Summer 2016 - Maine, Acadia National Park

Friday, August 19^th – Thursday, August 25^th

Hadley’s Point Campground, Bar Harbor, Maine

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/5GdsBCXjkVMpfKFS9

After leaving the wilderness of Baxter State Park, we headed south to Acadia National Park. We stayed in a commercial RV park near Bar Harbor. We arrived there late in the afternoon, got set up and were ready to just relax for the evening.

The next day we stopped by the Visitor Center, then decided to drive the Park Loop Road to get our bearings and get some idea of what we wanted to do for the remaining days. We were immediately stunned at the wilderness, mountain settings and views of this amazing island park. Acadia is a 47,000 acre park, primarily on Mount Desert Island on the coast of Maine. The landscape is marked by woodlands, rocky beaches, lakes and glacier scoured granite peaks such as Cadillac Mountain, the highest point in the United States East Coast. One of the best features of the park is the free shuttle bus that drives visitors to various points around the park where they can get on and off at trailheads or places of interest, such as the village of Bar Harbor. The buses stopped right inside our campground, which was very convenient. This allowed us to utilize the shuttle system and not have to worry about finding parking spaces which most of the time very hard to get.

The next morning, we took the dogs on the shuttle bus and headed for Jordan Pond. We hiked part of the trail around the lake and relaxed looking at the awesome views from the lake. It was wonderful that they allowed dogs on the buses and the hiking trails. We continued the bus ride around the park to determine where the hiking trailhead locations and which ones we would hike. We made our plans for the next four days in Acadia.

We knew that most of our activities in this park would be hiking and also discovered that there were historic Carriage Trails throughout the park where we could ride our bicycles. We drove to Jordan Pond parking area, where many of the carriage trails emanated. We had intended on taking our bikes on the shuttle bus, but the bike racks they had would not fit our new 29" fat tire wheels. We then took our bikes and drove our truck to Jordan Pond, and were very lucky to find a parking space. We rode the beautiful trails for several miles and around Jordan Pond.

Later that day we took the bus to Bar Harbor to check out the village and the amazing views of the bay. Bar Island is located a few hundred feet from the shore and during low tide, the sandbar is exposed and people can walk across to the island, but must come back during low tide. Frenchman Bay is dotted with many small islands and the waters were filled with moored lobster boats and sailboats. We walked along a coastal path through Bar Harbor and followed the rocky coast. The village was filled with restaurants, shopping and touristy shops. We did stop by a local bar and have a drink while we waited to get on the bus back to camp.

The next day we drove over to another part of Acadia, called the “quiet side”. We parked at the trailhead for Beech Mountain Trail. The dogs were with us as they also love to hike. The hike to the peak of Beech Mountain was not too steep or difficult, relatively speaking for Acadia. At the peak was a fire tower and spectacular 360 views of the ocean, islands, inland lakes and mountain peaks. After that hike we rested for a while at the trailhead and Kurt decided to hike to another trail, Beech Cliffs; while the dogs and I hiked the Valley Trail. Both of these trails again presented us with amazing views and beautiful forests. After returning to camp, we decided this was the night to have our Maine lobster. We went to a nearby lobster market and brought back a complete dinner, two lobsters, two pounds of mussels, corn, and even melted butter. It was so delicious and comfortable to eat in our RV.

Another day we went hiking again. Kurt wanted to hike a serious trail called Precipice. This trail has metal rungs in order to climb rock faces. I chose another trail, based out of the Sieur de Monts location. This was the homestead of the original founder of Acadia, George Dorr. There was a spring on this beautiful property, a nature center, gardens with native plants and several trails. I hiked up the mountain on the Emery Trail, which was built by the CCC and consisted of over 500 stone steps to the top. The trail I took back down was the Homans Trail, which was more steep and very rocky, but enjoyable with great views of the harbor. Kurt continued his hiking to meet me at Sieur de Monts. From there we took the bus back to the campground.

Our final hike was to the peak of Cadillac Mountain, the tallest in the park. The bus stopped at the trailhead for the North Ridge Trail. This rocky 2.1 mile trail took us to Cadillac Peak. There we again saw amazing views and ate our lunch. We had decided to take a shorter trail down the mountain to Bubble Pond, where we could get back on the bus. This 1.4 mile trail was extremely steep with mostly rock faces to descend. OMG, I was so challenged and Kurt was so frustrated that I moved so slow. Even though it was a shorter trail, it took us much more time to descend. Even as careful as I was, I did slip on a wet section of slick rock. Fortunately, I only gashed my right elbow and arm, and sprained my wrist. I always carry a first aid kit and it came in handy. We were so relieved when we finally made it to the bottom. I felt the pain that night and the next day was very sore. At least I didn’t break anything!

Our last night in Acadia was spent with a drive to Cadillac Mountain peak to watch the sunset. On our way, we stopped at the lobster market and got lobster roll dinners to go. We also took the dogs. When we found a place to park at the top, the wind was blowing around 40 mph and the horizon skies were cloudy, so there was not much to view of the sunset. The dogs got to get out and run leash free for a while and had fun. Even with the sunset and wind issues, we enjoyed this special place and time as our last adventure in Acadia.

The next day we would head southwest in Maine to stay in the lakes region. We could have stayed longer in Acadia, but there is still so much to experience in Maine.

Summer 2016 - Maine, Mt. Katahdin, Baxter State Park

Sunday, August 14^th – Thursday, August 18^th

Wilderness Edge Campground, Millinocket Maine

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/zkEk4gPjQWZpqw7Z7

Our first stop in Maine was Millinocket, in the northern part of the state, which is near Baxter State Park. Within this park is Mt. Katahdin, which is the tallest mountain in the US east of the Mississippi. The summit of Mt. Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Many A.T. through hikers celebrate the arrival at the summit as the end of their 2300 mile trek. Climbing this mountain to the summit has always been one of Kurt's dreams.

We camped at an RV park called Wilderness Edge and it really was. It was the closest campground to the state park without being in the park. We really loved the campground, as it gave us the feeling of being in a wilderness area.

Kurt had already obtained the permit to do the hike and had all of his gear organized, packed and ready to go. Our first day we simply drove up to Baxter State Park, visited the ranger station to get all the information we needed and finalize his plans. It was exciting to get our first glimpse of Mount Katahdin from a distance, even though it was a beautiful day, the top of the mountain was shrouded in clouds. Kurt was hoping for a clear day for his hike the next day. The whole area was very much wilderness, dotted with glacial lakes throughout the region and many more mountain peaks beyond Katahdin.

After a day of resting and final preparations for the 10-hour hike, Kurt struck out early the next morning. The plan was to drop him off at the Hunt Trailhead (Appalachian Trail), where he would leave from and at the end of the day, at a specified time, I would pick him up at the lower end of the Abol Trailhead, which he would descend. The one concern that we had was that there was no cell service available until he got to the summit, where he would be able to send me a text.

Kurt began his trek to the summit and as you will see in the pictures there are many amazing sights along the way with signs regarding the mountain and the trails. One beautiful view was of Katahdin Stream Falls, which the trail followed for a short distance. As he ascended the mountainside, he was able to see more distant views of mountains and lakes. The higher he went the more large rocks and boulders began consuming the trail. At this point the hike became a rock scrambling experience. Some of the boulders were taller than he is and were a real challenge, but he had no problems crawling up and over the rocks.

He eventually ascended the mountain where he was above the tree line. At that point the trail was just rocks and a few tundra plants covering the ground. About a little over a mile from the summit he walked up to an area called the tablelands. At this point the elevation flattened out making the hiker feel that this was going to be as easy from this point. He explained to me that it really fooled a lot of hikers as they thought that it was going to be easy when he said it really became tougher.  Along the way he would take rest breaks, have some snacks and water to make sure he was properly nourished throughout the hike.

On his final approach to the summit he was able to see the rocky top of the mountain, with probably three or four dozen other hikers who had already made it there. At the very summit there is a rugged wooden sign with all the details about Katahdin and Baxter Peak. The elevation at the peak is 5267 feet, nearby the peak is a huge rock cairn that is exactly 13 feet high so that that Katahdin peak is exactly a mile high at 5280 feet. When he arrived at the summit he was able to send a text letting me know his approximate time of arrival at the base of the mountain.
While at the summit he walked out onto a very rugged, dangerous trail called the Knife Edge. Some hikers will descend the mountain via this trail, but Kurt just wanted to experience the feel of being out there and realized that with the vertigo that he has sometimes that it was probably not a good idea.

He then headed back to the planned trail for the descent, the Abol Trail. The descent down this trail was just as rugged as the ascending trail. He arrived at the base trailhead about 30 minutes sooner than expected.  He was able to hike the total 10 miles in 7 hours and 45 minutes. All I can say is that he was so thrilled to have done it and accomplished one of his greatest dreams.

For the remaining two days there, we hiked the A.T. with the dogs. One day we headed south on a most beautiful hike through the wilderness that looked like a rain forest. There was moss covering the ground and rocks, with ferns all around. This part of the A.T. began a section of 100 miles of total wilderness. This is the longest wilderness section of the A.T. and hikers are warned to be prepared with food and water for 10 days, which would be the average hiking time for this mileage. There is a history of some hikers not surviving this section; due to lack of food, weather exposure and getting lost off trail. This can be a dangerous hike if one is not knowledgeable and prepared. However, the vast majority of hikers make it to Katahdin as planned.

The last day there, we hiked north on the A.T. traveling into Baxter S.P. This section was less rocky and no steep areas, as it followed along the banks of the Penobscot River. It was a lovely hike and after about 3 miles, we came across a waterfall on the Katahdin Stream at the confluence of the Penobscot River. This was the place where we had our lunch and rested, enjoying the waterfall. The dogs played in the water and drank all they wanted. After getting back to the trailhead, we were ready to get back to camp and begin preparing to leave the next day.

Our five days in this wilderness area of Maine were so enjoyable, we could have stayed a couple of more days. However, we were excited to get to Acadia N.P. This was the main destination for our New England tour.

Summer 2016 - New Hampshire, Lakes Region

Monday, August 8^th – Saturday, August 13^th

Davidson’s Countryside Campground - Bristol, New Hampshire

Photo link:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPBa4t8XAKNxiI4F9a8GhhNEk3Gg5GyNWktkDH3fzhMtLwWC2XbC8bqb6BYYV3b9Q?key=S0FqUTRMOVNjbUZKMV9JV04tMG1yM1BEVHhSeC1B

When we left the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, we headed southeast to the Lakes Region. There are less mountains in this area, and many more lakes. The valleys are dotted with long, thin glacial carved lakes, 273 to be exact. The largest lake is Lake Winnipesaukee, with 71 square miles of surface. This area in New Hampshire is a favorite vacation spot for many New Englanders, especially Massachusetts and New York. There are so many lakeside resorts and marinas for so many water related activities. There are also many rivers and streams with countless waterfalls. Our campground was near a small town of Bristol. It was another quaint mountain town with historical buildings, homes and a nice town square.

While there we hiked a great trail to the top of Mt. Cardigan, which is located west of Lake Winnipesaukee. This was a rugged, rocky, steep trail to the summit at 3155 feet. The trail up to the summit and back is 3.1 miles with cairns along the way to help navigate. At the bare granite summit, there are amazing 360 views. The views of Lake Winnipesaukee are amazing, and there are distant views of mountains in Vermont, White Mountains in New Hampshire and mountains in Maine. Dogs are allowed to hike here also, so our boys really enjoyed the hike and meeting other dogs on the trail. The hike down was not as steep, but followed along a stream with some small waterfalls along the way.

The next day we headed out to Franklin Dam, an Army Corps project on the Pimegewassett River, where there were mountain biking trails that had been developed by New England Mountain Biking Association (NEMBA). Another excellent trail system, well designed and fun to ride. We loved it so much, we came back the next morning and rode again.

Another day we drove to Profile Falls Recreation Area with waterfalls and a swimming hole. There was a short hike over a rocky trail to get back to the falls area, but it was worth it. The dogs came with us and had fun playing in the water and retrieving sticks. We all enjoyed this relaxing time together.

The last couple of days were mostly rainy, so we spent some time doing various chores; laundry, housekeeping and maintenance. Also, we prepared and packed to head out the next day.

On to Maine! Looking forward to the wonders and natural beauty of this state.

Summer 2016 - New Hampshire, White Mountains Region

Monday, August 1^st – Sunday, August 7^th

Beech Hill Campground – Twin Mountain, New Hampshire

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNlnJhRKo1tn2duITGNv_JvD7GS9eCOzuFO7yUPEtLMDoVKTU_lUfezEfhsu5SLLA?key=U2RmVlZaZmM4eVlyUVdTNlNvM2YxbU9ZNkpXS2RB

As we drove out of Vermont into New Hampshire we started noticing the difference in the mountains right away.  New Hampshire definitely has more mountains with very steep, high peaks. We arrived at our campground, Beech Hill, near the town of Twin Mountain New Hampshire. This campground is a commercial RV park, but has very wooded sites and felt more like a state park. The dogs also enjoyed it because we had a very spacious site where we actually let them off leash most of the time.

We started looking at the activities in the area and setting up our plans for what we were going to do. We decided for the next day we would head towards Crawford Notch State Park. In New Hampshire the mountain passes are called notches due to the fact that the V shaped glacier-cut passes reminded the early settlers of notches cut in wood. After stopping at a ranger station we decided to do a very popular hike back to Arethusa Falls, a 215 feet high waterfall. This was a busy trail, but very beautiful. The typical conditions were steep and rocky, but we all enjoyed the hike up and rock hopping back into the falls. We had a rest, some lunch and let the dogs play in the water. After looking at the trail map we decided instead of coming back down the same trail we would head out through another 2 ½ mile trail called Frankenstein’s Cliff. Little did we know that the trail conditions would be much more strenuous. This trail continued straight up and straight down. I think they don't understand switchbacks here in New Hampshire. After three more hours of hiking this arduous loop trail we finally made it back to the parking lot. Kody and I were totally exhausted and my knees and feet were pretty much toast. Kurt and Luca also decided to do a little side trip to a different overlook, I'm so glad Kody and I didn't go. At the end of the day we were all exhausted, but we really did enjoy the hike and the beautiful views.

The next morning we decided to go into the town of Littleton, as we had found some mountain biking trails there. After riding the first mile or so on the trails, we realized this was a very non-maintained trail system with very poor trail markings. We did ride a couple of miles and then gave it up for the day as it really wasn't that much fun.

After our misguided mountain biking adventure, we decided to do a Scenic Drive route that totally encompasses most of the White Mountain National Forest. The southerly route is called the Kancamagus Highway, which runs along the Swift River all the way from Franconia Notch east to Conway. Along this highway they were beautiful views of all the mountains and small towns, along with a stop at a swimming area in the Swift River. Then the loop heads north and west through Crawford Notch State Park, and returns us to our campground. This part of the drive mostly follows the Saco River with views of the rocky, river bottom. Also along this scenic drive there were a couple of off-season ski resorts that have summer activities available. This area of New Hampshire in the White Mountains National Forest seems to be more touristy in nature, as many of the small towns offered various family-friendly activities and many souvenir shops. All in all it was a beautiful drive for the day and we enjoyed all the scenery and the gorgeous White Mountains.

The next day we decided to drive up the legendary Mount Washington Auto Road, which would give us a chance to experience the highest peak in the northeast. The auto road climbs to the 6,288 foot summit for a 3 hour round trip. Throughout this drive to the summit you pass through four different ecological zones and also enjoy panoramic views spanning distant mountains and valleys. There was also a snack bar, museum and historical buildings at the top along with a weather Observatory. Emanating from the summit were various hiking trails for those willing to hike down to the mountain base, various lodges or campgrounds along the trails. The views from the summit were 360 degrees of all the White Mountains peaks, including a group of mountains called the Presidential Range, which are named after various founding fathers of our country. Spectacular and stunning views!

Our last day in the area we decided to go back again to Franconia Notch State Park and ride our bikes on a really nice paved recreational trail. Kurt also did a hike off of the same trailhead and really enjoyed the beautiful mountains.

We truly enjoyed our time in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the spectacular beauty that nature has to offer there. Our next stop will be in southern New Hampshire, in the Lakes Region. Looking forward to our experiences there.

Summer 2016 - Vermont, St. Johnsbury

Monday, July 25^th – Sunday, July 31^st

Moose River Campground – St. Johnsbury, Vermont

Photo link:

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Our next adventure was near the town of St. Johnsbury Vermont. This small town is in the north east area of Vermont which is called the Northeast Kingdom. Again we drove the back highways traveling through beautiful green valleys, surrounded by the Green Mountains, farms and small villages along the way. We arrived at the lovely Moose River Campground just on the north side of town. We had a huge pull through campsite with beautiful gardens around the site.

The owners Mary and Gary were extremely friendly and provided us with all kinds of information on activities in the area. Knowing that we had dogs she told us about a nearby property called Dog Mountain, a place set up for the enjoyment of dogs and their people. The owners, who have since passed away, had set up the property for dogs to bring their people and run free and play with other dogs off leash. The property was a few acres on a gorgeous hillside looking over a valley.  There were many activities for the dogs to do; a swimming pond, big fields to run in and even some trails where they could hike with their people. There was an art gallery filled with dog art, mostly created by Steve Huneck, the owner of the property. They also had a chapel on the property that they had built in memory of their dog Sally, a black lab. This beautiful little chapel is decorated in dog decor and the walls are covered with notes, cards and photos of memorials to people's beloved dogs. It was overwhelming and very touching to see and read some of the memorials.

Kody (Kruzer) and Luca went every day, except one, that we were camping in the area. We would take them at the end of the day when there are a lot of other playmates there. Everyone played nice together, got wet in the pond and had a fun doggy play time.  The boys really enjoyed their time to get out and run off leash and to meet new friends.

The biggest attraction for Kurt and I was the Kingdom Trails. About 20 miles north, in the little town of East Burke, is an enormous system of mountain biking trails. There are over 100 miles of mountain biking trails for every level from novice to expert. We went there 3 days that week, and it was wonderful to ride such well engineered and maintained mountain biking trails. The small town of East Burke was very cool and of course centered around mountain biking.

For our last day in the area we decided to drive up further north to Willoughby Lake. I had seen pictures of this online and thought it was the one of the most gorgeous lakes I've ever seen. This is a glacier carved lake with high, rocky mountains on both sides and beaches on the north and south ends. The weather was great, the dogs were with us and we all had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful scenery. This was a wonderful way to spend our last day in the area and in Vermont.

Did I mention to you all that the weather up here has been just gorgeous? The temps have been around low 80s daytime and the lows at night usually dip down into the mid to lower 50s. Needless to say this is perfect weather for enjoying our summer activities. No wonder why we love it up here in the mountains so much.

Next we will be heading over to New Hampshire and to explore the White Mountains. Can't wait to see if it's as nice as Vermont.

Summer 2016 - Vermont, Lake Champlain

Wednesday, July 20^th – Sunday, July 24^th

Lone Pine Campsites – Colchester, VT near Burlington

Photo link:

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What a beautiful drive from Rutland up to the Burlington area, by Lake Champlain. As usual we drove the backroads. Highway 7 was a gorgeous mountain drive all the way up to the campground, Lone Pine Campsites. The campground was nice as we had expected, we got settled in and right away we met our RV camping neighbors. Really nice family from Vermont and they only live 12 miles away. There were many Vermonters camping there. This campground was up on a ridge overlooking Malletts Bay in a town called Colchester, a bay off of Lake Champlain.

We drove down to Malletts Bay to have a look around and see what was in the area. It was a beautiful bay filled with sailboats and all kinds of recreational boating activities. We even saw a hot air balloon flying over the lake. We had taken the dogs so they could get out and run around a little bit. We started planning activities for the next few days.

Vermont, along with the town of Burlington, is very bicycle friendly. There are bike paths everywhere and we found an amazing Rail Trail that goes up the center of the lake on the causeway that was constructed originally for a railroad, which had been abandoned many years ago. The causeway had been constructed of huge chunks of marble which is very abundant in Vermont. We rode the trail the next day. We rode the bikes up to a point where there was a channel for boats to pass though. At that point we had to board a bicycle ferry that took us to the other side of the channel. We then proceeded up onto the island of Grand Isle in a town called South Hero. We rode around South Hero, which was a small community of farms, cafes and shops. We had a really nice lunch at Allenholm Farm Stand; they had all kinds of animals there, a petting zoo for children and everyone to see, we did enjoy looking at the goats.

After lunch we proceeded to ride the trail all the way back to our truck. The round-trip ride was about 21 miles at the end of the day we were exhausted but amazed by the beautiful Lake, the islands and all the mountains on the east and west. It was wonderful to look eastward and see the Green Mountains and then to look westward and see the Adirondacks in New York. This is a beautiful amazing place.

The next day we really needed a down day so we decided to just check out the city of Burlington, drive around and go to some sporting good shops. We decided to get a hitch mount bike rack to use whenever we are unhitched and need to go to a mountain bike park. It makes it so much easier than to take the wheels off of the bikes and put them in the back of the pickup and then have to reassemble everything when we get to our destination. We eventually found a store called Rack Warehouse, where we found the exact type of bike rack we needed.  Going forward on this trip we will be able to make it a lot easier to haul our bikes around.

Later that afternoon we decided to take a scenic drive up to the Champlain Islands. Again we encountered beautiful farms and quaint little villages throughout the Grand Isle area. There are so many beautiful views to the east of the Green Mountains and to the west of the Adirondacks, along with all the gorgeous little bays and beaches along the way. It was a great way to end our day.

Our last day was spent with our kayaks on the water. We found a river north of us called the Lamoille River. Kurt found an outfitter who hauled our equipment to the top put in and we just paddled downstream back to the outfitters place. We were able to take the dogs on this kayak trip, and they were glad to be outside. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed the paddle. The current was running pretty fast because it rained the day before, so we completed the paddle in about 2 hours instead of 3.

We were looking forward to our next adventure in Vermont at St. Johnsbury and the Kingdom Trails for mountain biking.

Summer 2016 - Vermont, Rutland

Thursday, July 14^th – Tuesday, July 19^th

Gifford Woods State Park

Photo link:
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Aaaahhh, what can I say about Vermont? Green Mountains, cool air, quaint small towns, farms along the highways, friendly people, maple syrup. As we drove into southwest Vermont and entered Gifford Woods State Park, we knew we were back in the woods. It felt so great to be out of the busy, touristy areas and back to nature. This park has no utility hook-ups, so we would be boondocking, which we were prepared for. The rangers at this park were friendly and helpful. We were excited to know that the Appalachian Trail goes right through the campground. The first day, we took the dogs out on the A.T. heading south. This part of the trail was very steep, rocky and challenging. The dogs loved it and the chance to get out and run. We were amazed at the beauty of the forest here; so green, marble rocks everywhere and the ground carpeted with delicate ferns.

The town of Rutland has some really nice mountain bike trails. The next day we packed up our bikes and headed to the trailhead. Pine Hill Park includes various facilities and activities provided by the town. The trails were very well engineered and maintained. We really enjoyed riding the trails in this wooded, hilly park. They were fun and challenging, with uphill climbs right at the start. After riding, we drove around the wonderful small town of Rutland with its historic homes, some of them quite large. It just seemed like the right size town, not too big or too small.

While there, we also hiked the A.T. heading north. This trail was less steep and some parts passed along Kent Pond and Kent Brook. We all enjoyed this trail and met many AT through hikers along the way heading south.

The Green Mountain Trails was another mountain bike trail system just north of the State Park. Near the town of Pittsfield, this private property allowed bikers to park on their land and ride the trails. The trails there were maintained by volunteers and were very nice, with less steep ascents and some technical aspects. Riverside Farm is a beautiful venue that is used for weddings and private events.

One of our favorite hikes was Deer Leap Overlook Loop. This trail was very steep to the top of a mountain adjacent to Pico Ski Resort. This ski area is smaller than Killington, which is also very close to our campground. This hike was another steep, rocky hike that mingled with the A.T. for a short distance. The dogs loved running free on this trail and hiked with us to the overlook. The strenuous hike was worth the view. Amazing to look out on the distant Green Mountains and the ski slopes on Pico, how beautiful!

The ski resorts utilize the facilities in the summer by allowing mountain bikers to ride up the lifts with their bikes, then ride down the mountain on the slopes. Kurt was able to do a couple of runs at Killington on the lower levels. I dropped him off up on the hillside where he could access the trails, then he rode them downhill. Wow, when he got to the bottom he was squealing like a kid about how it was like riding a roller coaster. He really had fun on these rides.

Our last day we spent on a mountain lake, Chittenden Lake. This crystal clear water lake was surrounded by the Green Mountains and had a nice beach area and boat ramp. We were ready to kick back and relax, so we took the dogs and some happy hour supplies and hung out for the afternoon. How relaxing to sit back and look at the gorgeous Green Mountains surrounding us. It was going to be tough leaving the next day.

Even though we still have two more stops in Vermont, we have already fallen in love with this state. This is one state so far that we would hope to revisit again someday.