Cool Ruins and a Waterfall Along the Madam Brett White and Red Trail

Madam Brett Park is a tranquil little park on Fishkill Creek in Beacon NY, alongside the Hudson River in Dutchess County, not far away from the Hudson Highlands Park. We were there to hike the “Madam Brett White and Red Trail, an out-and-back trail to a waterfall and marsh overlook. This area is noteworthy because […]

Take the Shawangunk Scenic Drive to Enjoy Autumn Color!

Going leaf peeping is one of my favorite fall activities — and last year’s pandemic just made going on long drives sound even better!  We were in upstate New York — in the Catskills — at just about peak autumn foliage color, and, because of the pandemic, a number of our intended hiking destinations (lovely […]

Two Hikes You Shouldn’t Miss at Linn Run State Park

Once an ecological disaster — as with many areas of the East Coast that were clear cut by the lumber industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries — Linn Run State Park is now a thriving second growth forest. Mountain laurel and native rhododendron cover the slopes — we caught the tail end […]

Old Forge Loop Trail, Foundry Park and a Little Surprise Civil War History!

The Old Forge Loop Trail was billed in AllTrails.com as being great for kids, and so I was about to dismiss this walk, until I noticed that there were ruins and a waterfall.  The Hudson River from Foundry Dock Park They had me at ruins. Turns out, the waterfall is meh, but the history and […]

West Virginia’s Best Kept Secret: The Highland Scenic Highway

The Highland Scenic Highway — WV 150 / WV 39-WV 55 — runs 43 miles through the Monongahela National Forest, meandering along the mountain ridges, reaching an elevation of more than 4500 feet. Along the northeastern part of the scenic highway — where it’s more a parkway than a highway. Like its more famous sisters […]

See the Secret Place Where Eagles Soar Aboard the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad

The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Romney, WV. The railroad operates excursion trains over a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line that runs between Green Spring and Petersburg. Since 1991, Potomac Eagle has operated scenic rail excursions through the South Branch Valley in West Virginia.    As you wind along […]

Hiking in the Patuxent Research Refuge

The Patuxent Research Refuge offers several nearly level hikes that include a lot of interest, including a the 1.8 mile Cash Lake Loop Trail, the 4.9 mile North Tract Loop, and the 2.4 mile Forest Trail. Stretched for time, we chose the shorter “hike” (more like a walk, although there were a few muddy spots […]

Take the Most Peaceful Walk in the Park Ever through the Trap Pond Loop

Trap Pond is the feature of this small but lovely Delaware state park. Freshwater wetlands once covered a large portion of southwestern Sussex County, DE, where Trap Pond State Park is located.   Featuring the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress trees in North America, Trap Pond State Park retains a part of those wetlands’ […]

Minnewaska State Park: Rainbow Falls Hike

I rely on AllTrails.com almost as much as I rely on AllRecipes.com. I have no idea whether the two are related. But they’re both great resources!  Lake Minnewaska, one of the parks several “sky lakes” and for which, the state park is named. So during our visit to the Hudson Valley area, I’d planned out […]

River Views Along Jesse’s Trail – Little Gunpowder Falls Loop Hike

This loop hike in Gunpowder Falls State Park (Central Area) takes you for an energizing hike up a heavily forested hillside before finishing with a calming walk alongside the lovely Little Gunpowder Falls river. Despite ample parking at the trailhead at Belair Road, for about 10 or so cars (depending on how close they park […]

Hiking the Lower Susquehanna Ridge Trail: a Perfect Morning Hike

It was the best way to spend a morning — hiking in the mountainside above the Susquehanna River in Harford County, where the river is wide and calm(er) and beautiful glimpsed through the trees, before it opens into the Chesapeake Bay just a mile or two away.  We chose the Lower Susquehanna Ridge Loop Trail. […]

Bear Town State Park — West Virginia’s Hidden Gem

Bear Town State Park is a relatively small state park in West Virginia, on the border of Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties. Its 110 acres encompass a really cool geological rock maze of deep crevices that form alleyways and rooms — all traversed by a boardwalk that leads you to cool vantage points in, among, and […]