Citizen Cider - Burlington, Vermont

Citizen Cider

It is hard for me to go to Vermont without spending at least $100 in beer to bring back home to my well stocked fridge or to thirsty friends.  This trip was no exception and after biking Burlington for the day and a delicious lunch at Sweetwaters, I hopped back on my bike to check out the well known and loved Citizen Cider. 

Ferry Crossing New York to Vermont - Biking Burlington

Ferry entering Port Kent, NY 

When you spend four days in northern New York, you have some time to cross state lines and explore beyond the Empire State.  Up in Ausable Chasm, you can do this quite easily (and affordably) in neighboring Port Kent.  You can leave New York behind and take an hour cruise across Lake Champlain over to Burlington, Vermont.  One scenic boat ride is all it takes and you can swap quiet Ausable for bustling Burlington, home to amazing breweries, great food, and amazing bike paths.

Ausable Brewing Company - Adirondacks, New York

One of my favorite and I mean favorite ways to end a great day of hiking Indian Head Overlook is by sipping tasty local beer at a craft brewery (extra point if its a new one).  Trying new breweries is always fun, but beer just tastes so much better after a long hike, mowing the lawn, or in the back country areas of ski trails - can I get an amen?  When Ryan mentioned passing by a brewery on his way to the campground, we quickly added Ausable Brewing Company to our list of must-see before we leave.  Maybe it was the hike, maybe it was this gorgeous piece of property, but views of Indian Head followed by local cold beer in an oversized Adirondack is just about the best way to celebrate a Saturday. 

Indian Head and Lower Ausable Lake Hikes - Adirondacks

With all the New England summits down, I am excited to start expanding my "hike list" outside of some of New Englands famous high peaks.  Don't get me wrong, I loved standing at the top of Kathadin (ME), hiking the 13 mile loop around Greylock (MA), following the AT to the top of Bear Mountain (CT), seeing the fall foliage on Mount Mansfield (VT), and tackling famous Mount Washington (NH). But I was excited to escape New England for a long weekend in New York to see what hiking the Adirondacks was all about, to see a part of this big state outside it's famous city. 

Before I left for New York, I sent out a "call to action" for a list of everyone's favorite hikes in the area.  Google provided me with some pretty good options but when a friend posted on instagram about her favorite hike in the entire northeast which just happened to be in the Adirondacks, she caught my attention.  I changed my google search to scour the internet for pictures of somewhere called "Indian Head".  What came up on my screen was one of the most beautiful overlooks I have seen here.  It was a large rock cliff hovering over charming Lower Ausable Lake where you could take in the amazing view of the High Peaks Wilderness and the iconic lake below.  All it took was a few photos of this spot and my Saturday was planned in the land of no cell service, following pristine streams and wooded trails to this amazing vista. 

Visiting Ausable Chasm, New York

So often in life, we take advantage of the little things.  We get so wrapped up in the "need to do" and daily sing song of life that we forget to do whats really important - spend time with people we love.  In this digital and forever-connected age, it's so easy to let friendships and relationships slide to the wayside when we cant find time to make it work.  While I can be just as guilty, since moving back to Connecticut two years ago, I have a greater appreciation for spending time with the people I love.  2,282 miles will certainly give you perspective on how lucky you are to spend time with the people who mean the most to you.  

This spring, I bought a house and have been forever grateful to the help of family and friends in turning this place from a fixer upper to a home (theres nothing like free labor and expertise to make you realize how lucky you are).  So in the spirit of spending more quality time with family and friends and when my parents suggested a fourth of July trip somewhere (anywhere) just to spend time together as a family, I jumped at the chance.  I was excited to spend some time with these humans and for the first time in a while, without a paint roller or drill in my hand.  While everyone else in my family was busy or had their reasons for not wanting to join, I happily tagged along with my parents and planned a four day weekend nearly 5 hours away in the gorgeous Adirondacks of upstate New York.