These are my “Top 10 Bucket List Trails” that I am excited to try in the next year!
New England’s Hidden Treasures
New England’s landscape is steeped in rich history, draped in astounding beauty, and is home to many natural wonders. Each of the trails we visit provides us with a new appreciation for the beautiful area we call home. It is our hope that we inspire you to get outside and share an amazing outdoor adventure with your family & friends!
Never stop walking!
That’s my credo! My mother, who was born and raised on Martha’s Vineyard, and later moved to Cape Ann, loved to take long walks! She was very active and outwardly optimistic, but beneath that calm surface, she hid a wee bit of her mother’s Scottish stoicism and I believe those outdoor walks soothed her inner angst. When she became wheelchair-bound, she asked me a gut-wrenching question, “Why would God take away something that meant so much to me?” I couldn’t give her an answer, but I realized in that instant that I would never take the gift of mobility for granted again.
During the pandemic’s onset in early 2020, I made a pledge to put my words into action – to step outdoors and really experience, and appreciate, all of nature’s abundance waiting just steps from my front door. I hope these posts will encourage other people, whatever your age, to put on your hiking shoes and head out on your own adventure. You don’t need any special talents just a willingness to take that first step.
This blog is both a personal memoir of my journey, as I turn a new leaf, leaving behind the busy days of running a local newspaper for more adventurous ones walking my way around Cape Ann and beyond, savoring the seasonal beauty that is so uniquely New England.
our Recent Posts
Join us as we explore Cape Ann & New England’s outdoor beauty, enjoying the sweeping vistas that our local conservation land, wildlife refuges, trustee properties, and state parks have to offer.
Saugus Iron Works
The Saugus Iron Works Historical Site, Saugus, MA
Ipswich Wildlife Sanctuary
The Ipswich Wildlife Sanctuary, Ipswich, MA
Breakheart Reservation
Breakheart Reservation, Saugus, MA
Red Rock Conservation Area
Red Rock Conservation Area
Hellcat Interpretive Trail
Hellcat Interpretive Trail at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge.
The Cape Ann Community Foundation
As a founding board member of the Cape Ann Community Foundation, I appreciate the positive impact local non-profits have on a community. The CACF’s mission is to support and enhance the economic environment and overall quality of life in the Cape Ann communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport.
We carry the plate on our hiking trips not only to promote the plate and its mission, but to also promote Cape Ann, MA, as a desirable place to live, work, and explore.
Proceeds from the plate are distributed back to the Cape Ann community in support of the CACF mission and the area’s non-profits.
You can contribute to a great cause by ordering your Cape Ann license plate today or by making a direct donation – just click the link below.
