Blogs from United States, North America - page 1738

More photos at: Picasa url=https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fAVHZ68dA5i5B13vile_1tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlinkimg=https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nGecHDMXCYs/UhqyODFLbhI/AAAAAAAACHA/yykxq29SbY4/s288/image4.jpg The combination of sleeping in and traveling east led to a late start this morning, but I was still able to get to the Allegheny NF info center (in Marienville, PA) by early afternoon. After talking to the ranger about which trails were good day hikes, I headed to the Beaver Meadows trails for a quick 3.5 mile hike around Beaver Meadows Lake. It was a nice place to hike, though I only took a few pictures. Sadly, I didn't think to take a picture of the armpit high sea of ferns I had to wade through at one point along the trail. I didn't see many hikers on this trail, bu... read more

We awake to light drizzle in the morning so we stay at anchor until noon when The Captain (that is, me) begins to get antsy. And the forecast is for afternoon sunshine, so we fire up the engine. The anchor is well dug-in, so we use the engine to break it out. A good sign for future visits. The anchor comes up clean. A sandy bottom with no weed. Nice. It takes us an hour to run across the sound to the Bristol harbor entrance. We are followed by a 150-foot ocean-going mega-mansion. Jana asks “Where is she going to anchor?” We guess that the answer is “Just about anywhere the captain wants.” There is plenty of water in Bristol’s outer habor and just a few well-marked obstructions. (But when we leave the next morning, we ... read more

No doubt about it, this is a strenuous hike. While I was perfectly comfortable on Tahquitz Peak the day after hiking, it took three days to recover from Vivian Creek, primarily due to the steep downhill trek the second day. The pack added a lot of extra downward force, and I constantly felt like I was going to be pushed forward and down the side of the mountain. It was only five miles each day, but with a 2,300 ft elevation gain. Not sure if this is a trail I will want to do again. On day one, the hike up the mountain was quite pleasant. After the first mile of steep switchbacks, it was pretty easy going. I was physically and mentally prepared to move swiftly into camp and then head up for the summit. ... read more

We think that by far the best place to stay in Bristol is at a mooring from Bristol Marine. The Herreschoff Museum is in the South-end of Bristol. They too offer moorings, but their moorings are quite exposed to the South West. We stayed on a mooring there just once and had quite a hair-raising dinghy trip back to our boat. I think there is a “recommended anchorage” near Hog Island but this too looks very exposed and we have never used it. If you want to anchor, Potter Cove is less than two miles across the sound. The Herreschoff Museum is well worth visiting. The town center is quite small and is delightful. There is a good selection of restaurants and the town is so compact that you can walk round a dozen restaurants in ... read more

Finally sitting at home, feeling twenty pounds lighter, with a huge sentiment of content, confidence and bliss. I just got back from a week at the head office for the company I work for in Franklin Mass, to announce to them my desire to work part time for them as I leave with my boyfriend on a six month road trip across Canada and the United States. Although the news came to them as quite a surprise, their reaction was very pleasant. Well prepared, I laid down my plan for the part time schedule, knowing they count on me for meetings and leading QA activities. They had no objections, hardly any concerns and made my dream easier to achieve. Everything about this trip has been so easy to plan so far; things have just been falling ... read more