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411 on skiing and biking in New England

Crank

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I have always hated driving in around or through Boston. lol

Only thing worse is having to drive through CT which keeps on getting worse and worse and worse.
 

SKI-3PO

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This is not necessarily only true to NE skiing, but probably more important there than elsewhere.

Ski when it is good - it’s not going to stay that good for long. And ski when you think it won’t be good - it’s often not as bad as you think it will be.
 

James

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Only thing worse is having to drive through CT which keeps on getting worse and worse and worse.
You could add some worse sauce by having to drive out of nyc.

Still waiting for the Hartford approach to be “fixed”. It’s a plate of spaghetti with a terrible sauce that they’re trying to fix by adding more overcooked spaghetti.
 

Crank

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You could add some worse sauce by having to drive out of nyc.

Still waiting for the Hartford approach to be “fixed”. It’s a plate of spaghetti with a terrible sauce that they’re trying to fix by adding more overcooked spaghetti.
Could be worse...if you lived on Long Island.
 
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Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
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All true.

Try it out before you go all in, though, especially if you are no longer young. I'm having to pretty much resign from my night racing life because my low-light vision has gotten so bad.

What color are your goggles?


She also being “recruited” to race on a few beer league teams that race nights at Shawnee. I guess she’ll be a ringer, if she decides to do it. She and her BF.

Well that settles it, goggles or no goggles. I'm out.
 

Pdub

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Western Mass is really beautiful, uncrowded, and close to everything. There is tremendous road and mountain biking out here. Lots of pretty college towns. Local skiing is surprisingly good (Berkshire East and Jiminy). Many Vermont resorts are reachable in a day trip: Stratton is 1.5 hrs, Killington 2 hours, Sugarbush/Stowe 2.75 hours from Northampton.

But the beaches are not so close, maybe 2 hrs to RI and 3 to the Cape. And the major cities are 1-2 hours away, which may be too far for your work needs.
 

Tony S

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Western Mass is really beautiful, uncrowded, and close to everything. There is tremendous road and mountain biking out here. Lots of pretty college towns. Local skiing is surprisingly good (Berkshire East and Jiminy). Many Vermont resorts are reachable in a day trip: Stratton is 1.5 hrs, Killington 2 hours, Sugarbush/Stowe 2.75 hours from Northampton.

But the beaches are not so close, maybe 2 hrs to RI and 3 to the Cape. And the major cities are 1-2 hours away, which may be too far for your work needs.
This.

It's really hard to try to answer the call of both salt coast and ski.
 

Muleski

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Agree with ^^^^^. Berkshire County is beautiful. Have a close friend who lives on a small lake in Lennox. And, yep, it has everything BUT salt water and the “real” coast. Be it long sandy beach, or the more typical rocky Northern NE.

My wife, and I and of course our kids all grew up and have always lived pretty much on the ocean. We live by the tides, love to feel and smell a windshift. This AM I was walking the dogs, saw some action on the water right in front of the house, interrupted the walk, and 15 minutes later had a fat striped bass which will be on the grill tonight.

Skiing has been a huge part of my life since I began to walk….65 years ago. So has been the ocean. And everything you can do to enjoy it.

So for us, making both work has been key. That has always meant a ski house, and believe me they started out TINY. “Modest” would be overstating it!

And, no trophy home as a primary residence. All about water access, and access to 95 to head North….every weekend. We were in Stowe for our first 10 years, then did the long right turn to Sugarloaf 25+ years ago.

Man, if RFH had been an option back then, might have looked at a LOT of options. HaHa.

Being in one place and having both ocean and mountains is a challenge.

We have friends who live on a lake in Camden, Maine. Look right at the small local ski area, the Camden Snowbowl.
They do all sorts of “lake stuff” in the summer. They own a bigger boat which they keep in Camden Harbor on the ocean. Maybe 15 minutes from their house? So that gives them the ocean.

They are retired now, ski a few days a week at the Snowbowl, and spend most weekends at their long term place at Sugarloaf. Pretty great….but it still takes two houses, and all of that expense. The drive is about an easy 2.5 hours to Sugarloaf. You have to like cold.

I love New England. And the variety. So much to do. Serious ocean and mountains is maybe the biggest challenge. And if “salt water is in your veins” then lakes are just not the same….as great as most are.

My older brother went to school in the Berkshires. Just spectacular. I of course was 100% clueless at the time!
 

Wilhelmson

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I inferred that op needs to live in southern new england for work. Did I miss something?

Ya if you need to work in RI or CT you should live in Maine. See how that works out.
 

LiquidFeet

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....I shouldn't have used the word "beach". Make that synonymous with your word for "at the ocean". Tracy grew up in Palm Beach County, I grew up on San Francisco Bay and Santa Barbara. We go to the Caribbean every year. That is our idea of beach. Boating, the smell of the sea air, lobster pounds and other fresh seafood, walking the dog on a touristless beach is the goal. (we don't need to find a place without tourists - unicorn, we'll just avoid being annoyed by them by staying away until they hide.)
....
That does sound like you want a walkable beach that doesn't require driving and paying for parking. Here's one. For sandy beaches that aren't totally private, look at beaches near Gloucester MA. I live near Gloucester, Rockport, Annisquam, and Magnolia. My drive to northern NH or to good ski areas in VT takes 2.5-4 hours, as long as I avoid rush hour on Friday afternoons. Add another 20 minutes or so if you drive from Gloucester. Many of the sandy ocean beaches along the MA coast in this area are privately owned.

Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester
Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester


Many ocean NE beaches in MA and ME are rocky. Like so:
North_from_Baileys_Is.jpg
A lighthouse in the distance with grass and rocks in the foreground. by J Danielle Wehunt for Stocksy United
A Rocky Beach In New England During A Rain Storm. by J Danielle Wehunt


You'll find lots of sandy beaches in places off Cape Cod, but that's a non-starter if you want to drive to ski. Traffic on and off the cape is famously slow.
 
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James

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Nope, Western Mass is horrible.
Texas has a coast…

Look, Mt Bohemia in MI. It’s freshwater, but Lake Superior is big.

F23EA753-8EB2-4A36-B0F0-FF55BB0D0379.jpeg
 

Crank

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We are headed out the door to Williamstown, Ma for a cloudy leaf peeping weekend. Will go hiking on Greylock and mountain biking at a mellow place called Field Farm with great views of Greylock.

But yes, northwestern MA/ Berkshires are beautiful, have reasonably priced real estate, are close to good skiing, have great hiking, road and mtb riding. There is a fun loop we like to rede that is half road and half pathways and dirt roads along the Hoosic River.

It is on our list for possible retirement spots.
 

Muleski

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I’m not going to be the ongoing sounding gong, but, if you want to find some sand beach, that is free or cheap and great for
Dog walking at least for some months of the year, I can start you in Nahant, MA, and walk you right up the coast of MA, NH, and through “Southern, ME.” And keep on going.

In fact last weekend we were on plenty of sand, Cape Elizabeth ME, North through the Mid-Coast. I have cruised every mile of that coastline by boat for all of my 67 years. So this is not guesswork for me.

The concept that Maine is all rocky is just wrong. In fact one of the most beautiful beaches is on Roque Island, off the coast of Jonesport. Up there.

The OP mentioned Coastal NH as a potential spot to live. I thought the work situation looked like clients/customers/territory located in MA, RI, CT….but flexibility as to home base. In the dark ages, I covered a territory that ran through all of the NE states, and mid state NY. And we lived in Portand, ME at the time. In the dark ages of “technology”, when most tech was a phone, including a cell phone hard wired in each of our cars….and one on our boat. And a Blackberry.

Did not get the sense that he was solely targeting South of Boston…..including RI. Which has some great spots, and some……

Lots of other factors. Kids? School preferences? House{s} budgets? Home preferences? As in new and big, or old, maybe even antique? Location and sighting trumping the SF of the bathrooms, etc.

For example, @LiquidFeet mentioned Annisquam, which is an absolute jewel. We have a few friends there. It’s old, it’s on the water, on the river very close to the bold ocean. It is charming. And I bet that on here, most people would just not “get it.” It is one of my favorite spots in New England. Most people don’t know that it exists.

The New England coast stretches more miles that a cross country drive Boston to San Diego. There are a LOT of gems.

Now abandon the “salt water thing” and a place like Berkshire County MA is great. In so many ways. My inlaws owned a home in Williamstown. Beautiful. But they got out of there in the winter, and most of the summer in their later years.

I’m learning that being a retiree in MA is great if you love it here. But it sure as hell is not the target based on cost. Having just spent $120 today to register a boat trailer, for one year. Taxachusetts is a real thing. Fees are essentially taxes.

But things like incredible healthcare at your doorstep, when you need it, is just priceless. We place huge value on that.

At any rate, great luck on this one!!!
 

Wilhelmson

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I’m not going to be the ongoing sounding gong, but, if you want to find some sand beach, that is free or cheap and great for
Dog walking at least for some months of the year, I can start you in Nahant, MA, and walk you right up the coast of MA, NH, and through “Southern, ME.” And keep on going.

In fact last weekend we were on plenty of sand, Cape Elizabeth ME, North through the Mid-Coast. I have cruised every mile of that coastline by boat for all of my 67 years. So this is not guesswork for me.

The concept that Maine is all rocky is just wrong. In fact one of the most beautiful beaches is on Roque Island, off the coast of Jonesport. Up there.

The OP mentioned Coastal NH as a potential spot to live. I thought the work situation looked like clients/customers/territory located in MA, RI, CT….but flexibility as to home base. In the dark ages, I covered a territory that ran through all of the NE states, and mid state NY. And we lived in Portand, ME at the time. In the dark ages of “technology”, when most tech was a phone, including a cell phone hard wired in each of our cars….and one on our boat. And a Blackberry.

Did not get the sense that he was solely targeting South of Boston…..including RI. Which has some great spots, and some……

Lots of other factors. Kids? School preferences? House{s} budgets? Home preferences? As in new and big, or old, maybe even antique? Location and sighting trumping the SF of the bathrooms, etc.

For example, @LiquidFeet mentioned Annisquam, which is an absolute jewel. We have a few friends there. It’s old, it’s on the water, on the river very close to the bold ocean. It is charming. And I bet that on here, most people would just not “get it.” It is one of my favorite spots in New England. Most people don’t know that it exists.

The New England coast stretches more miles that a cross country drive Boston to San Diego. There are a LOT of gems.

Now abandon the “salt water thing” and a place like Berkshire County MA is great. In so many ways. My inlaws owned a home in Williamstown. Beautiful. But they got out of there in the winter, and most of the summer in their later years.

I’m learning that being a retiree in MA is great if you love it here. But it sure as hell is not the target based on cost. Having just spent $120 today to register a boat trailer, for one year. Taxachusetts is a real thing. Fees are essentially taxes.

But things like incredible healthcare at your doorstep, when you need it, is just priceless. We place huge value on that.

At any rate, great luck on this one!!!

No matter where one chose to live, I would check out the closest open gas station at 10 pm on a Friday to get a feel for what you might see around. My friends who live in a popular touristy not to be named city not too far north of MA don't feel safe walking alone at night, the women at least.
 

LiquidFeet

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....In fact last weekend we were on plenty of sand, Cape Elizabeth ME, North through the Mid-Coast. I have cruised every mile of that coastline by boat for all of my 67 years. So this is not guesswork for me.
....The concept that Maine is all rocky is just wrong. In fact one of the most beautiful beaches is on Roque Island, off the coast of Jonesport. Up there.
....The New England coast stretches more miles that a cross country drive Boston to San Diego. There are a LOT of gems.....
Thanks for the correction.
 

Muleski

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No matter where one chose to live, I would check out the closest open gas station at 10 pm on a Friday to get a feel for what you might see around. My friends who live in a popular touristy not to be named city not too far north of MA don't feel safe walking alone at night, the women at least.

Guess that might be Salem, and if so it all depends on what part of the city. For example, Chestnut St, location of the best immaculate Federalist homes in the country, is plenty “safe.” I’m guessing it’s not Lynn, otherwise this will be the first time in history that Lynn was described as touristy. It’s not.

A couple of the neighboring coastal towns on the water do not have a single gas station, BTW. Fact. My town has none. Once had 30+ of different sizes and shapes. Only gas available is marine gas, at two spots on the water. It’s OK, plenty of gas right over the town lines!

The true north shore of MA has been referred to as the Gold Coast for about 150 years. I’m OK with the safety aspect.

Salem? Parts, sure. I would not go near the place in the weeknights leading up to Halloween. Nuts.

The two wealthiest people in MA are Ned Johnson the Chairman of Fidelity, and his daughter Abigail. She is the third generation of the family to live in Nahant, where Ned still lives. Always has. She splits her time between her homes there an in Milton. I think they always feel safe on Nahant as do many of their neihhbors, some good friends of ours.

Back when Gennaro Angiulo, the late head of N.E. organized crime was alive, he and his family lived on Nahant. He loved it, and his neighbors, evidently. Perhaps his many bodyguards behind his gated estate helped with the fact that Nahant had ZERO crime. “Safest” town in the state. Gerry was sort of appreciated by his old line blue blood neighbors!
 

Muleski

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Thanks for the correction.

Maine’s coastline has PLENTY of rocky cliffs and those beautiful spruce trees. Stunning. Just saying there is a lot more beach than most people realize. Some people even surf, almost daily, year round.

Now is it GOOD surfing? I have no clue. But people surf, off beaches!

My granddogs get walked or run on a couple all the time.

I’m just a defensive New England guy. It’s funny, but nearly ALL of my mid thirties kids’ friends are moving back. From what are some great cities and locations. The common theme is “I didn’t realize what we have, and what we grew up doing….until moving. Now….I appreciate it.”

Will it be like walking two blocks to take the Gondi up Ajax? Nope. It will NOT be!!
 

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