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Maine (a.k.a. Western Ireland!)

Maine beckoned and we followed. Donna and I recently visited for the first time the beautiful Pine Tree State to do some hiking in Acadia National Park and experience the quaint fishing villages that dot the famously rocky coastline. We coupled our Maine odyssey with a quick stop in historic Boston so we could catch a Red Sox game at the revered Fenway Park. ( Editor’s note: The author really means so  he  could go to Fenway, a bucket-list item; his wife was happy to tag along.)   Maine reminded us of one of our favorite places – the west coast of Ireland. Like Ireland, Maine is largely undeveloped (a whopping 90% of the state is forested) and is sparsely populated. The extensive coastline – longer than California’s – is buffeted by the same Northern Atlantic Ocean. As you would expect, fishing (and lobstering) has been a major part of the state’s economy for centuries, as in Ireland. Note: In Bar Harbor, we had a meal in Paddy's, which claims to be America's closest Ir...
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We Hiked the Appalachian Trail!

Well, okay, not quite all of it. About six miles of it. Well, okay, not exactly six miles of it. Three miles out and back, so six miles total. But we did hike on it and it was awesome. The A.T., as we experienced hikers call it, is the 2,200-mile footpath that runs through 14 states from Springer Mountain in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia to the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park. Donna and I, taking advantage of perfect fall weather, made the one-hour drive to Washington Monument State Park near Boonsboro, Maryland on a recent morning. The park had three lures for us: interest in seeing the beautiful vistas from Washington Monument, a 40-foot stone tower erected by residents in 1827 to honor the first U.S. president; proximity to quaint Boonsboro, which we had visited before; and access to the A.T. The location of the tower, a half-mile or less from the parking lot, does indeed provide terrific views from atop South Mountain. Two histori...

Tuscany -- Molto Bene!

Each day should begin with a hug, a kiss, a caress, and a coffee. So said the front of our breakfast menu in Florence during our recent trip to Tuscany. This sage advice seems to work well for the Italians and we strongly endorse it. We found the people to be warm and friendly, with a sense of humor and a carefree willingness to modify and adapt. Perhaps drinking copious amounts of wine contributes to those traits, or perhaps our drinking copious amounts of wine made us perceive these characteristics in the Italians we encountered. Either way, we got along famously in this beautiful, romantic country and we’re already dreaming of going back. Highlights: The concentration of incredible ancient architecture and Renaissance art in cities such as Florence, Siena, and San Gimignano. Spectacular untouched landscapes of rolling hills, centuries-old villas surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, and statuesque cypress and cork oak trees. Medieval (and earlier) villages that remain lar...