Firepit Cooking!

Camp Cookin!!!

This weekend we returned back to basics of family camping in the cooking arena.

For dinner, my oldest son started a roaring fire and about 1/2 hour later we placed some pre-prepared idaho russett potatoes (poked and thoroughly wrapped in aliminum foil) on our campfire grill. About another 1/2 hour later we added corn on the cob again wrapped loosely up in aluminum foil.

Well the potatoes came out flawlessly (we have done this many times before with proven success). About 1 hour on the fire pit (while turning constantly) and then poke the potato to see check on whether it is done. However this was our first try with the corn and I can honestly say that it did not come out as expected. Most of it was burnt or undercooked. Lesson learned, it was an experiment and next time I will check the internet for recipes.

Later on we had Jiffy Pop. My oldest son and I shook this over the fire pit. Boy did this get hot (even with the pot holder) but we managed to get just about every kernel to pop! The popcorn itself was not the best I ever had but was very satisfying especially knowing that we worked or rather shaked hard for it. We all partook and enjoyed! Of course we had smores as well.

The next night we cooked hotdogs over the firepit.

What other firepit recipes do you have?

Burnt Marshmellows!

I recently joined the social network Facebook.com (not as alias NEC but as my real name). I learned about it through a family Labor-Day get-together and how they were talking to my 20 year old daughter in the USCG who is stationed in Nantucket and is hard to get in touch with! Yes I'm totally addicted. I actually got in touch with some old friends I haven't seen in YEARS.

Anyways, I recently saw an ad for Burnt Marshmellows Camping Social network and could not resist in signing up. Not sure how its going to turn out but the website looks professionally done and it has almost 1000 members. If you join Burnt Marshmellows feel free to sign me up as a friend!

PS. I have some good ideas for reviving newenglandcamper.com (or similar) for 2009 if I can just get organized and focused. LOL!

Mt Washington Hike - Part II

Mt. Washington Hike Trip Review - Part II
1130AM - At the extra fast pace that we were going, NOT being in the best of shape, my heart racing, I simply just had to rest with just .4 of a mile to the summit, STORM or NO STORM. We sat, rested, and had some healthy snacks (carrot sticks and grapes). Two college girls easily passed us who didn't even break a sweat.

1148 AM - We arrived at the Mt. Washington Summit. The FOG was extremely thick and it was somewhat windy. The Tuckerman's trail crosses the Mt. Washington auto road (or actually ends). I was somewhat concerned about crossing the auto road and getting hit because you could not really see clearly down street with the thick fog. Once crossing the street, believe it or not but climbing up the stairs seemed more painful than the rocks. The two college girls who passed us earlier were already starting their descent.

At the top of Mt. Washington there is several buildings, structures, cafeteria, lookout point, etc.
The actual summit is a very small rocky hill. There was many, many people (who mainly drove up in their cars or on the Cog railroad) waiting for their time at the top. Some people were actually complaining that there was NO stairs to the top. It was windy at the top but nowhere as windy as Mt. Chocura trip we took in 2007, however it was chilly. We decided to eat lunch within the cafeteria area since there was absolutely NO view on the mountain.

After buying Austin a "This Body Climbed Mt. Washington" we started out decent to get ahead of the storm.

1245PM - Our descent started off very cloudy but as time went on it cleared right up. About 15 minutes down it was totally clear. The threat of the thunderstorm must have been false. It was very tempting to hike back up to take additional pictures and get the full view of being on the summit be we proceeded on. We could see the AMC hut Lake of the Clouds nearby on our decent. It was also tempting to complete the short .3 (mostly level) hike to that location but we passed on that as well.

200PM - We chose to take a different route down. We headed through the Lions Head Peak. It was somewhat wet in the short "Christmas-tree" like forest area which lasted for only about .2 of a mile. At the Lion's head peak, we sat and enjoyed the view, took some pictures, had a snack and removed our sweaters. It was starting to WARM UP! People were passing us left and right (both on the trail and while we rested)! We were going slow.

313PM - We finally maded it to where Lions Head Trail merge's Tuckerman's ravine ()(near Hermit Lake). From here on down, fortunately the trail was MUCH easier. Less steep and more managable and less painful to walk on. We were able to pick up the pace and I don't believe anyone passed us from here on.

428PM - We finally made it to Pinkham Notch Base and then drove back to Danforth Bay for the evening!

1 Week later - My legs are finally back to normal. I was in pain for a good couple of days!

Things we did right:

1. Freeze some water bottles, provides for COLD water on the later part of the trip.
2. Packed some nutrious snacks such as fruits and granola bars.

3. Bring a camera! Great Photo oppurtunities.
4. Start out EARLY!

5. Even though it was WET in many sections of the park we DID NOT twist our ankles, slip, or fall. The only item we needed in our first aid kit was motrin for sore knees and sore feet. It really didn't help.

Lessons Learned:

1. Do not pack yogurt as a trail snack. I ended up spilling part of mine - also way too much trash! Bring a trash bag with you!
2. Bring an extra T-shirt or two.
3. Train ahead of time. Good intentions this summer gone bad.
4. Check in with Ranger station about weather. Don't trust hear-say on the mountain.
5. Food is actually reasonable at the Mt. Washington cafeteria. Example. A bottle of diet coke was $1.50 and hot dog was around $2. I believe they even had clam chowder for $3.

6. Bathrooms at Tuckerman's Ravine (real flush toilets) are actually clean. Use the Hikers bathroom at the Mt. Washington summit if you don't want to wait.

Hersheypark Review 2008

*** Updated 9/7/2008 ***

We stopped at Hersheypark on the way home from Virigina. Hershey and attractions is an easy drive from exits 78 and 81 on I81. Our original plan was to visit during the fall during the "Hersheypark in the Dark" event but since that may or may not happen we decided to stop in.

We left Sterling, VA around 730AM and arrived at Hershey park at 10AM. Parking is now $10, a $2 increase from 2007!!!

Hersheypark (HP) provides a dog kennel for $10 called "the Barking Lot". We boarded "Bailey" there for the day. HP provides water and an air conditioned crate. You must stop by several times in the day to walk and feed your dog.

Discount coupons for Hersheypark were easily found in most northern VA, PA supermarkets, Subways, and other food area. In the past we have had REALLY good luck in getting discount coupons at the PA visit center (located on I81) as well as online. This year we used the grocery coupons only to find out that Hersheypark raised their rates from $47 to $49, so this made a dent on our savings.

Enough of the ramblings -- here is the review:

Rollercoasters:

StormRunner - As soon as we were in the park Austin and I forced the troops to the Pioneer Frontier section of the park to ride on Fahrenhiet. When we got there (around 1030AM) there was already an 1 and 1/2 hour wait! Instead of waiting we decided to check out the new StormRunner coaster (new in 2006) instead which was about a 5-10 minute walk also located in Pioneer Frontier. When we arrived there was NO WAIT. This coaster takes off 0 to 72 MPH in less than 2 seconds, climbs high then has a big drop. This start is very similar to Disney's Rock-N-Roll rollercoaster but I didn't feel that the startout was as intense. Although this coaster starts off great and has some AMAZING drops and excitement, the overall ride is too short. I would have been disappointed if we didn't get to ride this twice.

Comet - This is one of the most scarier rollercoasters (especially if you sit up front), not because of its drops or because of its loops (it doesn't have any). The scary part is that this coaster is REALLY old. I noticed (and so did the coaster) the wood is warped in several places and the whole time I worried about the integrity of the boards and the entire structure. Especially during the sharp curves and turns. After going to Hersheypark for 10 years, this was my first time on Comet and probably my last time!

Great Bear - Always an awesome and nice and smooth steel roller coaster that seats 4 to a seat (feet dangling) with 8 rows for a total of 32 passengers (on most runs). The lines were short when we visted so we waited an extra 10 minutes to sit in the front seat! Wow! Totally awesome!!! I love the Great Bear. Just perfect.

Sidewinder - Didn't go on this ride. The ride goes forwards and then backwards on the same track and includes several inversions times two -- which makes me ill. Austin hit this ride and loved it like his older sister.

Trailblazer - This was our 4 year olds first rollercoaster. This is a really tame rollercoaster which is suitable for "brave" young children as well as "daring" senior citizens and just about everyone in between. Most of the time there is never a wait for this. Techically its part of Pioneer Frontier section of the park but its really kind of at an obscure section of the park with the Texas-style resturant and show close by. A short walk to either Minetown or the main Pioneer Frontier section.

Sooper Dooper Looper - Located in the Comet area of the park, a bit more agressive than the Trailblazer coaster but by today's standards is rather docile for coasters. It contains 1 inversion and the rest of the ride is relatively slow. My wife who is being a bit more daring since turning 40 stated "why am I doing this", I wish I brought my camera!

Fahrenheit - Hersheypark's 11th roller coaster is definately the BEST coaster in the park. Several dated water features were removed to make room for this beauty! After spending 10+ hours in the park and checking in several times to ride this (with 1+ hour) waits we decided to bite the bullet and tough it out and stand in line. Fortunately the line moved better than advertised and we were strapped in our seats within 30 minutes. The crew was energetic, interactive and the climb was even more amazing! To start out, you literally are at a 90 degree angle during the climb. The first drop is even better. Then several more twists turns and drops! It is truly an amazing coaster. I definately would have ride this again if given the chance. Overall, I still like the SheiKra at Busch Gardens Africa better (didn't get to try the Griffon coaster at BG Williamsburg) but Fahrenheit is definately my favorite ride at Hersheypark.

Lightning Racer - Never a wait at night. One of my all-time favorite wooden rollercoasters which has the daring twist of racing another coaster (i.e., Thunder vs. Lightning).

Wildcat - This rollercoaster really jerks you this way and that way. After my mild neck injury in 2007, I haven't been back to revisit this coaster. My oldest son rode this one with my 10 year old daughter (she confirmed my suspicions) this year. This coaster takes up a lot of real-estate in the park. To be honest, I would not mind seeing this be replaced with something else.

Wild Mouse - This is a mini-steel rollercoaster which is common in many parks. Jerks you around. Similar to ones at Busch Gardens Tampa and Disney. Not my favorite.

Boardwalk

The Boardwalk is a brand water-park area of Hersheypark introduced in 2007. During last years visit (in late September 2007), the temperature was in the mid 60s and we basically had the entire section of the park to ourselves (even though every other ride had a long wait). Proof here at webshots.com

This time being PEAK summer weather with temperatures well into the high 80s and HUMID: NO SUCK LUCK! In fact there was a VERY LONG line just to get changed in your bathing suit. We poked around and found another changing station with less lines. HP really needs to add more restrooms and changing stations in this area.

Each water-park area is gated to accomodate a specific number of guests, each section contains lifeguards (even after closing time at 6-7pm), and the day we visited it was extremely packed. East Coast Waterworks which is a LARGE (actually HUGE) park area with "climb-ups", water guns, accessories, and several slides can accomodate a LARGE number of guests. However even this had a huge line to get access into.

The Waverider is a cool ride and accomodates two "surfing" guests at a time and takes some skill. This is OPEN later in the summer. One of the kiddie sections was closed and just about all the patio furniture was claimed. To get cooled off without waiting in a LONG, LONG lines our kids found relief near the Roller-soaker coaster area which had ground fountains and high-powered squirt guns to squirt the participants on the coaster.

Overall, I'm not liking these mixed water-parks/coaster parks. My experience seems to be that the entire park moves to the water feature during the day when its HOT. The water section of theses park (in Hershey's case the Boardwalk) is not built to handle or accomodate the demand and crowds they have admitted. I have never had a crowd problem at Water Country.

Boardwalk, the SEAquel is coming in 2009. Hopefully it will correct some of these "crowding" problems. However unfortunately (we found out later after doing some online research that one of my favorite rides -- the Canyon River Rapids will be removed forever to make room for this attraction). Yikes -- Why didn't they get rid of the biggest waste of space and most boring part of the park - the Merry Dip Fun Slide and the Midway America tent????

Food

This time, for lunch we stopped at Minetown Resturant. Its cafeteria style where you pick up premade burgers, fries, nuggets, pizza, etc. There is a wonderful condiment bar that contains all the fixings for your bugers, and sauce for nuggests, etc. I had a delicous burger while Patty had a grilled chicken sandwich. The kids had pizza and nuggets.

I ended up buying the $7 themed beverage cup. Refills are only $1 (this was a savings since a large drink was $2.99 in a regular paper cup -- I probably saved a dollar or two and ended up with another cool cup). Hersheypark unfortunately has switched over to Pepsi vs. Coca Cola (which I prefer). We snacked for dinner and hit Wendy's down the street after we left the park. NOTE: We brought water bottles into the park (Hershey allows 1 per person).

Unlike Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, Minetown is the only area where you can purchase a beer and it must be consumed within its facility.

Kiddie Rides

Hersheypark has lots of kiddie rides with little wait. My 4 year old was NOT disappointed! Kiddie Rides can be found in almost all sections of the park with the exception of the Comet area.

Other Rides:

• The Ferris Wheel was fun, scenic, and relaxing for the entire family late at night. People with a fear of heights should not go on this ride. This is a MUST SEE for photographers.
• Capital BlueCross Monorail is a favorite for Patty and a MUST SEE for our family. This provides a small tour of certain sections of park as well as Zoo America. You can actually see where the original "stop" platform in downtown Hershey.
• Kissing Tower - Able to get some GREAT pictures of the park and the Hershey area. Air conditioned/heated. Appropriate for all members of the family. May be boring for the teens in the family.
• Skyview - A favorite ride to sit back relax, take pictures, or just to talk with your companion on the ride.
• Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge - A ride introduced in 2005 (similar to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World). It is an indoor ride where you use laser light guns to shoot targets to compete against competitors in the cart behind you. This ride is appropriate for ages 4+. My 4 year old absolutely loved this ride.
• The Claw - A favorite for the teens and young adults! Those who can't handle "spinning" like my self shoud not even think about this one!
• Rodeo - My daughters favorite ride (she almost got sick on it) is now going away to make room for the Boardwalk II - the SEAquel

Characters

I heard that Hersheypark was going to introduce new Characters and show them more often. We saw Kiss and there was a character play at Music Box Way that we ran into late. I was able to snap a QUICK picture of Nutrageous with Cameron but overall the characters didn't stick around for picturs. We were a bit disappointed about this.

Overall

We love Hersheypark. We feel that this one park provides entertainment for the entire family. Coasters for the adventourous types as well as kiddie rides for the young-ones and entertainment for the young at heart.

Traveling in Boston tips

Well it has been a while since I've been in Boston (use to go their daily for school on the "T") and now three times this week (2 personal / 1 business travel) and there has been some changes.

Here are some *NEW* lessons learned.

- If you are parking at the MBTA ("the T") parking lot, bring cash and small bills. Wellington and Oak Grove (on the Orange line) have non gargage parking lots for those with tops on their cars. I'm not sure about Alewife on the Red line.

- Tokens are gone! Bring cash or debit/credit card to purchase a "Charlie Card". You can pre-load it once for the number of trips you are going to take. Although the credit/debit card machine wasn't working for me today so cash is better!

- Other than the fare increase and methods to pay nothing else has changed much on the T in the last 20 years since I started my daily commute to NU. No new trains, no improved stations, etc.

- If you are using Logan Airport, for pickups now at Logan, bring a cell phone!! MassPort requires that the limo or your pick up now be called 1st instead of parking in front of the terminal. They can't wait for you! Makes me want to fly into Manchester, NH even more so -- even if I have to wait!

Welcome Fall!

What beautiful weather we have been having to end summer and begin the "start of fall".

This week we visited Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro, MA to do some apple picking.

$22 will buy you a 1/2 bushel of apples and allows 5 people into the orchard. We took a REAL hayride to the apple orchards (available to only the apple pickers).

Only two 1/2 rows were open (Macintosh and Gala apples) when we visited but their was plenty of apples to go around for everyone. If you like roaming through the entire orchard looking for that perfect apple this place may not be for you. Its quite restricting compared to some other places I have been. However for us it is close to home and something you can do easily in an afternoon and then go home and make pies (like we did).

Parlee Farms also has a zoo area with sheep, goats (actually lots of goats), bunnies, and some type of birds. When we arrived they were setting up their hay maze for the kids.

We live close by so this location made sense for us to visit without costing a lot in gas.