Whether you’re a new hiker looking to challenge yourself with a starter mountain, an experienced hiker looking to take a quick jaunt up, or just plain fire tower crazy – Stissing Mountain [Route 82 and Lake Road, Pine Plains – take Lake road down two miles to park] should be […]
nature
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Start your trek relaxed, nestled between a scenic meadow and the woods. Enjoy it while you can, because before you know it you’ll start ascending up woodsy hills, scrambling up rocks, and sweating your socks off until you reach the summit. The hike up Brace Mountain [Intersection of Quarry Hill Road […]
They say opposites attract. I like to go go go, while Jeff wouldn’t mind staying at home sometimes. A lot of times I’ll run us ragged, and he has to step in and tell us to slow down. Well, when you’re with someone for a long time they say you […]
When the days get shorter, my battle to avoid cabin fever begins. The fight starts in fall for me. I found myself just gazing at google maps, one of my favorite tools. I zoomed in and out of my location looking for green blobs close enough to home to visit […]
Any time I enter a garden conservatory I feel as though I’ve been transported to another land. No matter what the weather is outside, under the glass frames the temperature is catered to the warmth the plants require – and I happen to crave. A visit to The Botanic Garden […]
Driving through the Berkshires during peak foliage, what a vision the world was. We had already hiked Alander Mountain that day, and had plans for a museum later, but I wasn’t ready to give up the outdoors. It was our anniversary and I thought hey, why don’t we revisit a […]
Little hike, big payoff. If you want to see a stunning 90-foot waterfall you won’t have to walk very far from your car, and it’s only a 25 minute drive from downtown Albany. Barberville Falls [Parking lot is before the intersection of Blue Factory Road and Plank Road in Poestenkill] […]
It is such a treat to discover local preserves. Little treasures close enough, small enough, that you can you can run to after work for some nature therapy. Schiffendecker Farm Preserve [Bender Lane, Glenmont, NY 12077] is one of those special places. Just down the road in Glenmont nestled right […]
This is the kind of park you would expect in a fairytale. Rolling hills of green, green grass…sunset over the Hudson River… Intricately crafted wooden gazebos and bridges, winding wooded trails through the forest. If you’re looking for a picture perfect park experience, visit Poet’s Walk Park [776 River Rd […]
Marsh and mountain views, peaceful and scenic trails, a hike at Tivoli Bays [Follow the dirt road to the parking lot at the end of Cruger Island Road, Red Hook] is a dream. Just an hour south of Albany, and a stone throw from Bard College, miles of hiking trails […]
It was the last day of our crazy two week hiking and sight seeing trip starting in Las Vegas, heading through California, Utah, and Arizona – we would fly out from Phoenix in the late afternoon. So we woke up earlier than the sun and left the Grand Canyon, all […]
“How it swells! How it dwells On the Future! how it tells Of the rapture that impels To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells” One of my favorite Poe poems, “The Bells” was all I heard in my head as we parked and approached Bell Rock […]
Supposedly an ‘energy vortex’ of spirituality. Supposedly one of the most photographed spots in Arizona. Supposedly an easy hike. You can suppose a lot of things about Cathedral Rock [Try the intersection of Route 179 and Back O Beyond Rd in Sedona. Turn onto B.O.B and a paid parking lot […]
Possibly the most famous of the United States National Parks, the Grand Canyon is an American icon. How to spend a day here when you’ve dreamed about this place all your life? The image always runs through my head…a nuclear family on a warm sunny day in a Model T […]
The mountains are purple and rocks are rainbow swirled. No you are not in a Dr. Seuss book, you are visiting the one of a kind landscape at Petrified Forest National Park. The main draw of this park is the colorful petrified wood, however there is a lot more magic […]