Travel off the beaten track and experience

Tucked into the southern terminus of the Green Mountains of Vermont, Wilmington is a tiny village of just over 2,000 people.  It sits on the crossroads of Vermont Route 9, which runs east and west, and Vermont Route 100 , which runs the length of Vermont, from Massachusetts to Canada. While many small towns in Vermont and across the country have fallen on hard times, Wilmington is thriving. The town was hit hard by Hurricane Irene in 2011, with massive flooding and destruction of beloved buildings, but if anything, Irene seemed to bring the people of Wilmington, VT together, making it stronger, and more committed to embracing and promoting the charms of this beautiful mountain village. Wilmington is fortunate to have both mountains and lakes for outdoor adventures, not to mention one of the cutest little New England villages out there. It attracts out-of-towners in three seasons, so even though Wilmington is a tiny Vermont town, there really is a lot going on –...

The Alpine Ridge Trail is a relatively short, but steep path through the Alpine Tundra of Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s a great hike for those who want breathtaking beauty, but don’t want to work too hard for it. Because the trailhead starts at 12,000 feet and there aren’t any trees to block your view, you’re pretty much immersed in panoramic scenery from the get-go. There’s also plenty of wildlife and plenty of people milling around (you can’t have it all). The weather can be unpredictable at this elevation Hiking on the Alpine Ridge Trail The Alpine Ridge Trail can be accessed from the Alpine Visitor Center off of Trail Ridge Road — the highest road found in any national park. The trail is just .6 miles round trip, so you can get there and back pretty quickly, but if you strap on your camera, and pack a picnic, you can also make an afternoon of it. Because of erosion issues, the entire path has been paved, and you will have to climb ...

We’re sharing our report of our Mount Kilimanjaro on the Lemosho Route for 7 days/6 nights. Check out our trip report for the final stretch of our journey on Days 6-7. Refer to:  Trip Report Days 1-2; Trip Report Days 3-5 Related post: Why Mount Kilimanjaro is Awesome and Challenging Day 6 – January 3, 2017 Summit Day was similar to running a marathon: You have a hard time sleeping the night before due to the excitement and anxiety. Once you start the race, you feel strong and run/sprint past everyone. The pace is blowing away what was done in training. In the middle of the run, the pace slows down due to the cockiness of running fast in the beginning and you wonder why you put yourself through torture. Once you cross the finish line, you’re over the run and vow never to do another one. After some sleep and rest, the high endorphins kick in and you instantly want to sign up for another one. What a slow climb up the mountain. Hundreds of people walked up, and we lo...