tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89234980531988221592024-03-19T03:51:18.275-07:00Katie Wanders Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.comBlogger1008125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-15024496492522067322024-03-17T12:33:00.000-07:002024-03-17T14:44:16.567-07:00Winter Hike - Mount Pierce (via Crawford Path) White Mountains, New HampshireUnpopular opinion...Winter is an amazing time to head to northern New Hampshire and hike.I know, I know, we love the sunshine and shorts weather, sitting on top of a summit with a snack and a view while the cool breeze goosebumps your sweaty skin, but here's the thing. We tend to glamorize the glory and we forget about all the less-than-ideal conditions. We forget about the early bird start timesKatie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Mt Pierce, Bean's Grant, NH 03589, USA44.2264547 -71.365909615.916220863821152 -106.5221596 72.536688536178843 -36.209659599999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-53046010098787740012024-03-11T09:20:00.000-07:002024-03-11T09:24:36.844-07:00Putnam Memorial State Park - Redding, ConnecticutKatie Wanders is something I am so happy to have and proud to share, but it is truly a hobby and a passion project. I work as an Environmental Consultant for a firm I started, where I work on "due diligence environmental site assessments". To put it simply, I write environmental reports covering the history of a commercial property and the current use to decide if there are any environmental Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Putnam Memorial State Park, 499 Black Rock Tpke, Redding, CT 06896, USA41.3373384 -73.381569213.027104563821155 -108.5378192 69.647572236178846 -38.2253192tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-44059072078443988272024-01-02T16:34:00.000-08:002024-01-02T16:39:15.724-08:00Wharton Brook State Park and Quinnipiac River State Park - CT Happy 2024!Wharton Brook State Park walking pathA lot of people are setting different types of fun outdoor challenges. Some are doing a certain amount of hours outside, some are doing the 52 hike challenge, and I'm sure there are many other variations. I am continuing with my state park challenge and I hope these posts motivate you to explore the shared spaces and public places in your own state.Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Wharton Brook State Park, 675 US-5, North Haven, CT 06473, USA41.4250948 -72.837638913.114860963821151 -107.9938889 69.735328636178849 -37.6813889tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-87738634329174918372023-12-30T17:31:00.000-08:002024-01-02T16:48:21.475-08:00A Year in Review 2023T e n This is my tenth year reflecting back on the last 365 days with my "Year in Review" post. It feels special, a decade of memories condensed to ten posts on my little corner of the internet.It's my favorite post to write every year and you can read my recaps for the last nine years (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014). I wentKatie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-29001046948870890612023-12-27T10:57:00.000-08:002023-12-27T10:57:29.349-08:00Winter at the Cog — The Mount Washington Cog RailwayOur neighbors recently returned from a trip to New Hampshire where they headed up the Cog Railway to roast marshmallows in a winter wonderland. We heard this and immediately thought of our train o b s e s s e d toddler (obsessed may not even be the right word). We quickly grabbed tickets and planned a festive weekend away up north to Mount Washington and Santa's Village. Mount Washington is Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com03168 Base Station Rd, Mount Washington, NH 03589, USA44.270017 -71.35082799999999315.959783163821157 -106.50707799999999 72.580250836178848 -36.194577999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-17738343351819196872023-12-10T03:52:00.000-08:002023-12-10T03:52:45.725-08:00Santa's Village - New HampshireI am not an amusement park kind-of-gal but here me out when I say Santa's Village is a magical place. There is no shortage of things to do around the holiday season but a trip to Santa's Village is just about the best way to kick off the season. You travel to northern New Hampshire and I mean north, like not too far from the Canadian border north to the quiet little town of Jefferson. Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0528 Presidential Hwy, Jefferson, NH 03583, USA44.42631 -71.495053716.116076163821155 -106.6513037 72.736543836178839 -36.3388037tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-24871413036885071792023-11-29T18:12:00.000-08:002023-11-29T18:12:11.081-08:00Machimoodus State Park - Moodus, CTI am pretty blown away by the amount of beautiful places and spaces in our small state and Machimoodus was of certainly one of them. It's in Moodus, a relatively quiet village in the town of East Haddam. Don't expect to find a busy downtown or a high traffic park. Instead, you can find quiet back roads with a colorful coffee shop, and a park with a relatively empty parking lot. I heard of this Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Machimoodus State Park, 128 Leesville Rd, Moodus, CT 06469, USA41.4975976 -72.47950900000000713.187363763821153 -107.63575900000001 69.807831436178844 -37.323259000000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-51659742773910246662023-11-11T05:34:00.004-08:002023-11-11T05:34:44.503-08:00Windsor Meadows State Park - Windsor Windsor Meadows State Park is a small stretch of park bordering the Connecticut River in the town of Windsor. The entire park consists of 155 acres of woodlands along the river, bounded to the west by railroad tracks. The south section of the park contains the large parking lot, start of the Windsor River Trail (paved trail great for a variety of trail users), the Bissell Bridge Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Windsor Meadows State Park, E Barber St, Windsor, CT 06095, USA41.81324 -72.648208613.503006163821155 -107.8044586 70.123473836178846 -37.491958600000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-23576713391947220902023-11-01T18:09:00.005-07:002023-11-01T18:09:42.834-07:00Farm River State Park, East HavenThis state park is truly a hidden gem. Only 35 minutes away, I had never heard of this small but special state park basically nestled in a neighborhood on the water. The 61 acre park is "relatively new" earning its state park designation in 1998. I visited in peak foliage, late October and the park was absolutely beautifully decorated in every shade of Autumn. On a sunny weekday, I also had the Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Farm River State Park, 121 Mansfield Grove Rd, East Haven, CT 06512, USA41.2561099 -72.856717312.945876063821153 -108.0129673 69.566343736178851 -37.7004673tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-24863618528695925192023-10-27T17:32:00.004-07:002023-10-27T17:33:11.907-07:00Horse Guard State Park - AvonWhen you look at the list of Connecticut State Parks, it's a little confusing and definitely overwhelming. You have state parks and scenic reserves and state forests. You have large parks with hundreds of acres and tiny areas that are merely preserved open space. There will be well known popular parks and little spots on the map with barely an entrance sign marking its existence. I'll have to Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Horse Guard State Park, 245 W Avon Rd, Avon, CT 06001, USA41.8015494 -72.86174079999999313.491315563821153 -108.01799079999999 70.111783236178837 -37.705490799999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-10061771851458811702023-10-20T12:26:00.005-07:002023-10-20T12:46:54.245-07:00Hedgehog Trail - West Simsbury, Connecticut As a "middle" child of four, and now a parent myself, I really understand how time is such a limited resource in the game of parenting. And also because of it, I'm overly aware of splitting my time, of making my two kids feel loved and seen and equal in my time and resources. I hope they look back at their equally completed baby books, email accounts with long winded letters to them both, Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Hedgehog trail, West Simsbury, CT 06092, USA41.8790628 -72.86595799999999213.568828963821154 -108.02220799999999 70.189296636178852 -37.709707999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-3849841014622745232023-10-19T18:13:00.004-07:002023-10-19T18:13:35.865-07:00Sherwood Island State Park - WestportSherwood Island State Park is one of the popular beachfront state parks in Coastal Connecticut and it also gets the ranking of Connecticut's first park. The Connecticut State Park Commission was born in 1913 and their first purchase was five acres of salt marsh in Westport, the beginning of Sherwood Island State Park (currently 238 acres). While there are 110 state parks in eight counties inKatie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Sherwood Island State Park, Sherwood Island Connector, Westport, CT 06880, USA41.1165359 -73.331577712.806302063821157 -108.4878277 69.426769736178841 -38.1753277tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-21474226124352976632023-10-11T11:39:00.000-07:002023-10-11T11:39:12.188-07:00Flume Gorge - Franconia Notch State Park, New HampshireThere's a little saying that I have to repeat to myself as we head to some of the busier attractions that tend to be a bit more beginner (and in my case kid) friendly. When the crowds start to assemble and I have to use a bit more patience and a few more forced smiles I remind myself of this: "Popular places are popular for a reason". I also remind myself there are ways to get around the Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Flume Gorge, 852 Daniel Webster Hwy, Lincoln, NH 03251, USA44.098110899999988 -71.665921215.787877063821142 -106.8221712 72.408344736178833 -36.5096712tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-6513959047237596342023-10-04T18:26:00.008-07:002023-10-05T03:51:36.131-07:00Millers Pond State Park - DurhamThis is a story about another tucked away lesser known Connecticut State Park. It's also a story about how I genuinely think people are good, but there are some less than great ones too, and one of those less than great humans was also at Miller Pond State Park.Harsh start to today's state park guide, I know, I know, but hear me out. It was a gorgeous fall day here in Connecticut. It was a SundayKatie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Millers Pond State Park, 344 Foot Hills Rd, Durham, CT 06422, USA41.4757898 -72.632011113.165555963821156 -107.7882611 69.78602363617884 -37.4757611tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-44355355670979456082023-10-02T04:35:00.001-07:002023-10-02T04:35:04.977-07:00Dinosaur State Park - Rocky HillOn another soggy September day, a Friday where I am solely in charge of keeping both kids alive, I did some research to find a state park that could offer some kind of indoor adventure (if you are just tuning in, I set the goal of visiting all the Connecticut State Parks). I did a little bit of research and found a wildly unique state park that fit the bill. I'm embarrassed to admit I've Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Dinosaur State Park, 400 West St, Rocky Hill, CT 06067, USA41.651899 -72.656862112.749100051841463 -107.8131121 70.554697948158534 -37.5006121tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-87687854264217295462023-09-29T09:08:00.034-07:002023-09-29T11:26:47.292-07:00Day Pond State Park - ColchesterWe have had a very wet Connecticut summer. It has rained most weekends and September was sort of like "keep it coming". After two days of heavy rain, I decided to head to one of the state parks with a waterfall (there are several) to see what the water levels were like after #SoggySeptember. After a quick google search, the start to many adventures, I headed north to Day Pond State Park in Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Day Pond State Park, Day Pond Road, Colchester, CT 06415, USA41.5567991 -72.419051213.246565263821154 -107.5753012 69.867032936178845 -37.2628012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-58080007759946152532023-09-28T03:52:00.002-07:002023-09-29T11:30:04.251-07:00Harkness Memorial State Park - WaterfordStop #2 on my 2023 Connecticut State Park Tour took me and the kids 35 minutes east up the coast to Goshen Point to visit Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford. Harkness Memorial State Park isn't your typical state park. You won't find hiking trails or geocaching, you won't see mountain bikers or trail runners. Instead, it's more of an upscale oceanfront property owned by the state, open to Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Harkness Memorial State Park, 275 Great Neck Rd, Waterford, CT 06385, USA41.3065798 -72.116874913.978393337972328 -107.2731249 68.634766262027682 -36.9606249tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-46471720271866895902023-09-26T06:37:00.003-07:002023-09-29T11:30:36.480-07:00Rocky Neck State Park - East LymeA constant theme you will find as you read my state park guides is "I forgot how beautiful this place is". Rocky Neck was exactly that. I have been to the park many times over the years but after a long hiatus, I was back at the park with my son with a fresh set of eyes and deeper appreciation for this gem of a park so close to home. I forgot just how lovely the trails are, quiet even on a SundayKatie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Rocky Neck State Park, 228 W Main St, Niantic, CT 06357, USA41.315833 -72.241340213.005599163821152 -107.3975902 69.626066836178836 -37.085090199999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-88966865985864812342023-09-09T17:17:00.004-07:002023-09-11T17:30:43.413-07:00North South Lake Campground and Day Use Area - Camper Trip 2023August marked our second time camping at the beautiful North South Lake Campground at in the Catskills of New York. I've lost track of how many time we've been up to the Catskills to date, but this part of the northeast is one of my favorites places to visit over and over again. I've written a Weekender's Guide for a summer in the Catskills which is perfect for any first timer or frequent visitorKatie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-52921296300896212472023-08-30T16:40:00.009-07:002023-08-30T17:05:43.753-07:003 Days along the Costa Brava in SpainOur trip to Barcelona was loosely planned meaning, we really didn't have much of a plan. If you read my first Spain post, you knew that we did little prep for this trip thanks to the overwhelming exhaustion and sleep deprivation that comes with raising young kids. We knew we were going to spent the first three days in Barcelona but the next three days we had a hotel a little up the cost in Santa Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Costa Brava, Girona, Spain42.2755267 3.017571213.965292863821155 -32.1386788 70.585760536178839 38.1738212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-91610568788093198242023-08-16T08:55:00.008-07:002023-08-16T09:20:14.908-07:00A Week in Spain: Part 1 - Three days in BarcelonaMy taste of a Spanish summer went a little like this: A week of eating whatever I wanted, not a care about a calorie. A week of actual rest and relaxation, the kind I haven't felt since having kids, that feeling of being my "old" self before kids, while fiercely missing my kids. It started with a few nights in the city, riding the metro, eating and walking our way through one of the best Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-22170988127984452712023-08-10T17:21:00.006-07:002023-08-10T17:25:05.471-07:00Summer weekend in Southern MaineWhen I think of Maine, I think of rocky coasts, national parks, puffin and lighthouse tours, lobster everything, epic restaurants in Portland, so many craft breweries, foggy islands, whale watching tours, and moose sightings on the lake. I’ve been up to Maine a handful of times to hike Acadia, stroll through Bar Harbor, get married on a lake, cruise around Bar Harbor, and hike the Katahdin, Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-48324892410475753382023-07-28T17:46:00.001-07:002023-07-28T17:46:05.489-07:00Summer Weekend in Stratton, VermontIt's funny how we think we need big trips to make big memories. We think of epic trips to Hawaii, backpacking around Europe, and cross country road trips. As we adjust to life with two young kids, we are always trying to find ways to make big memories, with them and for them. While that trip abroad certainly made the cut for a "big memory", as I was walking up the gravel driveway to our rented Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Stratton, VT, USA43.0428562 -72.910933414.732622363821157 -108.0671834 71.353090036178855 -37.754683400000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-78054207054488141202023-06-15T11:58:00.006-07:002023-06-15T12:07:49.522-07:00Visiting the Bronx Zoo - New York CityWhen you hear "The Bronx" of New York, you probably aren't thinking world class zoo". This big New York City borough is densely populated and typically doesn't make the cut compared the the famously popular Brooklyn and Manhattan boroughs. The Bronx is home to some famous attractions including Yankee Stadium, the Botanical Gardens, and the Bronx Zoo. After visiting our small but cute zoo Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8923498053198822159.post-84032588367894523362023-05-15T17:10:00.007-07:002023-05-15T17:21:34.973-07:00New York City - with Babies and Toddlers! Three months into having a new baby in the house, we were starting to go a bit stir crazy. The spring weather was giving us all the feels and we were ready to spend a weekend away with the kids, desperate for a change in our routine. We looked at AirBnbs in New Hampshire and Maine, toyed with the idea of Rhode Island, thought about heading back to the Berkshires, all until I had a great Katie Grossmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12578499377592897433noreply@blogger.com0Manhattan, New York, NY, USA40.7830603 -73.9712488-38.388955709346376 145.4037512 90 66.6537512