Diving Back Beach - Rockport, Massachusetts

Back beach, Rockport

If you missed Monday's post, I talked all about New England diving and our first dive site on Sunday morning, Folly Cove.  After a great dive at Folly Cove and a quick surface interval, we made our way back to the cove (without our gear) to see how the entry would be as the tide receded.  They were NOT kidding about that dive site at low tide, its nearly impossible to get across those slippery rocks with heavy gear.  

After the tide was too low and the rocks FAR too slippery for a second dive at Folly Cove, I headed south to Back Beach in Rockport, Massachusetts with fellow divers Corey, Emily, and Chris. 

Diving Folly Cove- Gloucester, Massachusetts

New England diving usually goes a little something like this.... Rocky shores, zero to there-are-my-dive-buddies visibility (10 feet?), and marine life typical of the Atlantic shores ranging from a hue of brown to brown.  It isn't always the most exciting of marine life or best visibility, but I will say this without a doubt, it makes you a better diver.  We are all used to "brail diving" as we like to call it, when the visibility is so bad you just sort of feel around with your hands to find the bottom or things around you so when things get mucked up or the vis is low, we don't panic. 

Before I go on, know I am not complaining, that diving these sometimes murky Atlantic waters is how I love to spend a Wednesday afternoon (and many a weekend).  You should also know not all New England waters are treated the same.  Where Stonington Point usually sees visibility in the 5-10' range, many lakes, quarries, and areas of our coast get visibility ranging from 20 to 30+' which to us New Englanders is amazing.  We can travel around the NE coast to find some better visibility and abundance of critters.

Hiking Mount Monadnock, Southern New Hampshire

This was one of those weekends that I did so much it actually felt LONG.  Friday night at home, Saturday a drive to New Hampshire to hike, and Sunday a trip to Massachusetts to dive.  I have so much to share with you all so let's just start in order with my day in New Hampshire.  With my final New England summit happening this weekend (the beast that is Katahdin, the highest point in Maine) I knew I needed to get some hiking with elevation in.  This can be a challenge in Coastal Connecticut where our hikes are often a more leisurely stroll through the woods.  When a friend who is also joining me on Katahdin suggested Mount Monadnock in southern New Hampshire, I happily made the 2.5 hour trek north and tagged along. 

Lakes and Hammocks, My Secret Spot in New Hampshire

As bloggers, we often face a struggle of "how much is too much" to share.  This can be on a personal level (how much of a personal life do I chose to share?) or on a destination information level (should I keep this spot a secret?).  If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably know my feelings on the first front -  I work hard to keep my private life just that... private.  But on the second level, I have struggled.  I want to share all the amazing places I go with you all, giving you the information you need to find and enjoy these places too.  But at the same time, it is nice to have those secret not-so-well-known spots. 

Schilling Beer Co. Littleton, NH

Filled Crowler from Schilling Beer Co.

I've been a little...burnt out from local breweries lately.  Within the last few months, I have tried my hand at various local breweries around New England.  Most recently, a trip to Norwich brought me to two small(ish) breweries practically next door to each other and this stop, like several others, left me leaving with my growler empty.  I just couldn't find a beer memorable enough to even fill a growler.  It's not that the beers were terrible, they just weren't memorable.  It was just another mediocre or another double IPA trying a little too hard.  But I digress, this post is not about the bad breweries I have been to, but the one really good one I went to while hiking in New Hampshire.