On our third excursion, we found a quiet corner of Acadia. The Schoodic Peninsula lies about 20 miles east of Mount Desert Island, where Bar Harbor and the primary chunk of Acadia National Park are located. Schoodic is a quieter place, without the height and drama of large mountains and freshwater ponds, but with the…Read more Downeast Maine, Part 3 – Schoodic Peninsula and Jordan Pond
Trips
Downeast Maine, Part 2 – Whale Watching and Lighthouses
Part 2 of our Maine adventure, featuring a very foggy day in the Atlantic looking for whales, a short hike to Bar Island along the low-tide accessible sand bar that gives Bar Harbor its name, and various lighthouses. A note on the whale watching trip, through Bar Harbor Whale Watch: The touring company uses high speed,…Read more Downeast Maine, Part 2 – Whale Watching and Lighthouses
Downeast Maine, Part 1 – Acadia
Back in August, I posted a quick synopsis of a trip we took to the Bar Harbor, ME area. I'm finally getting around to reviewing footage from that trip and sharing some of the highlights via YouTube. Here's the first installment - a quick hit at some Acadia highlights: Thunder Hole, Otter Creek, Cadillac Mountain, …Read more Downeast Maine, Part 1 – Acadia
Orienteering – Step Up Your Navigation Game
What does this little snippet of a map mean to you? If you're familiar with topographical maps, it may be relatively easy to see a creek valley (blue line) with a wide bottom and intermittent flooding (blue shading, also known as a marsh). Brown lines show elevation contours that indicate changes in elevation, and close…Read more Orienteering – Step Up Your Navigation Game
Cedarville State Forest, MD
Washington, DC traffic is no fun. Some love the area, but for many, the 50 miles surrounding our nation's capitol are viewed as a mass of commuters that grows in density and frustration, the I-495, the Beltway, marking an orbit of wasted time and despair. Given that many of us are forced to deal with…Read more Cedarville State Forest, MD
Sugarloaf Mountain, MD
Rocks, and the smell of hickory. Those were the two primary impressions this mountain made on me one recent, overcast workday afternoon. Before I get too far - I'm NOT talking about any famous ski resorts, I'm referring to a mountain in Maryland that sits by itself well east of the Catcotins and the main…Read more Sugarloaf Mountain, MD
Dayhike: Hawksbill, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Rising above the very deep valley of East Hawksbill Creek, Hawksbill is the tallest mountain in Shenandoah National Park, standing at 4,049 ft above sea level, and beating out neighboring Stony Man by 38 feet. Aside from its superlative height within the park, its dramatic prominence over its namesake creek (over 2,000 feet) makes Hawksbill…Read more Dayhike: Hawksbill, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Dayhike: Bearfence Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
A short, but extremely scenic and exhilarating scramble over boulders and cliffs to the rocky ridgeline of Bearfence Mountain at 3,545 feet. From the Bearfence Parking area on Skyline Drive (Mile 55.5), take the blue-blazed Bearfence trail up and over the cliffs. Keep your hands free, and be ready to climb. The view on top…Read more Dayhike: Bearfence Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
White Oak River, NC
Far off among the trees, a pileated woodpecker drums on a dead snag. Turtles abandon their sunny logs and disappear into the dark water. Butterflies flit over a half-acre of pickerelweed, marsh mallow, and cardinal flower blooms, while a great blue heron stands in the shallows, looking to catch its next meal. The water, stained…Read more White Oak River, NC
The Dove
In 1634, two small ships, the Ark and the Dove (replica shown here) landed on a small island in the Potomac River and thanked God for a successful voyage, marking the first Catholic spot in the New World. The voyagers then sailed back downriver, and found a place to settle, establishing the colony that would become Maryland, at…Read more The Dove
Constant Change on a Tranquil Sea
I'm making up for some lost time with a rare double post! I wanted to share a quick video featuring a quick look at the southern barrier islands of North Carolina. I've never been one for lounging on a beach, but I do enjoy watching the constant movement - not just the waves rolling in, or…Read more Constant Change on a Tranquil Sea
Sleeping In On A Rainy Day
We've all been there. Lying in bed, knowing it's time to get up - but outside it's raining. You can hear it on the roof, on the windows. So you pull your covers over your head and doze off for another half-hour (if you're lucky). Scientists link rainy-day drowsiness to a lack of sunlight. Light…Read more Sleeping In On A Rainy Day
Paddling With Dolphins!
Yesterday, we had a tropical depression ("TD Number Ten" - it never got a name) go over. Today, the ocean was relatively calm, and the clouds were breaking up. I made the attempt to get the kayak out through the surf and see what I could see. (It only took me two tries....) Once I…Read more Paddling With Dolphins!
Paddling Mallows Bay
In April, 1917, US President Woodrow Wilson issued a challenge to his country. World War I was raging in Europe, and Allied shipping was being torn apart by German surface ships and submarines. As a result, the US churned out over a thousand wooden-hulled cargo ships in about 18 months. The war ended in November,…Read more Paddling Mallows Bay
Lighthouses and Lobsters
The last time we visited downeast Maine was about 12 years ago. Now we've got a new generation to raise, and exposing them to New England, to lobster, to people who lengthen A's and drop R's completely, to granite carved by glaciers, beaches made of rock instead of sand, and plants and animals they've never…Read more Lighthouses and Lobsters
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 