Summer 2016 - New York, Adirondacks, Lake Clear

Monday, September 5^th – Sunday, September 11^th

Charlie’s Inn Junction & Campground, Lake Clear, New York

Photo link:

https://goo.gl/photos/arLiYRzZqH17nyS39

The weather was gorgeous and we had a beautiful drive out of Rutland Vermont over to the Adirondacks. Along the way we stopped in the lower Champlain Valley at an overlook, with a great view of the valley and mountains in the distance. Once we arrived in the Adirondacks region we passed through Lake Placid, the site of the 1980 Winter Olympics and then Saranac Lake, a beautiful little town bordering a few lakes. Driving along the roads in the Adirondacks we passed through many small villages surrounded by high peak mountains and hiking trailheads everywhere. We arrived at Charlie's Inn Junction & Campground to find very historic site, which is now privately owned. This was once a main railroad depot for the Central Line Railroad in New York. All of the original buildings are still on the property including the depot and the Inn, which is still operating as a lodge and great restaurant.

We quickly realized that our main activity here in the Adirondacks would be hiking. There are so many mountain peaks in the area and some amazing hiking trails. One of the hikes that we did was to climb to the top of Ampersand Mountain.  This hike was a challenging rocky ascent of 1775’ to the summit at 1942’. The dogs were with us and we were all enjoying the challenging steep hike. Within ½ mile of the peak, one of the descending hikers informed us that there was a large rock face about 6 to 8 feet high that needed to be climbed over to get to the peak. Once I heard this, Kody and I both decided to turn around and head back to the truck, since that was not our favorite thing to do and we were pretty exhausted at that point after already hiking almost 3 miles.  We waited at the truck for about another hour and a half before Kurt and Luca arrived. Kurt did get some beautiful pictures of the views from the summit. I really wish I could have made it and I was disappointed that I didn't have the courage to climb the rock face.

We decided one day to drive over to Lake Placid and to explore the areas and the sites from the 1980 Winter Olympics. We saw the site of the ski jumps, which are still intact and used in the winter. It’s so hard to imagine that people ski down from that high tower on ice. We also went to the arena which is also a Convention Center.  There were banners regarding the historic hockey game where the USA beat the Russians by one point and won the gold medal. Who can forget the “Miracle on Ice”? It was so hard to imagine that this small mountain town of Lake Placid would be flooded with hundreds of thousands of attendees and athletes for the Olympic Winter Games, it must have been truly packed.

Another day we did a great hike up St. Regis Mountain. The hike was 3.3 miles one way with an ascent of 1260’ to the summit of 1942’. This time all four of us made it up another steep, rocky hike and reached the summit. At the summit was an old fire tower, which Kurt climbed to the top. Again, the views from this rocky top mountain were amazing; the whole landscape dotted with mountains, the high peaks to the East and lakes all around.  Even though it was a challenging hike, I still enjoyed it and was very pleased I was able to make it to the summit.

Lake Clear is a lovely lake with crystal clear water and some sandy beaches. We found that just a short walk from our campground there was a beautiful beach that faced the west and was a perfect spot for sunset. A couple of nights we took the dogs to run and play on the beach. We sat there, had happy hour and watched the sunset, even though both times there were clouds on the horizon. It was still a lovely place to sit and relax and watch the sun go down.

One day Kurt kayaked and fished on the Saranac chain of Lakes. This is a very popular kayak and canoe area. The lakes are dotted with numerous islands that are set aside for primitive camping. Outfitters in the area will set up customers with boats and camping gear, to spend several nights on the lakes. Kurt just enjoyed a day paddle there. He also paddled on the Raquette River for a couple of miles. He enjoyed the lakes much more than the river.

One of the most unusual activities we've had on this whole trip is taking a ride on a bicycle rail car, called Rail Explorers. This was a fun activity that began in Saranac Lake and ended on Lake Clear, with specially built bicycle rail cars that you pedal yourself on the rails. We decided it was worth the price, since this was so unusual that we thought we may never get a chance to do something like this again. With a front and rear escort, each group of people had their own individual rail cars and  they evenly space out the cars about 300 feet so you could peddle the rail car at your own speed and enjoy the sights. Along the way we passed by bogs and a few lakes, including Lake Clear. As we passed through the Lake Clear area we were able to see our campground and the historic buildings. At the end of the 7 ½ mile ride they shuttled everyone back to the beginning in a comfortable bus. These are older rails, no longer used by trains and are slated to be pulled up and the whole course will be turned into a rail trail for multi-use. We really had fun on a beautiful day enjoying this very different activity.

On our last evening there we spent time at the lake to watch the sunset and let the dogs run free.

We really enjoyed the Adirondacks, a 6-million acre wilderness region. It was really different from many other places we have been. With the lakes, surrounded by mountains all around made this very special place.

Summer 2016 - Maine, Saco River & Vermont, Rutland

Friday, August 26th - Sunday, September 4^th

On The Saco River, Brownfield, Maine

Photo link:
https://goo.gl/photos/1iLK2gBA52idiZ78A

For our next stop, we headed toward southwest Maine in the Lakes Region. We found a beautiful RV park, On the Saco Family Campground. It was literally on the Saco River which we were looking forward to kayaking. We arrived there on Friday August 26th, setup camp and met our wonderful RV neighbors. Again we found several of RV neighbors there were actually from Maine not too far away, and were keeping their campers there on a seasonal basis. The owners of the campground were also river outfitters; they rented kayaks, canoes, tubes and offered shuttle service.

During our time there, I ran shuttle for Kurt and dropped him off on the river 5 miles upstream. He enjoyed his day of kayaking and caught a 5 pound black smallmouth bass, which he later fried up for dinner.  We also went kayaking another day with the dogs to paddle a 3-mile trip down the Saco River. It was a nice day and all 4 of us really enjoyed it.

We found a local hiking trail called Burnt Meadow Trail. It was supposedly a moderate hike but again we found it was more strenuous than advertised. The five-mile trail was actually quite beautiful up to the 1575' summit of the mountain. As we neared the top, I was faced with a six-foot-high rock face that I would need to climb up and over. By that point I was pretty exhausted and decided it was not a smart thing for me to take that risk. So Kody and I decided to head back down the trail and would wait for the other two at the truck. Kurt took some beautiful pictures at the summit of the surrounding views and eventually finished the five-mile loop. When he got back to the truck he even admitted that the trail was more strenuous than he had anticipated.

I had also found some highly rated mountain bike trails just across the state line in New Hampshire in the town of North Conway. We drove over there and rode several miles of the trails. They were fun trails, but not so easy to follow as they weren't well marked. However, we still enjoyed the ride and exercise.

We loved the Saco Campground so much that we extended our five days to seven to make it a full week. It was so well worth it, a wonderful campground with great people and great owners. We highly recommend this campground to anyone wanting to travel through that part of Maine.

Gifford Woods State Park, Rutland, Vermont

Our next stop on our way heading west was a return to our favorite place in Vermont, Rutland. We again camped at Gifford Woods State Park and even had the exact same camp site as we did in July. We really love the campground and the whole area around Rutland that we just had to go back one more time. One of my favorite things about Rutland was the wonderful mountain bike trails in the city park of Pine Hill. We rode there for two days and truly enjoyed these wonderfully engineered and maintained trails. During this visit, I was able to accomplish more due to the riding that we have been doing on our whole trip. Over the summer, my riding skills have improved greatly and I was also extremely happy to have accomplished getting to the very top of this mountain in Pine Hill Park. Of course, the ride down was even more fun. We both had two wonderful days there and someday we hope to go back again.

Our last day in the area we drove over to the Killington ski resort. During the summers they have downhill mountain biking on the ski slopes. This is an extreme mountain biking experience and you have to have the proper protective gear and even special mountain bikes to ride on the downhill slopes. The riders take their bikes up to the top of the mountain on the Gondola lift and then ride downhill.  I did drop off Kurt at the base of the gondolas, where he was able to ride some other slopes downhill that were not as extreme as the upper ski slopes. We met some really nice folks from Massachusetts that had been riding there for 3 days. They were well-equipped and explained to us all the hazards and safety gear required to ride there.

Again we truly enjoyed our three days in the Rutland area. There's just something about that part of Vermont that just feels like home to me. Hopefully someday we'll go back to that area and spend much more time. Our next adventure will be in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.

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:

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/107097369989809012646/album/AF1QipNb8IDgkhH5rb6nXTXeoB2Omds45tj8ULmLbT4L?authKey=CKryvtzd0eX0VA

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.