Pack it Lunch Box

I was recently looking for a lunch box for work and day trips. I had had a Thirty One Lunch bag for many years. Although it last well (over seven years), it was a little too big and bulky for what I needed and it started to rip. I started asking around and looking to see what my options were. My job requires me to travel between two different locations so having a refrigerator is not always an option. I needed a lunch bag that was light weight, would keep my food cold and had cool designs.

With the recommendations of some friends I found the lunch bag from a company called Pack-It. Lets just say I found a great lunch box. They come in various sizes and designs. The best thing about them is the ice packs are built into the lunch box. When you are not using the bag you store it in your freezer. As you can see above I chose a design that looks like mountains.

So far I have had enough room for everything. It stays cold for at least five to six hours. I am able to fit my breakfast and lunch for work in this bag. I store the lunch box on a shelf in my office. You can put it in a fridge if you have access to it for it to stay colder longer.

We have also used this lunch box for day trips and it has worked well. On a couple really hot days we have put drinks and snacks in it while kayaking and everything stayed cool for the afternoon. The pack gets really dirty when we use it for kayaking, but I am happy to report that it easily wiped clean with a sponge and warm water.

When my daughter needs a new lunch box I will be getting her one as well. I have recommended this lunch box to my friends and co workers as this is the best lunch box I have ever had. If you are looking for a lunch box that will stay cool and you do not have to worry about having ice packs this is great lunch bag.

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Keen Kids Hiking Boots

We recently were looking for new hiking boots for our daughter. We had always bought second hand boots due to her feet growing so quickly and not wanted to spend a lot of money. With us doing more and more hiking I wanted to get her something more durable, easier to get off and on and easier for her to tie. Lets face it parents how many times do we hear on the trail, “there is something in my boot” and it is nice to have a pair of boots that are easy to get on and off.

We started looking around. One day we walked into Alec’s Shoe Store in Nashua. if you have not been into this store you have to go. There have any type of shoe you are looking for, including a good selection of hiking good and there customer service is amazing.

In their clearance section they had a pair of Keen kids hiking boots in her size. I love Keen shoes. Every summer my daughters has a pair of their sandals. She uses them a lot and is not easy on them. They always hold up. She out grows them before she wears them out. Therefore I was happy to try out their boots.

We have tried them out on a few hikes and so far so good. I love that they do not have traditional laces so they never come untied. If my daughter needs to take her boots off on the trail she can easily do so. They are water resistant. I would not go through streams with them, but so far when walking through mud and puddles on the trail her feet have stayed dry. My daughter says they are comfortable and she likes wearing them. She has good support when going up and down rocks and mountains.

If you have an active hiker in your life, I would highly recommend these boots.

This post contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you.

Cider Mill Pond Trail

Distance 4 mile loops, but distance can vary

Difficulty: Easy

With a little more than a week until Christmas I was itching to get outside and unwind. This afternoon my family and I took a walk around the Cider Mill Pond Trail in Brookline. I’m not sure if this is part of the Beaver Brook trail system, but some of the trails connect to the Beaver Brook Trails. The parking lot is located on Route 130 in Brookline. There is a decent parking lot, a picnic table and a kiosk.

There is a series of trails that look like you could do several miles. We did almost a four mile loop with a couple side trails. The trail is pretty well marked. It looks like in the winter they allow snowmobiles so please use caution if you hike this in the winter. We started out on the Cider Mills Trail, which meanders through the forest with almost no elevation gain. The trails turns into the Sargent Trail. There are a few houses near the trail. There are also some pretty large water holes from all the rain we have had.

Along with some cool rock formations that my daughter enjoyed.

Off the Sargent Trail is a trail called Stone House Ledge Trail. I was a little curious about this trail due to the name. We started walking up a small incline. A little under a half a mile you come to an area with many larges rocks, some provide nice views of the forest below and other make a great climbing area for older kids.

Some look like they have caves. My daughter loved climbing in and around the rocks. If you do this trail make sure you take this side trail and check out all the rocks as they are pretty cool.

We headed back to Sargent Trail and looped back around going by two small ponds. One pond requires you to take small side trail to see it, but its a nice little swamp area where you could get a glance of a bird or a beaver.

From you here you connect back to to the Cider Mill Trail and then onto the parking lot.

This is a great for beginners, hiking with dogs, hiking with kids or someone who just wants to get out into the woods for a couple hours.

Darn Tough Socks

When I am hiking, snow shoeing, cross country skiing or any type of outdoor activity I want to be wearing good quality gear. There is no exception when it comes to my feet. I bought good quality boots, therefore I want good quality socks. I have tried various brands of hiking socks, but there is only one brand of socks that I trust due to comfort, quality and keeping my feet warm and dry in all various types of weather and activities.

Darn Tough Socks are made in Vermont and they truly stand behind their product. I brought my first pair of Darn Tough Socks about ten years ago. When you buy a pair the cashier should tell you that these socks are good for life.

Fast forward ten years, these socks have hiked, cross country skied and snowed shoed probably thousands of miles. A couple weeks ago I was putting my socks away and noticed a hole in the bottom of them. I was disappointment for sure. I only have one pair, as I have only needed one pair. My husband reminded me that I could take them to the store I bought them and they would refund them. I am always a little skeptical because it is hard to get things for free or find companies to stand behind their product.

I called EMS where I bought the socks and they told me to go on line and fill out the warranty form and Darn Tough will send me a new pair of socks. Still skeptical I went online, filled out the form and within a day or two I get an email back that I was getting a new pair of socks. They provided me with a coupon code and an address to send the old pair of socks back to them. I ordered my new socks and quickly got to the post office to mail my old ones. Three to four business days later I had my new socks in the mail.

Now I have a brand new pair of socks for hopefully another ten year. My feet are comfortable and happy. I will continue to only buy Darn Tough socks for my outdoor activities.

Katahdin Area Trail System

Distance: Varies

Difficulty Easy to Moderate depending on trail.

We spent Thanksgiving with my side of the family in my home town of Millinocket, Maine. With more snow than normal this time of year we were anxious to get our cross country skis out. The day after Thanksgiving is REI’s #OptOutside Day, since I was finally not working this year I could participate in the “holiday.”

The Katahdin Region provides a host of opportunities to cross country ski which can provide some difficulty to figure out where to ski and which ones would be groomed early in the season. With the help of my hometown friends I learned that the Katahdin Area Trails at New England Outdoors Center on Millinocket Lake were recently groomed so my husband, daughter and I decided to check them out.

Located about ten miles north of Millinocket off the Black Cat Road is New England Outdoors Center which offers an array of outdoor activities throughout the year. The have recently added a trail system that is open to cross country skiers in the snowy months.

There is parking lot across the street from the Lodge with a sign and map to mark the start of the trail system. You can also go inside the Lodge and get a copy to take with you. Rentals are available if needed. I also saw someone giving lessons.

With it being the beginning of the snow season there were only a few trails open, it was plenty for what we wanted to do. I hoped to do the Katahdin View loop as I heard the views were amazing from that trail, but it looked a little too difficult for our nine year old daughter and the trail was not groomed. Instead we did part of the Twin Pines Loop to the Lake Side Trail Loop.

The trails are very well groomed. There was no set classic cross country ski tracks, I am not sure if that changes as the season goes on. We did not have any trouble and we able to get a nice glide throughout the trails. The trails that we took provide some glimpses of Mt. Katahdin as well as some beautify forest scenery.

The two trails that we took were marked as easy, but I would classify them more as moderate as there were some fairly steep hills with turns on them. A couple of them my daughter had to walk down. I was able to do them, with some challenge, but I did not fall.

The loop we did was a little under four miles. I really enjoyed the ski. The trails were well marked with maps at every intersection. The best part is the trails were free. I would absolutely ski these trails again and recommend others check them out while they are in the area.

After the ski you can either grab some delicious food at the restaurant or walk down to the lake to enjoy the beautiful view. of Mt. Katahdin.

Widow Gage Town Trail

Distance: 1.6 Mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Located a mile past Rhododendron State Park in Fitzwilliam is a nice two mile hike through the forrest around stone walls, a large cellar whole and around the edge of a pond.

I love when I can find a hiking trail that has a nice parking lot and Widow Gage Town Trail is one of them. The parking lot is large enough to park several cars which is nice when you are planning group hikes.

There is a small kiosk with maps to take with you. You can grab one, but the trail is well marked. There are two loops. The blue loop and the red loop. Both marked with trail markers of the color of the trail. If you do both loops it is about a total of two miles. Which is what I did the day I hiked it.

Like a lot of trails in New Hampshire there is an abundance of stone walls. Some of them seem very large. I always wonder how long it took the builder as I know most of them are very long. There is a book title, Exploring Stone Walls: A Field Guide to New England’s Stone Walls, that talks about the history of New Englands Stone Walls. I have not read the book myself, but have had people tell me they enjoyed the book.

When you get close to the pond there is a fairly large cellar hole. This was one of the biggest ones I have seen in the area. It make me curious to know what was here. The kids I was hiking with loved the cellar hole. I did notice a lot of beer bottles and cans so be cautious of broken glass if your kids are in the cellar hole. Also remember this is a part of New Hampshires history so make sure they are using caution not to disturb the rocks if they do go into the hole.

The last part of the loop before you head back to the parking lot is a beautiful views of a pond. I am not sure if this is always a pond or a swamp. It was hard to tell because of all the rain we have had lately.

There were a couple different view points of the pond.

Overall, this is a great hike for beginners as the trail is easy to follow. There is minimal incline, more up and down small hills and some beautiful scenery. The kids that I had on the hike enjoyed exploring the various streams along the trail, again I do not know if they were just there because of the large amounts of rain we have had or if they are always there. Put this on your list of trails to check out.

This post contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you.

Pinnacle and Rose Mountain

Distance: 2.5 Miles to Rose Mountain

Difficulty: Easy side of Moderate

When I plan for a group hike, I try to plan the route the best that I can. Sometimes it is difficult as not all trails have a lot of information about them. I feel like I am always taking a chance when I am leading a group hike. This past weekend was no different as the trail I wanted to do had very minimal information about it, but that is what makes it an adventure, right.

Pinnacle and Rose Mountain are located in Lyndborough, NH. To access the trailhead you take Route 31 towards the center of Lyndborough to Center Road. Follow Center Road for a couple miles and then turn left onto Mountain Road. I found that if you are coming from Wilton you can put 444 Mountain Road Lyndeborough in your GPS and it will bring you to the trailhead. If you are coming west from Greenfield/Peterborough you cannot type the address into your GPS as it can send you in various directions to roads that are not passable. If you are coming for that direction make sure you follow RT 31 until you hit Center Road.

The trailhead is on the left hand side of the road, across the street from the mailbox marked 444. I did notice that the numbers were fading, but my GPS brought me really close to the trailhead and I was able to find it. There is no marking on the trailhead, but it is pretty wide opening with a stone wall nearby. You have to park on the side of the road, so make sure you park as far off to the side as you can. This may make it difficult for winter hiking.

I could only find one map on these trails. It is not the best, but it gives you an idea. Unfortunately the trails were not on All Trails either.

Once you leave the road you follow the trail up a slight incline and then down over a stream. A few hundred feet is a fork in the trail and a picture of the map of the trails, shown above. We chose to bare left. The trail has a good incline to it. It is only about 3/4 of mile to the first mountain top, Pinnacle Mountain.

From here you are looking towards Manchester and Concord, there are some pretty good views. Behind you is a small sign pointing to Rose Mountain.

We followed the trail to another lookout point towards Mt. Monadnock. This is where we got turned around. From the lookout we went back the way we came to what I thought was the trail, but I did not see any markers so we ended up turning around again. After wandering around for about ten minutes we finally discovered the trail continued from the look out that we were at.

From here I cannot give clear direction on how to get to Rose Mountain as I am not sure I went the correct way. I kept following the trail and looking at my All Trails Map. Below is the trail I marked. I forgot to turn it on until about a half mile into a our hike.

We were able to stop at Lyndeborough Mountain, which is a small side trail. There was not a view from here, I would not recommend taking this side trail.

There was a cool old car in the woods, we were a couple miles in the woods, so I wonder how it got there.

We did finally ended up at Rose Mountain which has many cairns and a beautiful view of Mt Monadnock. It is about two and half miles, therefore roughly a five mile roundtrip hike.

If you are going to hike this make sure you have a good map with you and have a good sense of directions. I did really enjoy the hike as it is very beautiful with good views. I would like to go back and try it again and hopefully not get turned around.

Hedgehog Mountain

Distance: 1 mile with options for longer

Difficulty: Easy side of Moderate

Located in Deering, NH near Hillsborough is a great trail that can be a short hike or if wished, a longer hike. The Hedgehog Mountain Trail is located on Hedgehog Mountain Road off of Old Country Road in Deering. The parking lot was recently redone with more parking and a kiosk with trail information.

From the parking lot walk .10 of a mile up the road to the trailhead.  The trail head is located on the left. Follow the yellow trail blazes through the woods.   

The trail meanders through the woods on a steady incline.

Since we have had a lot of rain the trail was like one big stream, making the leaves very slippery. If we have had a lot of rain use caution on the trail with your footing.

As the trail goes on it gets fairly steep with some spots that flatten out. Close to the top are a lot of loose rocks where you need to continue to use caution with your footing, especially if you have little ones with you.

Right before you summit you will see a sign for the Hedgehog Ridge Trail

This trail is about four miles to High Five Reservation if you are looking for a longer hike. The map is below and it looks like there are various view points along the way. I have never done this section of the trail.

From the trail intersection you are just a few hundred feed to the rock outcropping where you have beautiful views of Mt. Monadnock and looking west.

To this point it is only about a mile, making it very doable for beginner hikers and children. If you want a longer hike you can continue on to High Five Reservation which is about 4.5 miles.

Remember in the fall when the leaves on the ground trails with a lot of rocks can become very slippery.

Gap Mountain

Distance: 1.4 Miles

Difficulty: Easy side of Moderate

Gap Mountain is one of my favorite hikes in the Monadnock Region. The hike is not too strenuous and provides a great view of Mt. Monadnock.

The trailhead for Gap Mountain is located in Troy off of Route 12. There are two Gap Mountain Roads, make sure you take the one that has a sign for Upper Gap Mountain Road. As you drive the down road there are signs for the trailhead. Follow the signs to the trailhead, which is on the left. One of the good things about this trailhead is there is plenty of parking, a porta potty and a kiosk with a map.

When you start out on the Gap Mountain Trail it is fairly flat, meandering through the woods and over a couple streams. I feel like this trail is always muddy.

The second half of the trail starts to get a little steeper with the last quarter mile a rock scramble.

My daughters favorite part of the hike is the stairs and climbing over the rocks near the top.

Even though the last quarter mile is steep, the view from the top of Gap Mountain is worth it. I love how you get a direct view of Mt. Monadnock. Even on a cloudy day.

There is a nice 365 degree view of the north part of the Wapck Trail and looking towards Vermont.

The hike up Gap Mountain is about 1.4 miles to the top. This is a great hike if you want a little challenge with a great view. If you are visiting or live in the Monadnock area, put this hike on your to hike list.

Betty Arnold Forest/Upper Bicentennial Trail

Distance: 1.5 mile loop, but options for further

Difficulty: Easy

On Friday I celebrated my birthday. Every year I take the day off from work and pamper myself. This year my husband joined me for the day. After I enjoyed a facial and then a wine tasting I wanted to get a little hike in, because it would not be right if I did not get a hike in on my birthday. Since we were already in Amherst at Labelle Winery and we had a time crunch to pick up our daughter, I chose to explore a new trail in Amherst.

From the winery you head west on Route 101 towards Milford. Turn right onto Horace-Greeley Rd and take an immediate left onto Austin Road. About a half mile down the road, which turns to dirt, one the right is a nice parking area with a kiosk providing trail information.

This is actually quite an elaborate trail system. With what looks like to be several miles of trails. We did a quick mile and half loop up Cricket Hill and back to our car. The trails are very well marked with various signs at the different intersections.

There was no view on Cricket Hill, but the walk through the forest was very pretty. If you live in the area or are close by and want to get some time in the woods this is a perfect trail to check out. This trail is good for all abilities with minimal elevation gain with what we did.

I loved the various views throughout the woods. There is something peaceful about the smell of fresh fallen leaves and walking through them.

It was also really nice for my husband and I to get out on a hike by ourselves as this rarely happens anymore.

Monson Village Trails

Distance: 3 Miles but options for shorter or longer

Difficulty: Easy

I love exploring trails that have some history to them. Located on Federal Hill Road in Milford is Monson Village a step back in time.

From the Forest Society’s Website,

“Monson Center is considered by leading archeologists to be one of the most significant archeological sites in New England. Many of the original foundations of the homes that were built in this late 1700s village are preserved.

Visiting Monson Center, a historic gem, is literally a breath of fresh air, and a step back in time. This small portion of history is off the beaten path, but once you find it, you will never forget.”

The parking lot is located on Federal Hill Road on the Milford/Hollis Line. There is only room for less than 10 cars so if you are going with a group please plan accordingly. When you leave the parking lot to walk down an old road to a kiosk with trail information and then you walk into a field with various bird houses. When you reach the house there is a box with trail maps and I highly recommend picking one up as the trails are not well marked. This is where you you have the option to go straight past the house or take a left into the field.

We went straight and were able to loop around the outer trails while exploring various cellar holes and stone walls. There are some plaques that mark where old home were dating back to the 1700’s,

I heard there is a view point, but I was not able to find it. We did get the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful bog that still had some fall colors. My guess is that there are also various birds that visit here due to the nests in the trees.

We looped back around to view more cellar holes and popped out at the field. We did about 3 miles through the trails. There are other trails for a longer or shorter hike.

This hike is as easy hike, great for kids and families. I would saw a little difficult to navigate, I use the All Trails app and the map to figure out the loop I wanted to take. We saw a lot of people walking their dogs through the trails. This is a perfect destination for those looking for some New Hampshire history all while enjoying the great outdoors.

Gramwick Trail at Mountain Brook Reservoir

Distance: 1 Mile

Difficulty: Easy

Located off of Gilmore Pond Road on Peabody Hill Road in Jaffrey is a beautiful trail. The Gramwick Trail managed by the Monadnock Conservancy is a great place to get a short hike in by yourself or with your family. The Conservancy appears to be putting some work into the trail as there is a new parking lot with plenty of parking, a new sign and the start of a new kiosk. The parking lot is located on the left after you cross a small stream on Peabody Hill Road. When you turn off Gilmore Pond Road, Peabody Hill Road is dirt.

The trail is flat and meanders through the woods.

It follows along the Monadnock Brook Reservoir allowing for many opportunities for beautiful views and bridges over streams, which are always fun to walk across.. My daughter loved putting leaves in the water and watching them go down the stream.

I have an obsession with leaf covered bridges.

We also saw active signs of a beaver and my guess is there is a lot of wildlife here.

The trail is fairly easy to follow as it is marked with blue diamonds. Do take note on the way back you cannot see all of the trail makers so make sure you pay attention to where you are walking to ensure you stay on the trail.

The trail meanders along the shore line and into the woods ending at a view point with beautiful views of the Reservoir.

If you have a dog who loves the water, I guarantee they will love this trail, just like my Golden Retriever did.

It is almost a mile to the end. The trail does turn right up an old road, but I have never followed it to see where it goes. This is a perfect trail for all seasons from beginner hikers or those with young children or someone just wanting another beautiful view in the Monadnock Region.

Spirit Falls

Across the border of New Hampshire into Massachusetts is another great waterfall worth checking out. Located in Royalston Massachusetts is Spirit Falls. This falls is special to me as it was the first hike we took our daughter on at just two weeks old. Of course I can not find any of the pictures, but I can assure you they were cute. Even though this was nine years ago, I can remember it just like yesterday. Putting her in the front carrier, feeling scared and excited to go out on our first hike. Some hikers gave us dirty looks, while others praised us.

Even if you have no special connection to this waterfall it is worth checking out. I had originally found this hike in one of my favorite hiking books, New England Waterfalls. The book helped us find and follow the trail. The trail is a little over a mile long and it is very steep at the end. Many people only go half walk thinking they are at the end, but if you are up to it, it is worth the scramble to the bottom of the falls to get the full effect. Make sure you watch the trail markers and wear appropriate footwear as it can be muddy and slippery.

The waterfall is very long, not what you would expect for this area of Massachusetts. I remember thinking that the waterfall never ended.

In my notes I have that there is a side trail to a lookout, but I cannot recall where it is on the trail. When looking at All Trails, it looks like it may be towards the beginning of the hike.

Due to the steepness of the trail I would not recommend this hike for young children who walk on their own, I can remember that my husband and I took turns going down to the bottom of the falls because we had our infant daughter and did not want to bring her down the steep section. I also do not recall any opportunity for swimming here. If you love waterfalls like I do, you need to put this one on your list.

Trap Falls

Located on Route 119 on the boarder of West Townsend and Ashby Massachusetts is a small, but beautiful waterfall. Trap Falls is located in Willard Brook State Forest where there is an array of activities from picnicking, hiking and my favorite, enjoying this small waterfall.

Trap falls is a great place for a picnic or enjoying the sound of rushing water. The falls are located just a few hundred feet off the road, so there is not much of a walk to get to enjoy natures beauty. There are picnic tables and fire pits allowing you to spend a few hours having a picnic, enjoying the falls and kids can explore the rocks surrounding the falls. A couple miles down the road is Damon Pond where there are more picnic tables and hiking trails. This is a great place for a family outing.

Chesterfield Gorge

Distance: .7 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Chesterfield Gorge, is located on Route 9 west of Keene in the town of Chesterfield. When driving through Keene on Route 9 it is five miles past the rotary on your right. There is a sign marking the area.

There is visitor center, restrooms and picnic tables. To the right of the visitor center is the trail that walks around the gorge. It is easy to follow.

You are walking downhill so know there is an incline as you loop back up to the parking lot. There are a couple bridges to cross.

Along with a variety of spots you can stop to check out the gorge.

If are you in the Keene area I highly recommend stopping, especially if there recently has been some rain. It is such a pretty gorge.