Mosher Hill Falls, otherwise known as “The Cascades,” is a wonderful looking waterfall located in Farmington, Maine. It stands at 45 feet tall and usually runs for most of the year, unless there’s an unusual dry spell toward late summer or early fall. Parking for the falls is available in a small parking lot or alongside a dirt road upstream. The hike to the falls is less than a quarter mile. Most of the trail declines gently, but towards the area closer to the falls, it becomes steeper. The trail to the bottom of the falls is somewhat slippery and can be dangerous for those who aren’t skilled at hiking. Laura and I have visited these falls quite a few times while living in Maine and have enjoyed our visit each time. Please click through to the post to view many photos of the area and to watch some video as well. Continue reading…
Winter Hiking in Maine
There’s no shortage of outdoor activities to take advantage of in Maine. Winter hiking is one of these activities. Before moving to the state, I hadn’t actually considered walking around in the snow. I always thought it would be too cold outside or that the depth of the snow would keep me from getting very far. Apparently, with the popularity of snowmobiles in the northeast United States, snow hiking is not only possible, but very popular. The snowmobiles pack the snow down so walking is rather straightforward. On any given weekend, there are hundreds, if not thousands of outdoor enthusiasts enjoying what their great state has to offer. In this post, I share a few stories of my adventures as well as far too many photos of the same. Click through to take a look. Continue reading…
Air Line State Park & Rail Trail, Connecticut
This was definitely one of our favorite things in Connecticut. It’s called the Air Line State Park Rail Trail and it’s basically a rail trail that’s broken up into pieces that span a healthy section of the state. Laura and I have visited and have either walked or have ridden bicycles on a good majority of the pieces. They meander through parts of Portland, East Hampton, Colchester, Hebron, Columbia, Lebanon, Windham, Chaplin, Hampton, Pomfret, Putnam, and Thompson. The cool thing about this trail isn’t the fact that it’s navigable. but more so that it includes many lovely areas. Swamps, hills and mountains, rivers and streams, big fields, and so much more. So while you’re riding or walking, there’s the opportunity to look around at all the nature. In our case, we visited a nearby field that we cut across to see the intersection of the Jeremy and Salmon Rivers. In this post, I share photos of our adventures. Please click through to do some reading and to take a look at a few of the photos I’ve taken along the way. Continue reading…
Blackledge River, Marlborough, Connecticut
The Blackledge River that flows through Marlborough and Hebron, Connecticut is a lovely river Laura and I hiked alongside quite often during our time in the area. Within a few steps of our home, we were able to access a trail system that skirted the water for a good portion of its overall distance. I remember those walks well. We’d do some wandering through the tree lined pathways until we were up and over the hill. Then, we’d make our way down to the river to see that sparkling water and those stone walls that had become so familiar to us. The area in which we hiked was far away from the hustle and bustle of civilization – perhaps that’s why we enjoyed it so much. Click through to see some photos we took during one particular outing near this wonderful place. Continue reading…
Canoeing Down the Farmington River, Connecticut
If you live anywhere near New Hartford, Connecticut and if you have a sense of adventure, you really need to visit a place called Main Stream Canoes & Kayaks to rent yourself a canoe. After you do this, you’ll get dropped off upstream to ride down the Farmington River, which is a lot of fun. Laura and I visited this establishment many years ago and were delighted with the day we shared together. We brought lunch, our cameras, and an open mind and for six miles, we relaxed, paddled, and battled some small rapids. The entire trip down the river tool only an hour, but on slower days, it can take upwards of four. It really depends on how much you paddle and how fast you want to go. In this post, you’ll find a quick story about how we ended up going canoeing as well as a few pictures of our experience. Continue reading…
Salmon River, Connecticut
The Salmon River is one of the most beautiful in the state of Connecticut. It’s not a tremendously long river, at only just over 10 miles. There are two other rivers that form this one; the Blackledge and the Jeremy. Both of these merge in the area of North Westchester. The end of the Salmon River flows into the Salmon Cove and then into the Connecticut River. This all happens in the vicinity of Moodus. Laura and I have visited different sections of the Salmon River during our stay in Connecticut and were thrilled with its beauty each and every time. Our visits really never got old. Please click through into this post to read my stories of our experiences as well as browse some of the many photos I’ve taken of the area. Continue reading…
Learning to Fly
I’m not going to say it was always a dream of mine to learn how to fly. It wasn’t. I actually didn’t give it much thought before earning enough money to pay for lessons. It was an idea I came up with that would help me visit my family that moved from New York to North Carolina. I thought that if I learned how to fly an airplane, I could simply hop in one for quick visits here and there. Unfortunately, flight lessons are much more involved than teaching a student how to “hop in an airplane” for a quick anything. The student needs to learn how to not only operate the actual aircraft, but how to navigate it as well. They also need to learn all about weather, which is a large part of air travel. In this post, I’ve documented each and every flight lesson I took at Orange County Airport (MGJ) in Montgomery, New York. If you’re interested in getting a private pilot’s license, please read through what I shared to make a more informed decision. You may love what you read and you may not – but at least you’ll learn something. Continue reading…