This past weekend we really lucked out with some gorgeous weather. It was in the 80’s on Sunday but the humidity was low and there was a lovely breeze.

How to take advantage of such a glorious day??

Hiking of course!

When David and I were first dating, we would go on a lot of little day hikes around New England. We even ventured up around Lake Tahoe during our honeymoon.

Ah, we were such babies!

This time around, we stuck closer to home and ventured up to Wachusett Mountain; about a 30 minute drive from our house.

We ended up parking in one of the overflow lots and had to pay $5 (Massachusetts residents; $10 if you’re not). The lots were full but it didn’t seem all that crowded as we hiked up. We started on the Bicentennial Trail and it was pretty easy, although I forgot how rocky the trails are. Thankfully I was able to keep my footing and I didn’t slip or trip at any time. We then turned on to the Loop Trail and took that to the summit.

Eleanor seemed to have a great time. She was taking everything in and was “chatting” it up with dad every now and then.

We made it to the top in about an hour and the views were amazing. The horizon was crystal clear and we could see all the way east to Boston, north to Mount Monadnock and even west all the way to Mount Greylock (we’re pretty sure).

The backpack we used was an Osprey brand (Christmas gift from his siblings) and it worked out so well. She was well secured, it had a pocket in the bottom for some snacks and water, and I especially loved the shade screen that popped up from the back. And from what David says, it’s very comfortable and easy to manage while climbing. A thumbs up from us!

If you don’t feel like hiking, there is a service road that allows you to drive to the summit. This mountain is also extremely popular for skiing in the winter. I always see it lit up as I’m driving home from work.

To get down the other side (and to access the parking lot from the other direction) we headed down the Old Indian Trail. This one was less steep and a little bit longer to get down. It was easier for me though since my right knee was starting to twinge a little bit. We eventually made it to the road and made it back to the car after being out for about 2 hours.

Along with this hike, I also managed to make it out of the house on Saturday to explore some historical sites (I’ll post about that next) and I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed being outside and getting in some exercise. Since having Eleanor, I really haven’t been all that active. Aside from the two races and some training runs, I’ve been pretty…lazy, I would say? I’ve done some walking here or there but definitely not at the level that I used to. I’m really hoping that this weekend will help kick-start my desire to be more active. Plus, it’s a really good example to set for our daughter and I absolutely love seeing her experience all of this. Even if it doesn’t quite sink in yet.

Was the weather beautiful where you are this past weekend? Did you get outside and explore?