Hammonasset Beach State Park, CT.

It was Christmas day and I was surprised by the number of people who were at the beach! We drove along the road inside the state park and headed towards East Beach and Meig's Point, which is the rocky side of the beach, but when we saw the number of cars in the lots we decided to head over to West Beach, which was slightly less crowded. As soon as we stepped onto the boardwalk we were hit with a strong, relentless wind that blew the sand right up into the air. People pulled up their hoods and stayed on the beach pushing against the wind, and some even walked along the edge of the water. Others chose to avoid the worst of the wind and could be seen meandering the trails that run through the grassy marshes and sandy dunes that sweep out on either side of the road. The sky was deep blue and the day was clear enough for us to see Long Island laying across the southern horizon. I've never gone to the beach on Christmas day, but I found it an uplifting experience, and perhaps it will become a new tradition!

Hammonasset Beach State Park, CT.

Merry Christmas!

Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts

While driving along we saw signs for Old Sturbridge Village and decided to take a look. There were no events that day and the temps were frigid so the Village was fairly quiet except for a coffee shop and gift shop that were open and decorated nicely for Christmas. A few people had ventured into the cold to browse the unique merchandise in the shop or to sip coffee near the beautifully lit trees that glowed in the coffee shop.

Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts

I loved the look of this small forest because of the tall straight trees and flat carpet of pine needles on the forest floor. I also loved the way the sun was shining between the trunks of the trees.

Winchester, New Hampshire

This park wasn't actually my planned destination, but it's not uncommon for us to find ourselves in a different place if I get us lost while trying to find the actual spot we were going to visit. I wasn't disappointed though because this turned out to be a beautiful place to walk and explore. We had quite a range of weather starting with gray skies and rain sprinkles, and then it went back and forth between blue skies and sunshine, and dark skies with light snow flurries. The trail we were on was just right for strolling dog walkers. It was wide, flat and easy to walk along. On the north side of the trail the forest floor gently sloped upwards, and on the south side it sloped down into a shallow valley. We could see the rolling ridge line of hills that stretched out beyond the woods, and we also saw a small brook winding back and forth below the trail. I'm sure that once snow is covering the ground this park will be quite a wonderful sight. And with 9 trails to choose from you'd never get bored.

Winchester, New Hampshire

Here's a sight you don't usually encounter along a hiking trail! The box is marked "Friends of Pisgah State Park" but we couldn't determine whether it was for receiving mail or a place to get maps of the trails.

Winchester, New Hampshire