When Pigs Fly South: They’ll Fly You to the Bayou

If you Google "Connecticut cuisine" you're going to get a lot of hits, but Cajun barbecue is not going to be one of them. Steak sandwiches, white clam pizza, mac and cheese, and steamed cheeseburgers top the list; barbecue doesn't even make an appearance. So when, passing through Sharon, Connecticut on my way to hike …

Housatonic Viewpoint and Hatch Brook Falls: Falls Fell Flat

There was plenty to like about this hike, but Hatch Brook Falls was not one of those things. To make matters worse, I was struggling. The day before, I had driven almost five hours, hiked seven miles, and racked up a respectable amount of elevation (read here). I had enjoyed a relaxing morning before heading …

Bash Bish Falls: Bish Bash, I Was Hiking a Path

I had been in the car for almost five hours. Leaving my home in Maryland at around 8:30am, I had driven straight to the Bash Bish Lower Lot in Copake Falls, New York. At the time, New York State was only accepting visitors from a select list of states; fortunately for me, Maryland was on …

Brandywine Creek State Park: Walking with Wyeth

"It's a moment that I'm after, a fleeting moment, but not a frozen moment" ~ Andrew Wyeth The Falls at Brandywine Let me just start by saying that I have no idea if Andrew Wyeth ever trod the trails of Brandywine Creek State Park. What is known is that he was born, lived, and died …

Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area: In Search of the Chromium Serpent

"Chromium Serpent" would be a great name for a heavy-metal rock band. In this context, however, it refers to a combination of geologic properties that I had no idea were sitting just outside Baltimore in Owings Mills, Maryland. Chromium mines? Oak savannas? Serpentine barrens? This is the stuff of fantasy novels - except it all …

Patapsco Valley State Park – Pickall Area: Art on the Trail

Amid the urban sprawl that surrounds the city of Baltimore is Patapsco Valley State Park. Slicing through suburbia from Liberty Reservoir to where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay, the Patapsco River passes through the quaint town of Ellicot City before widening dramatically between South Baltimore and Brooklyn. (Yes, there is a Brooklyn in Maryland.) …

Mason-Dixon Trail, Otter Creek: Trail(or) Trash

I don't want to dissuade you from hiking this trail; there was a lot to love about this route. The overlook, and much of the Otter Creek stream valley were lovely. It's just that there was a lot of trash. Much of it was along Otter Creek and looked as if it had been washed …

Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area: Rivers and Ruins II

I had a plan. Was my plan exhaustively researched? Of course not! Lisa, the research department of our hiking duo, was away on business, and I was trying to explore some new trails that weren't too far from home. I picked Elk Neck State Park at the northern tip of the Chesapeake Bay. In my …

Lums Pond State Park: The Bridges of New Castle County

I'm gonna cross that bridgeWhen I come to it "Diamond Bridge" - Blondie I've been looking for new hikes within an hour or so of my home. I found Lums Pond in Northern Delaware. I pulled into a small lot off of Buck Jersey Road, paid the automated meter, and headed down the trail that …

Gifford Pinchot State Park: Am I Unbalanced or Is It Just That Rock?

Lisa was out of town on business and I was free. My side-squeeze is always a beautiful tramp - on a trail of my choice. I chose the Lakeside Trail at Gifford Pinchot State Park in Lower Warrington Township, PA. I arrived at the Pinchot Park Conewego Day Use Area to find a packed parking …