guests. Cameron often walked ahead with Shadow while the rest of us mostly walked a bit behind with Buster. We found some picnic benches along the way, a little wooden bridge, and plenty of natural scenery.

It was a fantastic Adventure, especially as we also were also able to visit with our extended family. Really the perfect location for children to learn and appreciate nature. Cameron is growing up to be such an amazing kid, now fifteen and such a kind teen, so fun to spend time with! He recently was accepted as a camp counselor soon to be leading excited young ones on Adventures of their own. We will always have found memories of our Adventures to Wendell State Forest.

Weekly Video/Photo

If you regularly follow my blog, and the weekly/video photo I would recommend skipping on to paragraph three, specific to this week’s video/photo. I have decided to add a weekly video/photo section to my blog. This blog will display a video or photo, usually highlighting an Adventure, while I might also sneak in some that are humorous, adorable, or just other fun dog moments.

So if you have followed my blog from the beginning you will know that I adopted Shadow as a puppy, and about a year later adopted Buster as a puppy. We had many wonderful years together before experiencing the devastating loss of Buster at just seven. It took a long time for our hearts to heal, but almost a year later we welcomed little Wilma into our world.

So today’s feature is an adorable photo of Wilma. You may never guess that this little lady is obsessed with balls as we are always on our Adventures without one. However, Wilma’s absolutely loves them and is constantly seeking out a ball friend. At home you will usually see a ball in her mouth, or her running and flying through the air in chase of the perfect catch. I am not sure how the ball got so far away from her in this moment, but she certainly has her eye on it. We have may Adventures in ball play, as agile Wilma puts on a show. Hope this photo brings a small to your face on this Tuesday!

Wilma ball 2