Podcasts about Baxter State Park

Kourtney grew up in Southeast Michigan and received a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology & Environmental Studies from Western Michigan University. As an undergraduate she interned on the trail crew at Baxter State Park and fell in love with the state of Maine, so returned in 2010 to earn a Master of Science in Forest Resources from the University of Maine. Kourtney remained at UMaine and in 2016 became the first person to graduate with a PhD from the college's then newly inaugurated Anthropology and Environmental Policy doctoral program. As an applied environmental anthropologist, Kourtney has worked throughout Maine and Maritime Canada on a number of projects that she will describe today. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Wenner Gren Foundation, USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Henry David Thoreau Foundation, and more. This conversation was recorded in April 2025. ~~~~~The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle. The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate. Find us online:Maine Discovery MuseumMaine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Bluesky Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook Instagram LinkedInMaine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook Instagram © 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Bienvenue dans Les Fabuleux Destins, le podcast pour découvrir des histoires vraies et étonnantes. Cette semaine découvrez 4 récits trépidants retraçant le parcours exceptionnel de personnalités qui ont su passer au-dessus de leurs limites pour prendre un nouveau départ. Junko Tabei, Emma Gatewood, Christopher McCandeless ou encore Cheryl Strayed, découvrez le récit de celles et ceux ont cherché le sens de leur vie dans la nature. Il n'est jamais trop tard  1954, Baxter State Park. Deux rangers découvrent une femme évanouie sur un sentier. Elle est seule, épuisée, à court d'eau et de nourriture. Mais ce qui les sidère, c'est son âge : 66 ans. Emma Gatewood est bien plus qu'une simple randonneuse perdue. Dix ans, après avoir fui un mariage violent, elle décide de prendre sa revanche sur la vie. Elle se lance dans une odyssée insensée : parcourir seule 3 500 km sur le sentier des Appalaches. Avec une détermination hors du commun, elle va défier l'impossible et entrer dans l'histoire. Plongez dans l'incroyable destin d'Emma Gatewood. Pour découvrir d'autres récits passionnants, cliquez ci-dessous : [INEDIT] Laetitia Toureaux, l'espionne aux multiples facettes : le premier crime du métro parisien (1/4) [INEDIT] Laetitia Toureaux, l'espionne aux multiples facettes : les fantômes du passé (2/4) [INEDIT] Laetitia Toureaux, l'espionne aux multiples facettes : un jeu dangereux (3/4) [INEDIT] Laetitia Toureaux, l'espionne aux multiples facettes : dans les méandres de l'oubli (4/4) Un podcast Bababam Originals Ecriture : Clément Prevaux Production : Bababam  Voix : Florian Bayoux Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As HGH wraps up, B finally brings us the story that started her special interest in Mt. Katahdin - the 1963 Tragedy that changed how Baxter State Park handled safety and rescue. Sources: Report of Proceedings : Mt. Katahdin Tragedy Board of Review / Conducted Jointly by Baxter State Park Authority and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game Desperate Steps: Life, Death, and Choices Made in the Mountains of the Northeast by Peter W. Kick Wikipedia HIKE KATAHDIN VIA THE CATHEDRAL TRAIL IN BAXTER STATE PARK, MAINE BY  DAREN WORCESTER for Northeasthikes.com You can reach out to us via email at homegrownhorrorpod@gmail.com - send us stories, questions, Maine movie recommendations, or just say hi! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/homegrownhorrorpod/⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hghpod/support

Send us some fan mail here!The boys and Ash (finally!) sit down with best-friends-of-the-podcast and fellow "Hiking Peeps" Mike and Lorrie to recall that time that they all stayed in Baxter State Park back in summer of 2021, and how they found themselves assisting BSP Search and Rescue with an injured hiker down Maine's infamous mountain; Katahdin!The gang recalls their journey to the far northern reaches of New England; the beautiful, wild, and remote, Baxter State Park where three of the Maine (and New England) Four-Thousand-Footers reside. Bagging Baxter, Hamlin, and North Brother, enjoying the serenity of Maine's biggest wilderness area, helping a concussed hiker down a trail with BSP SAR, Mike and the moth, Nick takes a swan dive, Lorrie takes a nap, Ash is over trail-mix, Josh has a lot of moisture, Charles and Shaq are in your bathroom, and the pod has a new and "adventuristiq" sponsor on this I-can't-believe-it's-taken-us-this-long-to-talk-about-this-on-the-pod episode of the PUDs Podcast!Episode Links & Notes:Baxter State Park Official SiteAdventuristiq ClothingNick's Music Moment Brought to You by Roots Coffee Roasters:Stars: The Best of 1992 - 2002 - The Cranberries - 2002 Josh's Jazzy Music Moment:REO Speedwagon & Train in ConcertFollow us on Instagram-> @pudspodcastFollow us on Facebook: PUDs PodcastSubscribe to Nick's YouTube Channel: Nick in NatureFollow Nick on Instagram: @nick__in__natureFollow Josh on Instagram: @jrogers.32Email us at-> pudspod@outlook.comRecorded and Produced in Black Cat Studios by Nick Sidla© 2024 PUDs Podcast

What is it like camping in Maine? Welcome to this episode of "Make Maine Your Home," where we'll explore the incredible world of camping in Maine! Whether you're a seasoned camper or just getting started, Maine offers a variety of camping experiences that cater to all preferences and skill levels. Camping is an essential part of Maine's culture and lifestyle, offering a wide range of options from state parks and private campgrounds to backcountry adventures. In this video, we'll delve into the different types of camping available. Tent camping provides a classic experience, allowing you to connect with nature. RV camping offers comfort and convenience, with popular campgrounds featuring various amenities. For those seeking luxury, glamping provides unique accommodations like yurts and cabins. If you're up for a challenge, backcountry camping offers a wilderness experience with tips for safety and preparedness. We'll highlight some of the most popular camping locations in Maine. Acadia National Park is known for its iconic spots, hiking trails, and coastal views. Baxter State Park, home to Mount Katahdin, is remote and rugged. Moosehead Lake, the largest lake in Maine, is perfect for fishing and water activities. The Rangeley Lakes Region offers beautiful scenery, boating, and wildlife watching. Additionally, we'll give an overview of notable state parks like Camden Hills and Sebago Lake. Camping in Maine is packed with activities. Hiking trails for all levels, freshwater and saltwater fishing spots, lakes and rivers for boating and kayaking, and wildlife watching for moose, deer, birds, and marine life are just some of the adventures awaiting you. Don't miss the opportunity for stargazing in Maine's dark skies. Considering the seasons is important when planning your camping trip. Spring offers early season benefits with fewer crowds and cooler weather. Summer is the peak season with warm weather and a full range of activities. Fall brings foliage season, cooler temperatures, and quieter campgrounds. Winter camping options include snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. To ensure a great camping experience, preparation is key. Consider weather conditions and pack essentials. Practice Leave No Trace principles to preserve the environment. Stay safe by taking wildlife precautions and having emergency plans. Be aware of local regulations, including camping permits, fire regulations, and park rules. We'll recap the main points and encourage you to explore camping in Maine. Remember, "If you Make Maine Your Home, you don't have to do it alone!" We invite you to share your camping experiences in Maine and encourage you to subscribe to the channel for more tips and guides. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes related to outdoor activities in Maine. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more amazing content about living and adventuring in Maine! #CampingInMaine #MaineOutdoors #TentCamping #RVCamping #Glamping #BackcountryCamping #AcadiaNationalPark #BaxterStatePark #MooseheadLake #RangeleyLakes #MaineStateParks #Hiking #Fishing #Boating #WildlifeWatching #Stargazing #OutdoorActivities #MakeMaineYourHome

This Day in Maine for Tuesday, March 12th, 2024.

In July 1939 12-year-old Donn Fendler was separated from his group while hiking Mount Katahdin. What ensued is one of the largest search operations in Maine state history and the incredible story of one little boy's will to survive. We love our National Parks and we know you do too but when you're out there, remember to enjoy the view but watch your back. Please take a moment to rate and subscribe from wherever you're listening to NPAD! Become part of our Outsider family on Patreon  or Apple Subscriptions to gain access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more. Follow our socials Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. To share a Trail Tale, suggest a story, access merch, and browse our book recommendations - head over to our website. Thank you so much to our partners, check them out! IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off. Prose: Use our link for a free in-depth hair consultation and 50% off your first subscription order. Sources: Book - Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Donn Fendler as told to Joseph B. Egan Documentary – Finding Donn Fendler Websites & Articles – New York Times, The University of Maine, Millinocket Historical Society, Deadline, Washington Post, NPS, Baxter State Park, Friends of KWW, Appalachian Mountain Club

Blissful leaves Baxter State Park to enter the 100-mile Wilderness, learning that "everything changes" including the weather.Blissful is waiting a pathology report from breast surgery, unsure if she will get the all-clear or have to manage a cancer diagnosis.Her surgeon encourages just to start hiking while she waits and here she is. Lured into the lovely idyllic summer weather at the start of hiking the  Appalachian Trail (AT) Blissful gives away her plastic waterproof backpack liner to pack her gear in compression sacks that fail completely.The walk out of Baxter State Park is flat and easy, the trail lined with wildflowers and filled with bird song. At Abol Bridge, she meets other hikers and they look back at Katahdin as the air turns black, lightnings strikes the summit and it begins pouring rain. Maine rain is different in humid, saturated air and she's almost immediately soaked through.At the warning sign, three miles ahead of the first shelter at Hurd Brook, it begins to hail. She sets her tent with new friends who offer dry clothes and to share their tent if she gets too cold, but somehow she sleeps well through the night in a lumpy and clammy down quilt. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

We start off “season 3” with our country's most northeastern state, Maine! Mount Katahdin, located in Baxter State Park, is one of Maine's natural wonders. It is Maine's highest peak and is the northern end to the Appalachian Trail. It draws in many hikers, some of who are ill prepared for the difficult hike to the trail's end. Lauren shares with us three daunting stories of travelers who didn't make it to the top, some who were never seen again and one who made it out alive. In the Isle of Shoals, sits a small island known to locals as Smuttynose Island. Hundreds of years ago, settlers from Norway began making their way over to the New World for new opportunities. Kenzie tells us about a tragedy that struck Smuttynose Island and the narrow escape of one lucky soul. Our hearts go out to the people of Maine in the wake of another preventable mass shooting.--If you have any information to share about Gerry Largay, please call the Maine Warden Service Public Safety Dispatch Center in Augusta at (207) 624-7076.Toll-free number when calling within Maine: 800-452-4664.--Follow us on Social Media and find out how to support A Scary State by clicking on our Link Tree: https://instabio.cc/4050223uxWQAl--Have a scary tale or listener story of your own? Send us an email to ascarystatepodcast@gmail.com! We can't wait to read it!--Thinking of starting a podcast? Thinking about using Buzzsprout for that? Well use our link to let Buzzsprout know we sent you and get a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1722892--Works cited!https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yta4QOa3v1nS3V-vOcYPNx3xSgv_GckdFcZj6FBt8zg/edit?usp=sharing --Intro and outro music thanks to Kevin MacLeod. You can visit his site here: http://incompetech.com/. Which is where we found our music!

Almost every thru-hiker has great expectations for Mt. Katahdin located in Baxter State Park in Maine. Many have the impression that Baxter is all about rules and regulations - even potentially limiting the number of thru-hikers permitted to summit. In this podcast, RTK tries to show how the thru-hike experience gave him a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude for people and circumstances in his life - and that such gratitude impacted his attitude about, and thus his enjoyment of Baxter State Park, Mt. Katahdin, and completing his thru-hike. As he discusses, without the generosity of men like Percival Baxter - and more recently Rosanne Quimby - we might not even have the fantastic wilderness spaces we enjoy. Baxter, of course, conceptualized and personally funded much of what we know today as Baxter State Park. And more recently, Quimby used her philanthropy to create the National Monument knowntoday as Katahdin Woods and Waters, just east of Baxter State Park. Percival Baxter https://baxterstatepark.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percival_P._Baxter Rosanne Quimby https://www.nps.gov/kaww/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxanne_Quimby Irving Hunt The answer to our AT History Quiz. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1514&context=mainehistory Our Podcaster: The podcast host is Bruce (“RTK”) Matson, who completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2018 at age 61. His adventures were captured as part of the Hiking Radio Network podcast known as “Returning to Katahdin: An Appalachian Trail Dream.” Bruce's memoir of that hike is also available on Amazon. The Platinum Blazing Podcast was inspired by the book: “Platinum-Blazing the Appalachian Trail: How to Thru-hike in 3-Star Luxury.” A new, updated edition has just been released. It is available on Amazon, on the Platinum Blazing website, and by writing to the editors at platinumblazing@gmail.com. This new edition features many new Best Platinum honorees, including a new, Platinum-Blazing Hall of Fame. It also has a new section of the Best Platinum Shelters along the Appalachian Trail. Another chapter highlights the “Tennessee Hostel Hop” and the “Virginia is for Hostel Lovers Hike” - each listing helps hikers determine an itinerary to permit them to stay overnight in a hostel for over 200 miles straight in Tennessee and over 100 miles in Virginia. More information about Platinum-Blazing is available as follows: * Website: www.platinum-blazing.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlatinumBlazeInstitute * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/platinum_blazing/ Please email Bruce at platinumblazing@gmail.com with any ideas you have for topics or guests, especially hostel owners, shuttle drivers, AT maintenance club members, owners of best Platinum eating establishments, recent thru-hikers, etc. Please feel free to suggest or nominate yourself.

Join us in Maine as we explore the Trail Towns of the Appalachian Trail. Links for this episode: 1. Trail Towns we explored in Maine: Monson, Andover, Millinocket, Abol Bridge, Freeport, and Bar Harbor. 2. Trail Names of hikers we reference: Trash Panda, Poet, Dough Boy, The New Guy, Hippie Chick, and Blacksburg. 3. AT Conservancy: https://appalachiantrail.org/ 4. Campsites we stayed at: South Arm, Abol Bridge, Shaw's Hiker Hostel, The AT Hostel and Outfitters, Abol Campground in Baxter State Park, KOA Freeport, Gallagher's Travels in Bar Harbor, and Lamoine State Park. 5. Baxter State Park: https://baxterstatepark.org/ 6. Food and Drink we reference: Monson General Store, Lakeshore Lodge (Pizza) in Monson, Scoops Ice Cream in Monson, AT Cafe in Millinocket, and the Knife Edge Brewery in Millinocket. 7. 100 Mile Wilderness: https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/history/exploring-the-100-mile-wilderness/ Subscribe and leave us a review if you like the podcast and thanks for listening! Learn more about us at www.Hashtag59.com for all our blogs, past podcast episodes, and trash cleanup events. Because Adventure Feeds the Soul! Mike R

Jester decided her Appalachian Trail Section Hiker Series was incomplete without adding information about hiking Katahdin. Enjoy as Jester shares about AT Trail Conditions in Maine, Rules For Hiking the AT in Baxter State Park, and a couple Hostels in Maine to utilize as a resource for hiking Katahdin and The 100 Mile Wilderness. Appalachian Trail Section Hiker Series AT Trail Updates Baxter State Park Appalachian Trail Hostel & Outfitter Shaws Hiker Hostel Connect with Julie "Jester" Gayheart: Email: jester@jestersectionhiker.com Website: Julie Gayheart YouTube: Follow Jester On YouTube Music By: Victor Lundberg "Top of The Morning"

Ever wondered how to blend your passions into a successful business?  Today, we're getting one approach - allow me to introduce you to Tori Gray, a registered Maine Guide for the past few years who is going into her second full season of business as The Wilderness Guru.In creating The Wilderness Guru, Tori has taken advantage of the rising tide of demand for recreational guiding, and created a fabulous business that melds together all of the things she loves.Lots of Tori's offerings center around Baxter State Park, which holds a very special place in her heart, because of its unique management philosophy, that prioritizes wilderness preservation over recreation. It's also where she first started considering a nature-based career, when she served as a wildlife educator and ridge runner during summers away from her pursuit of dance in college.Today, The Wilderness Guru offers guided group and private hiking and backpacking trips, yoga retreats, foraging workshops, forest therapy walks, and integrative health and wellness coaching.  The Wilderness Guru Katahdin trips are pulled together with the utmost respect for the mountain and its sacredness - and Tori even looks for ways to integrate Citizen Science efforts into these adventures, to contribute further to our knowledge of the special flora and fauna that she loves so much.Head to TheWildernessGuru.com for more information about upcoming trips and events, click a trip link below, or get the expanded list of coolness over on the episode page at GuidesGoneWild.com.@thewildernessguru on InstagramGuruWilderness on Facebook@GuruWilderness on TikTok@GuruWilderness on TwitterOther Gear Lists (constantly evolving & growing)Training for Katahdin TipsConcierge ServicesYoga Day RetreatsKatahdin Flora WorkshopKatahdin Group HikesBendable Maine Community Collection (A few resources surrounding Baxter State Park that Tori put together for Maine's Online Library system)The Glorious Backpacking SporkBaxter State ParkWhat is an AT Ridge Runner?How do I get involved in Citizen Science?

https://slasrpodcast.com/   SLASRPodcast@gmail.com  Welcome to the Sounds Like a Search and Rescue Podcast! Also known as SLASR. Join an experienced search and rescue volunteer and his friend as they discuss all things related to hiking and search and rescue in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. This week, in an attempt to attract a younger demographic we interviewed a friend of the show, Caroline about her recent time living in Hawaii. She will break down some of the hiking activities she enjoyed during her 8 week stay in Honolulu and talk about some of her activities visiting the other Islands of Hawaii. She will also break down some of her memories of early hiking in NH and might even reveal some details about what it was like being raised by a maniac.  In addition to Caroline we have a couple of short history segments, crowds at Tuckerman Ravine, recent hikes, pop culture talk, our theory about all of us living in an AI simulation, and recent search and rescue news. Topics Mount Washington Observatory - Higher Summits Forecast Florida Talk Robert Frost History Patricia Wu-Murad - missing in Japan Mud Season Reminders Mount Washington Auto Road - Event Schedule Mining Permit controversy near Baxter State Park in Maine Boston Marathon Talk - Reflections on 2013 race & Ultra Marathon cheater Tuckerman Ravine was crowded - some people calling for a permit system Snowboarder yeats himself into a crevice and survives Close call in Jasper National Park Beer Hiking in New England Pop Culture Talk - AI, Mike thinks we may all be in a simulation, Mandalorian, Game of Thrones, Alec Baldwin Beer Talk Stomp Hikes Sculptured Rocks in Groton and Mount Agassiz - shares some history SLASR Topic of the Week - Caroline in Hawaii Recent Search and Rescue News Show Notes Apple Podcast link for 5 star reviews SLASR Merchandise SLASR LinkTree Gofundme set up for missing hiker in Japan  Vt. offers tips for mud season  Colorado Rescue Group has a few words for postholers  Mount Washington Auto Road has a cool schedule this year. Mining permit filed in Northern Maine near Katahdin Granite Staters, including Ben True, place well in the Boston Marathon  Another cheater. This time an ultra marathoner New opinion piece on using permitting to limit crowds at Tuckermans Snowboarder Falls into Ravine while descending Tuckerman Guy falls into rushing water trying to save his drone Beer Hiking New England - New Book to Check Out HBO Confirms a new series based on GRRM Dunk and Egg Novels  Mt. Agassiz - history segment  Diamond Head (must make a reservation to hike) Nu'uanu Judd Trail / Jackass Ginger Pool (HURT100) Mt. Olympus Manoa Falls Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Three Peaks (Olomana Trail) Stairway to Heaven Koko Head Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden All Honolulu Botanical Gardens Four Winds II Snorkeling Cruises (Maui) Skydive Hawaii Hans Hedemann Surf School Trail of discarded clothing lead rescuers to body of missing hiker  Hikers high on Magic Mushrooms rescued in England Injured hiker Mt. Chocurua  2 hikers rescued on Mt. Chocorua Teen hiker dies after fall at Acadia  2 ill-prepared hikers rescued on AT in Maine   Sponsors and Partners Mount Washington Higher Summits Forecast Bay Slate Coasters Vaucluse - Sweat less. Explore more. – Vaucluse Gear CS Instant Coffee Alzheimer's Association - 48 Peaks Sweet Beginnings Daycare

This Day in Maine for Monday, February 27th, 2023.

One of Maine's greatest assets is Baxter State Park and Katahdin, Maine's highest mountain, is its crown jewel. Some visitors chafe at the rules, but those who don't pay attention learn the hard way, and sometimes lose their life because of it. Maine's Wabanaki legend has it that Pamola guards the mountain and rains thunder […]

One of Maine's greatest assets is Baxter State Park and Katahdin, Maine's highest mountain, is its crown jewel. Some visitors chafe at the rules, but those who don't pay attention learn the hard way, and sometimes lose their life because of it. Maine's Wabanaki legend has it that Pamola guards the mountain and rains thunder […]

In this week's episode we are going to talk about the best places to see leaves in Maine ! The fall foliage in Maine is incredible, and we did some research to find the best locations for you to visit this fall. First on our list is Fort Kent, which is one of the most northern towns in Maine. You can enjoy a beautiful drive down east, where you can enjoy a lot of great outdoor activities including fishing, camping, and hiking as well as take in beautiful views of the leaves changing colors. If you are looking for a camping spot or want to take in some shopping, head up to Bar Harbor and visit Acadia National Park, a favorite destination for leaf peepers, Acadia is a must visit! For more information on Acadia check out our video here: https://youtu.be/eqcv67wlFd8 . If you are visiting state parks in Maine we recommend Baxter State Park  in the Millinocket area. Baxter State Park is absolutely beautiful and with Mount Katahdin you can take in incredible views for the surrounding area! Rangeley Lake is a beautiful area with lakes, mountains, skiing, hiking, and great hiking trails. Rangeley Lake has great activities like scenic cruises, Rangeley Lake State Park, Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway to see all the autumn colors. Camden is the quintessential Maine town, so why not check out Camden Hills State Park. Not only will you take in the fall foliage, but you will also get to explore the beautiful shops, restaurants, and architecture in Camden. Lastly we recommend the Moosehead Lake Region. Moosehead Lake is the biggest lake in Maine. There are beautiful rivers running through the woods as well as some great little towns to make stops at. Seriously an incredible place to observe all the colors of fall. There are so many places in Maine to see the leaves, even on your own street. So let us know what you think is the best spot to see leaves in the comments below. So come and peep some leaves and remember, if you Make Maine Your Home, you don't have to do it alone! View the blog post on my website... https://www.makemaineyourhome.com/best-places-to-see-leaves-in-maine/To checkout listings all over southern Maine visit: https://www.makemaineyourhome.realestate/Check out our Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MakeMaineYourHomeYou can listen to the audio podcast on any podcast app.  Just search for Make Maine Your Home. Be sure to subscribe, like, share and tell your friends. To contact Doug you can call or text to 207-838-5593, email to doug@makemaineyourhome.com or check out http://www.MakeMaineYourHome.com.

When Jocelyn Smith was growing up, she told her friends and family she didn't want to go to college. Instead, her goal was to hike all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail, a rugged journey spanning from northern Georgia to central Maine. Last year, she finally realized that dream in a seven-month long, life-changing adventure.But as soon as she started her descent from the last mountain summit, she started to wonder… what now? What did all of this mean? For the thousands of people who “thru-hike” the world's longest trails, this is actually a well-known phenomenon. They call it “the post-trail blues.'' If getting out into nature is supposed to be restorative, why do so many long-distance hikers report feeling depressed after they finish? In this episode, we explore how an epic hike turns into a new identity, and ask why some of the biggest achievements of our lives can leave us feeling strangely empty. Featuring Jocelyn Smith, Shalin Desai, Joseph Robinson, and Anne Baker.If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, reach out to the folks at the Crisis Text Line, a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our free newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram and TwitterJoin our private podcast discussion group on Facebook  LINKSJocelyn Smith's blog for The TrekShalin Desai's piece about diversity on the trail, originally published in A.T. Journeys, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy magazine. More information about the life and music of Earl Shaffer, the first known person to have thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from end-to-end. Anne Baker's article for The Trek, titled Post-Trail Depression: It's Not What You ThinkOur previous episode on Baxter State Park, featuring ultramarathoner Scott Jurek: “Champagne on The Rocks” CREDITSProduced and mixed by Taylor QuimbyExecutive producer: Rebecca LavoieEdited by Rebecca LavoieAdditional editing: Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, Felix Poon, and Rebecca LavoieTheme: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional music by Blue Dot Sessions, River Foxcroft, Dew of Light, Golden Age Radio, Matt Large, and Earl Shaffer.

RANDOM WAYPOINTS PODCAST EP.03.011. Intro: 0:002. Sponsors: 0:393. Disclaimers: 1:064. Show Start: 1:285. Overland News: 2:116. Ford Bronco Raptor: 2:377. 2023 Toyota Seqouia: 10:128. Vandalism in National Parks: 25:039. Denali National Park record setting snow fall: 27:2910: RANDOM LISTS: 29:1211. Ten Best State Parks in the United States for Overlanders: 29:4612. Baxter State Park, Maine: 29:5313. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur, California: 31:1114. Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California: 32:1715. Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab, Utah: 33:2616. Valley of Fire State Park, Overton, Nevada: 34:4317. Custer State Park, Custer, South Dakota: 35:5718. Ecola State Park, Astoria, Oregon: 37:1519. Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire: 38:2920. Makoshika State Park, Glendive, Montana: 39:4621. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan: 40:4922. WAYPOINTS: 42:1423. 10 ROAD TRIP TIPS FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY JOURNEY: 42:2824. Outro: 48:35SHOW LESSComments are not supported

"The Father of the Beer" (per his current official title) himself -- Milo resident, brewery groundskeeper, chief recycler, retired forester, former Director of Baxter State Park, AND father of Peter and Noah -- JENSEN BISSELL makes his long-awaited introduction to the podcasting world. Despite being the most convenient guest in Graining In history, this episode spans the country, five decades, two industries, and multiple emotions. Proper grandpa stories are sprinkled throughout (surprisingly interesting, even for a son) conversations on forestry and spending an entire career within it; the risk, future, and timeless pull of the great outdoors; the "Dad-Eye View" on the early days of BBB and the Donner Party of beer canning; and importantly, the many opportunities brought on when you simply believe in yourself. You will learn (likely quite a bit), laugh (lumber ziplines, anyone?), and most certainly want to get outside... So what are you waiting for? ............... .................... .................. Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

At the end of June, we traveled to Patten to talk with people about the past, present, and future of the land that is now Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. In August of 2016, the Elliotsville Foundation (headed by Roxanne Quimby) donated 87,000 acres of land east of Baxter State Park to the federal government with the intention of it becoming a National Monument. National Monuments are similar to National Parks, but National Parks must be approved by Congress while National Monuments can be signed into law by the president through the Antiquities Act. President Obama did just that on August 23, 2016. This was the culmination of decades of hard work by many people, including Roxanne Quimby, her son, Lucas St. Clair, and people like Susan and Mark Adams, among others. This episode is the first in a three part series with Susan Adams. Susan and her husband Mark work for the Elliotsville Foundation, doing community outreach and recreation management. In this first episode, we hop into Susan's truck and she drives us into the monument to the canoe launch. Susan talks about the many hats she wears for the Elliotsville Foundation, her childhood on Penobscot Bay, and working with local schools to connect kids with the land.

This is part two of our three part series with Susan Adams. In this episode, we start our canoe trip on the Sebois River and head down to Lunksoos on the East Branch of the Penobscot. Things get off to a rocky start— quite literally. As we paddle (and "river walk"), Susan points out plants and animals and tells us memorable stories from her many trips on this stretch of river. ~ At the end of June, we traveled to Patten to talk with people about the past, present, and future of the land that is now Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. In August of 2016, the Elliotsville Foundation (headed by Roxanne Quimby) donated 87,000 acres of land east of Baxter State Park to the federal government with the intention of it becoming a National Monument. National Monuments are similar to National Parks, but National Parks must be approved by Congress while National Monuments can be signed into law by the president through the Antiquities Act. President Obama did just that on August 23, 2016. This was the culmination of decades of hard work by many people, including Roxanne Quimby, her son, Lucas St. Clair, and people like Susan and Mark Adams, among others.

This is the final episode in our three part series with Susan and Mark Adams. After returning from the canoe trip, we sit out on the porch during a June thunderstorm to get some final reflections from Susan and Mark on their careers, their time on both branches of the Penobscot River, and their connection to this community. ~ At the end of June, we traveled to Patten to talk with people about the past, present, and future of the land that is now Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. In August of 2016, the Elliotsville Foundation (headed by Roxanne Quimby) donated 87,000 acres of land east of Baxter State Park to the federal government with the intention of it becoming a National Monument. National Monuments are similar to National Parks, but National Parks must be approved by Congress while National Monuments can be signed into law by the president through the Antiquities Act. President Obama did just that on August 23, 2016. This was the culmination of decades of hard work by many people, including Roxanne Quimby, her son, Lucas St. Clair, and people like Susan and Mark Adams, among others.

Today we're sharing a conversation with Lindsey Downing, who, with her husband Mike, owns and operates Mt. Chase Lodge in Mt. Chase, Maine, which is just outside the new National Monument and Baxter State Park. Lindsey tells us her story of growing up at Mt. Chase Lodge, traveling the country, hiking the AT with Mike, and then returning to Maine to take over the family business. This conversation took place during our trip to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, where we spoke with people about the past, present, and future of this land. Here's a link to the Mt. Chase Lodge website: https://mtchaselodge.com/

This week we dive into Tamara's recent Maine road trip and explore how to get off-the-beaten path in the Downeast Acadia and Maine Highlands regions. ABOUT SAFE TRAVELS KIT Our sponsor this week is Safe Travels Kit. Founded by New York fashion executive and avid globetrotter, Adriana Martone, the Safe Travels Kit is a patent pending, first-to-market travel and airline bedding kit that launched in December 2020. After a horrific experience with a dirty airplane seat, Adriana thought something more needed to be done to create more sanitary, comfortable travel experiences for all. Hence, the Safe Travels Kit brand was born.  Now, when travelers set off on a vacation or business trip, instead of worrying about encountering unsanitary surroundings, they can journey in comfort and serenity, resting on the Safe Travels Kit super-soft seat covers and pillowcases, made from high-tech fabric that prevents germs from penetrating. Each kit costs $39.95 and contains: One lightweight, washable, compact travel pouch (weighs .7 ounces) one seat cover that fits planes (economy and business class seats), trains, and cars; One standard size pillow case (made of the same material as the seat cover); 10 individually wrapped sanitising wipes; and One surgical face mask. How to Get Off-the-Beaten Path in Maine Read Tamara's post on 7 must-try adventures in the Maine Highlands Read Tamara's post on things to do near Acadia National Park Read Tamara's Maine road trip itinerary When visiting Acadia National Park, visit the Schoodic Peninsula and the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park. You will not find the crowds that are on Mount Desert Island. If you do stay in Bar Harbor and visit Acadia National Park to see Cadillac Mountain, you do need reservations to drive up the mountain at sunrise. Tamara stayed in Winter Harbor, which is very close to the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park and you can take a ferry to Bar Harbor. Visiting Schoodic Point is nice at high tide when the waves crash against the rocks. When visiting less touristy towns, be prepared to be flexible and patient when eating out and recognize that many restaurants close by 8pm. Fogtown Brewing in Ellsworth is a great stop at the beginning of the trip. Drive the Schoodic National Scenic Byway east of Ellsworth and stop for KidsQuest interactive learning activities along the way. Renting a cottage or vacation home is a good option for families. Tamara stayed at MainStay Cottages & RV Park in Winter Harbor. You can take a puffin boat tour from Winter Harbor or Milbridge. Many trails in Schoodic are family friendly including the Alder Trail. Make sure to have lunch at Lunch on the Wharf in Corea. The oldest winery in Maine is Bartlett Maine Estate Winery, which is also a distillery. You can take a puffin tour from Milbridge with Robertson's Sea Tours and Adventures. Have a picnic at McClellan Park in Milbridge with great water views. Hazel with Maine Outdoor School leads guided hikes and paddles to help you find new places and learn more about the area. Be prepared for flies, mosquitos and ticks when you are hiking or spending a lot of time outside. You can spray your clothing and gear/shoes before you go outside. Lubec is the easternmost town in the USA and people like to visit West Quoddy head Lighthouse for sunrise. When the border is open you can visit Campobello island where the Roosevelt's summer home was and they have fun events like Tea with Eleanor. You must stop at Monica's Chocolates when in Lubec. Bangor is a nice small city with a vibrant downtown and great history and architecture. The Bangor Historical Society offers walking tours to learn more about the history of the town and the region. The Hollywood Casino Hotel is a good place to stay in Bangor even if you aren't interested in gambling. The Hirundo Wildlife Refuge is located close to Bangor and has good walking and hiking trails, many of which are wheelchair or stroller accessible. You can also borrow canoes or kayaks for free. The Orono Bog Boardwalk is also a nice and easy trail for families Tamara stayed at the New England Outdoor Center (NEOC) on Millinocket Lake, which offers cabins and lodges to rent. At NEOC you can borrow canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards as well as rent fat tire bikes or take a wildlife tour. From Millinocket Lake, drive the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Scenic Byway to the town of Patten. Tamara stayed at Shin Pond Village near Patten, which also offers both cabins and camp or RV sites. Shin Pond Village rents out Polaris side-by-side vehicles and there are hundreds of miles of trails to explore nearby. Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument is a new national monument that is also a Dark Sky Sanctuary. There are not any facilities like a visitor's center or bathrooms, but it is perfect for backcountry camping, hiking, and star gazing. For more information on star parties and events, visit Dark Sky Maine and Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters. Baxter State Park is very popular, especially in the southern entrance. Parking reservations are required for trails that lead to Mt. Katahdin. Sandy Stream pond is very popular early in the morning for moose and wildlife viewing. Driving all the way through the park is on a gravel road and it could take 3-4 hours to drive through the entire park. Shin Pond Village is close to the northern entrance to Baxter State Park. From there, the South Branch Pond area offers many hiking trails and you can also rent canoes. Full Episode Transcript [00:00:00.120] - Kim Tate From Rocky Coasts to Mountain Lakes, today, we're talking about Maine.   [00:00:16.460] - Announcer Welcome to Vacation Mavens, a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We3Travel.   [00:00:31.700] - Tamara Gruber Today's episode is brought to us by Safe Travels, Kit, Safe Travels Kit is a travel and airline bedding kit that helps travelers create a more sanitary, comfortable travel experience. Now, when travelers set off on a vacation or business trip, instead of worrying about encountering unsanitary surroundings, they can journey in comfort and serenity, resting on the safe travels, super safe seat covers and pillowcases made from high-tech fabric that prevents germs from penetrating. You can purchase one for your upcoming travel safetravels.com or on Amazon or at many airport Brookstone locations.   [00:01:02.750] - Tamara Gruber So, Kim, we've been talking about Safe Travels Kit for a little bit now. And, you know, I was just on this road trip that we're going to talk about on this episode, and it made me think about the number of times that I've rented cars and maybe from, like, budget kind of places. and I've gotten in and be like kind of smells in here, like what's been going on in here. And so I was thinking you could put the seat cover on your rental car probably as well.   [00:01:28.730] - Kim Tate Yeah, of course. I'll never forget that time that we rented a car. And I remember it was pretty stinky, smelly. I don't remember where we were, but for some reason it stayed in my head.   [00:01:38.640] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, we had that. I feel like we took out the like they had they had one of those that room fresheners, like a car freshener, air fresheners. Oh, that's in there. And we took it out and then we realized why it was in there.   [00:01:50.810] - Kim Tate Like, OK, it needs to be here. Yeah. Especially now, you know, I, I saw somebody who's a frequent traveler sharing that he was rented a 2018 vehicle recently at the rental car lot. The rental cars are not many left. So there's getting whatever they can. So now what am I going to get when I go to California?   [00:02:14.750] Yeah, well, I'm bringing I'm packing my Safe Travels Kit, so I will have it for the plane and I'll have another rental car, so and I'll have an extra pillowcase.   [00:02:26.390] - Kim Tate Yeah, that's a long flight for you. You guys might try to, you know, use the time on the plane wisely and   [00:02:32.600] Yeah, I think actually my time on the plane is going to be writing about Maine.   [00:02:37.280] - Kim Tate Oh nice. That's good. Well we will jump right in then and get talking about your trip to Maine, because I was I have to admit, I was so jealous and wished I was there with you, especially because it was a solo trip for you. And I was thinking, man, I could have just flown out there and, you know, spent some time. We could have had our our fun little hiking and, you know, Maine time together.   [00:02:57.380] - Kim Tate But it seems like you had a lot of fun. You were definitely ready to get back to your family, but you were gone for a while. So we're going to jump right in and talk all about your your time exploring, you know, all the rocky coasts and lighthouses all the way to the lakes. And I know you saw a few moose, so we'll talk about that.   [00:03:13.190] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, definitely. I was thinking about you, too, especially since, you know, two summers ago we went to some of these areas, not the same exact area, but similar. And so I was definitely I was missing you and thinking of you. But, yeah, I spent I think it was about twelve days in Maine, which is such a long trip. But the state is so huge, you know, like people tend to think of more of the the Maine beaches, which is kind of like the southern coast.   [00:03:39.620] - Tamara Gruber And then there's the Portland, of course, and then like the mid coast. And then they kind of look at Acadia National Park is super popular. But to go beyond that is, you know, much more off the beaten path. And so I made my way up the Maine coast and maybe we'll talk about that actually in a different episode, because I think if I covered all twelve days, it would be like way too much.   [00:04:01.160] - Tamara Gruber But I was working with two different tourism boards. They had hired me to do a campaign with them because they're trying to say, hey, there is so much more to Maine than just, you know, these parts that people tend to gravitate towards. And so I was working with Downeast Acadia Regional Tourism, which is kind of the region from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, all the way to the the Canadian border along the coast and then the Maine Highlands, which is Bangor, and then up into kind of that Moosehead Lake area that we've been before and Baxter State Park and that, you know, mountains and lakes type of area.   [00:04:38.540] - Tamara Gruber So it's a lot to cover. When I was driving along and meeting and talking to different people, I mean, one thing about traveling by yourself is I become a little bit more extroverted. I mean, there's no one else to talk to you. Right. And it's really nice because you get to, like, make more conversation with locals. And and there were hardly any visitors at the time, which is great. So I was really able to kind of get a sense of the real thing.   [00:05:02.180] - Tamara Gruber But somebody was saying, like just one county in Maine is bigger than Connecticut, I'm sorry, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. So it's like people just don't understand the scale. Like they get calls like, you know, places to stay and things like that. They get called. They're like, well, we're going to do like a day trip to, you know, they'll name a place I like, you realize it's like a five hour drive away, you know?   [00:05:22.230] - Tamara Gruber So, yeah. So it is a really big state. There's a lot to cover. But I think what I did with this road trip was kind of a little bit like the best of both worlds, because everyone loves that quintessential rocky coast with the lighthouses and the lobster and all that. But then, you know, the idea of seeing moose and getting out and hiking and seeing the lakes and the rivers like, you know, that is really appealing too.   [00:05:48.240] - Tamara Gruber And so I feel like for especially for this summer, it's going to be a great trip for people to do because you are trying to be outside still, but you're also trying to get away from people. And we've talked about before the summer is going to be really, you know, it's going to be really busy. Yeah, especially in national parks. And I saw a headline when I was there saying that Acadia is expecting record breaking numbers this summer.   [00:06:12.780] - Tamara Gruber I think that record breaking last summer and they expect to break that again this summer and they are requiring reservations. If you want to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain and see the sunrise there, which is a very popular thing to do. So it's something you where again, like you really have to plan ahead. You don't really expect that as much on the East Coast as much as you might. And like Zion and, you know, some of the other parks where it's a little bit more known that you might need to take like shuttles and reservations and things.   [00:06:40.510] - Tamara Gruber So I really focused on areas outside of that. So I guess I'll just kind of start off with talking about what I what I did on the trip. And I did stay one night in Bar Harbor and that was at a glamping resort that I've just wanted to check out on my own. And that was like before I started this campaign portion of the trip. And so, you know, if you do want to start in Bar Harbor, that's fine.   [00:07:03.840] - Tamara Gruber And I think what Acadia National Park is most well known for is like the town of Bar Harbor and then the part of the park that is on this island called Mount Desert Island. And so that's where you're going to find the popular Cadillac Mountain and Jordan Pond and the Beehive Trail, things like that. But there are actually two other parts of the park in different locations and no one really goes to those. So you can still see some of the really beautiful parts of like why this is a national park without all of those crowds.   [00:07:33.610] - Tamara Gruber And so I stayed in a town called Winter Harbor, which is kind of just across the the bay or, you know, as you would imagine, like, you know, different harbors. And I was maybe five minutes outside of a section of the park that's called this Schoodic section of Acadia National Park, because it's on the Schoodic Peninsula, because if you think about the coast of Maine, it's kind of like all these fingers coming down. There's all these peninsulas coming off of the coast, which is why you have all that great coastline.   [00:08:01.290] - Tamara Gruber And so this is just, you know, right across there is actually right next to where I stayed. You could take a ferry that would bring you over to Bar Harbor, but the area, the Schoodic section of the park was empty. I went on a Friday night, my first time there, a Friday night for sunset. And you think, oh, it's going to be busier. There is no one on the right like the whole time.   [00:08:21.870] - Tamara Gruber I think it's of maybe a 14 mile loop. You know, I should probably look that up, but it's a one way loop through the park with different viewpoints and different trails and things that you can stop at. And the end point is called Schoodic Point. And that's where, especially at high tide, the waves are crashing on the rocky shoreline and the sunset is like, you know, going down right over there. So it's a popular spot to go for sunset.   [00:08:46.530] - Tamara Gruber And I saw, I think, to other people when I was there. Wow. Yeah, it was amazing and great. It's early June, but still it was like Friday. It was a weekend, you know. Yeah. So it was really it was it was quiet. So if you want to kind of get all of that national park ness with your. Yeah. Beautiful coastline and hikes and mountains and all that, without the crowds, you just have to go across over to this peninsula part of it.   [00:09:13.390] - Kim Tate So that's a great tip. I think that's what people need to be looking for, especially I think this is the last year that we'll have a lot of because there's even though international is coming back, people I think are still staying domestic. And so all those people who are eager to travel are all looking. And I've seen Maine coming up quite a bit. It's kind of it's kind of been funny.   [00:09:32.010] - Tamara Gruber So I have to yeah. I think it's you know, maybe people are thinking about alternatives to like the Southwest, knowing it's going to be high and. Yeah, maybe alternatives for some of the the other Western. Well, I think yeah.   [00:09:44.970] - Kim Tate I think people forget that Maine is up there and it offers I mean, it's kind of like they think of New England and they forget about everything else. That's like even upper state New York and, you know, all of that. They kind of forget that there's all that beautiful nature up there.   [00:09:59.130] - Tamara Gruber And yeah. Yeah. And I will say, like, last summer I went to the Adirondacks and granted it was in the middle of summer, but it was you know, things are really crowded like there. You really have to get to trailheads by six a.m. and, you know, expect like you might have trouble parking and all that and. I just don't see that in this part of these parts of Maine that I'm going to talk about, it is, you know, it is further, but if you're flying, you can fly into Bangor and then everything like from Bangor to Acadia is like an hour and 15 minutes.   [00:10:31.880] - Tamara Gruber And then from Bangor up to like where I was on Millinocket Lake. And like some of the Highlands area is, again, like an hour and a half, you know. So it's really. Yeah, you can even use that as a, you know, like a home base and do like a hub and spoke kind of trips you wanted to as well. So it's really and from it is it is up there. But even from Boston, like if you drove highway and not coast, you can get up there in like five hours.   [00:10:59.540] - Tamara Gruber So, you know, it's really not too bad. But again, I will say, though, the one thing to think about is that it is a little bit further out. And so you're not going to find all of the same tourist infrastructure that you find like a little bit further south or in some of the towns like Kennebunkport or Portland or whatever. And just I think everywhere is kind of experiencing a bit of a labor shortage right now.   [00:11:23.480] - Tamara Gruber But they're definitely seeing that in Maine, too, and places trying to get staffed up. And so you see more of, you know, there's, you know, maybe going to be a slower service at some of the restaurants or shorter hours or just the fact that when you're in some of these towns, there might only be two or three options. And what I found is that some of them close early, actually, most of them close early because it's just it's more of a you get up early and go to bed early kind of place than me, which is a night owl.   [00:11:53.360] - Tamara Gruber You know, I think when I was working with the person, the tourism board, I was like, yeah, dinner at around 7:00, you know, sounds good. And she's like, oh, I could tell you're not a morning person. Oh really? I thought that was still kind of early, but I found out, like, I would go, like, try to take sunset pictures and then go have dinner afterwards and no, no, no places close at 8.   [00:12:12.440] - Kim Tate So it's like that's that's surprisingly enough.   [00:12:15.260] - Kim Tate When we were in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is Estes Park is right there, they were the same thing. It was this small mountain town and everything closed to eat. It was so weird. You know, we had trouble sometimes, I mean, because it was the middle peak, July, middle of summer and. Right.   [00:12:29.790] - Tamara Gruber You have a lot of sunlight. You want to be out. Yeah. Stuff.   [00:12:32.060] - Kim Tate Right, exactly. Yeah.   [00:12:33.740] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Well, let me I'll get into my trip a little bit and kind of give some details for people that want to plan some of their own. So my first stop was in the town of Ellsworth, which is kind of right above Bar Harbor, and it's a little downtown that has like some different brewing places. And I went mean, is like big with their craft beer scene. They're known for lobster, but they're also big blueberries. There's certain things you got to try.   [00:12:57.530] - Tamara Gruber So I went to this place called Town Brewing and that they had like an outdoor like food truck and beer garden kind of place. So, you know, it was really cool. And then I drove it was a lot of scenic byway. So I drove this Greek National Scenic Byway down. Like I said, this peninsula to this town of Winter Harbor. And again, you're not going to find the same like hotels and things they're going to find.   [00:13:21.380] - Tamara Gruber And Bar Harbor, there is a couple of inns, there's a couple bed and breakfasts. But if you're going as a family, you're probably better off trying to look for like a cottage rental of some sort. And I definitely saw lots of signs for those. And some of them are gorgeous. So I think that that's probably a better choice. I stayed at a place called Mainstay Cottages and RV Park, and I thought it was going to be kind of like your traditional RV park.   [00:13:46.130] - Tamara Gruber It was not. It was so nice. It was this piece of land right on the water. So your RV sites are like really overlooking the water. But there's only like 10 RV sites. And they were kind of to one side and the other side where cottages and I stayed in what was the original building there, which is a boat house. So it's like, you know, I walked down to the water, up a little ramp to my boat house.   [00:14:07.970] - Tamara Gruber That's like sitting over the water. So amazing, like sunset views. It was just a little like one bedroom cottage, but it had this back deck, the where you could just sit and watch the boats and watch the sunset.   [00:14:21.050] - Kim Tate And yeah, it was I would say that I remember that about Maine having the most amazing sunsets and the stuff you were sharing, it just reinforced that, that it's just amazing the colors that their skies get.   [00:14:34.640] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Especially because a lot of it was kind of dreary when I was there during the day. And then it would surprise me at night. I'm like, yes, thank you. You know, so that was a really nice place to stay, like as a home base, because you literally could walk to the to the ferry that would go to Bar Harbor right there. There was also a little boat tour that went out that did a puffin tour, I think it was called Acadian Puffins.   [00:14:57.560] - Tamara Gruber So you could take a boat tour to go to an island off of a wildlife refuge where they've brought back the North Atlantic puffins. And so I was supposed to do that actually in a different town. And it got canceled because of high seas, but luckily earlier in my trip when I was in Booth Bay Harbor, I was able to do a similar trip.   [00:15:22.500] - Tamara Gruber But the thing about like Booth Bay is a bigger boat, more like a whale watching boat, like multi-tier. And so I have a feeling they don't get quite as close. Like maybe these boats were smaller. But the other thing to worry about is like if it is rough seas and you're on a small boat, you're going to feel it a lot more, you know. So but, you know, that's definitely a neat thing to do because, I mean, I've been fortunate enough to see them in Iceland, but it's a very unique thing to get to do and see.   [00:15:49.890] - Tamara Gruber And I think most people don't realize that puffins are actually really small. They're smaller than seabirds.   [00:15:55.050] - Kim Tate So they're very tiny.   [00:15:56.740] - Tamara Gruber Yes. You really it's hard to get a good view of them. I think people really expect you see the pictures and you're like, oh, that's what I'm going to see. I'm like, no, I had this amazing zoom camera and I could still only get so close. So, you need to bring binoculars.   [00:16:12.420] - Kim Tate Yeah, definitely. I agree with that. We went whale watching in, you know, on the Pacific Coast, surprisingly, and there's a wildlife refuge and they have some puffins and we actually got to see puffins out here. And it was it was kind of crazy because they seem so bright and like when you see them on rocks and in people's photos because they do zoom in, you don't realize how small they are. And you'd have to be really close to be able to even get that clear vision of their beak and all that beautiful coloring they have.   [00:16:40.260] - Kim Tate And so, yeah, I know what you mean by that, but they're so cute. They are. They're adorable.   [00:16:45.150] - Tamara Gruber And we mostly saw them like on the water when I took that trip. But there is a place in this downeast region that you have to book it in advance, but it's like a small boat. And so it depends on the weather. But they'll take some people out to the island and you can stay there and like, stand in the bird blind, you know, like the box where you are kind of covered. You just watch them. So there are if you're really into it, there are things to do like.   [00:17:12.590] - Tamara Gruber But where I stayed, like as I said, I was like five minutes from the entrance to that section of Acadia National Park, there was a place where you could rent kayaks there. There was a place where you could rent bikes because a lot of people just bike into the park and loop that way, which is a great option. So it's definitely a place where you could stay for a few days and just do there's so many different like hiking trails and things to do.   [00:17:36.150] - Tamara Gruber So like, you know, there's some in the park, but then there's all these different, like preserves and the national wildlife preserves, other types of preserves like around. And a lot of them have kids activities like there's this thing called Kids Quest where they're like each place has like different like learning opportunities for kids, like a train station. So this is where we you learn about seaweed, this is where you learn about tides, you know, so there's things like that that you can do if you have younger kids.   [00:18:02.020] - Tamara Gruber Also, you know, I spent pretty much like my first day really exploring the park. And I did a hike, like up to the top of a mountain. And the hikes there are not super long. I mean, you can do kind of a longer ridge, not real ridge, but, you know, you could do like a longer one. But most of the hikes are not too long and not too steep. I did come down one that was like a little bit steeper and not as clearly marked.   [00:18:28.140] - Tamara Gruber But I think for families, if you could do like this Alder Trail and I will put this all in the post that will be published by the time this episode comes out. So, like, everybody can see the details. But I also somebody told me that at low tide you can walk out to this little island that's off the coast of the park and sometimes the harbor seals will hang out there. So I checked to see like what time low tide was going to be.   [00:18:52.530] - Tamara Gruber And I made sure I went before, like, the actual low tide, you know, so I would have time to be there and get back before, you know, the water would start coming back in. Unfortunately, I didn't see any seals, but like that, you know, that was a neat kind of thing. Like you're walking on the ocean floor kind of thing. Yeah. And then just you did the loop, went out to see the waves crashing and, you know, so it's just it's pretty.   [00:19:15.390] - Tamara Gruber If you like a rocky coast, you will definitely get your fill.   [00:19:20.130] - Kim Tate Yeah, that sounds amazing. I'm impressed with Maine even from my one trip. I think it's really a place if you're if you're looking for like a relaxing, outdoorsy, just kind of laid back vacation. I think Maine is definitely a good place to look for that.   [00:19:34.410] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. And like I said, there's a lot of, like, little charming things like one of the I think that day I left the park and I went to have a late lunch that someone told me about. Again, some of these things like you need like a local will tell you that because they're not very well promoted or, you know, talked about even within the park, there's a place that was called like Ravens Nest. And it's not even on the list, like it's not even on the park map.   [00:20:01.320] - Tamara Gruber But like all the locals will tell you, oh, you got to go to these cliffs, you know, so stuff like that. So I talked to actually the person that was she owned the the property where I was staying. And she recommended going to this little fishing village of Corea or. Actually, I think it's Korea, but with a C and there is like a food truck kind of thing there, but lunch on the wharf and it's only open in the summer and it's only open like from 11:00 to three and not open on Sundays.   [00:20:28.550] - Tamara Gruber So that kind of thing, like where you kind of have to know about it to go, but they have lobster rolls and all that, and you're right on the water. And, you know, there are places like that and like further south in Maine that people will line up for for like an hour, you know, but they're like it was just so nice, you know, like I sat just looking at the boats, because I can't even tell you how many harbors there are, because all these little coves and, you know, they're just filled with lobstering boats and fishing boats and they're just bobbing there.   [00:20:57.440] - Tamara Gruber And all along the the pier, as you just see, you know, all the lobster traps and you see the bouys and the ropes. And it's just it's so classic. It's so classic, like Maine and New England. So it's like, I don't know, it just kind of, you know that expression like fills your bucket, just kind of like your bucket with like all these, like, good sites that you wanted to see when you came to Maine.   [00:21:18.470] - Tamara Gruber And it's like everywhere you turn is there there's another lighthouse, you know, like it's just it's so quaint.   [00:21:24.440] - Kim Tate Yeah. Well, I was definitely jealous of all the lobster rolls and stuff you were having, so I definitely think that's something people think about. So the food sounds like it's it's definitely not to be missed when you're on a trip there.   [00:21:37.080] - Tamara Gruber I came home and Glenn was like, what would you want for dinner? And I'm like, I think pasta, a chicken, I had a lot of seafood. And then when I was like further north, you know, it was like much more casual. So like I had a lot of fried stuff there. So I kind of just want, good. You know, like, give me salad, you know, that kind of stuff.   [00:21:56.360] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. But yeah, there's a lot of other things, like there's some cute farms like organic farms you can stop at. There's a couple of wineries surprisingly, but they specialize in fruit wine. But I did visit the one that was the oldest in Maine. It's called Bartlett Maine Estate Winery. So it's a distillery too. So I guess, you know, you can maybe find your your drink in one of those, too. So, you know, there's other things that you can do.   [00:22:20.210] - Tamara Gruber It's not just about like hiking and stuff like that, but yeah, there's just so many good places. So after I stayed in Winter Harbor, I went over, I kind of made my way east to the town of Machias. But first I stopped in this town called Milbridge. And there were a couple of things that I think of note there that I would want to mention. And one is that you can do a puffin tour from there with Robertson seatours and Adventures.   [00:22:48.740] - Tamara Gruber That's the one that I was supposed to do, but unfortunately got canceled. But there's some really nice parks around there, too. So I went to this park called McClellan Park. It's a state I don't actually I don't know if it's State Park. I think it's just a local town park. So you're driving, like, down this peninsula and you're like, oh, is this going to be worth it? And then you turn into this park and it's just, you know, you're driving through the woods, really bumpy little road.   [00:23:13.580] - Tamara Gruber Follow the sign to the picnic area. I get out of the car at the picnic area and it's like one table in the middle of like a grassy kind of field surrounded by trees. And I'm like, why am I here? You know? And then I realized then I realized there was like this little path. And so I follow this path. And then you're on these gorgeous, like rock. I wouldn't call them cliffs, but like, you know, these big boulders along the coast with picnic tables there.   [00:23:37.640] - Tamara Gruber And I'm like, OK, I get it now. It's gorgeous. And if this was at home, there would be so many other people there, you know, you'd have to stake out your spot. All that there was I saw, like in the distance one other person, you know, so you could just go and have this amazing picnic with a wonderful view. And I feel like, you know, that's that's what it was about. It was just about like amazing views and stuff like that.   [00:24:00.680] - Tamara Gruber But without the people, I'm going to sound like very like people adverse. But, you know, like it can get crowded in places. And it's just so nice to find those places that are still so great that are undiscovered somewhat, you know.   [00:24:13.130] - Kim Tate Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's awesome. I think it's it's kind of interesting that, like you said, that there are those spaces still and it's hard to know, like, as you know, people like you and I who shared travel destinations. And I think we need to all be mindful of looking for those little more. I mean, beautiful places certainly don't just end at the border of a national park, although sometimes they can. But, you know, it can be quite beautiful anywhere you go.   [00:24:41.890] - Kim Tate Yeah. And in talking to the locals, they're kind of like, well, we know we want people to come in, don't have to change. So it's still in that little bit of, you know, back and forth thing. But apparently, like during the pandemic, people have been buying land up there, like sight unseen, paying cash, just like grabbing up land. So they're kind of like what is going to happen after they have a winter to up here, because that is a very different experience.   [00:25:10.760] - Tamara Gruber So we'll see. They're a little worried about, like, you know, driving up the cost of land and rent. And things like that, but we'll see, you know, like it might really transform, you know, so that there becomes a bit more of an infrastructure. But I will say, like, you know, you do have to go with expectations, like I ate at this one place called Saltbox in Winter Harbor that was, you know, a very nice restaurant, you know, wonderful food.   [00:25:33.670] - Tamara Gruber Like, you know, what you would expect from, like a fine dining type of experience. But mostly it is like a family home cooking kind of places, you know, so you just have the right expectations. It's not like there's anything wrong with that. But, you know, you're not going just a lot of heavy, rich food over time.   [00:25:51.500] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, yeah. Lots of fresh fish and stuff, though. The other thing that I would really recommend, especially for families, I think is I did a guided hike with Hazel from Maine Outdoor School, and she's like an outdoor educator. She's, you know, she's from Maine. She's very passionate about it. But she knows so much like about the area, but also about like the, you know, all of the plants and all the trees and all the the birds and, you know, like everything that you're going through.   [00:26:22.600] - Tamara Gruber So I feel like she could do something that would really engage kids. She's used to doing like kids programs, too. So she knows how to be very engaging with kids and, you know, teach you a lot, but then maybe bring you places that you may not have found on your own. And, you know, one of the things she offered to me was to do like an evening paddle, like where you could see wildlife and stuff.   [00:26:43.030] - Tamara Gruber And we didn't do that just because of my schedule. But that would be something other. I'll just make sure you bring, like, proper bug gear if you're going to do that. Yeah, I should I should mention that, like, yeah, May and June are usually like black fly season in Maine but I got really lucky and I did not get bothered by them at all. And even the mosquitoes, which they're always there's like t shirts that are like the state bird is, you know, mosquito.   [00:27:08.410] - Kim Tate Yeah. I remember having to fight with mosquitoes when we were there.   [00:27:12.160] - Tamara Gruber So I didn't have too much of a problem with that either. I mean obviously I put on bug spray the things that drove me a little bit crazy a couple times were like those no see ums.   [00:27:20.110] - Kim Tate Oh yeah. Those little gnat biters.   [00:27:22.090] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Because they're the ones that just drive you insane. Yeah. But it was only a couple of times and like usually if you're moving it was fine. And they say like after like mid-July somebody said that's like the third thunderstorm in July is when the flies go. I love these like old time.   [00:27:39.820] - Kim Tate Like the Farmer's Almanac type. Yeah that's right. Yeah. What about I mean another thing does just mention that, you know, we don't deal with as much out here, but pretty soon the whole US is going to have to deal with it. Just being aware of ticks and Lyme disease when you're out hiking and checking yourself for that. Right.   [00:27:54.550] - Tamara Gruber Ticks are a huge problem. And I actually I'm a little bit worried that they're going to be worse this year just because, like some people that I know that are spending a lot of time outdoors are finding them already. I actually when I did the glamping at Terramor in Bar Harbor, I sat outside by the fire for a while and then it started to rain. I had a blanket wrapped around me because it was kind of cold. And when I came in, I, like put the blanket out just to look at it.   [00:28:16.570] - Tamara Gruber And I found a tick on it and I was like freaking out. You know, I flushed it like it wasn't on me. I did it had a decent mirror. I did like a good tick check, but I definitely think, like, yes, spray your gear. There's some stuff I can link to it on our show. Notes that you can spray like your backpack and your shoes and things with before you like, not, you know, like spray it, not when you're in it.   [00:28:38.350] - Tamara Gruber And then just, you know, use some good bug spray and do good checks and wear it and all that kind of stuff. But Hannah's going back to camp this summer in Maine, and I've already told her, like, OK, you really have to be good about this.   [00:28:49.270] - Kim Tate You know, I think wearing the hats, the big one is just getting in. Your hair is the other.   [00:28:52.960] - Tamara Gruber Apparently, they climb up, you see, like a lot of times because it's like you're going through the tall grasses and they grab on your leg, they grab on to like your shoes and your legs. And that's why some people will tuck their socks, like, in to their socks and then, you know, so then they crawl up and they look for like warm areas, like armpits and stuff like that. So, yeah, I mean, there's plenty of stuff online to tell you, like what to do about it.   [00:29:17.470] - Kim Tate Yeah. I don't want it to discourage people. I mean, everyone is dealing with that, but it's just something like for me, I'm not so used to it out here in the West Coast. So it's definitely something to be mindful about. I think Kansas I remember my mom checking me when I were I would play in the woods.   [00:29:32.200] - Tamara Gruber So, yeah, when I grew up, we we would get them a lot. And it didn't figure out the same way because there wasn't that disease associated with it, you know. Yeah. So yeah. So it is definitely, you know, something to stay aware of. But luckily that was my only encounter with that, you know. And I did keep checking all throughout.   [00:29:51.910] - Kim Tate Yeah. Yeah. Just something to be mindful of for people I don't want. Sorry to go off on that side tangent, but I think it's important to just know since we are talking about it as a destination.   [00:30:01.720] - Tamara Gruber Definitely. So from there I made my way to this town of Machias, which is like a little bit larger of a town. And there's some other things you can do if you did want to like kind of base there for a little bit. There's Roque Bluffs. State Park has a nice sand beach, and I think nearby there's like Jenkins' Beach, which is more like ground, colorful pebbles, but there aren't as many like beach type of places, you know in Maine, because it's at least in that section, because it's more rocky coast.   [00:30:27.500] - Tamara Gruber So it's nice when you can find, you know, a real beach to, like, hang out on or sabayon. In the town of Machias, there's a nice, like waterfall in the center of town. But I will say, like, there's not again, there's not a lot when it comes to restaurants. And I think there's two or three more motel kind of places. I think a couple of them have been renovated, you know, so that they look, you know, newer.   [00:30:52.130] - Tamara Gruber But it is still that kind of accommodation unless you would want to rent a cabin. But I actually stayed at a gorgeous place. It was called the Inn at Schoppee Farm. So it was a farmhouse that they've converted into an inn. And I stayed in the river room, which was on the first floor. I think the other rooms are on the second floor. And it was gorgeous, like the person the people that run.   [00:31:18.190] - Tamara Gruber It's like a young couple clearly have such nice design style because it felt like it felt like it was from like a magazine or a decor show because it was just very simple, like farmhouse kind of, you know, like white linens, like the wide plank floors, the exposed beams in the ceiling. There's like old little table, but just with a like a vase of like these simple yellow flowers. So it's just like wood and white and a little splash of yellow.   [00:31:45.140] - Tamara Gruber And it was just it was beautiful and it's right on the river. It's accessible to like this path that's used for like biking or running or ATVs or stuff like that. So and it's just really great outside of town. So that was really like a wonderful farm. I don't know if you'd call it like a farm stay because there weren't like animals and things around, but it was it had that feel. But I think, you know, unless you're going to take a couple of rooms, it's going to be better for like a couple than a family.   [00:32:12.010] - Kim Tate Makes sense.   [00:32:13.640] - Tamara Gruber And then the next day, I decided I was going to drive all the way out to the Canadian border, the town of Lubec, because it is everyone kept telling me, you got to go. It's such a cute town. And I realized I was only like forty-five minutes away. And I'm like, how do I come this far and not make it go all the way, you know? So I was like, you know, I'm just going to get up early one day and do it.   [00:32:36.710] - Tamara Gruber Although I will say I did not get up as early as some people do, because the thing to do in Lubec is there's this really cute, like red and white striped light House called the West Quoddy head light. And it is the, you know, the easternmost town in the U.S. And so it is where, like the first sunrise, you know, first hits the U.S. So it's like a lot it's a thing for people to go and see sunrise there.   [00:33:02.240] - Kim Tate New Year's Day. I've seen pictures of that.   [00:33:05.510] - Tamara Gruber But you know me, I'm not a morning person. Sunrise right now is like four something, you know. So I was not going to get up at like three thirty to drive out there wasn't happening. But still I went out there and again handful of people were there while I was there. So I, I set up shop, I had my tripod, I was taking pictures, you know, I was like hanging out there. And I am so self-conscious about stuff like that, like I feel so uncomfortable, like taking up anyone else's space or time or whatever.   [00:33:35.990] - Tamara Gruber So I tend to not do those things when there's people around. I just feel really uncomfortable. But because there was no one around, I'm like, oh, cool, I can take some pictures with me in it. I'm going to set up my tripod. And so it was it was nice. It was really cute. And then the town itself, I mean, it's quiet now because obviously the border is closed, but it's really cute. There's a place called Cohills inn & Pub which supposedly makes like great cocktails.   [00:33:58.970] - Tamara Gruber There's a brewing place there. There's all kinds of trails and things. If you did decide to stay. And what most people do when the border is open is there's this island that kind of shares the border and it's called Campobello. And it's where the Roosevelts had like a summer home. So you can go out there and visit like this, you know, historic home. Sometimes they'll do like tea with Eleanor, you know, and the those things to do.   [00:34:23.540] - Tamara Gruber But, like, that's a really popular thing to do. But it's it's closed right now because of the the border is closed. But if you go in the future, when the Canadian border is open, like, definitely check that out. But it was well worth it. And there's also if you go, you have to stop at this place called Monika's Chocolates. She will walk you through every bit of her shop. She makes everything by hand.   [00:34:44.660] - Tamara Gruber So not just the chocolate, but she makes her own peanut butter. She makes her own caramel. Like everything that's going into this stuff, she's making by hand also. And the chocolates are amazing. So I was like, OK, they're going to melt in the car, but I have to get some. And so I was like trying to keep them cold by putting, like, water bottles around it and stuff. So that was kind of wrapping up my time in the Downeast region.   [00:35:10.250] - Tamara Gruber And then I went up to the Maine highlands.   [00:35:12.740] - Kim Tate Yeah. And so that's the Maine highlands. It's kind of like what you and I that's more of the lake and mountain interior, is that correct? Yeah.   [00:35:19.400] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. I spent one night in Bangor kind of as a layover and I visited like I drove by the Stephen King's house. He does still live there, but I guess they're turning it into a writer's retreat. And actually, I was able to get a lot of history because I took a walk, actually were supposed to be walking tour, but it because it was like 95 degrees, they nicely drove me around with the Bangor Historical Society.   [00:35:42.620] - Kim Tate But they have a whole bunch of different tours that you can do because it at one point had the most millionaires. And I don't know if it was New England or the U.S., but because it was a logging town, there was like just a lot of wealth there at one time. So the town itself has these beautiful Victorian mansions, like the architecture's really beautiful. A lot of downtown was destroyed in a fire at one point. And obviously it's not a big lumber town today, but it's still cute like downtown.   [00:36:12.470] - Kim Tate I mean, it's a little bit hard to judge sometimes right now some of the towns, because they're like coming back. But it was much more vibrant than I would have expected given this past year, you know, and everything that's happened. Yeah, but it was you know, there are a lot of cafes. There are tons of like outdoor dining kind of options. It was cute. You know, it was definitely a cute little town. And then they have like a good concert arena there that apparently bands love to play at.   [00:36:38.090] - Kim Tate It's like you're on a river. And so, you know, people will come from far away to go see a show there and then stay overnight. So I stayed surprisingly. This one really surprised me. There's a casino hotel like I didn't expect that. They say this place called like the Hollywood Casino Hotel. But like, luckily, like, I was not interested in going to the casino, but like, the hotel part is separate. So, like, you didn't have to encounter any of that other stuff at all.   [00:37:06.770] - Tamara Gruber Like even I came in a different entrance thinking I could cut through to get to the hotel because I'd walked across the street for dinner. And that was completely sectioned off, so it's like you, I did not have to walk through it at all, so that was like if you're not into gambling, then you don't worry about it   [00:37:25.430] - Kim Tate We have a casino hotel out here like that, that's very separate that you can get to him through a lobby, but you don't it's not like a Vegas hotel where you walk through the casino to get to the elevators or something.   [00:37:34.690] - Tamara Gruber Right. And where they don't want you to find your way out.   [00:37:36.890] - Kim Tate Yeah, exactly. You know, you actually can't find your room.   [00:37:40.790] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. So from there, like the next morning I drove up to where I was staying in Millinocket Lake. But first I stopped at a place called the Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, and I did like a guided paddle, was with a naturalist there. And this is like a it's a really nice like if you are staying in Bangor and you want to get out and do some, like, walks and hikes without driving an hour and a half, it was you know, it's only like maybe 25 minutes or so out there.   [00:38:09.830] - Tamara Gruber And they've tried to make it really accessible and affordable for families. So it's free. They do take donations. You can even borrow canoes or kayaks for free. I mean, they hope that you make a donation. So that's really nice. And a lot of their trails are wheelchair or stroller accessible, which is a lot of hiking trails in Maine are what they call rocks and routes. So it's a very uneven surface. So anyone that has any mobility issues, it's it's a bit of a struggle to get out in nature.   [00:38:40.500] - Tamara Gruber And so the fact that these are like, you know, nicely done trails, there's also another one called the, I don't know, Orono bog boardwalk that I did. So it's like a boardwalk, you know, out like overlooking a bog back in. So it's nice to see that, like, again, for families that don't want to have, like, something too strenuous but want to get out nature, there's something for them to do.   [00:38:59.870] - Tamara Gruber Then I drove up to it's called the New England Outdoors Center. And remember how you and I did like the Appalachian Mountain Club Lodge and we did that. Yeah. So it's you know, they have a large and then they have cabins. They don't do the same kind of family style dinners, communal dining.   [00:39:17.710] - Kim Tate Yeah.   [00:39:18.200] - Tamara Gruber So it is different in that way, but it's on a lake and it's a lodge. They run activities, they have a restaurant there. It was closed when I was there just for that day. They try to balance it with other restaurants in the area so that everybody has a day off, you know, especially being short staffed right now. But they put me up in an amazing cabin like this, especially when I walked in there, I was like, OK, to three bedroom, two bath cabin with like this gorgeous kitchen.   [00:39:44.690] - Tamara Gruber I can't believe, you know, like this is what I wish I had people with me.   [00:39:47.720] - Kim Tate Yeah, of course. I remember you sharing your stories. I was like, oh, man. And it's like always happens with us when we find a great place, it's like, oh, you're here for ten hours.   [00:39:56.420] - Tamara Gruber I was there for one night and I'm like, oh man. But they have a mix of cabins like they have smaller, like, you know, kind of more basic cabins. They're premium cabins. I think this was like a premium lodge, you know, kind of thing. But they have some that sleep up to fourteen. So great for like family groups, you know, extended families, friends, that kind of thing. And the waterfront there is beautiful.   [00:40:18.380] - Tamara Gruber So they had their on Millinocket Lake looking across the lake to Mount Katahdin, which is the tallest mountain in Maine, and that's the end point of the Appalachian Trail. So it's like where it's famous because a lot of people will finish their hikes there and so people will go and meet them and greet them. So it's a great view. They have, like, I guess a tiny little beach front area, but they have like a picnic area, you know, like along the waterfront.   [00:40:44.210] - Tamara Gruber And you can borrow canoes and kayaks or stand up paddleboards to go out. They also rent mountain bikes and they're building out like mountain bike trails there. But the thing that I did that was exciting was I did one of their wildlife tours. So when you and I did a moose tour, we went out like early morning and we're in a van. And then we did a canoe. This one they have in the evening or the early morning. But you go out on a pontoon boat, so you go across the lake and then you go into all these little streams and inlets because that's where the moose come down, like   [00:41:17.630] - Kim Tate where the almost like the airboat tours in Florida.   [00:41:20.660] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, yeah, yeah.   [00:41:23.090] - Tamara Gruber So we did that and we were like looking around and it was like, you know, that point where you're just about to give up. And then he's like, I think I see something. And it was really far in the distance, but you could really see there's the moose. And as we were coming back, we saw another one like a little bit closer to shore. So I still have not seen one with, like, the I've still haven't seen a male with the antlers   [00:41:43.940] - Kim Tate Still. I know I was watching all year. I was watching all your pictures and I'm like, oh, another. And whatever the female ones are called.   [00:41:50.690] - Tamara Gruber Cows. Yeah. Yeah. So and they're still big because they're still like they are because.   [00:41:56.870] - Kim Tate Yeah. You don't want to get, you know, next to one of those.   [00:41:59.630] - Tamara Gruber But yeah I was super excited though because I saw a lot of beaver and beaver was one thing that it's just I don't know, I've always wanted to see one in the wild because I see the beaver dams a lot.   [00:42:10.970] - Tamara Gruber But you never actually see the beaver. And so as we were going, you know, you would see the Beaver Dam and then you would see like a head swimming through the water. And when I did my paddle at the wildlife refuge, like earlier in the day, she was talking about Beaver and, you know, you mostly would see them at night and that they slap their tail to scare you away. And she kind of demonstrated with the paddle how loud the slap was.   [00:42:35.410] - Tamara Gruber Well, I got they slapped their tail at us a lot, you know, so I have a picture of like this huge splash from them. So, like, I have some pictures of their head in the water, but it's like a distance. It's nothing. It's nothing that like. Yeah, yeah. Nothing great. But definitely saw them. Definitely heard them that really get away from here. Oh yes. That was cool.   [00:42:56.540] - Kim Tate Awesome. So lots of wildlife and getting out into nature. What else did you do when you were in that area.   [00:43:02.830] - Tamara Gruber So I did do some kayaking on the lake, but it was a little bit choppy. So I didn't go. I kind of just stuck to shore and, you know, just kind of explored a little bit because then I was driving the next day, I drove up a little bit further north, but I took another scenic road. It's Route 11 and it's called the Katahdin Woods scenic byway up to a town of Patten, like there's a lumberjack museum there.   [00:43:29.650] - Tamara Gruber So it's big, big, big lumber town. And I stayed at a place called Shin Pond Village. And this is they also have a bunch of cabins. So they have camping sites, RV sites. And then I think about a dozen different cabins, again, like a two bedroom cabin. It was you know, it was nice. It was it was not fancy, but it was it was spacious and, you know, nice.   [00:43:54.950] - Tamara Gruber And so I liked it a lot. And, you know, it had kind of a nice view over like a meadow. But the thing that they do there is they rent side by side like ATVs. But the Polaris like side by side here, because there's just like tons of trails out there. So it's kind of like one of the big things to do in that area is to go, you know, ride these trails. And so there's different ATV clubs that have built them out and maintain them.   [00:44:22.600] - Tamara Gruber And so someone from Shin Pond Village took me out on a little guided tour. They don't usually do the guided excursions, but each of the vehicles has like a GPS built in and a tracker built in. So it's kind of easy. They give you a map, they kind of talk to you about where to go. But I was surprised that even as we're driving, like I would get lost in a second, you would think. But she was easily following GPS.   [00:44:43.600] - Tamara Gruber But there were also times when you come across like a trail map and they'd be like, you are here. And it was so different things. So that's good.   [00:44:49.750] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, they really maintain them nicely.   [00:44:51.610] - Kim Tate It sounds kind of funny, but there's some show on TV and I don't even know what it is, but it's like the I don't know what they would be called, but they're like the police officers that take care of nature, OK, or whatever. Yeah. Some kind. And they have the show. I remember it being in Maine and they were talking about it was there was a bunch of ATV drivers and they were talking about all the trails and like their speed limits on the trails and yeah.   [00:45:14.710] - Kim Tate Like a whole trail system. And it was kind of it seems like it's a major it's almost like it seems like it's like cross-country ski trails during the winter and then in the summer. Snowmobiling. Yeah. Or snowmobiles. Yeah. So they turn out that's what it probably is, a snowmobiles and they turn on ATVs in the summer. So it's kind of cool how they it's such a big part of their life out there.   [00:45:35.860] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. I was talking to Riley from Shrimpton village and she was saying that it's actually winter was always there big season for snowmobiling, but summer is now becoming like just as big or even bigger. And it's longer season, obviously, you know, for ATV and Hannah and I did something similar to this, like a couple of years ago up in northern New Hampshire. We went up and we did a little cabin in a place, you know, did kind of guided tours, you know, and we actually crossed over into Vermont for the day and had lunch and came back.   [00:46:03.400] - Tamara Gruber And, you know, it was really neat. So it's definitely some of these towns, like there's just not a lot of other stuff there, you know, so like this has become both their recreation and a way to bring in tourism. . And I think of like my nephew loves ATVing, you know, like he would love to go up there and do that, kind of like for me, you know, an hour or two of bumping around and I'm OK.   [00:46:25.780] - Tamara Gruber But, you know, some people are like, really love it. And I also like, how fast can we go? How much, how dirty can we get that stuff. Yeah, but like like they brought me up to the top of I think it was called Robert's Mountain and, you know, really beautiful view. She's like, we love to watch sunset here. But then on the way back we encounter a lot of moose. And again, that that's OK.   [00:46:45.130] - Tamara Gruber I do not want to be on the ATV trails at night, but she said those things I like really good lights and all that. So I'm like, OK, I mean, you know, so if you're into that, it's definitely a great place to go for it. But there's also like plenty of other hiking and stuff to do nearby, of course.   [00:47:00.250] - Kim Tate Yeah.   [00:47:00.730] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. So because it's so there's this new national monument called Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. So if you think about like the national park system, like National Park is like the most well known. But then there's all these other types of public land, right, the historical monuments and, you know,   [00:47:17.480] - Kim Tate That's like that white sands, I always got thrown that it was a national monument, but now it's a national park.   [00:47:23.670] - Tamara Gruber Now it's a national park. Exactly. Yeah. So it is. They told me it's very rough and I didn't know exactly what that meant. But basically it means that there's really not like facilities there.   [00:47:33.810] - Kim Tate So I mean infrastructure. Yeah, there's no visitor center and bathrooms and stuff like that.   [00:47:37.230] - Tamara Gruber Exactly. It's more about I mean it's it's newly designated. So I'm sure some of that will develop over time. But it's also an international dark sky preserve and newly has that designation too. And that's like actually I think it might be a sanctuary. So there's levels there's like a sanctuary preserve community. There's like different designations for dark sky, but it is known for its dark skies. So I don't think they want to develop it too too much. But it's good for like if you want to do backcountry camping and stargazing or if you did want to do some like a real back country, like hiking.   [00:48:14.340] - Tamara Gruber But I will say, like I so the first night that I was up there, I drove in and I was meeting an astronomer from Dark Sky Maine to do some stargazing because I was a little nervous to just like wander out there on my own, like, where do I go? What do I do? And so I started driving into the park and it has like a 17 mile loop, I think 14 or 17. And they told me it would take like two hours to do the whole loop.   [00:48:39.030] - Tamara Gruber And I'm like, OK, you know, and wondering. But as I didn't realize, it's like ten miles, like just to get to the loop it felt like. And so and it's really rough. So there are a number of places where you would go, you know, up in this section of Maine and you and I experienced this to where it's really logging roads.   [00:48:57.240] - Kim Tate Yeah. You don't even know if it's a road. Yeah.   [00:48:59.460] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. So it is, you know, it's gravel but there's like there's different grades of gravel, like it is, you know, like there are big potholes, big chunks of rock, you know, like where if you, if you have a low clearance car like forget about it, like it's it's not happening for you. And so I'm bumping along this and I right before I went, I had my car serviced. I'm like, OK, we just did a whole lot of driving, going to make sure my car's like in good shape.   [00:49:24.780] - Tamara Gruber And they said like, oh, I think you need tires. And I'm like, really? Because I got tires right before you and I went to Maine two years ago. But I well, I didn't drive like 5000 miles, you know. Yeah. For one road trip. And then I've done all these other we drove to Florida, you know, like we have put on a lot of miles. And so I could think was what if I pop a tire out here?   [00:49:43.230] - Tamara Gruber There's no cell service. There's no one coming. I just have to walk, like, through the wilderness back. So I'm like, you know, I'm just going to wait. I'm just going to wait over here, you know, for the person I'm meeting and he's going to drive me in. So that's what I did. So I would say, like, it is a place to go, like if that is what you're looking for.   [00:50:01.860] - Tamara Gruber But just be aware, you know, when it comes to services that that's what it is. I actually totally because I was reading a blog post recently and it said you could see lots of monuments there like you were there.   [00:50:18.570] - Tamara Gruber Yes. Because it's called the National Monument. Does not mean there are monuments there.   [00:50:22.470] - Kim Tate Exactly. It's not like Washington, D.C.. Yeah, that's crazy.   [00:50:26.610] - Tamara Gruber So I'm like, OK, blogger, start to make sure you've actually been there.   [00:50:30.390] - Kim Tate But anyway. Don't write for SEO, write for helping people.   [00:50:33.420] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, exactly. So at least our listeners know that we're going to give it straight. Right. You know. Yeah, I really feel. But we went out there and we saw a beautiful sunset over the mountain because we stopped this overlook overlooking Mt Katahdin and then they clouded it up. So I was like, I am such a bad.   [00:50:53.430] - Kim Tate You have such bad luck with it.   [00:50:59.250] - Tamara Gruber I mean, at least we got this. I got to see the northern lights. Normally every time I've done stargazing, you know, it rains or it clouds up. So we hung out for a while. I mea

The guys once again find themselves alone and unassisted, making for some very predictable results. Matty, fresh out of the bowels of the Maine wilderness in pursuit of this year's bounty of spruce tips (aided by a career forester and a highly adept forager, respectively), recounts the process and his questionable picking metrics while connecting some dots on Enchanted Forest's creation flow chart. Noah proves once again just how little he knows about anything that comes from the ground, makes a surprising case for the value in visiting your little ol' multinational macro factory, and is all too happy to play the deplorable role of smug American soccer fan. The episode goes full leverage on adjuncts for the Three Bay in a rendition centered around famous, mostly fictional fathers. In short, it's better than it sounds...especially if Your Enthusiasm is properly Curbed..... ........... ............... ...........Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill 

Jodi Hausen is a Bozeman, Montana-based freelance writer, photographer and bon vivant whose late-in-life discovery that she has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder prompted her to primarily focus her work on disability issues. An innate curiosity (most likely prompted by an ADDled brain) led her to work in myriad fields from theatrical costume and set design to teaching skiing and becoming a Registered Maine Guide – the latter being the genesis for this story set in Baxter State Park in the wilds of northern Maine. Website: jodihausen.com Blog: The ADDled Brain Twitter: @JodiHausen Facebook: JodiHausenCreative LinkedIn: Jodi Hausen Background music: Kodama Night Town by Alejandro Magaña (A. M.) from mixkit.co.

This week we are catching up on Tamara's recent travels around New England -- from a girlfriend getaway in Vermont to glamping in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. About Safe Travels Kit Our sponsor this week is Safe Travels Kit. Founded by New York fashion executive and avid globetrotter, Adriana Martone, the Safe Travels Kit is a patent pending, first-to-market travel and airline bedding kit that launched in December 2020. After a horrific experience with a dirty airplane seat, Adriana thought something more needed to be done to create more sanitary, comfortable travel experiences for all. Hence, the Safe Travels Kit brand was born.  Now, when travelers set off on a vacation or business trip, instead of worrying about encountering unsanitary surroundings, they can journey in comfort and serenity, resting on the Safe Travels Kit super-soft seat covers and pillowcases, made from high-tech fabric that prevents germs from penetrating. Each kit costs $39.95 and contains: One lightweight, washable, compact travel pouch (weighs .7 ounces) one seat cover that fits planes (economy and business class seats), trains, and cars; One standard size pillow case (made of the same material as the seat cover); 10 individually wrapped sanitising wipes; and One surgical face mask. New England Trip Tips Many state tourism boards have put together different trails that make it easy to plan a trip. Vermont has a cheese trail, beer trail, covered bridges trail, and more. The visitor center or the visitor's board website can provide a lot of information and sometimes coupons. Tamara has a good post on We3Travel with her itinerary for planning a Vermont road trip and read more about her weekend getaway on YourTimetoFly.com. Brattleboro, Vermont is a hip artsy town. Bennington, Vermont is a historic town in Southern Vermont. Manchester, Vermont has a lot to do in town and nearby and Tamara has a post about things to do in Manchester. Lye Brook Falls is a great hike just outside of Manchester. The Mountain Inn in Killington was perfect for a girls' trip. They have a restaurant and distillery on-site and have renovated the rooms to be trendy. In the winter they have a dining experience to eat in a gondola. Cold Hollow Cider Mill has great apple cider donuts and hard cider tastings. Bring along a cooler or cooler bag with ice packs to be able to bring home cheese and other goodies. Morse Farm near Montpelier does a maple syrup tasting. Auto Camp is a glamping resort that offers airstream camping, safari tents, and X Suites. There are locations in Sonoma, Yosemite, Zion, and now Cape Cod. You can read Tamara's full review of Auto Camp Cape Cod on YourTimetoFly. See other places to go glamping in New England. You can read about Tamara's trip to the Tuxbury Tiny House Village in New Hampshire on We3Travel, which is not far from Newburyport, Massachusetts and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Kimpton Hotel Monaco has a great location in Old City Philadelphia. It is a great hotel right next to all the historic sites like Independence Hall. Stay tuned next week to hear more about Tamara's trip to Maine! Full Episode Transcript [00:00:00.240] - Kim Tate Today, we're checking in with Tamara about her recent travels to New England.   [00:00:16.710] - Announcer Welcome to Vacation Mavens. A family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We3Travel.   [00:00:32.040] - Kim Tate Today's episode is sponsored by Safe Travels Kit. And as some of you may know, we are a family that deals with food allergies and the Safe Travels kit is perfect for those who are trying to protect themselves when they travel normally. I have to board the airplane in advance and wipe down our whole seat. And trust me, all the crevices around seats are not always the cleanest things. And the Safe Travels kit comes with an adjustable seat cover that covers the seat.   [00:00:57.100] - Kim Tate So I don't have to worry about all the germs and any food particles that may be there, as well as a super soft pillowcase and 10 sanitizing wipes that are perfect for helping me wipe down the tray table. And it even comes with one face mask. So if you guys are looking for a safe way to travel, you might want to check out the safe travels kit.   [00:01:14.960] - Tamara Gruber You know, I think about so many other kinds of germs, but I luckily don't have to deal with those allergens. So I never even thought of it for that reason. But really, I would love the security of knowing that those things are being kept away.   [00:01:27.570] - Kim Tate Definitely. Especially the spaces between chairs that can just get gross. So nice to know that this is an option for us. Great.   [00:01:33.570] - Tamara Gruber Well, everyone can check out Safe TravelsKit.com or check it out on Amazon.   [00:01:39.560] - Kim Tate So, Tamara, I, of course, follow you all over social media, and I've been very sad and feeling left out because you are just jet setting around New England and I have been stuck at home in Seattle. And so why don't you tell us all about some of the adventures you've been on lately?   [00:01:56.000] - Tamara Gruber I know I feel a little bit like a champagne. That was shook and then the cork was popped you know?   [00:02:01.130] - Kim Tate Well, exactly. It's like party vaccination rocks.   [00:02:05.720] - Tamara Gruber Totally.   [00:02:06.560] - Tamara Gruber I mean, it's just like it just has come about in that way. But there's definitely, I'm sure for everyone, like a lot of pent up demand for travel. And it just worked out like luckily Glenn is still not traveling for work. And so he's here to help out, you know, bring Hannah to and from school. So I've been able to go out and do some things on my own. But our first one was actually a Mother's Day thing.   [00:02:27.170] - Tamara Gruber So one night Glenn was asking, like, you know, what would you want to do for Mother's Day? Do you want to go for brunch or, you know, these things? And I kind of looked at him and I'm like, how do I tell them I just want to go away, like, without them? So I did. Yeah. So I was like, you know, I really just want to go somewhere. And Vermont had recently reopened to people that were vaccinated.   [00:02:49.970] - Tamara Gruber And I have wanted to go to Vermont like all last summer, but I couldn't because of the travel restrictions. So I asked a friend of mine who had also said, like, hey, when we're vaccinated, like, we should do something. So she's a teacher and she's had, of course, like a really very stressful year. So I was like, would you want to go to Vermont? She's like, absolutely. And so I planned it.   [00:03:12.740] - Tamara Gruber And I was like, Do you want to know anything that we're doing or should I just surprise you? And she was like, I have so much to deal with. I would be happy with whatever you do. And I know she's like she's someone that she likes to travel. She loves checking out new things. She's kind of like up for anything type of person anyway. So I just, like, went crazy. And I was like going through all these like, oh, like Vermont has a cheese trail and they have a beer trail and they have a, you know, like covered bridges trail.   [00:03:38.600] - Tamara Gruber And I'm like, how can I, like, fit a whole bunch in to, you know, like a long three day weekend.   [00:03:43.790] - Kim Tate So that's I like states do that when they do. I mean, that's become a thing. I remember remember that long time ago you and I did that press trip to Jefferson Parish. Louisiana. And they had like an oyster trail. And I just think it's it's really cool how, you know, states do that. It kind of gives you a cohesive theme and very organized literature to help you learn how to kind of explore.   [00:04:09.360] - Tamara Gruber It does. You know, and I think a lot of times, like a lot of people really don't have time to plan things. And so you see something like that, you're like, oh, yeah, that sounds interesting. Like, let's go do it. And it's fun. Like, I know my sister and my brother, actually, both of them, they're part of this group of couples through their church where they always travel together like twice a year.   [00:04:26.960] - Tamara Gruber And my brother is the organizer. Imagine that one of the things that they do is like this chocolate. I don't know if it's like a scavenger hunt, but it's like one of these things, like the town hall sets up like different kind of chocolate related death by chocolate, I think it's called, and then makes you go visit like each of the businesses that are participating to get your little piece of chocolate at or whatever. So it's just a fun thing and like and now it's something that they look forward to.   [00:04:53.780] - Tamara Gruber Like we go and we do this together and it's our tradition.   [00:04:56.870] - Kim Tate Yeah, I think that's awesome. I think also a heads up to people just when you are planning to explore a new region, don't forget about the visitors bureaus and visitor centers of the city or town or state that you're planning to visit because they are there for visitors specifically and they have a lot of great information and can really help you make the most out of your trip. So a lot of it's online, but sometimes I find that going into their little visitor centers can be extremely useful.   [00:05:26.180] - Kim Tate Yeah, and that's done some great coupons.   [00:05:29.210] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, that's what I really want to do with Vermont, which I think is Vermont vacation dotcom. But we were coming up from Rhode Island, so it was kind of doing a lot of southern and central Vermont. But they have a lot of scenic byways, as you can imagine, because it's just a very it's just such a pretty state. It's one of my favorites in New England. It just has that very classic feel, you know, like these towns with the church, with the big steeple and, you know, like just exactly what you think of when you think classic Americana.   [00:05:58.430] - Tamara Gruber Totally. So we started out in Brattleboro, which I hadn't really spent a lot of time in, and that is kind of like a artsy kind of hip little town. So we just kind of walked around town and did like a cheese shop there. And then we drove across like a scenic byway over to the town of Bennington, which is like a little bit more of a historic town. We started a bunch of covered bridges and different sites, and then we went up and we spent our first night in Manchester.   [00:06:27.950] - Tamara Gruber And if anyone hasn't been to Vermont, like Manchester is definitely one of my favorite towns. It's just it's really pretty. It's really quaint. There's a lot to do nearby. There's, you know, a number of ski resorts that aren't that to. Too far away, really good food scene, there's outlet shopping like a high end outlet shopping, if you enjoy that. But then there's also like the Orvis. Yeah, flyfishing company, their headquarters is there.   [00:06:51.340] - Tamara Gruber They have a resort there that has like a Land Rover experience. And then there's, of course, fly-Fishing, you know, there's Norman Rockwell stuff. So tons to do in that area. But we we stayed overnight there and we the next day went and did a waterfall because I was like, OK, we're going to see a lot of covered bridges. We're going to see a lot of waterfalls that we're going to eat like a lot of cheese and maple sirup kind of stuff.   [00:07:11.900] - Tamara Gruber So we did this hike, which I think you would have enjoyed, too. It was like five miles round trip, but it was up to a waterfall. And when we got up there, it was pretty much empty, like there was no one there for quite a while. And then after I was taking some pictures, like a bunch of people came and then there was like a whole flood of people coming up. We're like, well, we made it here just in time.   [00:07:30.370] - Tamara Gruber But it was like one of those good, you know, like uphill climbs that you felt like you worked hard for it, but you weren't, like, totally exhausted afterwards, you know, and you had a good reward, you know, when I got there.   [00:07:41.590] - Kim Tate So that was sometimes something. Yeah.   [00:07:43.150] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. And then we went we did a historic home that Robert Lincoln, who's Abraham Lincoln's son, had built a summer home up there when he was like president of the Pullman like the Pullman cars and trains like that company that like, you know, a little self guided tour of that home. And then we drove from there. We made a couple other stops at like Maple sirup places up to Killington, which is one of the major ski resorts in in Vermont.   [00:08:12.280] - Tamara Gruber And we at this place called the Mountain In. And it was kind of like you could tell it was probably like an old like not so great hotel that they have renovated to make it look like cool and retro. You know, sometimes they take anything like motels or different hotels and they add like this, you know, kind of cool element to it.   [00:08:31.330] - Kim Tate We stayed in one like that in Santa Rosa. I remember we. Yeah, that it was kind of a motel, but it had such cute, like, retro theming.   [00:08:38.110] - Tamara Gruber Right. Right. Yes.   [00:08:39.560] - Kim Tate This one was. I think it was anyway. Sorry. Go ahead.   [00:08:42.300] - Tamara Gruber This one has a distillery there. So it's like distillery and in and then they have like a restaurant there. So it's like cool. And I thought it was really good for like a girls trip because, you know, like they have the little tasting room where you can taste the different spirits. And like I was like a cool, trendy thing. And then they had little balconies off the room where you can overlook the the slopes at Killington, which still had some snow on them, you know, so it was really neat.   [00:09:06.610] - Tamara Gruber And then I booked us a special experience, like something that I've wanted to do all winter here. But the places that do it are so darn expensive that I haven't done it. But is eating in a ski gondola. Oh, yeah. Yes. Have you seen those? Do you have.   [00:09:20.410] - Kim Tate Yeah, I don't think we have a gondola, but we have the little the Globes like the glass triangle globe things in Seattle. But yeah, I've seen the gondolas. I know they have them in Colorado.   [00:09:31.390] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. It's just something that I've wanted to do and like yeah there's a place here called Ocean House which does it and it's like a fondue experience, but it's like five hundred dollars and you get basically like crudite and fondue and like not even wine or anything. So I'm like I want to do that. Looks so cool. It's like so cool Instagram ish kind of thing. But anyway they had it there, you did have to pay a little extra, but then the food was just like normal and they're heated and they had actually like built it out so that it had like little curtains and pillows and like it was like designed inside.   [00:10:04.870] - Tamara Gruber So it was really neat. And they had music piped in so, so fun because it was definitely cold that night, you know. So they're like the waitress would come in, like open the doors and give us the food. And it was just it was such a fun experience. It was very too, because they brought out like a I think a like maple aged bourbon or something like maple barrel bourbon was like their thing and they brought it out.   [00:10:26.920] - Tamara Gruber And I don't really drink like spirits that much. And so it came out, you know, you know, like an amuse bouche. When they're serving you like dinner, they'll bring a little thing from the chef. So I'm like, is this like the alcohol amuse bouche? But like, I I'm not a bourbon fan. So I was like sipping it. And then I'm like, OK, I'm just going to dump the rest and the rest of my drink and.   [00:10:48.850] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, but I'm like, is it really bad if I just switch to wine when I'm at a distillery?   [00:10:54.280] - Kim Tate Yeah, I'm not a spirits person but it sounds good. I wonder how many restaurants are going to have a whole new monetization like as bad as and hard as the you know, pandemic was on them being able to have this new revenue stream that maybe some of them have found and developed is going to be exciting like the outdoor dining.   [00:11:13.340] - Tamara Gruber I mean, Glenn and I were just talking about that this weekend because we're in Philadelphia. And I was saying, like, there's so many things that I hope stick around. You know, like so much outdoor dining, I really hope stays. But yeah. So we did that. We stayed. So that was our second night. We stayed in Killington and then the next day we drove up the scenic route one hundred to a few more like waterfalls and different sites.   [00:11:34.930] - Tamara Gruber And we hit we're going to hit that Ben and Jerry's factory store, but we've both already done. So we went to this other, like apple cider place that I've gone to called Cold Hollow Cider Mill, and since I last been there, they actually added hard cider, too. So you would like this because they do like a cider tasting. Like hard cider tasting.   [00:11:53.690] - Kim Tate That's right up my alley. Yeah, I like regular cider and hard ciders.   [00:11:57.680] - Tamara Gruber Well, and the good thing about this was, although you may not like it as much as I did, but when you do the hard cider tasting, they give you a coupon for six free apple cider donuts across the street.   [00:12:06.920] - Kim Tate Oh, I would love that. Love it.   [00:12:09.860] - Kim Tate Yeah. I have to come do fall with you in New England because the Apple Cider Donuts, we have one place out here that does, um, and I've heard of people getting them out here, but I've never gone around to it. But that's, you know, sounds like a dream dessert for me.   [00:12:24.890] - Tamara Gruber They're so good. They're so, so good. There's a place that I like to go to. Sometimes they'll have like an hour waiting in line to get them. It'll be worth it if we'll just chat for an hour. We can record a podcast while we wait for apple cider. Well, I will say definitely the thing to do is if you're going to do one of these road trips to Vermont is bring a cooler because I brought like a cooler like a small cooler bag.   [00:12:45.170] - Tamara Gruber But it was not big enough because, of course, like, there's all these cheese places, like we went to like two or three artisan cheese places. So we bought cheese and then we would stop at the maple syrup, you know, the maple sugar shacks. And so you'd get like maple syrup and, you know, just like different maple goods, you know, and then you have the craft beer, you know, like there's so many things that you want to, like, pop into that cooler.   [00:13:07.280] - Kim Tate We'll have to go back to that travel tech episode. I'm sure that he has some advice on the best coolers. I remember him talking about that.   [00:13:14.810] - Tamara Gruber I was like, well, good thing it's still cold out. You know, we did bring it in for, like a fridge one day, but the next night it was going to be 32 degrees and like, it can just be fine. So we had a lot of fun. And we in the last place we went to, I think it was called Morse Farm, and they did a syrup tasting.   [00:13:31.520] - Tamara Gruber So a lot of places like you kind of have to know, do you like like a rich robust or do you like a lighter amber? But there they didn't and even did it with covid. They had a Plexiglas shield. They gave you a little spoon each time and then you just kind of lowered your mask and popped it in. But it was really neat, you know, to do that kind of sirup tasting. And of course, everybody, one of the things that's big there are maple cremees.   [00:13:52.880] - Tamara Gruber So it's like a soft ice cream, but it's maple flavored soft ice cream.   [00:13:57.710] - Kim Tate That's so that sounds good. I like maple sirup. I'm not I'm not like in the maple candies that much, but I don't.Yeah, I like caramel so maybe I don't know, I'm not big on like the maple stuff. Like the sugar candy.   [00:14:09.650] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. I was never big on that but I love syrup definitely. I round my pancakes and syrup and like all of these country stores are just they're so cute, you know, they have like all the pancake mix and you know, just like all the locally made products kind of stuff.   [00:14:26.150] - Tamara Gruber So I anyway I have a whole itinerary that I just put up on We3Travel just with the three days in Vermont if you want to see all of our stops. But it was just so much fun. It was just a very it was a good girls trip, right. Yeah. I don't know if, like, everyone would have wanted to do the stops that we made, you know, like I probably would have been like, OK, enough of cheese shops or enough covered bridges.   [00:14:49.550] - Tamara Gruber Now, like, they all kind of start to look alike, you know, like things like that. But the waterfalls are beautiful, too. And it was a good time of year to be out there, you know, because the water is in this. Yeah, the water. I will say, though, the only the struggle still was finding a bathroom because so many of the visitors centers and I think because Vermont had just reopened. Oh, yeah.   [00:15:09.560] - Tamara Gruber Like a lot of places that had closed down, maybe they open during ski season, but then closed again. And we're going to open like after Memorial Day. So we had a little bit of trouble sometimes, like finding restaurants that were open or like one day we just we took some of our cheese and crackers and we made ourselves a little picnic, you know, and that's what we did for lunch.   [00:15:29.270] - Kim Tate Yeah. I definitely think that, like, the travel sector is changing fast. And I think after Memorial Day, it'll be interesting to see how quickly destinations are able to adjust. And because, you know, I think it's also finding workers again and getting back on board.   [00:15:45.950] - Tamara Gruber And so I was going to say definitely the challenge is staffing because know here, like quite a few states have lifted restrictions entirely. So it's like, yeah, wide open, which is kind of crazy and takes getting used to.   [00:15:58.520] - Tamara Gruber But definitely the challenge is still like staffing. You know, we went to a restaurant the other day and we're looking to like move our reservation to be a little bit earlier. And there didn't seem like there's anything available. And we walked up and like the whole like half the patio is empty. We're like, what do you mean it wasn't available? Like, that part was closed off. I'm sure they just didn't have, you know, staffing for it.   [00:16:20.750] - Tamara Gruber So, yeah, definitely an issue. But it was it was such a nice trip. My friend loved it. It was just like one of those things where it was like the first, you know, getaway like without the family, the first getaway, like, you know, and so long. And it was just it was just so nice. It was just kind of strange. Like we got to be around someone that we didn't live with and stayed in the room with her and you still negotiate some of that, like, mask.   [00:16:49.300] - Tamara Gruber It was interesting. I mean, I definitely think that's going to be everyone has to come to like different comfort levels. And it's like the more you kind of get yourself out there, the more comfortable you might feel. It's also nice to know that, like, Vermont is like 70 percent vaccinated. So you're going to a fairly safe, you know, destination where everyone around you is kind of in a similar boat. So it makes you good.   [00:17:12.370] - Kim Tate But that's awesome. So that's trip one. I know there's like two or three other ones. Was what's next that you're going to dish about?   [00:17:21.790] - Tamara Gruber So the next thing I did, I did on my own and it was glamping things. So I went to this place called Auto Camp Cape Cod. So Auto Camp is like a upscale glamping resort that uses Airstream like retrofitted like new Airstream trailers. And they also have some like camping tents and some what they call X Suites, which are tiny houses, really, but they have locations. There's one in Russian River and Sonoma. There's one outside of Zion, one outside of Yosemite.   [00:17:54.760] - Tamara Gruber This one in Cape Cod just opened, I think, in April. And then there is a few others that are opening this year. So it's definitely like one of the it's kind of like under canvas, you know, it's like dedicated glamping, but upscale lots of amenities, you know, kind of feels like you're on a hotel resort, except your accommodations are are very different. And I will say I loved it. So this one I went by myself because I just wanted to check this out.   [00:18:20.350] - Tamara Gruber I've written about glamping in New England in the past. In the fall, I have an article about like 20 different places that you can go camping in New England. But I wanted to do more of a deep dove into this one. And I just I was really happy to be away by myself. It was so fun, but it was such a unique experience. It was like the first of all, the clubhouse that they have, like the main kind of lobby.   [00:18:45.010] - Tamara Gruber You could say it was just gorgeous. It was very like they call it mid century modern, but it felt like they had like an eco lodge type of feel to it, too, because it was very like inside. Outside. So you, like, walked in this big door. There's a desk, there's like a little shop with all the kind of curated gift shop kind of stuff, but then also like food and things like that that you could buy.   [00:19:05.830] - Tamara Gruber And then they had this huge, like, lobby area with all these different types of like lounge seating, a little area where they would you can purchase breakfast or coffee or they do all day dining. Then there were these long, like work tables that you would sometimes find in like a Courtyard Marriott type of lobby where there's like a workstations like long tables that have like outlets and things so people can do work there. But then it opened straight into a patio with more different types of lounge seating.   [00:19:31.420] - Tamara Gruber And then like a view across the lawn and in the distance, you could see like the ocean and they had like a fire pit, you know, set up outside. And then there was like a really neat looking fireplace inside as well. So it was like a just a beautiful property. Like, you step in right away and you're like, OK, this is not like a campground. You know, this is something.   [00:19:53.140] - Tamara Gruber I love how more hotels and resorts are getting kind of this lobby focus where they're creating a lot of sitting areas in the lobbies, because I think a lot of people want to do that. They don't want to just be in your room the whole time. So that's cool that I think that's a trend that I've been noticing more and more.   [00:20:12.340] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, it's nice, especially if you're traveling with somebody to right to have a place to, like, hang out. And I definitely saw that with, you know, whether it was like family groups or, you know, like friend groups that these kind of places, you know, tend to attract that kind of thing where you can have your individual accommodations, but then you're kind of hanging out around the campfire together, something like, yeah, I definitely feel like this was a really good spot for a romantic getaway, because the way that the trailers are set up, they have a queen bed in a bedroom and then they do have a couch that could fold out into a futon.   [00:20:46.090] - Tamara Gruber But it's really like one adult or two little kids. Like there's no way like a family of four, like teen, you know, with teens, like there's no way you could do it with them. Yeah. And even that like even the family, like I saw a lot of families are like toddler age. They're like, OK, so they put the kids on the pull out, but like the bathrooms on one side and the bedrooms on the other side and the kids are in the middle, you know, so it's like a little bit like where do you go, where do you hang out?   [00:21:13.330] - Tamara Gruber And I know you have that in a hotel room, too, and you can certainly hang out, you know, outside by the fire and such. But, you know, I definitely felt like it would be really nice as a romantic getaway for something just very different.   [00:21:25.960] - Kim Tate I think that sounds nice. I mean, I yeah, I think it's it varies based on what people are looking for. It's so it's good to consider spacing. I mean, you talked about that even when we talked about the road trip, the massive road trip. You. Like, sometimes families need space, and so you have to remember that when you're booking your accommodations, right?   [00:21:45.680] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Just because it says it can sleep four.   [00:21:48.440] - Kim Tate Exactly.   [00:21:48.970] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, well, it was sleep, the four of you comfortably. Yes. But the Airstreams itself, they were really nice. So you went in and there was like this, you know, lounge living area with the couch that converts to a bed and then there's a kitchen area. The kitchen had like a mini fridge and a microwave and a sink and just like a coffeemaker with, like, fresh ground coffee from like a local roaster. And the bathroom was super nice.   [00:22:19.130] - Tamara Gruber And they had all of the products that you would need, again, like, you know, local organic kind of products, really soft towels. They provided robes the bedroom, like little things that you don't even always find in a hotel like next to the bed either side. There is a little mini nightstand that had USB plugs as well as like the lighting controls and stuff. And in the whole Airstream, you could actually pair your, like, phone or something to their Bluetooth and then play music through the speakers like throughout the Airstream I saw, which was really neat, like when I was just hanging out by myself, I was doing some work and I was like playing some music and just doing some work using the Wi-Fi.   [00:22:59.930] - Tamara Gruber You know, it's just little things like that that were good. And then I had like air conditioning and and heating and I had like a skylight. And even in the bathroom, I had like a little you could pop the skylight and then the fan to kind of get the steam out of there. So I was really impressed. I just I really liked it. They all come with, like a picnic table and two chairs, not like folding chairs, but like, you know, two chairs next to a little fire.   [00:23:26.240] - Tamara Gruber The only thing is that you can't burn firewood there. You have to, like, buy the stuff called Goodwood, which is kind of like, look, I kind of compressed sawdust like made into like a log kind of thing. So I think it's like for environmental purposes, just not to be burning like wood. But it was also like it was right on this bikeway that goes through one section of the cape. It's like an 11 mile bike path and it's backs right up on the on the bike path.   [00:23:51.080] - Tamara Gruber And they have a little bike shed where you can borrow bikes to use. So the next day I, I rode all the way down to Woods Hole, which is where the ferry will go out to go over to Martha's Vineyard, you know, one of the islands off of the Cape. And, you know, it's just a cute little town with shops and restaurants and stuff. So you can ride down there. You go past a beach, you can hang out at the beach, you can go.   [00:24:14.210] - Tamara Gruber This other direction was through like a swampy. Sounds terrible, but like a nice, you know, like a marsh area where there's like seabirds and things like that. So it was just, you know, it was really it was really very, very nice getaway. And I had fun. It was nice. I would definitely check out one of their destinations. If you're going to be, you know, in some of the national parks, and especially as they start to open up more, I think they're opening up one in the Catskills, which we did an episode on that.   [00:24:39.780] - Tamara Gruber So another option for you.   [00:24:43.130] - Kim Tate Well, that definitely sounds like a great solo getaway, but I know that you have even more coming up. You've been so busy. So what's next on your New England adventures?   [00:24:53.510] - Tamara Gruber You know, it's funny because I was just thinking about it, too. It's like one of each kind of trip. I did a girls trip. I did a solo trip. I did a family trip, and I did a couples trip. Yeah, that's where all the kind of that you like to enjoy. It's nice that you had that. That's awesome.   [00:25:06.930] - Kim Tate So what's what's up next? Now, what's the family trip?   [00:25:09.650] - Tamara Gruber Well, so the family trip was a weekend away and another type of glamping situation. It was a tiny house. So I think everyone's kind of heard of these little tiny houses. It's definitely a trend like some people are moving to, like, let's get rid of the house and live in, like, these tiny house living type of thing. But it also can be used for camping. And so there's a place called Tuxbury tiny house village, and it is part of the Tuxbury Pond RV resort, which is right on the border between Massachusetts and New Hampshire.   [00:25:41.420] - Tamara Gruber So I think the address is officially New Hampshire, but it was only about an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes away for us to go up. And I've written about them, you know, in my little glamping round up, but I hadn't had a chance to go and do it. So they were like, hey, you know, do you have a chance this year? So I was like, sure, I'll come up.   [00:25:59.300] - Tamara Gruber So they hosted us. And luckily Hannah agreed it was like between her exams. So she was able to get away for the weekend because sometimes she's like, no, I'm too busy. So it was like the one weekend that we didn't have anything going on. So I basically came home from Cape Cod and then repacked and we drove up to New Hampshire. But it was a similar type of thing. But instead of it being an Airstream, it was a tiny house.   [00:26:23.000] - Tamara Gruber So you guys can go on to We3Travel. And I have a post that'll be up by the time this comes out. So you can see a little bit more. If you can't understand what I'm describing, you know, from the pictures, you'll you'll be able to get it. But this was like this was like a real rV campground, so like when you pulled in the office, it was already closed, but they left keys for us.   [00:26:44.210] - Tamara Gruber So it's like, you know, your typical, like RV campground where there's just tons of RVs everywhere. Like, some peoples are clearly like permanently there. You know, some people have porch decorations.   [00:26:58.820] - Tamara Gruber And it's also every time I've been to one of these, like when I've done a KOA kind of thing, I'm always taken by, like, how it's such a community, like everyone seems to know each other. Right. And so like the next day.   [00:27:13.610] - Kim Tate I was just going to say, you have hosts like there's like RV campground hosts that welcome you or, you know, is family a very community respect.   [00:27:20.960] - Tamara Gruber We late for that, I guess. But yeah, they have all kinds of activities. But you would just see, like, neighbors talking to each other. A lot of them, I think, because it's a really big campground, have these golf carts that they store there. So they're like zooming around in their golf carts and waving to people and talking to people. And, you know, just, you know, it's like being in a neighborhood.   [00:27:38.900] - Tamara Gruber So sometimes when you go into that, you're like, oh, I feel like a little like I'm missing something here. Like I'm not part of that. Yeah, but we just kind of did our own thing and they had all of the little tiny houses off to like one side. And ours was called Emerson because they'll have names and it was right on the pond. So we had like a really nice view sitting in our Adirondack chairs looking at the like where a fire pit was like looking out on the pond, you know.   [00:28:04.640] - Tamara Gruber So that was it was nice. And they definitely have activities there, like they had horseshoes and basketball and volleyball and they have a pool and they have a playground. And they had like a calendar of activities. And like, Hannah, do you want to go to the hypnotist show? And she's like, yeah, no, I'll pass on that, you know, but they have stuff that you can do, you know, on site.   [00:28:23.210] - Tamara Gruber And otherwise it's like so accessible to so many things there. We went to Portsmouth, New Hampshire one day, which is like a really nice historic downtown, kind of like a Portland, Maine, that you've been to cobblestone streets like, you know, little downtown, like lots of great restaurants and shops and things. So we did that one day. And then the next day when we were leaving, we went to Newbury Port in Massachusetts, which similar kind of on the water, cute town harbor, cobblestone streets, shops and things like that, which I had promised Hannah I would take her to a bookstore.   [00:28:56.000] - Tamara Gruber And so she was like, be lining for that bookstore. But she was happy because she came back with a bag full of books. But, you know, it was just like a nice little getaway. And we have not done very much of that, you know, even beyond covid, just like in the school year during high school. So it was really nice and it was nice that Hanna was like chill and relaxed about it. And, you know, we went to lunch one day, actually both days we went out to lunch.   [00:29:23.170] - Tamara Gruber I will tell you, it was funny story, though. So when we got up there, we were running a little bit late. And I'm like, we have to get there before it turns dark because I need to take pictures, you know? You know what that's like.   [00:29:32.720] - Kim Tate I know that I planned vacations with knowing and I need to get to an area. If I could tell you our safari west spring break, I'd understand anyways.   [00:29:42.710] - Tamara Gruber So, of course, like Glenn's on phone calls and he has like every day he has like a five thirty phone call or whatever. So I'm like, you know, driving. And he's like on the phone in the car and I'm like racing up the highway trying to get there. And so then we get there and the office is closed and I'm like, oh my God, we can't even get any cell phone coverage. Like who do I call what I do.   [00:30:02.000] - Tamara Gruber Luckily there was like the keys were left in a mailbox. It just took a minute to figure that out. So we get there and I'm like, OK, we need to start dinner right away because we had these burgers. So I figured, OK, that night when we get there, we're just going to make dinner there. And then the next night we'll go out to dinner because I don't like to cook every night when we're like on vacation because, yeah, of course you want to chill out, but I'm like, I don't know what's going to be around.   [00:30:25.130] - Tamara Gruber Let's like bring stuff to cook like that night. So I saw it was a charcoal grill. We have a gas grill at home, so I don't really know how to cook on charcoal. But like I did it when I was at auto camp, I just bought charcoal from them and I lit it with a match and it lit and it was fine and it was all good. So we get down there and we had this old bag of charcoal.   [00:30:45.320] - Tamara Gruber I put it in there. So I'm like, OK, you guys like, start the fire, I'm going to take the pictures. And then I come out and like, Glenn could not get this fire going. Like he's like trying everything to get this charcoal. And of course, we can't go buy charcoal like lighter fluid because the store is closed and we have no idea where, like, the closest whatever is, you know, and it's already like getting dark.   [00:31:04.850] - Tamara Gruber And I forgot to bring, like, the headlamp, you know, I'm like, oh, we can't even see what we're doing out here. So, you know, he's trying he's trying to get it going and it and we were already late, like, we didn't get there until almost eight o'clock. And so we're like, is there even going to be a place to get food that's still open? And, you know, so he's like trying to get on the wi fi to try to find, you know, and he was like, pick up some food.   [00:31:26.540] - Tamara Gruber So that just we're not, like, starving that night. I mean, I brought, like, snacks, but we were hungry.   [00:31:30.480] - Kim Tate Right.   [00:31:31.430] - Tamara Gruber And so then I'm like, OK, there's a stovetop here, there's a frying pan. I'm just going to cook the burgers on the stove top like. Granted, it's going to take a while to the frying pan fits like one burger at a time, but I'm going to go ahead and do this. So I start cooking it and the whole place, like, fills with smoke. And I'm like, I don't know how that smoke detector didn't go off.   [00:31:51.560] - Tamara Gruber So I'm like opening every window in the place and trying to, you know, when you're like the smoke alarms going off and you're like when you're fanning it.   [00:31:58.250] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, yeah. So I'm like trying to push the smoke out the window and I'm trying to find is there an exhaust fan? And I'm turning on the fan from like the bathroom trying to get anything to suck the smoke out of there. And so Glenn is like, that's it. I'm just going to like get a pizza. He's like, just turn it off. And I'm like, well, now these burgers are like like half. What do I do?   [00:32:16.820] - Tamara Gruber And so he calls and he's like, I'm just going to go get a pizza. So he goes and he leaves because he's like, I have to get there. They close at 9:00, I have to get there. So I'm like, OK, go, go, go. And then I like come out and I see Hannah still trying to work on the charcoal she's got and she has like the coals kind of going. So I'm like good job honey.   [00:32:34.640] - Tamara Gruber I'm like, OK, I'm gonna bring these burgers that I'm like half cooked in the pan will put the other half over the charcoal. So, you know, but we can't see what we're doing. It's like pitch black. I like did Dad even clean the great or am I putting like my burger on some like disgusting, like dirty thing, you know, and so we start cooking the burgers out there and the first two are like, OK, those are done.   [00:32:56.570] - Tamara Gruber So I'm unwrapping the other two to bring out and have them start to cook. And so meanwhile, like Hannah and I are sharing a burger while Glenn's like sitting waiting for pizza, because then the pizza place is like really backed up. He ends up not getting back until almost 10:00 at night with the pizza. Meanwhile, we've already had like a burger and a half to try to cook these other two burgers. And the coals just will not keep they're just dying.   [00:33:21.380] - Tamara Gruber They're dying. We cannot get them going. So then I have like, these gray pretty much raw burgers and I'm like, what am I going to do with it? And it's grossing me out. And I'm like, you know, like raw meat, like whatever. So like, I have nothing to even wrap it in. Glenn's like, well, don't just throw them out. Those were like good burgers. I'm like, well what are we going to do it.   [00:33:39.410] - Tamara Gruber Like what, where are we cooking these things? You know, so they cover them up and put them in the fridge. I'm like, OK, fine. So I had them on a plate and I put like a bowl on top of it and put it in the fridge. And then the next one we're finally leaving because we never cooked the burgers. I'm like, now you're going to have, like, stinky rotting meat, like in the garbage. So we were like tying it up in bags so it wouldn't smell and wasn't disgusting. But anyway, that's my terrible story about trying to cook while we're at the tiny house.   [00:34:06.860] - Kim Tate Oh my goodness, that is so funny. It's just this is family travel.   [00:34:12.470] - Kim Tate Like I feel like all of us who have traveled with kids have been in a situation like that where your food is such a stressor. There's all these like different levels. And if something can go wrong on a family vacation, you know, there's a good chance it will.   [00:34:26.870] - Tamara Gruber So I thought I had it figured out. I was like, yeah, like, you can eat well.   [00:34:31.300] - Kim Tate I mean, well, we all have so much experience on this, but inevitably something still is like, oh, I hadn't planned for that. Like, OK, now, you know, you need to pack coals and lighter fluid.   [00:34:41.210] - Tamara Gruber Right.   [00:34:41.930] - Kim Tate And flashlights. Although did you use your phone flashlight you could have used. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We were using it. So funny. Oh my. OK, so well you know after any other parts of that stay that you want to mention, was it a nice it looked like a cute little place and a nice getaway.   [00:34:57.320] - Tamara Gruber It was like I definitely you know, I would recommend it. It was so much more affordable too than some of the other glamping kind of things that are out there, because it starts, I think, around one hundred and forty five or a hundred and fifty dollars a night, you know, for this space, which, you know, I thought was pretty good. So it slept. I think that one could sleep up to six, but that would be really tight.   [00:35:18.200] - Tamara Gruber So basically, like downstairs, it had a couch that could fold open. It had a table with three chairs. It had the kitchen, tiny little bathroom. And then you went up a flight of stairs to the sleeping loft. But the thing is, like the loft, it's not like full size. You can't stand up up there. Right. So basically, like, you walked up the stairs and then kind of crawled onto the bed and fell asleep.   [00:35:38.660] - Tamara Gruber And there was a queen and a double, just like on the, you know, on the ground, like the mattresses on the ground. But it was fine, like it was comfortable and we enjoyed it. It was very different. You know, we had fun. It was just nice to be away. We like sat and like, you know, looked and watched the pond, like we took a little walk and then we went and did those excursions, you know, on those days.   [00:36:00.140] - Tamara Gruber So it's just like a chill, you know, getaway. It wasn't about like we're doing a lot of stuff.   [00:36:05.570] - Kim Tate Awesome. So then the final trip of your, you know, massive travel reopening, you know, it was a couple's getaway. So tell us all about that.   [00:36:16.280] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. So my nephew was getting married down outside of Philadelphia. And, you know, we were all invited, but Hannah had to study for exams and she also wasn't fully vaccinated, so she wasn't really comfortable to go and do that quite yet. And so then I decided that we were going to go and we actually left her alone for the first. Oh, nice. Which is like big and that week was actually the first time that she drove on her own because like we you know, she got her license a month ago, but she's still like only driven with me in the car, you know, like she hasn't gone to see her friends or anything like that.   [00:36:52.770] - Tamara Gruber It's just like the way it's a little bit hard because, you know, she lives a half hour away from school, half hour away from her friends. So, you know, anything that she's going to go do is like, you know, getting on the highway. It's like a bigger thing, like she does it with me. But just to do it on her own, you know, she hasn't had the opportunity. She hasn't asked for it.   [00:37:11.360] - Tamara Gruber And then she's not the type to be like, oh, I want to go to Dunkin Donuts. Like, it's funny because sometimes I've been like, hey, why don't you go do this? And she's like, but then I have to buy something. Then I have to talk to someone. And she's like, well, how do I do it? Like, I'm like, well, you have a debit card. And she's like, Yeah, what do I do?   [00:37:30.740] - Tamara Gruber Put a pin in? And I'm like, I don't know, like I don't use a debit card like cash. So it's just really funny. But it's one of those things I think. I'm sure you've experienced this with your teens, but it seems like a big deal until it's done. And so, you know, there was all this like I don't know if I'm ready to drive on my own. I don't know. I don't know. And so earlier that week, she had something out at there, like the schools, like farm campus, which is a little bit easier to get to.   [00:37:56.720] - Tamara Gruber And it's you don't have to parallel park on a very small city street. There's a parking lot. So I'm like, hey, why don't you drive yourself? And she's like, what? It's like, drive yourself. So she did it. And it was like, you know, this major milestone. And she came back. She's like, Yeah, it's fine.   [00:38:11.720] - Kim Tate Nice!   [00:38:15.980] - Tamara Gruber and then they did it and they're like, What are you talking about? I just never worried about that.   [00:38:19.770] - Kim Tate Yeah, exactly. Yeah.   [00:38:21.290] - Tamara Gruber You're all you're making it all up, you know. So we went away and she did have to drive herself to go to her friends, the school play there in the school play. So she did that and she cooked herself dinner and cleaned up after herself. So she had her first little independence.   [00:38:36.140] - Kim Tate That's good. Yeah, it's kind of yeah. It's been nice with Lizzie. She has a job now and stuff and she has a lot of her own money and she, you know, is responsible now. She books her own hair appointments and she's totally done shopping on her own. She buys stuff online. She's fully it's nice. It's been really it's definitely a step in independence when they have their own money and they learn to start making choices with that money.   [00:39:00.230] - Kim Tate And it's cool. So, yeah.   [00:39:02.700] - Tamara Gruber I guess it's yeah, we're at the beginning of that road. I know it'll probably snowball and go quickly like once it starts. But it's kind of neat to watch. But it was good. I mean we were nervous but she's such a she's a good kid. I mean when we were leaving Glenn's like we're still through any house parties and she's like, Dad, I have to study.   [00:39:22.160] - Kim Tate Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. So it was also your anniversary.   [00:39:28.790] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. So it was our twenty first anniversary and obviously we didn't really do much last year. And so I was like, look, you know, we can stay at like the best western near the place where the where the wedding is taking place. Or we can just stay in downtown Philadelphia. Nice hotel and make a weekend of it. So we're like, yeah, let's make a weekend of it. So we went down and we stayed at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco, which I've stayed at before when I was in Philadelphia.   [00:39:52.160] - Tamara Gruber And it's such a great location. Like, I just I love Philadelphia. I know you haven't been, but it's like it's just, you know,   [00:39:57.770] - Kim Tate I was there with you once! We went for a one day conference. We took the train from New York. It was my first, like, East Coast train experience. Yeah. Yeah. But I didn't really see much of Philadelphia, so yeah. I've been there.   [00:40:12.440] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. I think where we stayed was more like Center City and this was more like Old City. So it's right, right across from like Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell. So you just have like some cobblestone streets, you have all this history right there. There's a lot of green space around like a lot of parks. It's just a nice part of town. I really like staying there. And I just feel like Philadelphia in general, it's just it's cleaner.   [00:40:35.000] - Tamara Gruber It's like not as busy, but there's still like a good vibe to it. You know, it's still an energy. And this was our first experience, like kind of being in a city post, vaccination, you know, feel like it's nice out and just feeling kind of normal ish. And it was it's actually really cool. So we we arrived again. We're like racing, you know, because Glenn's phone calls and all that stuff, you know.   [00:40:58.220] - Tamara Gruber So racing into town, I had made a nine thirty dinner reservation for us because I'm like, look, we can either stop an eat like whatever crap on the New Jersey Turnpike or we can get into town and just eat late but have a good dinner. And there's this place called Buddakan that I've always wanted to try, and it's like a three minute walk from our hotel. So I'm like, let's just go there. So I thought for sure we weren't going to make it because Friday night traffic and everything like that.   [00:41:22.130] - Tamara Gruber But we kind of like skidded in just in time. And I'm like, Glenn, go check the valet and I'm going to go like walk down and make sure that our table's kept. So we we were doing like outdoor dining, but the way that they've done it is they've built like almost like little individual booths. So it's like a protected kind of space, but there was like a barrier in between each table, so it was really, really cool.   [00:41:43.330] - Tamara Gruber The dinner was fantastic. And then, you know, when it comes to good dinner stories, OK, I, I shared this on my Instagram story, but this story is still kind of blows me away. But we were having dinner and the table next to us, they were celebrating a fiftieth birthday. It was like a group of women friends and you know, so when they were singing Happy Birthday to her, we clapped and we were just like wishing them happy birthday.   [00:42:06.190] - Tamara Gruber And then someone came along the street and he was like looking for money. And, you know, first Glenn was kind of trying not to pay attention because we were having our dinner. But then we you know, the guy I don't know if his story was true or not, but he's like, I served the country for 20 years was that, you know, I'm a vet and like all this stuff and I'm down on my luck and have four year old daughter.   [00:42:26.020] - Tamara Gruber And we're like, oh, you know, like it just it was we were in a tough spot. So, Glenn, I gave him some money and he left. And then, like, the people next to us were like, oh, that was so nice that you did that. Like, I'm so glad you didn't come to our table because we wouldn't have done that or whatever. And so at the end of the meal, you know, Glenn, I just like we're just really enjoying, like, being out the two of us having a great dinner, great experience, just like a nice energy around.   [00:42:48.580] - Tamara Gruber But we felt like super safe because, I mean, first of all, we're outside we're vaccinated. It's all like, you know, distanced and everything. And and then the woman from the table next to us comes over. She puts a receipt on her table and she was like, your dinner is taken care of. And she walked away. And we're like, what? Because this was like our anniversary dinner. We were not like holding back, like it was not a budget dinner.   [00:43:13.240] - Tamara Gruber And she paid for our dinner.   [00:43:15.490] - Kim Tate Yeah, that's also it was unbelievable. Like, I was like, oh, cool.   [00:43:19.240] - Tamara Gruber This is a time when I feel like so much distrust over other people and fear and like, you're just getting used to being around other people again. And here is this woman comes over and just like pays for our dinner just because she thought Glenn did something nice. And I'm like, wow.   [00:43:37.120] - Kim Tate Yeah, that's amazing. That's awesome. Yeah.   [00:43:39.520] - Tamara Gruber So it kind of started our a weekend off great. But we had a wonderful weekend, just like exploring, you know, like walking around Philadelphia was like ninety degrees. So it was like boiling. We were it was just great. We were outside and just enjoying it. We stopped on Saturday that this independence beer garden near the hotel. So it's just all this outdoor space really cutely designed, you know, some of it shaded just a beer garden.   [00:44:04.600] - Tamara Gruber So we hung out there for a while, had had some lunch, and then we went, you know, got dressed and we went to the wedding. And then on Sunday, we just had brunch. And then we drove back home, which that was a nightmare, but it was just nice. Yes. I've had a little bit of every kind of travel, which is really nice. I really. What is that? Is it. Yeah, I think that sounds so great.   [00:44:25.720] - Kim Tate I'm so excited about travel reopening and I think the biggest thing is now I'm it seems like everybody wants to travel again now. And so I feel like things are more busier than ever, and especially if some places are still not fully staffed and or have capacity limitations. I just I still wonder if we're quite there yet where it's normal. I feel like there's people are ready to travel, but whether the industry can handle it right now is where am I, where my worry is.   [00:44:53.950] - Tamara Gruber I agree. And I do think that there's going to be some both disappointment and frustration this summer because of that. I think people are going to find they're going to be very eager to have the perfect experience, but they need it, you know, after everything. And then they're going to get there and it's going to be crowded or service may be what they're expecting. And so I definitely think that if you can set your expectations, you know, a little bit lower, it would be good, because I just find, yeah, everything is going to be crowded and you are off the beaten path as you can get, you know, like the better.   [00:45:27.160] - Kim Tate But avoiding national parks. Yeah, I agree too. Yeah. We so we jumped on because the girls really wanted to go to they miss Disney when we went down for spring break. Like I don't mean to be one of these crazy Disney families, but we do like Disney and the girls had really wanted to go to Disneyland again. And so I thought, well, you know, kind of the same situation with you. The summer right now is definitely the only time we can really travel, because Lizzy, going into our senior year and with college applications, everything, it's just not a lot of flexible time.   [00:45:56.860] - Kim Tate And she has a job. And so we booked a trip for mid-July for Disneyland. I thought this is going to be a great time to go. We're hoping that it's opened out of staters. I mean, they're saying that they think it's going to happen in June. And they but now with the worry over if they're going to reopen everything at one hundred percent, which is what California is going to do starting June 15th, we're just worried, like, are we going to end up in the summer at Disneyland with eight million crowds?   [00:46:23.530] - Kim Tate Like, I don't know what their capacity is. So, yeah, I think it's people we're all I mean, I was hopeful. I was so excited like twenty five. Thirty five percent capacity. That sounds awesome. Like, OK, let's use our hard earned money to buy this communication and now I'm kind of regretting it and. Yeah, I think everybody just going to have to really keep in mind what I don't even know what I'm trying to say, but just have a little bit of ability to be relaxed and, yeah, expect crowds and maybe slower service than you might think.   [00:46:54.720] - Tamara Gruber It's going to be tough as things continue to to change. And I you know, I feel bad for the people. Like I know some of the people that I follow on Instagram now had booked a trip to Disney World and was super excited about it. But then, like before they got there, they dropped the mask mandate. And, you know, and so her experience there is not at all what she expected it to be.   [00:47:20.460] - Tamara Gruber And that changed on a dime. Know. So it's.   [00:47:22.710] - Kim Tate Yeah, they made that decision quickly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I mean, we are lucky that all four of our family will be vaccinated, and that's a huge relief.   [00:47:34.150] - Tamara Gruber So, yeah, I feel actually as of today, Hannah is fully vaccinated. So I've said that many times. Like I feel today when we're recording this, I feel very fortunate, you know, that we're in that position. I definitely you know, I feel for the families that are dealing with having younger kids and then feeling, you know, maybe not as safe because of the some of the restrictions have been lifted. And, you know, but they're still vulnerable.   [00:48:03.030] - Tamara Gruber So it's it's a challenging time to continue to navigate and hopefully have a little bit of, like you said, patience. But also just share a little love, I guess. Yeah, I'm still feeling it from my experience.   [00:48:15.450] - Kim Tate Well, that should teach everyone be kind to your neighbor. Yeah, well, it's been great to chat with you and hear about all those trips. And I'm sure that if anybody has any questions for you, they can always reach out to you on your social media @we3travel. So I know our next episode is going to be about another one of your travel adventures in the Northeast. So why don't you give everyone a teaser about where we'll be talking about next?   [00:48:38.040] - Tamara Gruber Yes, my next trip is to Maine, which you and I have been to, and I'm going back to some of that region, but I'm first going to do a trip along the coast and so hitting a lot of the coastal towns of Maine. And then I will be up in what they call down east, which is the area around Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. But I'm going to be doing exactly what I'm recommending everyone else do, which is do the stuff outside of the national park, you know, the bit off the beaten path kind of stuff.   [00:49:09.000] - Tamara Gruber And then I'm going to head up into the Maine Highlands, which is around Bangor, and then like Baxter State Park and some of the kind of lakes and mountains area, a little bit, you know, close to where you and I were when we had our girls trip up there. And so definitely getting like a little off the grid, you know, off the the beaten path. And so I can't wait to share that because I think it's going to be a good option for families, at least those in driving distance to the northeast or flying this summer.   [00:49:38.730] - Tamara Gruber I think it'll be a good option. So, yeah. So stay tuned for that one. And then I guess after that, we're going to be talking about your travel and my travel. And we've got other topics coming up. So definitely stay tuned.  

While you listen to this, our guest today, Jamey Mossengren, is out on the Pacific Crest Trail with his buddies, The Minnesota Hikings. Jamey and I talk about his 2019 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and his remarkable mode of transport on the Colorado Trail, amongst others. Despite our laughs, I was struck how Jamey and his mates were enjoying the trail and taking their time. This is probably why a bunch of younger guys didn't catch and pass this older guy in 2019! He has some wonderful stories to tell and even tries out a new name for Trail Magic. Let me know what you think; it may catch on! If you'd like to catch up with the Minnesota Hikings, check out their various social media sites below. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mnhikings Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MNHikings YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdpLKNHTlR-G9D1KqNT_fag/playlists Also, if you'd like to know what it's like to be a real life unicorn, check out Jamey's personal sites. Blog: https://www.uniproshow.com/apps/blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnicyclingUnicorn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheUnicyclingUnicorn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_unicycling_unicorn Katie is easing her way back into fitness by doing short days on her way through Shenandoah National Park. The great news is that she's currently feeling no pain. Let's hope it continues. In Larry Luxenburg's book, Walking the Appalachian Trail, Larry and his guests have reached Baxter State Park and Katahdin. If you like what we're doing on the Hiking Radio Network, and want to see our shows continue, please consider supporting us with either a one-off or monthly donation. You'll find the donate button on each Hiking Radio Network page at https://www.hikingradionetwork.com Any support is gratefully received.

Don Hudson, Arrowsic, ME, developed an interest in plants and ecology in the early 1970s while leading expeditions for the Chewonki Foundation in Maine and Quebec. He graduated from Dartmouth College (1972, A.B. French and Environmental Studies); and received graduate degrees from the University of Vermont (1979, M.S. Botany) studying the reproductive biology of a rare Arctic plant on Katahdin, and Indiana University (1983, Ph. D. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) studying aspects of the origin and evolution of a domesticated plant, the tomaté or husk tomato, in Mexico. Don became the Head Naturalist at Chewonki in1982, was appointed President in 1991, and retired in July 2010. Don was a founding board member of the International Appalachian Trail, the Friends of Baxter State Park, the Maine Green Campus Consortium, and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation, and has served on a number of other boards, councils, and commissions. Don received the Green Heart award from the Quimby Family Foundation in 2009, an Environmental Merit Lifetime Achievement award from the US EPA, the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Maine at Machias, the Espy Conservation Award from the Maine Land Trust Network and an Outdoor Hero Award from LL Bean in 2010. Don lives with his wife, Josephine Ewing, in Arrowsic, Maine. They have two sons, Charlie and Reuben. Show links... Information about the International Appalachian Trail can be found here, www.maineiat.org My online run coaching is here, https://www.kristianultra.com/onlineruncoaching GoFundMe link is here, https://www.gofundme.com/f/appalachian-trail-speed-record-attempt  

Dwight Davis was born in Cedartown, Georgia. His father was a pastor and his mother took care of the home and family. They lived in the country, near both sets of grandparents. Dwight was influenced by his father and two grandfathers to guide him as he grew to be a man, husband, and father. Dwight learned to love the outdoors from his father. Dwight learned to garden as a small child from his grandfather. He started working at a business cleaning service when he was 12 and then, during his junior and senior years in high school, worked 40 hours a week for two years as a machinist. After high school, Dwight went to Shorter College, now Shorter University, where he met his wife on the first day. In college, Dwight worked several days a week at a men's clothing store, where he learned the importance of a professional appearance and how to dress for church.   Dwight graduated from Shorter College with a Natural Sciences degree in Biology and Chemistry. Dwight says if you follow the science, it will lead you to God. Dwight applied to several medical schools but changed his mind when he saw the many hours away from his family that being a doctor would take. Dwight married in 1985.   In Dwight's junior and senior year summers of college, he had worked for Georgia Power at Plant Bowen. That led to a career at Georgia Power.Dwight and his wife had twin girls. Dwight tells how he and his wife managed their work schedules to be with the twins. Dwight still found time to be in the woods, with his wife's support. On a week-long hike with friends in college, Dwight had crossed the Appalachian Trail or A.T. From that day, he had a dream to hike the A.T. from Georgia to Maine. Dwight receives physical, mental, and spiritual benefits from hiking.For 32 years, Dwight worked for Georgia Power, keeping in mind Colossians 3:23, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” KJV. When he prepared to retire and hike the A.T., he prayed to do it for God's glory, and it all came together.   About 20 to 30 percent of those who start the through-hike on the A.T. complete it. It takes around eight months with a willingness to persevere. Dwight documented his walk on YouTube under the name Sleeves. Dwight started his through-hike right before he turned 55. He started in February 2018, at the terminus in North Georgia. Dwight had a great send-off crew to see him start. He didn't see any mountain views as it was pouring rain the entire time. The trail was a river. Sixty miles into the hike, Dwight was discouraged by his slow progress but he received an answer to prayer that he was exactly where he needed to be. Most days, Dwight hiked 15 to 20 miles with a full pack of about 35 pounds of provisions. Dwight wanted to finish before winter weather. Dwight didn't hike on Sundays but made sure to be at a place where he could rest and worship the Lord.Dwight shares experiences of 14 states, starting in Georgia with Springer Mountain in cold, miserable rain, and then walking through snow almost up to his waist in the Great Smoky Mountains, and temperatures below zero Fahrenheit. Dwight feared that he could die. Dwight describes the cold mountain “balds” in North Carolina and the lack of cell phone service in Virginia. He was isolated. The excitement of getting started on the hike had turned into the routine of a job.Dwight's wife sent pre-packed boxes of supplies to shelters along the way as he planned to reach them. He felt accountability toward his wife and the support team. It started raining in Virginia and continued through West Virginia. The bridge over the Potomac River was closed from high water. Dwight was wet and miserable. He was facing tremendous mental adversity.   In Maryland, Dwight slipped on a wet boulder and landed on his knee. The more he walked, the more it hurt. He took two ibuprofen every four hours and walked for twelve hours every day. He walked 150 miles after he fell and made it to Pennsylvania. He stopped to rest in a hotel for a few days, but the pain got worse. He hobbled to an urgent care clinic across the street. The doctor told him his hike was over and his left leg was broken. Dwight was devastated. He rented a car and drove home to see an orthopedic surgeon. After six weeks of elevating his leg, with the doctor's caution to listen to his body, he got a ride from his parents back to Pennsylvania and started walking. He walked 40 miles and could not go on from the pain. He called his parents; they were still in Pennsylvania, waiting to make sure he was doing well, so they picked him up. Dwight knows this setback didn't surprise God. God was protecting him and preparing him for something.The more Dwight thought about God's protection, the more peace he felt. Instead of completing the through-hike, he would finish the hike the next year from where he left, near Palmer, Pennsylvania. He stopped thinking about what he could do and started thinking about what God could do through him. Dwight kept off his leg and then started training again. The hardest thing was to be inactive. He continued posting his YouTube videos. His connection to the trail was that he kept his hair uncut. If he cut it, it would be saying, “It's over.”   After healing, Dwight conditioned for weeks by hiking 20 miles or more with a pack daily. His wife and daughter drove him back to Pennsylvania and he hiked again.Dwight shares highlights from the states on the A.T. New Jersey is beautiful. New York had horrible source water Dwight found but local people would set gallons of water at the side of the trail for hikers. He could see New York City from the trail. Connecticut was amazing, walking for miles next to the Housatonic River. In Massachusetts, Mount Graylock began the last chapter of the journey. Dwight felt better and moved faster than he had in 2018. On Mount Everett, Dwight was distracted picking blueberries and almost stepped on a huge rattlesnake! Massachusetts was also loaded with mosquitoes that choked him as he breathed. In Vermont, snowmelt made the trail muddy. Vermont trails also went straight up mountains instead of having switchbacks and the trail was eroded to the rocks. New Hampshire has epic mountains he climbed on his hands and knees. Dwight went slowly to experience the beauty of God's creation. There were huts above the treeline where hikers could work for lodging. Maine is rugged and beautiful. It has the toughest mile of the trail, the Mahoosuc Notch, a valley filled with massive boulders that can take four hours to get through. The day before Dwight arrived, a hiker with a broken had to be evacuated. There were windy, rocky mountain balds to climb. Dwight made it to Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park and it hit him that he had made it almost to the terminus. He got a permit when he arrived and started up Mount Katahdin the next morning to the terminus.Dwight had a heart of thanksgiving, being able to fulfill his hiking dream the way God wanted. Some people hike the trail searching for answers. If you don't have a higher purpose in life, you can end in a bad place. The trail isn't the answer. God is the answer. Dwight lives by the motto “Keep hiking,” which means keep at it and don't give up. Keep living, keep dreaming.   Jim states that perseverance is part of God's plan to develop character. God has a purpose for you. We are not our own, but we are His, bought with a price. Jim affirms Dwight humbly accepting God's way to accomplish his goal and not destroying himself or his marriage by pushing on through his injury. Jim honors Dwight's wife for supporting and helping him accomplish this task.When Dwight felt low and wanted to quit, God showed up. Dwight has many stories about God's blessings that helped him persevere. He learned five life lessons from his trip: God's faithfulness is sufficient. God's appointments are intentional. God's thoughts are higher than my thoughts and His ways are higher than my ways. God's will is for me to walk with Him because He's always walking with me. God's plan is for me to lift Him up, not myself. Dwight concludes that no matter how hard life is, you can persevere by walking with God. Jim affirms these life lessons and honors, Dwight, for how he prepares for everything he does.   Call to Action: Jim invites listeners to get out of their chairs in October 2020 and walk 100 miles in 50 hours around Sam Smith Park in Cartersville, Georgia. Train for it and walk with Jim and Sleeves. Develop habits that will carry over. Find our podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, rate it, subscribe, share it, and help us get this word out! Send Jim an email with your suggestions on guests.See our Website: MenBuildMen.comEmail: Info@MenBuildMen.com Marks of a Man on Facebook Jim Nicklas on InstagramSleeves — Dwight Davis on YouTube

It's an all-woman show today, with Marissa Neel, the Executioner, as our main guest. She has a very funny, brutally honest YouTube channel, and is exactly the same person in our conversation. Marissa shares plenty of witty insights and a stoic determination to get to the end. The story of her last night camping on the AT is a visceral example of what it can be like out there. I could relate on so many levels. Her YouTube channel is not to be missed, so click here. https://www.youtube.com/user/mkneel2/videos Kate is now moving through New Jersey and past the 300-mile mark. The ankle still hurts, but she continues to push north. Below, she is with her current hiking partner, Luna, at the top of Culver Tower. I mention the open position at the Devil's Backbone Brewery as Chief Hiking Officer in my comments in the show. If you'd like to apply, check it out at this link. https://www.dbbrewingcompany.com/cho/ Finally, Grandma Gatewood reaches Baxter State Park. If you like what we're doing on the Hiking Radio Network, please consider supporting us with either a one-off or monthly donation. The donate button is on the Mighty Blue podcast page at https://mightyblueontheat.com/the-podcast/ Any support is gratefully received. Music for the "A Woman of a Certain Age" segment is by permission of Kate's friend, John Jensen. You can see and hear it in full on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlP7g7qivo4 Thanks, John.

An explosion of coronavirus cases have been reported at Cape Memory Care in Cape Elizabeth, campgrounds are opening this weekend for in-state residents only, and parts of Baxter State Park are on fire.

How do glaciers affect land? Maines ' rich rock bound coast, deep ridge mountains, horse back ridges, and more etched the unique formation of this State of Maine.Glacial erosion Common all over the world, glaciated valleys are probably the most readily visible glacial landform. Similar to fjords, they are trough-shaped, often with steep near-vertical cliffs where entire mountainsides were scoured by glacial movement. One of the most striking examples of glaciated valleys can be seen in Yosemite National Park, where glaciers literally sheared away mountainsides, creating deep valleys with vertical walls. Glaciers not only transport material as they move, but they also sculpt and carve away the land beneath them. A glacier's weight, combined with its gradual movement, can drastically reshape the landscape over hundreds or even thousands of years. The ice erodes the land surface and carries the broken rocks and soil debris far from their original places, resulting in some interesting glacial landforms. Most glacial activity in Maine involved large continental ice sheets, but the erosional effects of alpine glaciers are clearly evident in two of the highest groups of mountains: Mt. Katahdin and neighboring peaks in Baxter State Park, and Sugarloaf Mountain and other nearby peaks in western Maine. Cited work in this episode=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1867/02/glacial-phenomena-in-maine-part-i/531891/ How To Read A Skincare Label by Trina Felber --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bhsales/message

This week Vicki and I and three of the kids go explore Shin Brook Falls in the northern woods of Maine between Shin Pond and the north entrance to Baxter State Park. I talk about our other explorations of trails in the area and about Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. At the top of this map of the National Monument you will see Sugarloaf Mountain that is mentioned in the episode. You will also see the trails in the National Monument that have yet to be explored.You can find more information and pictures from our hike on the Shin Brook Falls page on the Hiking ME website.Featured Product:Heritage Trails of Grand Manan GuidebookOther trails mentioned in this episode:Seboeis River TrailMusic created and performed by me.

An audio guided travelogue snippet of the key parts to driving through Baxter highlighting the Beauty of Mt. Katahdin and the natural environment.

On today’s episode of the #STRIVECast, we interview the director of Maine’s Crown Jewel, Baxter State Park! Jeff and Noel sit down with Park Director Eben Sypitkowski. We learn all about the Park’s history, as well as why we don’t need to use the word “Mount” when talking about Mount Katahdin! Then we chat all about Wilderness Safety tips during the Question of the Week, and Jeff gives all you sports fan a Red Sox update during Yacking With You. Lots of laughs this episode...We hope you enjoy!

Listen in while I interview Eben Sypitkowski as we talk about coffee roasting, forest bathing (yes, it's a thing!), and his new role as Director of Governor Percival Baxter's wilderness vision! Listen via YouTube! Local Charity:  Friends of Baxter State Park

The story of the Crawfords has been one of the most prominent Appalachian Trail stories of the year. Their seemingly quixotic adventure didn't seem in the least bit strange to them. After all, they had been hiking as a family for some years so the AT appeared to be a natural extension to that as they tried to capture one last hike together before the children started to leave home. As YouTube viewers, this adventure divided us, with some critics castigating Ben and Kami, while others embraced them with an equally ferocious love. We watched them spend the night in the snow-covered Smokeys on a bathroom floor, only to be confronted by the child protection services the following morning. We saw them grow as a family as each child assumed tasks to help take their journey to fruition. By the time they reached Katahdin, most had come to applaud their resilience, with almost unheard-of support through the 100-Mile Wilderness. Baxter State Park refused to allow an exception to their rules of taking children under a certain age up to the top of Katahdin, so the family decided–unanimously–to finish the way they had started, as a family. You can follow their vlog on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/FightforTogether and their Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/fightfortogether/ This week's segment from the Outdoor Retailer's Summer Market from Denver concentrated upon the claims made by manufacturers and the applicability of science to the process. I spoke with Dr. Jan Beringer of Hohenstein. You can find out more about their textile testing by visiting https://www.hohenstein.de/  You can reach Dr. Jan at j.beringer@hohenstein.de There is a translate button on the site for English speakers. Dr. Jan directed me to Shawn Flavin of Coolcore, who is a strong proponent of these stringent tests. As the Director of Textile Engineering, he explained some of the processes that they use. To find out more, go to https://www.coolcore.com/ where you'll find some cool products. You can reach Shawn at sflavin@coolcore.com  

Eben Sypitkowski is the Director of Baxter State Park in Maine.  Baxter State Park is a unique park. Baxter is a state park in name, but not park of Maine State Parks. The park started as a gift in land and resources from Governor Baxter. Two more ways Baxter is a unique park; it is completely self-funded.  This removes the park from the usual politics and worry of receiving funds from the state general fund. Second, the park places a priority on wilderness over recreation.  Eben was recently appointed to Director after being a forester and most recently Resource Manager. Eben discusses the transition from forester to the director. He explains his listening tour to understand the culture of the entire park and get to know the staff.  Eben has a passion for the place he now has the privilege to manage. Passion for place also inspires the rest of the staff of Baxter State Park. This same passion fuels many of us in parks. 

Ever wanted to ditch your job, the nine-to-fiver, the good old daily grind and traverse the world? Meet Nathan and Sarah. This husband and wife pair from Boise, Idaho, did just that. Quitting their jobs last spring, the couple is currently fulfilling a decade-long dream of traveling the world for an entire year. Beginning at Springer Mountain in Georgia they stepped foot on the Appalachian Trail and hiked north for five months straight.  They traversed 14 states and ended in Baxter State Park in Maine. After a month of rest, they are back on the road—or in the air, or on the sea—finishing their year of travel with a six-month jaunt around the Pacific.  Their nomadic journey has taken a bit of both planning and an open mind, but these two adventurers are living a lifestyle that some only dream about and are building relationships and memories that will likely remain with them long after their return home. But as with many major commitments, this exciting excursion wasn’t met without cold feet. Listen as the couple shares their initial reservations about leaving their comfort zones for the great unknown and how they worked through the challenges of globetrotting.

A trip to Trail Days wasn't on my itinerary when I hiked the AT in 2014, so my visit this year had a dual purpose. I was going there to both see what I'd missed and to interview others who were attending. I was trying to capture some of the spirit of both Damascus at party time and the Appalachian Trail. This episode will focus on Trail Days and forms the first of two such episodes. I'm still following Attie, as she makes her way north. She has hit a few walls on the way but is upbeat pretty much whenever we speak and is taking each day as it comes. She has teamed up with a couple of other hikers, Bananas and The Machine. Here is her iconic shot at the glorious McAfee Knob.     Another past guest, Erin McKenzie, told us about her Fear and Loathing thoughts on the AT.   But this week is mainly about Trail Days. I've pulled together a number of the short, live conversations that I had with a wide variety of people. I hope you enjoy them. First up was Nathan Harrington, the enthusiastic maker of his Katahdin sign replica. These signs are all handmade by Nathan personally, so each will be unique. Nathan also has a great story to tell about how he proposed to his lovely wife, Sharon, at McAfee Knob. You can actually see the moment he proposes on his YouTube channel, Between the Blazes, as well as other AT videos. You can also follow him on Twitter as @ToKatahdin. If you'd like to buy one of Nathan's exquisite hand-made Katahdin signs, go to his website, www.betweentheblazes.com Tim Keenan told me his moving story that combined his AT thru-hike with a reconciliation of his "enemy," as he referred to him, later in Vietnam. You can get Tim's book, The Good Hike, on Amazon. It has excellent ratings. Next, I spoke with Will Ransom and his beautiful dog, Retta. They seemed to have such a calm and mutual understanding of one another and were utterly devoted to one another. I asked Will if he'd carry on if Retta couldn't continue. Interesting answer. Dick Klane, from the Friends of Baxter State Park, kindly gave me a run-through of the new rules regarding permits to summit Katahdin at the end of your hike (as a NOBO). It is really worth listening to Dick, because you really need the climax of your hike to run smoothly on the day. If you'd like further clarification, you can check out their site, at friendsofbaxter.org. It is an excellent site and full of information on the park. It is well worth checking out before you end up in the park. Bob Peoples is quite simply one of the legends of the Appalachian Trail. His Hardcore Crew work to build and maintain sections of the trail and his selfless devotion to all things AT is remarkable. We are so lucky to have Bob in our lives. Last, but certainly not least, I ran into two young women at the All You Can Eat (AYCE) pancake breakfast in town. Nadia and Kathleen were at the same table as me and, when Nadia saw my podcast tee shirt, she asked if I was the podcast host. Apparently, she is a listener and I couldn't miss out on interviewing a fan!!

Southern New England states are hungry for renewable energy. There’s energy up north, but there are hurdles to bringing down to southern states. This week, we look at the stalling of wind energy in Maine, and the controversy over a project that would bring hydro-electric power from Quebec to the New England grid. Plus, we have updates to government plans to clean up the Long Island Sound, install high speed rail, and conserve land – or not – in our region. And we learn what makes “New England’s magazine” tick. Buckle up. Opponents to Northern Pass, a project to bring hydro- electric power from rivers in Quebec through New Hampshire to the New England grid, has drawn opposition from Granite Staters who worry that transmission towers would disturb pristine wilderness. Photo by Sam Evans-Brown for NHPR Through the River and Over the Woods Stacey Fitts manages the Bingham Wind Plantation and other assets held by Novatus, a J.P. Morgan affiliate. Photo by Fred Bever for NENC In Maine, wind energy had a decade of rapid growth, but now the industry has hit the doldrums in the Pine Tree State. As Maine Public Radio’s Fred Bever reports, no big new wind projects are likely to go live any time soon. And it could cost billions to unlock enough of the state’s wind resource – the best in the region – to serve southern New England’s thirst for renewable energy. Next door in New Hampshire, Northern Pass is a proposal to run 192 miles of new power lines from Canada, through much of the state. The current proposed Northern Pass route would bury the line in the White Mountains as a concession to opponents. Photo courtesy of Northern Pass The project is a collaboration between the regional utility Eversource, and Hydro-Quebec, which is owned by Quebec’s provincial government. The utilities say the $1.6 billion Northern Pass project would transport 1,090 megawatts of electricity from Quebec – which derives more than 90 percent of its power from hydroelectric dams – to the New England power grid. Since the first route was proposed in 2011, Northern Pass has generated considerable controversy in New Hampshire. Now, the issue is being considered in the state legislature, and hearings are expected to continue throughout the summer.  Our guest Nancy West has been covering the back-and-forth for the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism. How would Northern Pass fit into New England’s energy grid? And just how “clean” a source is hydro-electric power? For answers we turned to Sam Evans-Brown, host of the New Hampshire Public Radio podcast Outside/In – the show about the natural world and how we use it. Evans-Brown says the impacts of Canadian hydro-electric power on our regions grid could be massive. According to Hydro-Quebec, hydro-electric power for the Northern Pass project would come from  dams along La Grande River in the northwest corner of the map, and on the Romaine river on the east side of the map, including two that are currently under construction. Map courtesy of Hydro-Quebec Federal Projects in New England – Updates Last week we learned about how nitrogen runoff from the Connecticut River is leading to the die-off of fish and plant life in Long Island Sound. But the problem is not a new one. The Environmental Protection Agency started closely monitoring nitrogen levels there back in the 1980s. By 2001, the agency set new nitrogen limitations for wastewater treatment plants on the Sound in New York and Connecticut. Now EPA is expected to set lower limits for wastewater treatment plants miles from the Sound, on the Connecticut River.  As New England Public Radio’s Jill Kaufman reports, those plants are wondering if this is their problem to solve. Watch a video about how nitrogen from upriver affects the Long Island Sound: The nation's busiest rail corridor hugs the shoreline along Long Island Sound. The Amtrak trains that serve the Northeast get people from Boston to New York and beyond. The shoreline communities that the trains pass through, want faster, reliable train service that also stops at their local train stations. But a proposed federal plan for high speed rail  would have trains skipping many towns and cities. Robert Lee owns Lee’s Oriental Market in the Historic Hodges Square Village neighborhood of New London, CT. He worried that a rail bypass would hurt development here. Photo by Ryan Caron King for NENC Two weeks ago on the show, we heard from residents angry about lack of public input in the process, and concerned about potential impacts on historic buildings and farmland. Now in the port city of New London, Cassandra Basler reports that some worry the proposed railroad bypass would decimate their city's budget and hold back it's revitalization. Back in August of 2016 President Obama signed an executive order creating a national monument in Maine's North Woods. As NEXT reported, that signature created the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument on 87 thousand acres of wilderness east of Baxter State Park. Boaters, in August of 2016, paddle the East Branch of the Penobscot River, which cuts through Katahdin Woods and Waters. Photo by Susan Sharon for Maine Public Now, that monument is one of 27 under review by the Trump administration. Maine Governor Paul LePage says the monument, and its potential to become a national park, pose a real threat to Maine’s forest products industry. Main Public Radio's A. J. Higgins traveled to the nearby town of Millinocket, where he found some monument supporters, including local businesses, who are fighting back. The Department of the Interior is accepting public comments on the review of monuments including Katahdin Woods and Waters, (as well as the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monument 150 miles off the coast of Cape Cod), through July 10. You can read comments and submit your own at regulations.gov. Your Grandma’s New England Magazine Adapts to Not-Your-Grandma’s New England Yankee Magazine editor Mel Allen. Photo by Jarrod McCabe for Yankee Magazine Google something along the lines of “best clam chowder in Rhode Island” or “best New England beaches” and chances are good you’ll come across newengland.com, the website of Yankee Magazine. (The magazine will be ranking lobster rolls in its next print issue. Of course, John has his own opinions on that topic.) Yankee's tagline is “New England's magazine,” and the periodical turns 82 this year. So what did it mean to be New England’s Magazine in 1935, and what does it mean today? We check in with editor Mel Allen. Once plentiful in New England's rivers, native Atlantic salmon have since all but disappeared. Salmon grow up in freshwater, then go out to the ocean and return inland to spawn. But dams and changing oceanic conditions have destroyed river return rates. To combat that, New England aggressively stocked hatchery-raised salmon in rivers for decades, but low return counts and budget cutbacks eliminated many of those programs. Yearling Atlantic salmon at about the right size for stocking. Salmon live in fresh water for the first one to four years of life. Photo by Peter E. Steenstrta for USFWS In Connecticut a paired-down salmon stocking program remains. WNPR's Patrick Skahill recently met up with some fish stockers on Connecticut’s Farmington River, and brings us an audio postcard. About NEXT NEXT is produced at WNPR. Host: John Dankosky Producer: Andrea Muraskin Executive Producer: Catie Talarski Digital Content Manager/Editor: Heather Brandon Contributors to this episode: Fred Bever, Jill Kaufman, Cassandra Basler, A.J. Higgins, and Patrick Skahill Music: Todd Merrell, “New England” by Goodnight Blue Moon Get all the NEXT episodes. We appreciate your feedback! Send praise, critique, suggestions, questions, story leads, and live salmon to next@wnpr.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lovely early fall weather means we’re spending our whole hour-long episode outside. All these sunny days, though, mean a shortage of water for crops, gardens, livestock, and lawns. Climate scientists warn that droughts interspersed with periods of heavy storms are becoming the new normal in New England. We look into how farmers and the rest of us are adapting. We also consider what “national monument status” means. President Barack Obama just granted the status to nearly 90,000 acres of the north woods of Maine, and is considering doing the same for miles of ocean canyons and mountains off the coast of Cape Cod. And: it's back to school time, but that means something different for the children of seasonal workers, bringing in the late summer crops. Our Dry New England Summer Livestock farmer Bill Fosher with sheepdog Zues. (Courtesy Bill Fosher) It was an unusually dry summer for much of New England. Massachusetts was (and still is) the hardest-hit. This week, Governor Charlie Baker announced an emergency loan fund to help family farms and other small businesses affected by the drought. New England Public Radio reporter Jill Kaufman has been reporting on the tentative move among New England farmers to adopt drought-friendly techniques. She joins us in the studio, and we call New Hampshire livestock farmer Bill Fosher to talk soil and water. It's not just farmers who have been affected by the long dry spell. If you live in Massachusetts, your town may have told you to limit watering the lawns and garden. But as WBUR reporter Shannon Dooling found out, the rules may be different on the other side of the town line. (Courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection) Director of the Billerica Public Works Abdul Alkhatib points out the level of the Concord River is three feet lower than it was this time last year in 2015 due to the current drought conditions this summer. (Jesse Costa/WBUR) Monuments to Nature If you've ever visited the North Maine Woods, you know that it's one of the most wild places you'll ever see. Nearly 90,000 acres adjacent to Baxter State Park have been designated by President Obama as the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. It’s not quite a national park, but it is protected recreational land. It was donated by Roxanne Quimby, the founder of personal care company Burt's Bees. The donation was her family's plan for some time. The moon rises over Mt. Katahdin. (Bill Duffy) Bull moose in the area designated Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (Mark Picard) View from Lunksoos Mountain (Bill Duffy) Wassataquoik River at Orion Falls (Credit: EPI) The area also has logging and paper industry history. Many politicians have fought against the protected designation, hoping that some day paper mills would return. We speak with two Maine reporters covering the dispute: Maine Public Broadcasting’s Susan Sharon, and Nick Sambides, Jr. of the Bangor Daily News. There's an even more remote part of New England being considered as a national monument. The New England Coral Canyons and Seamounts area, about 150 miles from Cape Cod, is (according to a Congressional letter written to the President): “a world of canyons that rivals the Grand Canyon in size and scale and underwater mountains that are higher than any east of the Rockies. These mountains – known as seamounts – rise as high as 7,700 feet from the ocean floor and are the only seamounts in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean.” A Paramuricea coral in Nygren Canyon, which is 165 nautical miles southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Hydromedusa in Washington Canyon. Mussels in Nygren Canyon. Lawmakers, led by Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, want the president to use the 1906 Antiquities Act to preserve the area. This is much like President George W. Bush did when he designated a similar monument in 2006 off the coast of Hawaii. President Obama just expanded that monument. But like loggers in Maine, many in the commercial fishing industry are fighting the designation, questioning the use of the act by the president. We speak with Brad Sewell, Director of Fisheries and Atlantic Ocean Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, which is backing the proposal. We also hear from Bob Vanasse, executive director of the fisheries industry group Saving Seafood. Maine’s Blueberry Harvest School September means one thing for most kids in New England: an end to summer holidays and the start of classes. But for some, the school year isn't that straightforward, because their parents chase the seasons from Texas to Maine, harvesting vegetables, picking apples, and raking blueberries. The federally funded Migrant Education Program seeks to fill some of the gaps left by a life on the road. MPBN reporter Jennifer Mitchell spent a day with the Blueberry Harvest School in Downeast Maine. The Blueberry Harvest School was established to teach kids whose parents are busy bringing in Maine's $75 million wild blueberry harvest. (Jennifer Mitchel/MPBN) To learn more about parents of these kids — the blueberry harvest workers — we spoke with Jorge Acero, State Monitor Advocate for migrant farm workers in Maine. A teacher asks for volunteers during a class. (Jennifer Mitchel/MPBN) About NEXT NEXT is produced at WNPR. Host: John Dankosky Producer: Andrea Muraskin Executive Producer: Catie Talarski Digital Content Manager/Editor: Heather Brandon Contributors to this episode: Jill Kaufman, Shannon Dooling, and Jennifer Mitchell Music: Todd Merrell, Lightning on a Blue Sky by Twin Musicom, New England by Goodnight Blue Moon Get all the NEXT episodes. We appreciate your feedback! Send praise, critique, suggestions, questions, story leads, and pictures of your corner of New England to next@wnpr.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts: Jim, Jon & KentGuest: David SobkowiakIt appears we've returned!This episode was one of a handful coming up that we thought gone to the mists of time. Thankfully, we've finally managed to recover the audio and are delighted to present it to you!In this episode we create a PERFECTLY NORMAL town deep in the Hundred-Mile Wilderness where ABSOLUTELY NOTHING is amiss. Nothing. At all.Well, except during glider season...Here are some links for David online:Blog: http://www.davidsobkowiak.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/dsobkowiakAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/David-Sobkowiak/e/B004OXCA52Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4443153.David_SobkowiakAlso mentioned in this Episode:Portal Cake MixDubstep KittyBroken SeaGypsy LauraTwin PeaksAppalachian TrailInnsmouth / HP LovecraftSuper8Mt KatahdinBaxter State ParkHundred-Mile WildernessThe ShiningDot-com BubbleSasquatchCall of Cthuhlhu RPGHunting and Trapping in MaineJackalopeDoctor MoreauSugar GliderLoch Ness MonsterRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceJonathan Higgins/Robin MastersGlobal Strategic Maple Syrup ReserveIgorFenrirOwlbearPresley Lake / Moose Head Lake / Seboomook LakeRocky IV / Dolph LundgrenSprocketsValhallaNorthern ExposureX-Files Episode 26 - Pinewood Cove Download

Producer/Host: Amy Browne Engineer: John Greenman Nearly 1400 people packed the Collins Center at the University of Maine Monday evening to let Senator Angus King and Jonathan Jarvis, Director of the United States National Park Service, know how they feel about a proposal to designate land east of Baxter State Park as a national monument. A national monument can be designated by the President, whereas a national park requires the approval of Congress. Roxanne Quimby's family foundation is offering 87,500 acres of land for a “Katahdin Woods and Waters” national monument or park –and millions of dollars to support it. While a much smaller meeting in East Millinocket earlier in the day drew mostly opponents to the proposal, the audience at the Collins Center was overwhelmingly in support, as evidenced by a sea of pro-monument t-shirts. Today’s show features Lucas St. Clair presenting the proposal, some of the public comments pro and con, and Director Jarvis’ responses to questions. The full, unedited (3 hr, 16 min) meeting can be heard here: soundcloud.com/amy-browne-1/public-weighs-in-on-natl-monument-proposal The post Maine Currents 5/18/16 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Studio Engineer: Amy Browne Issue: Community concerns and opportunities Program Topic: The future of the Millinocket Baxter region, including a possible National Park Key Discussion Points: What changes have you seen in the Millinocket-Baxter region in your lifetime… are there trends in the economy and in forest practices, land ownership of the Millinocket-Baxter Region? Given the trends, what role could recreation and tourism play in the near and longer term future economy (leaving aside, for now who owns and manages the land). What private resources are currently contributing to the recreation/tourism economy? What gave rise to groups like Friends of Acadia and other “friends groups” of national and state parks? Your career has been in conservation—what trends do you see in what land is conserved, how it is conserved? What is the interplay between conserved land and land that is managed for forestry, agriculture or other specific economic ends? What are the main arguments for (Olson and Johnson) and against (Pray and Robbins) a national park in the region? Quoting from an article in Portland Press Herald– In response to interest in having President Obama initiate National Monument designation for land donated by Elliotsville Plantation “…three members of Maine's congressional delegation outlined nine “conditions” that the Obama administration should consider if it went forward with a designation. Those conditions include ensuring that traditional recreational activities – including hunting, fishing, camping and use of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles – as well as forest management continue on the land. They also stated that any monument designation “must respect private property rights and ensure the federal government will never take any private land in the area by eminent domain.” Are these conditions at the core of continued discussion? Guests: Charles Pray, former state Senator, Millinocket, 1974-1992 Jim Robbins, former President, Robbins Lumber, Searsmont Ken Olson, conservation consultant, former President, Friends of Acadia Cathy Johnson, North Woods Project Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine The post Talk of the Towns 2/12/16 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Be it the deep forests of Baxter State Park, the pine groves of Acadia, the 100-mile Wilderness, or the familiar trees in your own backyard, take a walk INTO THE WOODS with us today! Join us as we talk with Lindsay Bourgoine from the Appalachian Mountain Club about conserving our woodlands for future generations and Corporal John Macdonald from the Maine Warden Service who will discuss how to recreate safely and happily in the outdoors. https://www.themainemag.com/radio/2012/07/into-the-woods-44/

Producer/Host: Donna Loring Guest Co-host: Maria Girouard Studio Engineer: Amy Browne Topic: “Henry David Thoreau, Ktaadn, America and the Future” What are some native perspectives of Henry David Thoreau?  What were some beliefs of Thoreau’s that brought him to seek out the Native Americans?  What can we learn in the history for the future? Guest: Connie Baxter Marlow The post Wabanaki Windows 7/20/10 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.