Close your eyes, picture it…you wake up, open the tent, dig your toes into the beach sand and catch the sun rising over the ocean, the sound of waves crashing into the shore is all you hear around you. As you set up breakfast on your camping stove, three wild horses make their way past your campsite as if this is the normal way to start your morning. That’s camping on Assateague Island in Maryland. We were so lucky to…
Our trip to Congaree National Park (South Carolina) and Assateague Island (Maryland) was our first camping trip with Rigby. Traveling long distance is not new to her–she’s been to Alabama and Tennessee–so we knew she could handle the travelling. Camping with a puppy was bound to be a new experience. Rigby is a superstar puppy. She’s a bundle of energy and love at the same time. We got lucky with a dog that has an incredible temperament. She’s a Portuguese…
It’s mid-April, we’ve broken free from work for a full week and the only two things on our minds are canoeing and camping. After work on Friday night we loaded up the VW and headed towards Congaree National Park, just outside Columbia, South Carolina. After an overnight drive we arrived at the park for three nights of camping and what we hoped would be some great paddling. Serious storms hit South Carolina the week before we visited so there was…
We are gearing up for a great year of Canoe 52 adventures. The cold New England weather has left us off the water for most of the season which leaves us no choice but to dream about the rivers and lakes we’d like to paddle this year. A mid-March snowstorm that drops snow measuring in the double digits is definitely motivation to plan for an escape. I’ve probably mentioned this before, but to get a sense of how our vacation planning works…
The Christmas Break road trip continued after we canoed the Coosa River in Alabama. Next on the itinerary, canoe in Nashville, Tennessee while also enjoying a big city for New Year’s Eve. On our way up to Nashville we made a stop in Birmingham, about an hour and a half Northwest of where we were staying in Wetumpka. We had some deliciously cheesy sandwiches at MELT in the Avondale neighborhood then head over to the 16th Street Baptist Church. Four…
Sweet, Sweet BBQ Mesquite The foam BBQ takeout container had a pig in overalls and with a smile. Pulling back the cover, aluminum foil, and wax paper revealed a half rack, baked beans and potato salad. A mild BBQ sauce coated the smoked ribs. The high fat content of the ribs made each bite a succulent treat. The warm beans and cold potato salad were the perfect compliment. Hog Rock BBQ prepared each component of this meal with care and balance of flavors. As…
I am a huge fan of Christmas. I love decorating our home, putting up the tree, hosting holiday parties, and spending Christmas day at my parents’ house. Since childhood, I’ve been a Christmas fanatic. From the food we eat on Christmas Day to the ornaments that hang on the tree, I absolutely love it. This year we did the holiday traditions, but it was a little more low-key in order to accommodate a Canoe 52 paddling vacation on winter break.…
We drove along the pitch black road already dark from the night sky, canopied by tall trees. We knew we were really in the woods when “High Hit Area” signs with the symbol for deer lined the road. It was one Canoe 52 adventure after the next in early July 2016. After returning from our trip to Pittsfield, MA it was time to reload the car for canoeing in Rangeley, Maine. My brother Chris works for the fabulous outdoor retailer LL Bean. The…
I’ve loved James Taylor since I was a kid. Listening to his music takes me back to riding in the back of my parents’ truck singing along to mix tapes my mom used to make. That voice. It’s one of a kind for me. Since he was born and raised in Stockbridge, MA, James Taylor’s summer concerts at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA are a homecoming. He plays an epic July 4th show every year and the suckers who aren’t quick enough…
2016 was going to be the year that we really got our act together with canoeing. We put our canoe, Karalius (“King” in Lithuanian), into the Connecticut River in February and didn’t look back. Tony is a high school teacher so any vacation that we take during the school year has to happen during a school break. The first vacation of the year came the first week of April. Creating a list of the things we wanted to get out of…
