Summer Vacation 2017: Hiking the Welch-Dickey Circle

On the final day of our summer vacation we decided to hike the Welch-Dickey circle in Waterville Valley, NH.  It was a beautiful day for a hike, and we figured that at just 4.4 miles we could take Zealand along with us.  After a short walk through the woods the trail emerges onto some big granite slabs and then makes its way around a spectacular ridge above the tree-line.  We had great views in all directions and "Mr Z" managed to make it around despite some panting and minor fatigue on the steep uphill sections.

Sheri on the trail

Zealand on the trail

Bryony enjoying the view on the Welch summit

Views of the Sandwich range

Summer Vacation 2017: A short hike to Pine mountain

Whilst we were in NH we decided to take a short hike up Pine Mountain (off Dolly Cop Road).  It is only 3.5 miles long so we were able to take Zealand along with us. The weather was perfect and the view from the top was spectacular. Even Zealand was impressed!

Summer Vacation 2017: Proteus Falls

A short distance from Pine Mountain there are a few small waterfalls to explore. It was a nice cooling walk and a perfect way to finish off the day. 

Summer vacation 2017: Canopy Tour & Zip Lines

Our next adventure was the "canopy tour" at Bretton Woods in NH. This involves about 9 zip-lines in the tree tops above the ski slopes with views of Mount Washington. We started with some basic instruction and a safety briefing, then we headed up to the top of the mountain on a chair lift. The next three hours were a high-flying adventure as we gradually slid our way back to the bottom of mountain. It was great fun and we'd highly recommend it to anyone who is ever in the area.

Sailing with Gene

We have been enjoy fantastic summer weather this week and were thrilled with the offer from our friend Gene to go sailing.  We joined Gene at "Shenny" yacht club in early afternoon under cloudless skies.

With snacks, sunscreen and hats we set sail into Long Island Sound  We sailed to the eastern end of Fisher's Island, and past North and South Dumplings. The wind was steady and just right for sailing lessons for Bryony and Keira who took turns at being Captain.

We returned along the shoreline to explore the resort town of Groton Long Point, making our way back toward the mouth of the Thames River and back to shore.  It was great to be out mid-week with only a few other boats, and mostly sailboats and a very polite speedboat!

After sailing Gene joined for local brews, Mezcal Mules and burgers on the grill. THANK you Gene for a great day on the water!

2017 Summer Vacation - MoMA & Midtown

On Saturday afternoon we enjoyed spending time at the Museum of Modern Art, with Jackson Pollack, Rousseau, Picasso, Dali, and friends. There was also time for some shopping in the numerous local boutiques. To complete the day we had dinner at a nice outdoor restaurant near Rockefeller Plaza and we watched the world go by on a sunny summer evening.

2017 Summer Vacation: New York Botanical Gardens

 On our second day in New York City we visited the botanical gardens and enjoyed an exhibit by the famous glass artist Dale Chihuly. We explored inside and outside and learned about his career which started in the 1960's at the University of Wisconsin. It was a fantastic exhibit and there was something for everyone to enjoy.

2017 Summer Vacation: A few days in New York City

No trip to the northeastern US is complete without a few days in New York. On our first day we walked from our hotel near Rockefeller Plaza to the High-Line trail, and sampled some locally made gelato. Then we went on to Brooklyn via the subway. We had dinner at a local eatery and watched the sunset, and walked back over the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan. A great start to our NY trip!

2017 Summer vacation - more local fun

Bryony, Keira, Sheri and Bruno continued to take advantage of the beautiful weather this week. First up we paddled on the Wood River and saw turtles, herons, geese, dragon flies and an otter! After that we had dinner at the Blue Oar on the Connecticut River (those desserts!) and enjoyed a show (Oklahoma) at the Godspeed Opera House. It was a great way to become acquainted with American culture in a beautiful setting.

2017 summer vacation - exploring near home

Bruno's nieces (Bryony & Keira) arrived from the UK for a 2-week visit on Tuesday. We have been exploring near to home for the first few days and enjoying the pleasures of summer in southern Connecticut and Rhode Island. On our first day we took Zealand for walk at the John Champlain park in Westerly, enjoyed coffee at Dave's Coffee, and picked blueberries from the garden at home.