Hiking the Baldface Circle Trail, plus twenty
The guidebook describes the Baldface Circle Trail as “a strenuous trip not to be underestimated,” but I didn’t remember it as so. I first hiked this 9.8 mile loop with […]
Maine places
A Ride on the Wild Quiet Side: Exploring Acadia’s Schoodic Peninsula
Schoodic Peninsula is one of those out-of-the way Maine destinations that provokes conflicting emotions: I want to share its beauty, but also hope it remains off the well-beaten path. On […]
Three Hills for Mother’s Day
I have long wanted to hike to Third Hill, the far outpost of York, Maine’s rangy Mount Agamenticus. Third Hill has a reputation for being challenging to find. I’ve known […]
A different kind of Groundhog Day: The Candlemas Massacre
On January 24, on the morning after Candlemas Day, 1692, the town of York, Maine was burned to the ground by a band of 150 Abenaki Indians. Between 40 and […]
Inventing Nature at Acadia National Park
I love the barren open summits of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine. On Memorial Day, we set out from the Jordan Pond House and completed the 6-mile-ish […]
Snow babies, seals, and maniacal Arctic travelers: A visit to Eagle Island
Even maniacal travelers need a respite once in a while, if only to plan their next adventures. Eagle Island, in Maine’s Casco Bay, was such a haven for big adventurers […]
Globalization, circa 1807, curses the Lady Pepperrell House
Lady Mary Hirst Pepperrell had impeccable taste. So say many sources, but the best indicator is the home she built in 1760 on Route 103 in Kittery Point. The Lady […]
Round up: Five great family hikes in Maine
The temperature has risen to a magical 60 degrees, the daffodils are blooming, and the forsythia are primed for an explosion of yellow. The tulips won’t be far behind, and […]
Time travelling, sea to summit, in the woods of York, Maine
One of my favorite “backyard” walks is the “sea-to-summit” hike from Highland Farm in York to the summit of Mount Agamenticus. The walk doesn’t actually start at the beach, but […]
White elephant in a green valley
Here at Evergreen Valley, the outside temperature is 12 degrees, but a full 28 degrees warmer, at 40, inside our “villa.” We lost power yesterday (2/17), late in the afternoon […]