75. Back Cove Trail & Presumpscot River Trail Portland, ME

75. Back Cove Trail & Presumpscot River Trail Portland, ME

Join us this week as we hike two more family friendly and dog friendly hikes around Portland, Maine.  First we hiked the popular Back Cove Trail [https://www.trails.org/trail/back-cove-trail/] area conveniently located right off 295. This is an easy 3.5 mile loop that must be a very popular spot for locals to get their exercise.  We can't say that we blame them!  There are city views as well as nice views of the water and the surrounding Back Cove neighborhood.   Check out our previous episode about other Portland Hikes [form/PnneXxFoduWK]. After the hike around the back cove, we checked out Tandem Coffee Roasters [https://www.tandemcoffee.com/].  They even have a dog-friendly patio for your little hiking partner.  Their coffee and treats were amazing!  Check them out! Next we hiked the Presumpscot River Trail which is part of the Presumpscot River Preserve [https://www.trails.org/trail/presumpscot-river-preserve/].  This trail actually starts in Falmouth and ends in Portland at the mouth of the Casco Bay.  It's much more rural than Back Cove and a little more challenging in spots.  The views are cool and it ends at some cool falls!  Well worth the hike! After that hike we wanted some lunch and went over to Argenta Brewing Company [https://www.argentabrewingcompany.com/].  The had a food truck on site that you could order food from Hank & Arties Food truck [https://www.hankandarties.com/].  The beers were good and the burgers were great!   Thanks for listening.  Be sure to check out our socials below: Around New England Website [https://www.aroundnewenglandpodcast.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aroundnewenglandhiking/] Tik Tok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aroundnewengland]

74. Stinson Mountain Rumney, NH

This week we hike another 52 With A View mountain, Stinson Mountain [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-hampshire/stinson-mountain-trail] in Rumney, NH.  This mountain has some great views and an awesome trail going up.  Listen to this podcast to avoid making the same mistake we made coming back down!  Overall this mountain is a lot of fun to hike.  It's relatively easy, and has great bang for your buck! We have done several on the list so far.  Check out our Blog on the 52 With A View [https://www.aroundnewenglandpodcast.com/52-with-a-view-hikes]hikes that we have done as of the time we recorded this podcast. After the hike we went back to Last Chair Brewery & Restaurant [https://thelastchairnh.com/] in Plymouth, NH.  Their food was good.  We brought our puppy "Pemi" and sat outside on the patio.  They even had dog water dishes for the pups to use!  The food, vibe and patio were all very cool!  Check them out, they are right at the traffic circle in Plymouth, so pretty easy to hit up after a day of skiing or hiking.   After a reminiscent drive through Plymouth, we decided to return to Pure & Brave [https://pureandbrave.com/] for some amazing iced maple lattes to cap off a really fun day!   Thanks for listening.  Be sure to check out our socials below: Around New England Website [https://www.aroundnewenglandpodcast.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aroundnewenglandhiking/] Tik Tok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aroundnewengland]

73. Beginner Hiker Discussion

Thinking about getting into hiking but not sure where to start?  In this episode, we talk through the questions we wish someone answered for us when we were beginners.   In this episode we discuss things we wish we knew when we first started hiking, gear recommendations for beginners, hiking with dogs, what to do if you get lost, how to research your hiking destination, and of course what type of food you prefer after the hike!  You know we are partial and have to mention places like Tuckerman Brewery [https://tuckermanbrewing.com/main.php] and BRGR Bar [https://www.brgr-bar.com/]!  Yum! We also give recommendations for beginner friendly hikes in each of the New England states.  Tune in and check out our recommendations as a couple of middle aged empty-nesters.   Thanks for listening.  Be sure to check out our socials below: Around New England Website [https://www.aroundnewenglandpodcast.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aroundnewenglandhiking/] Tik Tok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aroundnewengland]

72. Hedgehog Mountain & Shopping in Freeport, Maine

Join us this week as we go to Freeport Maine to hike and shop.  We hiked Freeport's highest point, Hedgehog Mountain [https://freeportconservationtrust.org/hedgehog-mountain].  This area is 196 acres and has over 5 miles of hiking trails.  It is maintained by the Town of Freeport, and it's in great shape. This is a dog friendly hike that is fairly easy.  It's close to the shops and has a viewpoint that can see all the way to Mount Washington on a clear day.   After our hike we went into the town of Freeport to do some shopping of course.  We always like to hit up the LL Bean [https://www.llbean.com/?qs=3157801&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=37456437&gbraid=0AAAAADoqq1LxBA8B2LT35WjWAKC5iDXV5&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlerQBhDMARIsAB16H-Ud9wyXM9KG43bIXtyIpWOXGZQ8Kohmrv0z7emE3nx-4ZxGYg0VIAgaAtiyEALw_wcB] outlet as well as Patagonia [https://www.patagonia.com/home/] and Stio [https://www.stio.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=brand&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12084125254&gbraid=0AAAAADuOWX1-z_U7Xafu19oKdhkH2_ZDd&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlerQBhDMARIsAB16H-XSxID4ctzfLZ0URe5pD4QOCXlPyBqSIYOe9SElb0SBD9IgRZuCDEQaApamEALw_wcB].  Both have outlets in Freeport as well!  We have had a lot of luck getting unbelievable deals at all of these stores.  G got a sweet deal at Patagonia on this day! There are many good places to eat in Freeport as well.  We always try to hit up Maine Beer Company [https://mainebeercompany.com/], as they have an awesome atmosphere, fantastic beer and great pizza!   Thanks for listening.  Be sure to check out our socials below: Around New England Website [https://www.aroundnewenglandpodcast.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aroundnewenglandhiking/] Tik Tok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aroundnewengland]

71. Waterfall Hikes Around New Hampshire

Join us this week as we take a road trip around New Hampshire to 4 different family & pet-friendly waterfall destination hikes.  If you haven't listened to it already, check out our older podcast about Arethusa Falls and Ripley Falls [https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/36-arethusa-falls-ripley-falls-nh/id1786278907?i=1000718563778].   Coffee: Pure & Brave [https://pureandbrave.com/] in Plymouth, NH Frontside North [https://frontsidecoffee.com/] Conway, NH Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aroundnewengland] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aroundnewenglandhiking] AroundNewEnglandPodcast.com [https://www.aroundnewenglandpodcast.com/]