A month from now I will be back home in Vermont, filling up on all the necessities that I have been missing – fresh air, hearing cows moo-ing when I wake up, dirt roads, creemees, microbrews, mama’s cookin’, four wheeling, canoeing, hiking and just gazing at the mountains. I think the mountains and breweries are what I miss the most, besides my grandmother.

Last week, one of my co-workers just got back from his vacation in his home state of Massachusetts. He brought me back an edition of the Yankee Brew News. Apparently, I have been living under a rock since I’ve never heard of this paper… I’ve been missing out.

The first article I see immediately grabs my attention “Beer and Hiking”. Well that sounds pretty darn right to me. Views and Brews, created by Tom Rankin, reaches out to others like me who love hiking and beer. The main objective is to visit breweries and hike (at least a mile) one of the mountains / trails nearby. If you complete x amount (as listed on the site), you become eligible to receive a patch. There are different patches for each state (NY, VT, RI, NH, CT, NJ, WV, MA, ME, DE, PA) and even Quebec. This really gives you something to aim for, see the views from a few different peaks and try out a few different brews.