A Gem of a Group Program at Herkimer Diamond Mines

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herkimer10 Rocks and youthful energy make for an explosive mix, and the yellow shirt crew at Herkimer Diamond Mines goes all out to make the group programs a fun and educational experience for children. There are several outings scheduled throughout the year that are tailored to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or homeschoolers. With two young friends in tow, we experienced this “gem of an experience” for ourselves at the Homeschool Outing on June 7, 2010.

Families drive in from all over the Northeast for the homeschool program, one family drove all the way from Georgia; and many take advantage of the KOA Kampgrounds to make it into a vacation.  We chose to do this as a day trip, heading out at 7AM and returning in time for dinner. Even though we were there all day, time seemed to fly by as we were busy every minute with learning activities and exciting discoveries.

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How To Find Fun Hikes In The Capital Region

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Finding a hiking trail in the Capital Region can be as simple as stepping into your back yard.  In fact, one of the reasons we chose our family home is that the wooded backyard abuts the forest trails under the power lines.  We got full-time luxury camping accommodations AND easy access to miles of hiking trails.

While the back trails are handy, I’m an explorer at heart.  I love to discover new places, especially those that are off the beaten path.  I don’t know if I’ll ever earn the right to be labeled an Adirondack Forty-Sixer, but over the years that we’ve lived in the Capital Region, my family has huffed and puffed its way through a lot of area trails. Along the way, we’ve picked up a few resources for finding hiking trails that appeal to kids.

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