Built To Roam: Football Season Blues

What's the big deal about Football season anyways? Every Sunday there is hours and hours of pregame analysis followed by a game dragged out by commercial after bud light commercial, and before you know it your entire Sunday is gone. That's one half of all the time you get off a week! I know I'm biased because I don't like football, and I can admit to being at least a little bit preachy here but deep down is it just a really great excuse to get out of doing anything on a Sunday and somehow escape feeling guilty about sitting on your couch all day? The first two months of Football season occur during some of the greatest weather New England has to offer, and it's undoubtedly the BEST time to go hiking. Now I'm not saying stop watching Football altogether, I know that's waaaay too much to ask, but maybe just cut out the pregame show and the hour or two of thick-necked retired football players explaining why getting points is good, and go for a short hike before the game. The weather is great, and because most of the world is glued to their Fantasy Football rosters you'll have the trail almost all to yourself. And the good news is you can still be home in time to watch the game, and you might not feel as bad about eating five pounds of Paula Deans finest game day deep fried cheesecake.

So get out there, find a new trail, and make full use of your Sunday!

A few weekends ago I went on a kayaking trip with my cousin to Thacher Island, off the coast of Rockport, MA. It was my first experience kayaking on the open ocean, and I liked it a bunch. I have my own kayak, and Patrick rented one from North Shore Kayak in Rockport for a reasonable price. I would recommend parking somewhere outside of Rockport Harbor as the drive in was like a scene from The Walking Dead, except swap out the undead with hundreds of staggering tourists, which it turns out is barely much of a difference at all.

The kayak out was great, and the weather was perfect. Upon arriving on the Island we pulled our kayaks up via the boat ramp and began to explore the wildlife refuge on the island. Thacher Island is home to two light houses nicknamed Twin Lights, both built in 1861. There are several trails that snake through the island, showing off it's coastal views and inland thickets, as well as both lighthouses, which are open to the public and can be fully explored. We spent a few hours hiking around on the trails and climbed one of the light houses for a birds eye view of the entire island before heading back to our kayaks and paddling back to Rockport. I know I say this every time, but I would fully recommend a day trip to Thacher Island, as it is well worth it.

Mileage: 1 Mile (None on the boots)