Bear Mountain Hiking

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Given the nice, cooler fall weather that we have had, we took the chance to take Shio and Emi hiking upstate around Bear Mountain at Lake Skanatati. The fall foliage was beautiful:

Shio is actually a very good hiker. We used an extra long leash so that he could go his own way, and he really enjoyed finding his own path while staying with the pack. Emi, on the other hand, was very nervous and tentative at first. It took her about an hour to get her courage up -- she wouldn't even climb over fallen branches in the beginning!

Of course, crossing little streams was very interesting. Shio would always try to find the driest possible path -- and most of the time he would do so quite effectively (much better than us humans actually). However, there was one particular crossing where there was a running body of shallow water that we initially thought Shio would be able to get over on his own. T was very patient and tried to lure Shio over. He was having none of it.

In the end, I had to carry Shio over...

All in all, it was a very fun 5.5 mile hike. And if you love taking photos as much as I do, then this time of year is the perfect time to go on these short trips with your pups!

P.S. The only downside to hiking is that both humans and pups are targets for ticks! I personally found 2 on my body (with one attached to my stomach!!) about 3 hours after the hike... YUCK!!

Photos taken with Leica M9 + Summilux-M 50mm and Olympus OM-D + M. Zuiko 12mm f/2.

Maine Adventure: Shio vs. Portland Lobster Co.

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One of the most famous things about Maine is of course its seafood. We headed to Portland Lobster Co. to get the full experience.

Afterwards, we went shopping around town. Many of the stores had water out front for dogs, and for once Shio was actually excited to walk around with his pawrents. Photos taken with GH2 and GF1.

Maine Adventure: Shio vs. Portland Head Light

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Portland Head Light is supposedly the most photographed lighthouse in Maine. We headed there immediately post arrival, and the views were in fact quite magnificent.

As you can see from the above image, they have a large off-leash area for dogs. In fact, we found Maine to be very dog-friendly.

After the visit to the Head Light, we headed to town to grab dinner.

Pai men Miyake was kind of a poor man's version of Ippudo in NYC -- we were very excited to try their ramen noodles. While I cannot say Pai men Miyake can match up to the ramen shops in NY, I would recommend it for visitors looking for a decent soup noodles.

Photos taken with GH2 and GF1.