Best Adventure Off Trail While Thru'ng

[Josh Calhoun]

Hey everyone , Rash here. On my 2013 hike i took plenty of time off trail to go and visit some places that i have never seen before. Such as Washington DC and visited the national museum's Gettysburg PA battle sites and the largest Cabela's in PA. My question for you is what was your best Side trip off the AT and what did you do?

[The Solemates]

we went in to NY for a few days; that was fund, but I'm not sure that was the best side trip.

we also went to acadia NP and bar harbor after completing the trail. that was a lot of fun. then we spent 3 days driving home to SC from ME stopping at places along the way.

like many others, we also lingered in some trail towns that we didnt have to or were not planning to. this was especially true towards the end of our hike because we had gotten to ME so fast and were really enjoying being out there. we didnt take many zeros for side trips, but lots of neros.

[Dogwood]

Rash, I don 't like that word right now as I just went to the doc for some poison ivy meds today.

There is no best just lots of great side adventures. AT thru-hike - did White Oak Canyon and Old Rag in Shenendoah NP after three days of heavy rain in the rain(GLORIOUS w/ all the waterfalls and side wall pour offs, one hiker told me who does WOC every month that was the strongest he'd ever seen the waterfalls running), Washington DC from HF on the train for 2 1/2 days over July 4th(Nat. Botanical Gardens, Smithsonian, Nat Air and Space Museum, sat on the Lincoln Memorial steps watching the fireworks, went fishing in the Potomac River(caught smallmouth and largemouth), Museum of Native American History, stayed at a Hostels International(hooked up with TWO woman(German, Swedish) staying at the HI in Washington DC. That was a GREAT side trip! Visited, by walking to, three different red covered bridges and the 306 ft tall Bennington Vermont Battle Monument(it's a obelisk like the Washington Memorial obelisk, you can go inside up to the top), Knife's Edge in Baxter SP, riding to Trail Days w/ Connie from Greasy Creek Hostel in that old beat up truck(I could see the ground outside because the front passenger floor board where I was seated was partially rotted out, I remember asking Connie, "hey, what's under this piece of wood on the floor?") So many I would have to look in my trail journals to recall all the adventures on different hikes.

[Dogwood]

Since there's a Woods Hole Hostel thread floating around my stay there was not just an adventure it was one of the most memorable times on my entire AT thru meeting Tillie and having her share her story and the last of the now extinct Eastern Elk that her husband studied. I'm SO GLAD Nellie and her husband have continued keeping the Hopstel open. I found Woods Hole Hostel a magical place! It is the people that make it so!

[canoe]

great post rash. I am enjoying reading everyones answers.

[4shot]

In 2010, I was in northern Maine awaiting for hurricane ? (name escapes me) to hit the coast of maine and then work its way inland. So I hung out at Carratunk,Me. at Northern Outdoors. Went whitewafter rafting on the Kennebec river. 3 great days camping there and hanging out at the pool and hot tub. Whatever hurricane that was turned out to be a dud (inland anyways) but I loved my time there and the rafting experience. after the hike, spent several days on the coast of maine partying with about 10 or so of my fellow hikers who did the last 150 miles or so together. Maine is wonderful.

[Old Hiker]

Breakfast at Mountain Harbor Hostel - 1/4 - 1/2 mile off the Trail.

[Josh Calhoun]

one of my best was when me and my hiking partner Breitside went to her parents house in Cooperstown while passing through New York. For 4 days we did nothing but eat, drink and ride around on the lake. i attempted to ski for the first time and also caught some nice small mouth bass, they made me feel like a member of the family. it was a nice much needed mental break. -Rash

[Josh Calhoun]

Breakfast at Mountain Harbor Hostel - 1/4 - 1/2 mile off the Trail.i enjoyed my stay there. loved the bunk house

[wookinpanub]

Drank til closing time with some locals at a bar in South Mountain, PA. (50-cent drafts!!!) I was the only thru there. Those folks were awesome......and hilariously crazy.

[turtle fast]

Whitewater rafting at the NOC for next to nothing and included lunch. Yeah it was cold...but we went with the head honchos and the company was warm. We saw a Copperhead swimming in the river...the guys said they had never seen that before as the water was cold, cold, cold.

[Lyle]

Canoeing the Shenendoah in the Front Royal area - not blue blazing, just a side trip. Visiting Luray Caverns. Rafting the Shenendoah while resting in Haprer's Ferry.

Many others on other trails. Since I'm just section hiking the AT now, the hike itself is the "side trip". I do make side trips when I'm doing longer trails/trips. Would be a shame to just walk a straight line and not look about you.

[Josh Calhoun]

reading sone of yalls stories brings back memories of my trip. Me howbout and drips canoed the shanendoah. we carried a cooler full of beer and about 50 hotdogs. we camped on a island our first night. drift wood was everywhere. probably the best fire i had on the whole AT. but man was i tired of hot dogs by the time we were through.