A Nantucket Day Trip - Fall 2024

A trip to Nantucket has been high (really high) on my New England bucket list. I'm a New England Native in love with the area. I'm a Weekend Wanderer out to explore as much of the northeast as my schedule as a mom/wife/business owner allows.  I've been to Martha's Vineyard, and spent a lot of time on Block Island, but Nantucket was the last one left on my "New England Island Trifecta". Most ACK visitors spend at least the weekend to take advantage of the island and the time it takes to get there. The island is small relative to its Vineyard neighbor, which means lodging is limited and you can expect to book far in advance, and spend a lot to do it. 

Nantucket charm

I toyed around with the idea of visiting Nantucket on a day trip and when a work opportunity came my way, I decided to make it happen. It's a lot of travel for the day, but the small size of the island makes it doable in a day trip and not having to worry about lodging is a second win. 

The work portion of the trip would take about 30 minutes while the travel to get to Nantucket would be four hours between the drive and the ferry, each way. Nantucket is the farthest east of the islands and is the southeasternmost town in both Massachusetts and the New England. This meant that if I was going to Nantucket, I was going to make the day of it and do the highlight reel on a sunny September day. I was also going in the shoulder season, after Labor Day when the crowds die down but warm enough to enjoy the sunshine and time outside on the island and it felt like the perfect way to experience Massachusetts island. 

Before I get into the details let me say a few things. I thought Nantucket was going to be overrated, that the island was more trendy and a socialite destination more than anything else and wouldn't be worth the expense and time required to travel there, especially for the day. Let me tell you no one was more pleasantly surprised than me. It took a little bit but I got the hype of the island, the vibe of Nantucket, and I can understand how special of a place it is, and why people head to this beautiful New England island in every single season. 

Summer weekend in Southern Maine

When 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, Maine’s tallest peak 

What I never really associated Maine with, was beach towns and boardwalks, amusement parks and family vacations. Of all my trips to Maine, this was the first time we made a point to stop at the beach, and do some of the touristy things like dinner in Ogunquit, a day at Wells Beach, and an overcast morning at the Old Orchard Beach boardwalk. After a few beach days on the southern seacoast of Maine, I can officially say I GET IT. Loud and clear. I get why families flock to the beach, why kids crowd the arcade and couples walk the boardwalk. It’s sort of like the Jersey Shore without Jersey: i.e. less people, more lobster. 

New England (and New York) Fall Road Trip - Must See Sights

Once September hits in New England, I start planning my favorite getaways. Days spent hiking, evenings spent camping, nights in cozy cabins and morning in the crisp New England Air. Leaf peeping and scenic drives, apple picking and fairs - all the good things we are so ready for after a toasty humid New England summer.

Last month, someone asked for some advice on planning a fall New England road trip and I was embarrassed to admit that post didn't exist yet. I quickly got to work, going state by state to share some of my favorite places in the northeast.

Waterville Valley Ski Resort/Mount Tecumseh

This not That (Littleton and Route 116) - Fall in New Hampshire

One of my favorite topics on Katie Wanders is a "this not that" sort of series.  It basically takes some of your popular spots and trips and gives you a much better less-crowded alternative. This post is featuring two of these things because when you hit a spot in one of its peak seasons, you need to learn to adjust. 

Franconia Ridge Loop, New Hampshire (Fall 2020)

When we were planning out hikes for the weekend, I had a list in my head of some good options.  There is the 48 4,000 footer list (of which I had only conquered 14), there was the 52 with a view list, and a bunch of other hikes that looked like great options for this ragtag group. 

What I didn't plan was to repeat any of the hikes I had done before - definitely not one of the really hard ones.  Of course, this is exactly what I ended up doing.  Adam mentioned a few times that he had always wanted to hike the ridge, Franconia Ridge that is.  I told him I really REALLY didn't want to repeat a hike, that I would do it if he really wanted to, but it was like last resort bottom of my list.  I told him "I'm sure you could find a friend to come up and do it with you" and listed about 4 more excuses.  I could tell he really, really wanted to do this hike I would be a trooper and drag myself up, across, and down this ridge for a second time.  And so, this is how I ended up hiking Franconia Ridge for the second time, again with very little hiking conditioning. 

The Lobster Shack - East Haven - Lobster Roll Tour Stop #6

It took me a few summers to finish my lobster roll tour.  For starters, tasting lobster rolls is an expensive hobby.  Lobster rolls generally cost anywhere from $18 to $20 (usually without sides) and while insanely delicious, aren't always filling.  Geographic location also made it a little more time consuming as we sample lobster rolls as far east and Noank and as far west as East Haven.  If there was ever a time to eat lobster rolls - now is it.  The crowds are gone after Labor Day, COVID-19 has forced us to dine al fresco, and it just felt like the perfect time to spend a Friday night chowing down lobster rolls along the water (and head to IKEA when it is least busy).  

Mt. Pisgah Loop Hike - Lake Willoughby, Vermont

The temperatures were in the low 30s as I finished off my coffee and traveled across lonely dirt roads in northern Vermont, away from the quaint little village of Island Pond.  You know the dirt roads I'm talking about, narrow paths that cut through the woodsy untouched patches of Vermont.  These dirt roads are often lonely in the best way possible sometimes dotted with a cabin or two, or sweet houses or properties set back in the woods.  As you drive these dirt roads up and down Vermont, you can't help but stop and wonder how people get to their houses when the snow starts to fall.  This time of year, these dirt roads are an oasis, quiet enough to pull over and take in a picture and enjoy the view and you can drive along and feel like you are in a Lifetime romance movie.  It was the last of the leaves in Northern Vermont and it was just Olive and I at the tail end of my Kingdom Trails weekend, on a mission to catch some more golden hues and check out a new hike in the Northeast Kingdom. 

Before I left Connecticut, I did some research on some of the best hikes in Vermont and was happy to see one of these highly-rated hikes was only 20 minutes north of Kingdom Trails.  Mt. Pisgah in Westmore, Vermont makes the "Must Hike List" for its bird's eye views of Lake Willoughby and mountain vistas featuring Vermont, New Hampshire, and Canada.  It's a lovely little hike that is a moderate effort, a day hike that can be done as an "out and back" or as a loop hike if you don't mind a road walk.  Who minds a road walk when you have the mountains on one side and a lake on the other.  I did not. 

An Introvert's Afternoon in Island Pond, Vermont

You are going to be surprised to read this, but let me share a little secret with you.  I actually consider myself to be an introvert... an outgoing introvert if we are being precise.  It wasn't always obvious to me but the older I got the more I started to realize how true this was.

I'll cancel plans (especially in groups) and a lot of the times if I don't cancel, I sometimes secretly hope you will.  I can talk to anyone, but I despise small talk.  I love deep meaningful one on one conversation more of a one on one style.  Crowds... they make me incredibly anxious.  Social settings drain me and after a long week of work, I genuinely prefer to be home on a Friday night (often myself or with Adam).  I feel like I have an old soul and it's home alone doing things around the house at 7 in bed by 9 with a book when I recharge.  I am genuinely happy to do things on my own, and more importantly, need that time to do things on my own.  So yes, I can talk to anyone and you can pin me as outgoing without a doubt but at my core, I'm actually an introvert. 

Semi Pemi Loop - Backpacking in the Whites

Dear Reader, 

If you noticed, yes, I am sort of blogging in reverse.  I was wrapping up my trip to Europe before switching over to last weekend in New Hampshire for peak foliage, and now backtracking my way back to September.  While I did this hike towards the end of summer (early September) with enough gear and preparation, you can easily hike this loop in the fall.  And this loop - it is famous and challenging and pushed me in ways I was not expecting.  It's not for the faint of heart but you will be rewarded with the most amazing views, spectacular vistas, ridgeline hiking, a hut in the woods and a good amount of 4,000' summits.  

I did this loop.... 38 miles in two days climbing 7,500', with a fair amount of struggle on day 2.  I did this loop untrained and unprepared and missing the one peak Ryan needed.  Education isn't free folks.  Sometimes you pay in dollars, sometimes you pay in blood, sweat, and tears.  

But before I get into the specifics of this hike, all miles and emotions, let's chat about these famous loops in the Whites.  You see, you need a little bit of background on these crazy loops and lists of peaks that hikers go out to conquer.  These loops are often designed to bag as many peaks as you can, making notoriously long and hard hikes that often done in overnight trips.  

East Branch Pemigewasset River

Here are the most famous 

Fall Camping Tips - Camping in New Hampshire

It is pretty standard for me to make some last-minute decision to drive up north on a Friday night.   

This past weekend, I had a friend's daughter's first birthday party in the middle of the day Saturday which clashed with a weekend I was planning to see the foliage and drive Kancamagus Highway.  I wanted to be there for this special little girl's first birthday, but at the same time peak foliage waits for no one.  I had to find a way to do both.  

Kancamagus Highway, NH - New England's Best Fall Foliage Drive

If there is a New England fall foliage drive to slay them all, this is it.  

New England is famous for its fall foliage and this drive is probably the most famous within the border of these 6 states.  It's often rated New England's Best Scenic Drive and has made its way onto the Travel Channel.  It's one of New Hampshire's National Scenic Byways, running east to west through the White Mountains, climbing to 3,000' at the summit of Mount Kancamagus.  It's 34.5 miles of "basic bitch", foliage obsessed, bean boots and crunchy leaves New England nostalgic heaven. 

Fall Hike up Mount Tecumseh via Waterville Valley - New Hampshire's Smallest 48

I am so out of order.  So out of the adventure order. 

I try to blog in the sequence that I travel but sometimes life gets oh so good and I play a lot more than I can blog.  Don't get me wrong, it is a good problem to have when you are enjoying life so much in the present moment you forget to write about it in the past tense.  

So because of all my adventures, I have this sweet lovely yet daunting backlog of posts to share with you.  This one, this post could not wait.  The fall foliage is peak right now in northern New England and this has to be my favorite hike to date.  This may be the best weekend I have had in a long time.  So excuse me as I jump around, but I needed to share this amazing morning in New Hampshire with you. 

A Day Trip to Martha's Vineyard

Towards the end of a cold New England winter, and about the time I met Adam, I started putting together a New England summer "sorta bucket list".  It's a list of all the things and places I wanted to see in the near future. My list was places suggested by a friend or gems I found online that I quickly jotted down in a spreadsheet before it was lost in my brain, drifting somewhere between the never-ending To Do List and much-needed Grocery List. But because this is 2019 and I almost always have a computer in front of me or a phone nearby, this list turned into one long google doc I can add to wherever whenever.  

Stowe Pinnacle Hike, Vermont

I love fall and damn do I love Vermont.    So yes, you guessed it, I really really love fall in Vermont.  

There is something about the colors here, the sweeping panoramic views, the green mountains marking the horizon, and of course, the terrific outdoorsy people.  There is so much charm and color wrapped into one beautiful state that it is simply impossible to visit Vermont and not fall in love, especially between the months of September and October.  Its one of those towns you visit and you say "yep, I could live here" and then you spend the next five years looking at real estate listings for properties you can't afford. Guilty as charged. 

Summit New England Challenge - 6 states and 6 summits

So you want to the best views in New England?

Well dear reader, you are going to have to work for it.  As someone who loves the mountains I may be biased but in my opinion, some of the best views of New England are seen from her highest summits.  A year ago today, I was standing on top of Mount Katahdin, Maine's highest summit and my last New England peak to conquer.  Conquering all six New England summits took a lot of planning (like a lot, a lot).  But let me tell you, that feeling on the top of that last mountain, surrounded by awesome friends and the most amazing views of Maine knowing I had just planted my hiking boots on each New England state's highest summit felt g-o-o-d.  It's worth the planning, every hour in the car, and every uphill climb, even over those boulder fields. 

A weekend at Squam Lake, New Hampshire

Its been a month since my last post and I have to admit, this is the longest quiet spell that KW has had in a while.  Life has sent me into a tailspin and I have been living by the motto "when you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on".  After a few stressful weeks, I decided to step away from some of the noise.  I grabbed my dog, my friends, and my camping gear and headed north for a weekend in the woods and on a quiet lesser-known lake in Central New Hampshire.

1 Hike 2 Breweries- Easthampton, Massachusetts

There are very few things better than scouting out a new brewery after a hot New England hike.  The temperatures were in the 80s in September and after a lovely hike up to the summit of Mount Tom, I was happy to discover that there were two breweries just a few miles away. New City Brewery and the Abandoned Building Brewery were both in the same complex a 5 minute drive from the state park entrance.  With Olive in tow, we headed out to try some local Massachusetts beer.  

Hiking Mount Tom - Holyoke, Massachusetts

Hiking in New England can be a battle.  Sometimes (okay, often) you have to travel to find a hike with some elevation and scenic views.  Getting above the tree line and a view besides a forest of oaks can often be tricky.  Located about an hour and a half from home, this hike was a relatively easy drive and day trip for a great workout, beautiful views, and a chance to take Olive out on a hike. Dog-friendly, a ton of local breweries, and easy access and from what I hear one of the best day hikes in Massachusetts. Let's talk Mount Tom. 

Newport International Polo Series

A Saturday at the Newport Polo Fields has been on my list for a few summers. The horse lover and obvious Newport lover in me was excited to spend a Saturday summer evening in my favorite state, sipping on wine and enjoying a New England summer day.  I knew that polo was cheap (12$ for general admission), BYOB (yes please), and you could bring your own picnic.   Also, I read that dogs were allowed and it was a casual low key scene away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Newport.  

 BYOB, Dogs and Boozey Picnic? I knew I needed in. 

Newport Vineyard - Rhode Island

Today we are playing catch up on the blog.  I have so many new and exciting things to blog about but first, let's catch up on some wanderings around one of my favorite states in the perfect summer months of July. 

Theres something about a New England vineyard, especially when it's in an amazing New England town like Newport.  Newport is famous for it's many restaurants, shops and bars that line the main streets by the water.  But the Newport area is also home to a few great vineyards and breweries.