Mountains. There’s nothing like a few nights under the stars to put you in touch with your wild side, and there’s no better companion than a Labrador for camping adventures big and small. Labs are fun-loving, energetic, and up for anything. They are at home in and on the water, love to hike, and are equally happy relaxing next to a campfire.

The Green Mountains bisect the length of Vermont like a rugged backbone, creating fertile valleys from the eastern and western slopes all the way to Vermont's borders with New York and New Hampshire. You can cross the mountains by traveling several east/west routes, and this road trip takes you on a beautiful loop through large bustling towns, rugged mountains, rolling hills, and small New England towns that are full of surprises.

One of the most awesome things about dogs is they are always up for an adventure, whether it’s a ride to the post office or a cross-country road trip. Dogs usually make great traveling companions — they don’t tell you how to drive or ask if you’re almost there. In fact, many will just take any travel opportunity to catch up on their beauty sleep.

Spending a weekend in the woods is the best way I know to recharge and reconnect with nature, whether heading out on a solitary backpacking adventure or setting up a tent at the nearest campground. When camping in close proximity to others, especially in a developed campground, it’s important to respect the land and be mindful of your neighbors.

Have you ever experienced an autumn getaway in Vermont? It’s every fall cliche you’ve ever imagined — only better. Vermont is the original inspiration for those warm, fuzzy, fall commercials and made-for-television movies. It’s the real deal. You don’t have to look hard to find beauty and color in Vermont, especially in October.

Vermont State Parks are treasure troves for families who want to explore the natural wonders of the Green Mountain State. Kids and their parents will appreciate the adventurous opportunities these parks provide — swimming, paddling, hiking, and camping. All of Vermont’s state parks are incredible, but these are our top picks for families with children.

Gorgeous mountain vistas, an array of unique hiking trails, and a beautiful family-friendly campground, Mt. Ascutney State Park is a playground for nature lovers, history buffs, and outdoor adventurers. It’s close proximity to Wilgus State Park on the Connecticut River means you you can hike to spectacular vistas in the morning and paddle the meandering river in the afternoon.

Emerald Lake State Park is nestled in a deep valley between the Taconic Mountains to the West and the Green Mountains to the east. The two mountain ranges are only a few hundred yards apart here, and they rise up steeply on either side of the lake. Covering just 20 acres, Emerald Lake isn’t big, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty.

What budget adventure has the primitive solitude of backpacking without having to carry everything on your back? Where can you camp somewhere new every night, bask in the glory of breathtaking, wilderness scenery, and swim in pristine mountain lakes whenever the mood strikes you? If you said a canoe trip in the St.

I admit it, I don’t know too much about the Northeast, and specifically Vermont. It just doesn’t get the kind of attention that New York or Massachusetts gets, and I think it’s a travesty. Fortunately, Tara from Back Road Ramblers is here to show me the way and to tell everyone that, indeed, Vermont is more than just fall colors and maple syrup.

Vermont is car-crashingly beautiful right now, and I have to make a point to watch the road, and only the road, when I’m out and about. It just seems impossible to go about my daily life when the natural world is putting on a display that just begs to be photographed. The solution? A spur of the moment fall camping trip that’s all about soaking up the season.

Camping with our kids has always been one of my favorite ways to go on vacation, and over the years, we have done some serious compromising when it comes to our car camping meals. At home, our food is mostly whole food, often fresh from the garden, and fairly time consuming to prepare. At camp, we want fast and easy, and our kids – they want mac n’ cheese, hot dogs on a stick, and giant, gooey s’mores.