How I moved 1000 Miles in 2024

Wow, I moved a total of 1,000 miles in 2024. In past years I have challenged myself to get outside and move more. I have done various challenges such as 52 Hike Challenge, 365 Mile Challenge and the 500 Miles in a Year Challenge. When 2024 started I had a goal of doing 500 miles again as there are a group of women in my community who do this together virtually.

2024 started with my daily walks around my neighborhood and occasional hikes. January in New Hampshire is an interesting month for getting outside due to the ever changing weather. Fortunately, I was able to get in a couple waterfall hikes.

Senter Falls

To keep myself motivated to go on my daily walks, especially in the colder winter months, I kept reminding myself that the walks help manage any daily stress, improve my sleep and keep my blood pressure stable. It is also a good time for my husband and I to catch up on the daily happenings. Yes, I am fortunate that my husband walks with me most times. I do not have a way to walk inside, so all my walks are outside. Plus I enjoy being outside in all the different seasons.

This past winter we did not get a lot of snow, which kept us from cross country skiing and snowshoeing, but allowed us to continue to hike and walk, embracing some local rail trails.

As winter went on I tried to walk everyday, even if it was a mile. On the weekends I would get in longer walks or hikes. As spring approached the nicer weather made it easier to get miles in. When my daughter had softball practice I would use that time to walk as the location of the field is a great place to walk and sometimes a friend would join me.

Spring brought on some health issues related to my hormones that I have openly talked about on my blog, Perimenopause Hit Me Like and Brick Wall and the Updated Blog Post. These hormone challenges forced me to exercise more. I started walking twice a day, getting creative with how I got miles in. I would walk on my lunch break. I spent a lot of time at the track in the town my daughter played travel sports in and our weekend activities revolved around getting movement in.

During the summer months I kept up with my miles on my lunch break and after work. The weekends found us at travel sporting events so I was walking between games when I could. In August, I reached my initial goal of 500 miles. Since I still had four months until the end of the year I gave myself a soft goal of reaching 1000 miles by the end December.

My husband has been trail running and runs on a regular basis, solo and with a group of friends. He and his friends have been trying to get me into running, but I have never enjoyed running and had no motivation to start. In the fall I continued to struggle with hormonal issues and a friend suggested running as she found it helpful with managing her hormones. One day I looked at my husband and said I wanted to try going for a run. You would have thought he won the lottery, he was so excited. I started out slow, running at our local track and school parking lots. I was ready to try a local rail trail, where I ran a mile without stopping for the first time, I started crying.

I continued running at least three to four times a week in addition to walking every day and getting in hikes on the weekend. The end of October is my birthday and I always take the day off to treat myself. Due to a change in plans I did not end up doing my traditional spa day, I hiked instead. My husband joined me and we hiked North Pack Monadnock. I was nervous about this hike. This is one of the more difficult hikes in the Monadnock Region other than Mt. Monadnock. I was in better shape than I had been in many years and had lost a little over 60lbs, but I was worried with how I would do on this hike. I surprised myself and did amazing. I was able to hike up North Pack, hardly stopping. I felt strong and great. My husband and I were impressed with how well I did.

As we approached the end of the year I continued running, walking and hiking getting those miles. On December 30th while running at my local school I reached 1,000 miles for the year. I could not believe I did it.

Reflecting back on the past year and what moving 1000 miles taught me. Having a friend to walk with helps get those miles in with a bonus of some great conversations and therapy. In your 40’s you can start a new habit. I never thought I would run, now I cannot imagine not having running in my life. Having a good playlist or audiobook is great when you walk or run alone. Moving 1,000 miles helped me lose over 70 pounds and get some control over my hormones. You can walk almost anywhere, some times you just have to get creative. Having a good pair of shoes is everything. Reminding yourself your why. For me it was to work through my hormone challenges and improve my health. Having a great support system is amazing. It is nice that I have a few friends who are willing to walk with me. I do not have any goals as of yet for 2025, but I know I will continue to get those miles in.

Thanksgiving in Downeast Maine

Downeast Maine holds a special place in my heart. This area of Maine is considered the eastern coastal region that covers Washington and Hancock Counties. Growing up we had close family friends that lived in Downeast Maine and we spent a lot of time in this area. A tradition we had was to rent a rustic cabin at Robinson Cottages along the Denny’s River in Edmunds for Thanksgiving. When I moved to New Hampshire we continued this tradition for a few years. It has since been several years since having Thanksgiving in Downeast Maine so we decided to relive some of those memories this past Thanksgiving. Our friends still live in the area and we do not get to see them very often so this was another reason for the visit.

From Southern New Hampshire it is about a seven hour drive to Robinson’s. There are a few different cottages to chose from. The cottages have become popular at Thanksgiving so they can book quickly. When we booked, only cottage 6 was available. This is a two bedroom cottage with a kitchen, dining area, living room, a bathroom, screened in porch, two wood burning stoves and a propane stove for heat located on the Denny’s River. These cottages are rustic as they have been around for many years. There is electricity. Wifi was spotty. No television. There is bedding, towels and all the kitchen items you would need. We heated the cottage with the open air fire place and wood burning stove. It could get a little chilly at times, but most of the time we were warm enough.

We arrived late Wednesday afternoon. After unpacking we took a walk around the property. There is a small pond with other cottages around it, access to the river, in the summer you can swim in the river. There is a small playground and a horseshoe pit.

We spent the evening visiting with our friends, which is always enjoyable.

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, we always do a hike. We ventured off to Reversing Falls Hiking Trail in Pembroke. This is part of the Cobscook Shores, a system of 20 waterfront parks. Reversing Falls is where an under water ledge and changing tides create a falls in the bay. What we did not realize was that you need to be there at either high or low tide to be able to see the falls. We unfortunately missed it, but enjoyed hiking along the coast line.

The trail was easy to follow and provided beautiful ocean and bay views. We even got to see a couple seals playing in the water. The total hike was a mile out and back. It is a short hike, but we felt it was worth it and would love to come back to see the actual falls.

Can you find the seal?

We returned to the cabin, made and enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal, enjoyed some quiet time around the cabin and then visited with friends that evening.

On Friday we did some exploring. Our first stop was Jasper Beach in Machiasport. Jasper Beach is known for its beautiful smooth stones making up a beautiful beach. This is not your traditional sand beach as the whole beach is made up of these smooth stones. As the waves are washing in and out the stones make almost a singing sound.

Next stop was Roque Bluffs, a state park located south of Machias, featuring an ocean beach, a pond, a playground, picnic area and hiking trails. We walked some of the hiking trails, but it was wet from rain the day before and we did not have appropriate footwear on so we did not do the whole trail. We walked along the beach and enjoyed the views. Visiting this park as a child I remember the beach being lined with beautiful wild rose bushes and it looks like they are still there, just not in bloom in November.

We spent the rest of the day with our friends, which was the highlight of this trip. The side excursions were a bonus. We left for home Friday night.

Other hikes in Downeast Maine we have done on past trips were Boot Head Preserve and Quaddy Head State Park. Overall Downeast Maine, although rural, is worth the visit for its national beauty and stunning coastlines.

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Update: Perimenopause Hit me Like a Brick Wall

The beginning of this year I was hit hard with symptoms of perimenopause. You can read about these struggles in my blog post, Perimenopause Hit Me Like a Brick Wall. I was hesitant to post that blog post, but after encouragement from friends to share my story I was shocked with how many women reached out to me with their own struggles with hormones. Now that we are into fall I have been having people check on me so I thought I would write an update of what I have been doing and how I am feeling.

Acupuncture: I go one to two times a month to acupuncture and have found it helpful with anxiety, sleep and just overall feeling better.

Educating Myself: I have been reading books, listening to podcasts, reading medical journals and talking to friends and colleagues in the medical field and friends on hormone replacement therapy about perimenopause and hormone replacement therapy.

Exercise: Most days I walk 1-2 miles on my lunch break at work. With the advice of a friend I started running a couple times a week as well. I am running up to 3-4 miles a couple times a week. If I do not run, I walk 2-4 miles. I try to strength train three times a week, with free weights and YouTube videos. I am also trying to incorporate yoga at the end of the day, also by watching YouTube videos. On the weekends I hike or run.

Food Changes: I have found that food and beverages with caffeine, sugar, salt or that are processed increases my anxiety and impacts sleep and energy. I have reduced or cut out most of those items along with alcohol. I am only having 1-2 caffeinated drinks a week, which is usually a unsweetened green tea. I have increased my protein and vegetable intake. I have reduced my dairy intake as I have read it can impact hormones. I am working on increasing my fiber intake. I rarely snack, which has been a huge change for me. I no longer crave sugar and am able to walk by sweets without being tempted. I still enjoy a bagel and cream cheese, along with an occasional slice of pizza.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: I had a follow up with my OBGYN and she admitted that she was not comfortable with hormone replacement therapy, even though she is getting more education on it. She recommended that I see someone who has experience. She gave me the name of someone who did hormone pellets, but that is not something I am comfortable with at this time. After talking with my PCP she recommended an OBGYN who has been working with a lot of women in perimenopause or menopause. I scheduled an appointment and was very impressed with her knowledge, compassion and hope she provided me. She spent over an hour with my husband and I. She does everything in steps to see what is working and what is not working. She also said if I had not made all the health changes I had she would have recommended that first. She prescribed me a low dose estradiol patch. A couple weeks after I will start progesterone. I am week two into the patch and I have noticed my anxiety has decreased. My energy and motivation has increased. I am less foggy. I am trying not to get my hopes up, but am feeling hopeful.

Medications: I was on a low dose anti-anxiety that has helped with night sweats and some of the anxiety, but I was concerned it was making me foggy and decreasing my energy. With doctor permission I stopped it a little over a week ago. I tried coming off one of my blood pressure medications as my blood pressure is stable, but I had an increase in anxiety after stopping them. So I went back on them, but at a lower dose. I have been able to stop by second blood pressure medication. I also have as need anxiety medication, but I have only used them twice since I got the prescription this spring. It is nice having them just in case. I tried some supplements, but found they made my anxiety worse.

Self Care: I have been working on incorporating positive self talk when I’m feeling anxious, along with humming. Keeping myself busy and organized with tasks to accomplish has been helpful. Finding time to do activities I enjoy like hiking and day trips.

Support System: Being around others has helped me a great deal. I find I am better about being alone than I was, but I prefer to be around others. My family, friends and co workers have been amazingly supportive. Many of my friends are going through the same symptoms so we support each other. We text or chat on a regular basis to check in on each other. I am so thankful I have an amazing support system.

What has changed:

• My blood pressure has become stable. I have been able to stop one medication and cut another one down by 3/4.

• I am rarely having night sweats.

• Sleep has been fairly good.

• I am down 65lbs.

• My lab work has improved.

• I am not as needy of my husband and ok being alone, even though I prefer to be with others.

• The week before my period my anxiety increases, but not as bad as it was.

• I have to watch what I eat as I find it impacts my mood.

• Anxiety is still there, but no nearly as bad as it was.

• My hair is thinning. I’m not sure if this is due to the hormones or weight loss. I am exploring ways to strengthen my hair and prevent loss.

• Motivation and energy has improved.. My husband has been great about pushing me to get back into the things I enjoy. I also try to push myself as well, which ends up being a positive in the end.

• Essential Oils have been helpful with advice from my acupuncturist.

• I have created an Amazon Page with some of the items that have been helpful to me.

I am not back to where I want to be yet. I have a more weight I want to lose. I am hopeful with the hormone replacement therapy that I will continue to start to feel more like myself again.

In the reality of going through perimenopause it looks different for everyone. I could have ten women in a room and we would all have different symptoms and things that help us. I feel this needs to be something women talk and educate themselves about. I will continue to share my story in hopes of helping other women struggling with their hormones.

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Fall Day Trip around Central Massachusetts

It was a beautiful fall day and we had a few hours to do some exploring and decided to take a little drive around Central Massachusetts with a small itinerary.

Mount Wachusett: Our first stop was a drive up Mount Wachusett in Princeton, Massachusetts. We accessed the Auto Road from from Wachusett Mountain State Reservation at 345 Mountain Road. We observed several trail heads and hiking trails at different locations around the mountain. We did not have time to hike, so we drove up the auto road. There is a small fee to drive up, but we felt it was worth it. It took us about 10-15 minutes to drive to the top. Once at the top, there is a small pond that had Koi Fish in it.

There is a fire tower that you can climb up, but due to long lines and wait times we chose to skip the fire tower and enjoy the views around the summit. We spent about 30 minutes walking around the summit, enjoying the views.

Stone Cow Brewery: Our next stop was Stone Cow Brewery located on West Street in Barre, Massachusetts. The Brewery has something for everyone. There was BBQ, a large brewery, farm animals, playground, farm store and beautiful views.

My husband enjoyed a beer and we enjoyed walking around the property. I will now lie, I loved the animals.

Red Apple Farm: Located on Highland Ave in Phillipston, Massachusetts is Red Apple Farm. This is a large farm with apple and pumpkin picking, farm store, large brewery, wagon rides, a variety of food stands and a few farm animals. We went to get wood fire pizza and it was so good. My daughter had a cheese pizza and my husband and I shared a Buffalo Chicken Pizza. I’m still drooling over this pizza.

We walked around the farm and I was tempted and bought a pickle on a stick. It was good.

Exploring Mt Wachusett, a couple local farms and having some great food was a perfect way to spend a fall Saturday afternoon.

Thrill Boat Ride on Boston Harbor

I am constantly on the lookout for new activities around New England for my family and I do to. Thanks to Groupon I have found some pretty good activities, such as our latest find, Codzilla. Codzilla is a high speed boat that takes you around Boston Harbor providing you with fun and thrills. Codzilla is run through Boston Harbor City Cruises on Long Wharf in Boston. You can try to buy tickets onsite, but I recommend checking Groupon or buying online to ensure you can get a seat.

We had a 1:00pm ride time. We parked at the Boston Harbor Parking Garage next to the Boston Aquarium. We were a little early so we walked around the area to kill time.

We lined up for the cruise about 30 minutes early. As we boarded the boat they took family/group pictures that we could buy afterwards. Our boat was about half full so we were able to spread out. After we left the dock we had a narrator going over rules, providing some information on the boat and the area along with some entertainment.

Once we were out of the no wake zone we cruised around the harbor at times up to 40mph. We did some 365 degree turns and hit some good size waves feeling like we were going air born. The views of Boston were beautiful.

We were out for about 45 minutes. At times going fast and with quick jerks of the boat. We really enjoyed the boat thrill ride and the views. We did not get wet, but some people in the back did and the captain warned people in those seats you were likely to get wet. I was thankful I had my waterproof phone case just in case.

After we got back to the mainland we walked over to Fanuel Hall to get lunch. We all opted for pizza, which was delicious.

We headed home after lunch. We all liked the boat ride and felt it was worth going. If you do not like going fast or being bounced around on a boat this is not the ride for you.

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Overnight In North Conway

North Conway used to be my husband and I’s go to destination for day trips or vacation when we were dating and first married. Over the year’s it has become so crowded we have not gone as often. We recently wanted to take our daughter away for an overnight for her birthday to a hotel that had a spa. North Conway is where we found one.

We left our house early on a Sunday morning to head north. We drove up Interstate 93 to Lincoln and enjoyed a drive over the Kancamagus Highway.

We booked a night at the North Conway Grand Hotel, located next to the outlets. We booked our room through Hotels.com as it was the cheapest and I got cash back through Rakuten.

We were able to check in early while my daughter got her facial and then my husband and I walked around the outlets.

My daughter enjoyed her facial at Salt Micro Spa located in the lower level of the hotel. She was very relaxed and said the aesthetician did a great job.

After her facial we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Flatbread Company, located in the Eastern Slope Inn in North Conway. You can call ahead seating through Yelp, but with it being after lunch time it was not busy and we got seated right away. We all enjoyed our small pizzas.

My daughter wanted to do a mountain coaster so we went to Cranmore Adventure Park. I was a little disappointed that we had to pay for the full adventure package and not just the mountain coaster. It was also around 2pm. We were told they do not do individual rides on their busy days and it was a Sunday.

All three of us did the mounting coaster first and had to wait in line 30-45 minutes. Which was a little disappointing. The mountain coaster was fun and had some great views.

After the mountain coaster my husband and daughter did a swing ride.

My daughter and I stood in line for the Soaring Eagle ride, but after waiting over 30 minutes the ride started having mechanical issues and we decided to try the tubing.

The tubing was fun. Not a long line and you got misted by water going down the hill. We got to do this a couple times.

We wanted to do the mountain coaster again, but due to the long rides we opted for the chair lift to the top of the mountain. The views were stunning.

We were a little disappointed in the adventure park. We were there for a little over three hours and didn’t get to do a lot and we paid almost $150 for three tickets. We have been to other adventure parks and have not had to wait this long in lines. I’m not sure what the issue was.

We headed back to the hotel to enjoy the pools. When we walked into the lobby they had drinks set out for guests, which was nice. We spent a couple hours enjoying the three pools and 2 hot tubs.

After enjoying the pools we walked next door to Market Basket to pick up some food and spent the rest of the night in the room. The hotel had a restaurant, but we weren’t hungry enough to eat in it. With it being Sunday the outlets closed early.

Monday morning we had to head back home right away, so no exploring. Even though we were a little disappointed in the adventure park, overall we enjoyed our overnight in North Conway.

24 Hours In Rhode Island

We have come to love Rhode Island, for a small state it offers so much. We needed to get away for an overnight in August and chose Rhode Island, with the main purpose of going to one of our favorite beaches.

After scrolling Hotels.com we found a room just over the boarder in Pawcatuck, Connecticut that was just under $200 a night and close to what we wanted to do.

We left our home in New Hampshire around 11am with a couple stops planned before checking into our hotel.

Beavertail State Park: Located in Jamestown is an ocean front state park. We saw a lot of people relaxing in chairs either reading or just enjoying the views. There are hiking trails with ocean views.

There is a lighthouse that you can go in at certain times that provides history of the are. There is also a small aquarium with a touch tank to explore local marine life.

My guess is the sunset would be pretty from this park. I did not see any picnic tables, but there are restrooms. We spent a little over an hour exploring Beavertail State Park.

Trolls: Like the Botanical Gardens in Maine, the wooden trolls have come to Rhode Island. Located in Ninigret Park in Charlestown is two large wooden trolls that were constructed this spring. When we entered the park there was a seafood festival going on so it was pretty busy. The trolls are a little difficult to find. After we drove by the playground we did see signs that said “Troll” marking where one troll was.

We parked on the side of the road and walked a little over a quarter of a mile to the first troll.

We thought we could walk from here to the next troll which is near a pond, we could not figure out how to get there. We got back in the car and drove toward Little Ninigret Pond where we could see the next troll from the road. We did park on the side of the road and walk up to it.

I am not sure if the trolls are permanent or just there for a short time, but they were worth checking out.

Misquamicut State Beach: After visiting the trolls we checked out a state beach in Westerly. There was a storm coming so the waves and sky were pretty impressive.

There was plenty of parking for a fee. There are some food options within walking distance to the beach. The beach is long so you can spread out or take a walk. We would come back to swim and spend the day here.

La Quinta Hotel: We picked up some food from a local grocery store and checked into our room. The staff was friendly and prompt. Our room was updated and clean. There is a small pool and continental breakfast, but we did not use either service. Even though we were only here one night, we would stay here again.

The Next Morning:

The Pantry: Since we were spending several hours at the beach we wanted to have a more filling breakfast than what the hotel provided. The Pantry had a great breakfast menu. My husband got a breakfast quesadilla, my daughter French toast and I got a scramble with Greek filling. Everything was delicious and our server was friendly and prompt. We would absolutely return.

East Beach at Watch Hill: If you are a Swifty you know that Taylor Swift has a home in Watch Hill. Right below her home is one of my favorite New England Beaches. East Beach has beautiful views, impressive waves and a relaxing environment. The beach can get packed so there is a chance of not getting much personal space. You also need to get there early to get a parking space as the parking lots fill up quickly. To park on the street you have to be a resident.

Downtown Watch Hill: After several hours at the beach dodging waves we took a little walk around the downtown area of Watch Hill. There is a small carousel, access to other beaches and a variety of shops and restaurants.

Matunuck Oyster Bar: After leaving Watch Hill my husband really wanted oysters. As we started to make our way back to New Hampshire I found Matunuck Oyster Bar in Wakefield, Rhode Island. They highly recommend reservations. When we arrived they valet park your car due to limited space. Since it was in the middle of the afternoon during the week we only had to wait a few minutes to get seated. They have a variety of seating options from a porch, roof top deck, bar and inside. We sat on the porch which was covered and had views of a canal. We got oysters and all three of us got salads. My daughter a goat cheese and beet salad, my husband a seared tuna salad and I got a garden salad with lobster salad on top. All of the food was fresh and delicious. Our waiter was friendly and prompt. We would absolutely return to this restaurant.

After our wonderful meal we headed home. We had a fun 24 hours away. It was just what we needed to recharge. I cannot wait until we can get back to Rhode Island to do more exploring.

Exploring Metrowest

Metrowest is the towns in Massachusetts that are west of Boston and east of Worcester. We finally had a Saturday free of sports and decided to do some exploring of places I had on my list to visit in this area.

Breakfast: Our first stop was breakfast at our favorite cafe in Groton, Salt and Light. Everything is delicious and well prepared from their bagels, pastries, coffee, tea and so much more.

Hike: Lake Williams Boardwalk. This boardwalk has been on my to visit list for a while. This is a 1.5 mile loop around Lake Williams. A half mile of the hike is on a floating boardwalk that goes over Lake Williams.

Hike: Danforth Fall located in Hudson, Massachusetts. Unfortunately I didn’t take into account the lack of rain this summer. The waterfall was pretty dried up, but it was still a nice walk in the woods.

Pick Your Own Flowers: Ferjulian’s Farm located in Hudson, Massachusetts is a farm stand and pick your own flower farm. Located behind the farm stand is a small tent where you can either get a basket to pick flowers or a glass mason jar depending on how much you want. They also provide clippers. There are many rows of several different type of flowers. We spent about an hour exploring the flowers and making our own bouquet.

Lunch: Our daughter has been asking to go to Raising Cain’s Chicken. We found one in Marlborough. For fast food it was not bad. They are famous for their Cains Sauce, which is similar to a Chick-a-Filet Sauce.

Lastly, we stopped and checked out a trail my husband will be running for a race in a couple weeks. Noon Hill Reservation is located in Medfield, Massachusetts. We just checked out the trail map on the kiosk and walked down to a small pond. The trails seem nice and appears there is variety of easy to moderate trails.

Overall, we enjoyed our adventure and seeing new places just an hour from home. Just remember you do not have to travel far to have a great adventure.

Perimenopause Hit Me Like a Brick Wall

As a woman in my 40’s I am aware that changes can start happening to my mind and body, but I did not expect for it to hit me like a brick wall. In January of this past year I started feeling a little anxious, which is very uncommon for me. My mood has always been stable, so this was a shock. Then my blood pressure spiked and I was not sure if the anxiety was impacting my blood pressure or vice versa. There was also night sweats and at times difficulty sleeping, waking up at 3am. I started becoming very needy of my husband and not liking being alone, which is unusual for me as I have always been independent and loved my alone time. I reduced or stopped the activities I enjoyed like reading, hiking, exploring and organizing. I started working with my PCP to get my blood pressure under control. We touched on my anxiety, but I brushed it off thinking it would go away.

To help with the blood pressure and anxiety I cut out alcohol, caffeine, sugar and reduced my carb and salt intake. I started a journal to keep track of mood, food and anything else that happened during the day. I have always walked a lot, but I increased my distance, making a point to go out on my lunch break, as well as after work.

One weekend I could not shake the panic and feelings of anxiety. My blood pressure was spiking and I could not get it down no matter what I did. I went for a walk, tried lavender oil, meditation and support from my husband. I looked at my husband and said, “I think I need to call our doctor.” We have a concierge provider who is on call for urgent needs. I called and got one of my providers colleagues. She was wonderful. She talked to me for 30 minutes, increased my blood pressure medication and prescribed an as needed anti-anxiety medication. On Sunday she texted me to see how I was doing, which I appreciated.

Monday morning I woke up to my period. This made me question what was going on with my hormones. That afternoon I saw my PCP with my husband. After an hour discussion it was determined that at the age of 41 I was in perimenopause. The ups and downs in sleep, anxiety and night sweats were the signs. My blood pressure meds could also impact my motivation and energy. My PCP recommended a mood stabilizer to help with the anxiety, but I did not want another medication. Having an answer and a good discussion with her really helped.

I wanted to check in with my OBGYN to get her thoughts so I sent her a message through the medical portal with the symptoms I had been experiencing. She wanted to see me, so I scheduled a telehealth visit about a week away.

I noticed the week of my period I felt better than I had in a while and felt more like myself. I let some of my healthy habits slip, like having caffeine and more salt and carbs than I had been having. A few days later I noticed my anxiety slowly coming back and tied it to the food and drinks I was having. I went back to reducing or eliminating sugar, salt, caffeine and alcohol.

I met with my OBGYN and she confirmed that I was in perimenopause and said she has many women come to her saying they feel like they are crawling out of their skin and struggling with perimenopause symptoms. She was very happy with the lifestyle changes I had made in addition to losing about 20 pounds. My OB knows I do not like to take medication, but highly recommended a medication to help with anxiety and night sweats, which were my two biggest complaints. She reminded me that I should not suffer when there is support out there. I had already done so much, but I needed a little extra support. I agreed to take a low dose of anti anxiety medication that also helped with night sweats.

During this time I also decided to see a therapist. I work in the social service field with an emotionally challenging population and I was questioning if my anxiety was being triggered by my career. I saw the therapist twice, she had a couple suggestions for me, but overall did not feel she had a lot to add to what I was already doing for self care.

I continued to work on myself. I walk at lunch and then again after work. I keep lavender oil on me at all times. I continue to work on my eating habits. I talk or meet with my doctors as needed. I force myself to do activities, even though at times all I wanted to do with sit on the couch and watch television. When I feel the anxiety creeping up I go for a walk, talk to my husband, talk with a friend or do something to try to keep my mind occupied.

I started talking to other women about perimenopause. It amazed me how many women have struggled with this. They either never got help, their doctors did not listen to them or they just pushed it off to the side. There were several women who ended up going on medication to help with the symptoms. They all told me not to suffer and encouraged me to continue with the medication. Something amazing happened after I started talking to other women, I got this whole new support system. These women have become my lifeline on the difficult days whether I am at work and need someone to talk or sit with or at home and need to text with someone or have a friend to go for a walk with.

Over the next couple months I continued to work on my health and check in with my health care providers as needed. I tracked how I was feeling and what I was doing. I had my follow up appointment with my OBGYN after starting my anti-anxiety medication. I noticed that I had not had night sweats in a couple weeks. My sleep had improved. My anxiety was not as bad as the weekend I had to reach out to my PCP, but it was still there and disruptive to my life. It was worse the week or two before my period. I had lost over 30lbs, was continuing to adjust my eating habits and walking daily. After some research I started acupuncture. My OBGYN was very happy with the progress I was making and the lifestyle changes I had done. She liked my mixture of eastern and western therapies. She said she could increase my anti-anxiety medication or I could increase it just the two weeks before my period. I decided I wanted to try the acupuncture. We also discussed herbs and she recommended one, but I needed to reach out to my PCP to get her ok too. It was left that I would reach out as needed until my yearly follow up in December.

I reached the third or fourth month of going through these symptoms. The week before my period my anxiety spiked again to the point that one night I could not sleep or shut my mind off no matter what I did. I ended up taking the low dose as needed anxiety med and it put me right to sleep and I had no issues the next morning. I am thankful to have this as needed medication as at times I have waves of panic. For the most part I am able to work through it.

I got approval from my PCP to take the herbal supplement that my OBGYN had recommended and I started it. I continue to talk to other women about this and love the suggestions I get. One of my favorites is humming, it helps with my anxiety. I find myself humming more than ever. I am continuing with weekly acupuncture. I am down 45 pounds and continue to work on my eating and exercise habits. My husband and friends have been my biggest supporters, somedays bringing me to tears with their support. I need to add strength training as I heard it helps with perimenopausal symptoms. With my lifestyle changes I have been able to reduce my blood pressure medication in hopes that will reduce some of the foggy moments I have. I have the goal to get off it, but am not going to push it. I am thankful for having supportive health care providers. They both listen to me, my needs and my goals and wishes. I am by no means back to myself, but having insight to my feelings and symptoms along with good self care and a good support system is helping me manage perimenopause a little easier. I was hesitant to share my perimenopausal story, but after talking with others, women need to know they are not alone and not going crazy. Us women need to talk and support each other through this. I would love to hear from other women how they are getting through this stage of life.

I have written a second blog post with an Update on how I am doing.

*I did not disclose the medication or supplements I am taking as I am not a medical professional. Please consult your health care providers if you are having symptoms.

Top 10 New England Summer Destinations

I love the four different seasons that New England offers, but there is something about summer time in New England that is simply amazing. As a family, we have been fortunate to travel around New England visiting a variety of places during the summer. I have complied my top ten summer destinations that we have visited in New England.

Block Island: Located off the coast of Rhode Island is the laid back Island with moped rentals, beaches, hiking, biking, delicious food, beautiful scenery and so much more. You can visit for the day or spend several.

Dorset Quarry and Manchester Vermont: We have fallen in love with the Manchester, Vermont area. The cute downtown, fun shops to visit, farm fresh and local food and lots of outdoor activities. In the next town over is Dorset Quarry, which has become one of our favorite swimming holes.

Katahdin Region: Located in Northern Maine is a very special place to me as it is where I grew up. It is more than just Mt. Katahdin and the end of the Appalachian Trail. There are other hiking trails, swimming holes, paddling, white water rafting, camping, waterfalls and so much more. The Katahdin area is an outdoor person’s dream.

Lake Willoughby: Located in the north east part of Vermont is this breathtaking lake. There is not a lot in the area, a couple campgrounds, general store, some camps and hiking trails, but I have fallen in love with the clean waters and beautiful scenery. It is a perfect escape to reconnect with nature.

Littleton: Located in the north western part of New Hampshire is Littleton. When people think of the White Mountains I think Littleton is not thought of but there is a lot to do in this little town and surrounding area. There are great restaurants, swimming holes ,hiking and overall a lot of outdoor activities an a few other attractions such as Santa’s Village, the Cog Railroad and one of the longest candy counters.

Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket: Did you know you can visit both of these popular islands off the coast of Massachusetts. You can, it is a long day, but you get to get a glimpse of both islands and what they have to offer. Beautiful beaches, fresh seafood, shopping and so much to explore.

Newburyport and Plum Island: Located on the North Shore of Massachusetts is the adorable town of Newburyport with restaurants, shopping and walking paths. In the next town over is Plum Island with beautiful beaches, bike riding, bird watching and hiking.

Peaks Island: Located off the coast of Portland, Maine is a popular Maine summer destination. Rent a golf cart and spend the day exploring the island. Or if you are looking for some exercise bring your bikes to ride around the island.

Watch Hill: Located on the coast of Rhode Island is this popular summer destination. If you are a Swifty you probably know that Taylor Swift has a home here. Even if you are not a Swifty the cute little town and beautiful beach is worth the visit.

Waterville Valley: Located just south of the White Mountain National Forest is this little town nestled amongst the mountains. There is a variety of hotels, biking and walking paths, swimming, hiking and just an overall beautiful and relaxing place.

I hope you enjoyed reading our favorite New England summer destinations. I hope you have been able to add some new places to visit to your list. I would love to know your favorite New England summer destination.

Castles of New England

When you think of New England, castles are not the first attraction that comes to mind. New England has a plethora of beautiful castles to visit. Below are the ones that my family and I have visited over the last couple years.

Bancroft Castle: Located on Lowell Road in Groton, Massachusetts is the trailhead to Bancroft Castle. You can also access another trail from Gibbett Hill Restaurant off the same road. There is about a quarter of a mile hike up a hill to get to this castle. Bancroft Castle was built by a General in the early 1900’s. Unfortunately he ran out of money before finishing the property. It was sold to a local doctor who used it as a sanatarium. After the sanatarium closed, the castle was turned into a hunting club before it burned in 1932. This is a popular place to take pictures.

Bancroft Tower: Not technically a castle, but has castle like features. Located on Bancroft Tower Rd in Worcester, Massachusetts is this castle like tower. When we visited we could not go inside Bancroft Tower, but found enjoyment in walking around the tower and taking in its beauty and structure. There are hiking trails near the tower, which we did not explore.

Castle in the Clouds: Located in Moultonborough, New Hampshire is a popular tourist attraction in the Lakes Region, we have visited a few times, but it has been several years. Even though it has been a while since we visited, I still felt it needed to make this list. With a mansion to tour, several hiking trails, picnic areas and beautiful views it lives up to its name of being a Castle in the Clouds.

Gillette Castle: Located in East Haddam, Connecticut is this historic state park which is home to a medieval fortress owned by actor William Gillette known for his role as Sherlock Holmes. This property has picnic areas, hiking trails, beautiful views and the main focal point being Gillette Castle. My favorite part of the castle was the conservancy.

Hammond Castle: Located in Gloucester, Massachusetts is Hammond Castle. This castle has a lot of history, beautiful ocean views, a small garden and my favorite, an indoor atrium. You can do a self tour or a guided tour. Advance tickets purchases are strongly encouraged.

Ice Castles of New Hampshire: Located in Woodstock, New Hampshire is the ice castles. These can be difficult to catch as the weather has to be cold enough for them to be made. If you are able to catch them they are beautiful with the various formations and lights at night. They are always adding more activities for families.

Madame Sheri’s Castle Ruins: Located on Gulf Road in Chesterfield, New Hampshire is the ruins of Madame Sherri’s Castle, located in Madame Sherri’s Forest. The ruins are located on a short walk from the parking lot. Unfortunately part of the ruins have collapsed over the last couple years. The history of the area is still worth the visit.

Newport Mansions: Not technically castles, but still worth the visit if you are in Newport, Rhode Island. We visited The Breakers and the Elm’s for their Christmas Season and it was so worth the visit. The mansion was beautifully decorated for the holiday season and gave off castle like vibes.

Winnekenni Castle: Located in Haverhill, Massachusetts is Winnekenni Castle and Park. There are several weddings and events held here. The day we visited we mostly explored the hiking trails around the castle and the grounds. We were not able to go inside and I could not find if it is ever open to the public.

There are a few other New England Castles out there to explore and I will add them to this list as we visit them. Overall, I am happy with the choices of castles to visit we have in New England. Do you have a favorite New England Castle?

Chincoteague Island

February Vacation is a popular time to travel. We wanted to go somewhere, but were having difficulty choosing a place due to the weather. We usually go cross country skiing, but with lack of snow, this was not an option. After some research and reviewing my places to visit folder, yes I have one of those, we settled on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. It is a small island south of Ocean City, Maryland and north of Virginia Beach.

When researching Chincoteague Island I got the Outer Banks vibes, but less commercialized. We could not wait to check out this island. When I told friends we were going, they said, “you must have read the book when you were younger.” I had not heard of the book, but Misty of Chincoteague is now on my to read list.

Monday:

We left Southern New Hampshire early Monday morning. We made the mistake of driving through New York City which added extra time. After a ten and half hour drive we arrived on Chincoteague Island.

Lodging: Key West Cottages located right off the bridge on Chincoteague Island are adorable with views of the bay. We had a two bedroom, two bath cottage with kitchen, living room and small balcony.

The resort has a pool, which was open, free bike rentals, a small snack shop and a fire pit with chairs over looking Chincoteague Bay. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

After checking into the cottages we walked Main Street. Most of the shops and restaurants were closed. We enjoyed Waterfront Park, with its big chairs and beautiful views.

I loved being able to enjoy the sunset.

Tuesday:

Daisy Island Cruises was the only pony boat tour I found open at the end of February. We took a six person pontoon boat, but the three of us were the only ones on it, so it was like having a private tour. We cruised around the bay seeing where NASA launches rockets, many birds and the star of the show, the wild ponies.

We saw a total of 17 ponies. Chincoteague is famous for their pony swim where thousands of people come to Chincoteague Island to watch the ponies be rounded up on Assateague Island and swim across the bay for health checks and some of them are sold. Some of the ponies sold are returned to Assateague island.

We spent two hours cruising around the bay. Our tour guide was wonderful providing history and showing us points of interest along the way. We were also fortunate to see a seal.

After our wonderful boat tour we grabbed lunch at Famous Pizza. The food was good, especially the Old Bay Fries and the staff were friendly. Finding restaurants open was a little bit of a challenge as many were closed for the off season. The restaurants that were open this time of year were closed certain days during the week. The staff at the Key West Cottages told us about a Facebook Group, A Girl Loving Food on Chincoteague, where she has a spreadsheet of what was open for food each day of the week.

After lunch we took advantage of the bikes our resort offered. We rode around the Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island. It was about two miles from our hotel to get onto Assateaugue. It was flat and easy to navigate. One thing I should point out is there are two islands. Chincoteague is where the houses, restaurants, hotels etc are. Assateague Island is a Wildlife Refuge that has bike paths, hiking trails, beaches, wildlife and the ponies. There are no businesses or residential properties on Assateague.

We stopped and walked the beach. There were so many shells. The views were beautiful.

On the ride back to our resort we stopped for ice cream at Island Creamery, so good. We rode a total of ten miles.

Dinner was at Ropewalk, which seemed to be one of the only restaurants opened. It was packed. My husband was hoping for oysters, but they ran out. We were disappointed in the service as we found the waitress unfriendly. The food was decent. Nothing outstanding, but due to the service we would not return.

Wednesday:

We started out on another bike ride, but once we got onto Assateague Island the wind was so strong that we had to turn around. We were able to get in almost 7 miles. The bikes were beach bikes with baskets. They were easy to use.

We drove our car back into the refuge. There is a $10 fee to drive onto the island. Bikes did not have to pay, but I do not know if that changes during the busy season. We could see some wild ponies in the distance, they were not as close as they were on the boat tour.

We visited Assateague Beach. This is a large beach with so many seashells. We walked a couple miles along the beach. The wind was strong so the waves were impressive. With the exploring we did this was the only beach we could drive to. The beach we visited on Tuesday was a little further north and seemed to be accessible only by bike or foot.

We also did a short hike around a marsh loop.

Dinner was at Steamers. The staff were friendly and prompt. I had one of the best adult beverages I have ever had, a Key Lime Slushie. We also enjoyed some fresh seafood. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying the cottage.

On Thursday we got up early and drove home. We went around New York City and it took us nine hours and that was with a couple stops.

Takeaways from staying on Chincoteague Island.

• In the off season, many businesses were closed. We did not feel like we were missing out on anything. We loved the laid back feel.

• A boat tour is the best way to see the wild ponies.

• The weather was cloudy and with some rain. The temperatures were in the 50’s and 60’s.

• If you are looking for a beach vacation this may not be it. The only beaches are on the Refuge. I would think it can be very busy in the warmer months.

• The island is very laid back. There is a movie theater, mini golf, at least three campgrounds. Bike rentals. Various food trucks and restaurants, most were only open spring thru fall. We enjoyed the low key vacation as our lives are usually busy with work and activities.

• We found it helpful to have water bottles, a small cooler, binoculars for wildlife viewing and a small backpack.

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Day Trip to Portland, Maine

Portland is Maine’s largest city providing an array of activities from shopping, variety of eateries, history and so much more. Growing up in Northern Maine going to Portland was always a trip to the big city. Now living in Southern New Hampshire we always drive past Portland when heading north. We recently decided to do a day trip to Portland for some exploring. Below is how we spent the day in Portland.

Victoria Mansion: The Victoria Mansion is a historical landmark on Danforth Street. We lucked out on our visit as it was the last day of “Colors of the Season” where they decorate all the rooms for Christmas. It was strongly recommended that we buy tickets in advance. Upon arrival you go through the gift shop before going into the mansion. It is a self guided tour. Once inside there were staff throughout the mansion to give history and answer questions. After visiting the mansions in Newport, I didn’t have high hopes, but we were pleasantly surprised. The mansion was beautiful and well decorated. We spent about 30-40 minutes exploring the mansion and enjoying its architecture, history and beauty.

Novel Book Bar and Cafe: This was the main reason for the day trip. As a family of readers we were excited to check this place out. We arrived around 1pm on a Saturday and all of the tables and couches were taken. We looked around at the variety of books to read or purchase. After waiting about 10 minutes a table opened up. My daughter and I ordered teas and my husband ordered a cocktail. We spent about an hour reading our books and enjoying our drinks. It did seem like we were the only ones reading. Others were chatting, playing games or working on their computers. I love this idea of a book bar and cafe and would visit again.

J’s Oyster: The one thing my husband asked for on this trip was fresh oysters. After doing a Yelp search we settled on J’s Oyster. This is a typical Maine Diner setup. It is a small restaurant on the water. Nothing fancy. The oysters were fresh and flavorful and just what my husband wanted. I ordered clam chowder and it was fresh and delicious. My daughter got salad and chicken as she is not big on seafood.

Gelato Fiasco: My daughter loves gelato so when I saw this place I knew we had to stop. For it being January they had a large variety of flavors. My daughter got Cake Batter and my husband and I shared a Chocolate Salted Carmel. The gelato was some of the best we have ever had.

Longfellows: My daughter and I love exploring book stores. We made a stop at Longfellows where they had a huge selection of Maine books.

Portland Head Light: Our final stop was at Portland Head Light to view the famous lighthouse. There was a fee to park. There were trails, a picnic area and just overall great views. We could see Peaks Island, which we visited a couple years ago and loved.

We had a great day trip to Portland Maine. We parked in the parking garage on Spring Street and it was centrally located to everything we wanted to do. We spent most of our time in the Old Port area and loved it. We walked about 3-4 miles. We still have some activities in the Portland area we want to do, so we will be visiting again.

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My Top Five New England Ocean Beaches

New England is full of many beautiful ocean beaches. We have not even begun to visit them all, but in our travels over the years we have visited some great beaches throughout New England that we enjoy spending time at. Below are our top five favorite ocean beaches in New England.

East Beach Watch Hill Rhode Island: East Beach is absolutely stunning. It’s white soft sand, light house views, beautiful ocean views and waves galore provide the perfect place to spend the afternoon. We did not see any amenities or restrooms. There was however, a trailer with bathrooms at the parking lot. The downtown area is about a 10-15 minute walk from the beach and has a decent amount of shops and restaurants.

Good Harbor Beach Gloucester, Massachusetts: There is ample parking, clean restrooms, a snack shack and a small beach store. There are lifeguards and we have seen local police at the entrance and walking the beach. The beach itself is fairly big with plenty of space. It is usually busy, but we do not feel over crowded or like we did not have enough space. The cool thing about this beach is when the tide is low a land bridge forms where you can walk to a small island to explore. It provides a great view of the beach. Every time we visit the waves are always plentiful providing a lot of fun playing in them. This is our teenage daughters favorite beach for waves.

Sandy Point Plum Island Massachusetts: This is a great beach for relaxing on the sand, building sand castles, walking the beach, looking for shells, swimming and dodging waves in the cool clean water. There is also bird watching and hiking trails. Due to limited parking as it is at the end of the conservation area the beach is never crowded and if you want to be away from crowds, this is the perfect beach. Sometimes parts of the beach does close for birds nesting.  

Wallis Sands Rye, New Hampshire: With New Hampshire’s short coast line there is not a lot of options for ocean beaches, but there are a couple good ones. Wallis Sands has soft sand, great waves and is a perfect place to spend an hour or the day. The swimming area also has shallow water for wading. The beach is long enough if you want to take a walk and enjoy the sand and waves. There is plenty of opportunity to sit and relax with your favorite book or enjoy the cool water and waves.

Wells Beach Wells, Maine: Wells Beach has a small charge, changing rooms and bathrooms. There is a beautiful walk way lined with roses down to the beach. There is a jetty you can walk out on. The beach goes a long ways we have only walked a little over a mile down and could have gone much further. There is plenty of space to sit and enjoy the beach and the water. The water is a little chilly, but it has never bothered us. We love how big it is and ability to spread out without feeling crowded.

I cannot wait to visit the many more beaches that New England has to offer and I would love to know what your favorite beach is.

Top 10 Favorite New England Restaurant

Updated June 7, 2026

New England has a plethora of amazing restaurants with so much variety. Traveling around New England we have visited some pretty amazing and delectable restaurants. Below is my family and I’s top 10 favorite restaurants in New England in no particular category or order.

Since writing this blog post in 2023 Greenleaf and Smoking Trout Restaurants have closed. Therefore I have removed those restaurants and added other establishments that have made it into my top ten.

Apponaug Brewing Company Warwick RI Located in an old mill building along the Pawtuxet River is an amazing brewery. With great seating inside and out this brewery offers a wide variety of beers and eclectic food. Their loaded fries are amazing and our favorite. We just love a great brewery restaurant and this is one of our favorites.

Barley and Salt Tap House in North Conway, NH provides a large selection of craft beers and a seasonal menu with local ingredients. Located near the outlets they have indoor and outdoor seating. We loved the large pretzel, burger and steak. The falafel, pictured below, was created a little different then I am use to, but was delicious.

El Rincon Zacatecano Taqueria Manchester, NH This restaurant was initially recommended by a co-worker. It is located across from the SNHU Arena in the downtown area of Manchester. This hole in the wall Mexican restaurant served the best Mexican food we have ever had. It is a small establishment that can fill up quickly on busy nights. Their chips and salsa are delish. Let's talk about the margaritas, these were so smooth and refreshing. My husband had enchiladas, my daughter a quesadilla. They both had rice and raved about their meals. I had a chicken burrito, it was so flavorful. I am picky about my Mexican Food as I do not like hot plate food and this is my all time favorite Mexican Restaurant.

Gibbett Hill Grill Groton MA This restaurant has been our special occasion restaurant for many years. This farm to table restaurant that grows a lot of its food onsite provides a wonderful dining experience. My husband and daughter love their steaks and I love their variety of garden vegetables. The drinks are always creative and refreshing. The views over the rolling hills is beautiful. Fun fact the newer Little Woman movie filmed a scene on those hills. After dinner bring a pair of walking shoes and walk up to Bancroft Castle.

Hilltop Cafe in Wilton, NH is an organic restaurant that takes pride in the quality of food they serve. This is our go to breakfast place, my husband loves their breakfast biscuit, my daughter their crapes and me their Lapingachos. I could lick the peanut sauce off the plate. Most days they are only open for breakfast and lunch. They have recently added Burger Nights and other specialty food nights to weekend nights. After breakfast take a drive over to Andres Institute of Art and explore the sculptures.

Hungry Diner Walpole, NH This farm to table restaurant, is located in Southwestern New Hampshire. Their food is sourced by local farms which is evident in their burgers and chicken dishes. The star of the show is their milkshakes. With milk from local dairy farms we sometimes just stop to get milkshakes. The maple shake is our favorite as it’s made with local maple syrup.

The Kettle: Wilton, NH. Located in downtown Wilton is a causal restaurant where the menu changes monthly. The menu is limited, but we always have difficulty deciding on what we want as there are so many good choice. The bartender is also amazing. I have had some great alcoholic drinks and more recently some amazing mocktails. In the warmer months there is a small seating area over looking a river.

New American Grill Londonderry VT This hole in the wall restaurant in a strip mall in a small Vermont town doesn’t look like much on the outside, but the creative new aged restaurant has an amazing menu. We love the Ahi Tuna Nachos and my husband would lick his plate clean of the Seared Ahi Tuna Steak with a Miso Wasabi Reduction. My teenager loves their burgers. The staff are always friendly and helpful. While your in the area check out Bromly Mountain for some year round fun.

Revolution Taproom and Grill Rochester, NH Located on Main Street is one of our favorite tap rooms. We have been to Revolution several times and have never been disappointment. From their refreshing beer and drinks, to amazing tasting food and selections to the friendly staff anytime we are in the area we stop for food. Their pizza is pretty popular, but we have also enjoyed their salads, sandwiches and specials.

Vulgar Brewing Franklin, NH is such a fun brewery located in downtown Franklin. I have eaten a lot of pizza in my lifetime and their Thai Chicken pizza is the best I’ve ever had. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

We have not even touched the surface of the amazing cruise New England has to offer, but these are our favorites in our travels so far. As you can probably tell breweries and farm to table restaurants are our go to, but we are always looking to expand our horizon regarding our food choses. I would love to hear your favorite New England restaurants.

Foxwoods vs. Mohegan Sun for the Non Gambler

Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are both very popular casinos in Connecticut. Located just 15 minutes from each other these casinos offer so much more than just gambling. During our summer vacation my husband, 14 year old daughter and myself visited both casinos and below is our takeaway of each. My husband and I have been to both casinos, but it has been several years. This was our teenage daughters first visit.

• Activities for kids/teens or those who do not want to gamble: Both casinos have venues for a variety of shows. Foxwoods seemed to have more activities such as on-site go-carts, VR games, bowling, zip lining, arcade, hiking trails and top golf for those over 21. Mohegan Sun had an arcade and off site arcade. We couldn’t find much else for kids/teens to do.

• Easy to navigate/decor: Mohegan Sun was easier to navigate and more aesthetically pleasing than Foxwoods. I love the indoor waterfall and large glass sculpture at Mohegan Sun. I had difficulty navigating around Foxwoods.

• Shopping: Foxwoods had outlet shopping with better prices and more options for shopping. We saw a lot of sales happening. Mohegan Sun had limited stores and they were expensive.

• Restaurants: Foxwoods has a lot of high end restaurants, we did not see much for quick service options. At Mohegan Sun many of the restaurants were closed, but had a good variety of options from fast food to high end.

• Parking is free at both

• Both had lodging if you want to spend the night.

We liked Foxwoods for the activities and shopping. We liked Mohegan Sun for the atmosphere and food. Both are great day trip options or if you want to spend the night. With them being so close to each other you can easily do both in one day. Let me know which casino you like the most.

Mystic KOA Campground

We have stayed at a couple KOA’s and always enjoyed them. When planning our August vacation we had difficulty finding a place to stay and did not want to spend several hundred dollars a night. We do not spend much time where we stay therefore we do not like to break the bank on lodging.

We initially wanted to go to Cape Cod, but after not being able to find affordable lodging we expanded our search and that is when I found a cabin at Mystic KOA. It was perfect for our vacation needs.

Mystic KOA is located in North Stonington, CT putting you within 20 minutes from Mystic CT and just a few minutes from the Rhode Island border. We rented a Camping Cabin, which is a one room cabin with a full-size bed, bunk beds, mini fridge, small TV, porch swing, picnic table and fire ring. We had to bring our own bedding and brought a mattress pad for extra comfort.

The bathrooms were directly across from our cabin, they were outdated, but fairly clean. The campground had a lot of activities from events on the weekend, fishing pond, pool, playground, large slides, mini golf and jumping pillow. I even got on the jumping pillow and it was pretty fun

With the campground being centrally located we were able to do different day trips during our stay.

Our day trips included:

• Block Island

• Foxwoods

• Gillette Castle

• Long Island/ NYC

• Mohegan Sun

• Watch Hill

When reading reviews of KOA Mystic one of the biggest complaints was noise from the highway. We sat outside several nights and could only faintly hear the highway. It was not anything that impacted our stay.

Overall, we really liked Mystic KOA, the cabin was comfortable and fit our needs. The location was perfect for our adventurous lifestyle.

Day Trip to Block Island

I love exploring New England Islands. Block Island has been on my to do list for a while so when we were planning this years summer vacation this was my only request was to visit this Rhode Island, Island.

Since we were staying at a KOA in Connecticut we took a ferry out of Newport, Rhode Island about 45 minutes away. We should have taken it out of New London CT as it was closer to where we were staying, but that’s ok. Live and learn.

Our boat departed from Newport at 9:10am heading for Block Island. We have taken several ferry’s and this one was one of the roughest rides due to a storm the previous day. My daughter and I both did not feel well, it was a long hour ride.

When we arrived at the docks we headed to Island Mopeds where we rented two mopeds for four hours. I was a little nervous as I had never driven one before, but once I got the hang of it, it was pretty fun and a great way to get around the island. Only downfall was I am short and it was hard to touch the ground.

Our first stop was Mohegan Bluffs. You can enjoy the view from the top or take several stairs down to the beach. There are signs saying only walk down if you can walk back up. The views are worth it.

Next stop was South East Lighthouse. The views were beautiful overlooking the bluffs. The reviews online stated the food truck here has the best lobster rolls on the island. We did not try them, but there were a lot of people getting them.

After exploring the island we stopped for lunch at Dead Eye Dick’s for fresh and delicious seafood. My husband said it was one of the best lobster rolls he’s had. The views were pretty great too.

Last week a friend was at Block Island and sent me pictures of seals so my goal was to find them. We headed to the north end of the island and walked out to North Lighthouse and Sandy Beach. We were getting worried we were not going to see any, but when we got to the point they were all in the water and one came out to say hi.

We walked about two and half miles on the beach to see the seals. I could have watched the seals all day, but we had to get the mopeds back.

After returning the mopeds we got a dole whip and explored the shops.

Our take aways:

• Some mode of transportation is a must to see all of the island. There was surprisingly a lot of cars and there were many times that I almost got hit as they were going around bicycles and mopeds into my lane. I give credit to those who bike the island as there is no shoulder and it is hilly in places. My husband wishes we would have rented the mopeds for 6 hours instead of 4.

• There are several places to walk, so wear comfortable shoes.

• I wish we had time to enjoy the beaches.

• Bring water so you do not have to buy it.

• Even though we were there 10am-5pm I feel like we did not come close to seeing everything.

• The ferry leaves from several locations so make sure you pick the right one.

Block Island is an island we would absolutely visit again.

Sun Outdoors Old Orchard Saco Maine

Sun Outdoors Old Orchard Saco in Saco, Maine is a family campground with lots of activities, amenities and close to lots of family fun activities like water parks, beaches and the Pier at Old Orchard Beach.

We camped here for a weekend with our travel softball team.

Friday night we arrived. Check in was seamless and we were escorted to our campsite by an employee on a golf cart. We had one of the tenting/small pop-up sites which we love as they are usually more spacious and secluded, which this one was. There is a variety of sites and cabins to fit all campers needs.

From the campground we went down to Old Orchard Beach and the Pier. There was a trolly from our campground that was $2 one way per person. We drove our truck as the trolly only ran hourly, parking was a little difficult, but we found a town parking lot that was $3 an hour.

To be honest Old Orchard Beach is not my favorite. I find the beach to have a lot of trash on it and at times the area unsafe. We did see a lot of cops and security around. The pier is cool, lots of shops, food, games and rides.

Since we were with a large group we did spend several hours here, but my husband and I agreed this is not a place we would revisit on our own. The Pier lit up at night was kind of cool to see.

Saturday was a day of softball for us. After our games the girls enjoyed the pool area, which has a pool, hot tub and splash pad.

We left on Sunday morning, but my family and I agreed we would absolutely visit Sun Outdoors Old Orchard Saco Campground again or another Sun Outdoors campground as there are several of them. The bathrooms and showers were very clean. The sites were spacious and clean. There was a small restaurant onsite. Loads of activities so you don’t have to leave the campground if you did not want to. Less than a mile from the campground is Funtown Splashtown. Within a half hour of the campground is several beaches and other activities and restaurants. Overall a great campground.

Water Slide Fun in Middlefield Connecticut

I love finding off the beaten path places to check out. This past weekend we found one of those places thanks to Tiktoc. Do not bash this social media app as there are many great travel recommendations there. We got a late start on our days trip to due my daughter having softball in the morning. We left Southern New Hampshire around noon heading to Connecticut to check out a hopefully fun waterslide.

Our first stop was for some food. If you follow me on Instagram you know we love a great brewery. Thanks to Yelp we found Elicit Brewing Company in Manchester, Connecticut. This large indoor and outdoor brewery has a good variety of beers on tap paired with some delicious food. The beer and food were walk up orders. You are given a buzzer for when your food is read to pick up from the counter. My husband and I both enjoyed our beers along with our food of pulled pork burger, pizza, salad, pretzels our daughters favorite and street corn fries, I wish the street corn fries these were a little different, not what I expected. There was a band playing in the background. Overall, we loved the atmosphere, beer and food.

After a great meal we headed to Powder Ridge Mountain Park for our main attraction of the day. In the summer this ski mountain is know for mountain biking, but they also have a large inflatable waterslide. Check in at the store to buy your tickets and sign waivers. Make sure you bring water shoes or shoes with backs as you won’t be allowed on the slide without footwear with backing. Walk around the back of the main building and over a boardwalk to get to the slides.

After checking in with the attendants, you grab a tube and ride the magic carpet up to the top of the slides. There are three different sizes. The longer ones require a little further walk up a rocky path.

You get two hours of rides, which was plenty for our family. For a warm Saturday it was not super busy, the lines moved pretty quickly. My teenage daughter loved the slides.

On the way home I realized we were very close to a waterfall. We stopped to visit Wadsworth Falls also in Middlefield. This decent size waterfall was worth the stop.

Overall we had a great day of food and fun in the water.