​Following up on our previous blog - If you're in New England (like we are) and want to go on a leaf-peeping adventure - the Outdoor Project's got you covered. They just published a great article with lots of wonderful places to see the full glory of nature - complete with details on all the locations.

Their list of great places in New England includes:

• Acadia National Park, Maine
• Sebago Lake, Maine
• Burlington Bike Path, Vermont
• Prospect Rock, Vermont
• Burnt Rock Mountain, Vermont
• Mount Pemigewasset, New Hampshire
• Zealand Falls, New Hampshire
• Franconia Falls, New Hampshire
• Lake Solitude via Summit Trail, New Hampshire
• Walden Pond and Adams Woods, Massachusetts
• Mount Wachusett, Massachusetts
• Cold Harbor Trail, Massachusetts
• Trout Brook Valley Preserve, Connecticut
• Orange Vista Trail, Connecticut
• Chatfield Trail, Connecticut

 
We've been to half of them  and plan to hike the others soon.

​Here’s the link to the Outdoor Project’s article with all the details to the leaf-peeping locations; enjoy:
​
https://www.outdoorproject.com/blog-news/ultimate-leaf-peeping-road-trip-through-new-england

​Since Fall is now officially here - it's time to start looking at all the beautiful Autumn colors. Luckily there’s a great online resource that you can use to see when the tree colors should peak anywhere in the US on a “Fall Foliage Prediction Map”.
 
Here’s what they are predicting for the upcoming week:

​And it looks like they are predicting the week of 15 October will be the peak for “leaf-peeping” here in New England:

If you want to see what the predictions are for your part of the country, or a part of the country that you plan to visit to see the beautiful fall colors, then you can check it out the on the following website:
 
      https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/
​

​For those of you with dogs - you probably take them on your outdoor adventures with you. That can involve days of hiking/camping in the outback, hours in the water or in your canoe, playing in the snow, hunting in foul weather, climbing above the tree line, or even just hanging their head out of the car window on a long drive through the mountains.
 
There are probably times that due to the weather conditions you wear goggles. But what about your best friend? Well here's a solution - "Rex Specs"; goggles specifically made for dogs:

Rex Specs were developed because the company’s founders (Jesse & Aiden) dogs needed eye protection.  A few years ago, both of their dogs were diagnosed with harmful eye conditions made worse by extended exposure to the sun. They were told by their vet that they either had to limit their dog’s time in the sun or find some sort of dog goggle. After a failed search for a dog goggle that could handle their adventures, they created Rex Specs.
 
If you have a dog that you adventure with you might want to check out their website:

https://www.rexspecs.com/ 

​With the end of Summer upon us we decided to take one last quick trip to Maine for a little outdoor gear shopping at the Kittery Trading Post and doughnut shopping at the closest Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store.

Kittery Trading Post
Our first stop was the Kittery Trading Post, located in Kittery, Maine. For those of you that have not heard of the Kittery Trading Post – it’s a regional treasure that has been in business for 80 years; since 1938. During that time it has grown from 360 square feet to over 90,000 square feet. So it’s big – really big! So big that it carries merchandise from over 1,700 different manufacturers.   https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/all-brands/ 

 The store has three main levels where you can spend hours roaming and looking at cool gear:
 
Main Level

• Outdoor Clothing & Footwear, Gifts & Collectibles, Handmade Fudge Shop

 
Upper Level

• Seasonal Specialty Sports & Related Apparel - backpacking, camping, canoeing, kayaking
• Shooting Sports & Related Accessories - firearms, knives, bows, hunting gear

 
Lower Level

• Fishing Tackle & Related Accessories - fresh water fishing, fly fishing, saltwater fishing, canoe fishing

​We spent over $80 (how could you not) so we even got an 80th Anniversary T-shirt:

You can find out more about the Kittery Trading Post on their website:
          https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
After our detailed perusal of all of the gear at the Kittery Trading Post we continued to head North to Saco, Maine where one of only three Krispy Kreme Doughnut stores in New England is located. Since New England is Dunkin’ Donuts territory getting some Krispy Kreme doughnuts is a real treat since they are so much better.

You can find out more about the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts on their website:
        https://www.krispykreme.com/

Needless to say, the quick trip was a great way to end the Summer!