I’ve spent six days hiking the C & O Canal towpath. The canal starts in Georgetown, a neighborhood in Washington, DC. It parallels the Potomac River along the western border of Maryland to Cumberland, nearly 185 miles in all. I began walking at mile marker 5 – on the Read More

I’ve spent the past week in Washington, DC, as my knees continued their recovery (I’m very happy to report that they seem pretty much back to normal). While here, I’ve met with members of Maine’s Congressional delegation and their staff: I spoke with aides to Senator Susan Read More

This past week, I stayed in Baltimore at the house of my friend Marie Bellantoni while my knees recuperated. She introduced me to Lake Roland Park, a 503 acre tract within the city limits. The park is accessible via public transportation, allowing broad access for Baltimore Read More

When I wrote my last post a week ago, I was preparing to hike the five miles from Kent Narrows, Maryland to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, after two days of rest for my road-weary knees. On the morning of Friday March 22, I strapped on my new braces, shouldered my pack, and crossed Read More

When I wrote my last post on March 16, I had just crossed the Delaware border and was in Denton, Maryland. Today, I’m in Kent Narrows, and I plan to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tomorrow. The past five days have brought both joys and challenges. After posting my last Read More

Today, March 16, the seventh day of my journey along the American Discovery Trail, is the first time I’ve had Internet access in four days. When I last posted on March 12, I was at a cafe in Milton, Delaware; now I’m at a Dunkin Donuts in Denton, Maryland. The past Read More

I spent the second day of my journey on the American Discovery Trail hiking across the Delaware Coastal Plain. I mostly walked on roads by old farms – with fields where corn, soy, and winter wheat are grown – and large tracts of former farmland covered in new “cookie-cutter” Read More

My journey along the American Discovery Trail is underway! On the afternoon of Sunday March 10, “trail angel” Marie Bellantoni — a dear friend and former college roommate — drove me to Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware. The eastern terminus of the Read More

For Native Americans in what would eventually become New England, maple sap collected in the spring provided the sole sugar supply for the entire year. Maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes and waffles! Its distinctive flavor enhances both sweet and savory dishes. I use it with Read More

In spring, ferns of various species emerge from the forest floor as tightly coiled “fiddleheads” (so called because they resemble the scroll at the top of a violin). The fiddleheads of the ostrich fern are edible. They have a nutty, earthy flavor, and are considered a delicacy by Read More