Slowly but surely, winter is creeping away. When seasons change, there is always a bittersweetness that accompanies the change. When winter ends, we get more hours of sunlight and milder temperatures. At the same time, cozy fires, guilt-free hot coffees and snowscapes disappear.

New seasons also present new opportunities for travel.

With winter fading away, I am already planning new destinations for the next few months. A regular increase in temperatures and smaller chance of poor road conditions opens up the chances of great driving conditions, and while I don’t necessarily have anything groundbreaking planned coming up, it is always exciting to see new places.

First, I plan to make a trip to Hartford, Connecticut, to reconnect with some friends from high school and college. While I am in town, we plan on taking daytrips out of town to hike and visit some local breweries. I have never actually traveled to New England; and while it isn’t the juggernaut that Boston is, I am excited to see and experience Hartford with some close friends.

After Hartford, I plan on journeying slightly south for a weekend in Baltimore. I have driven through Baltimore many times, but I have never actually stopped. There is a lot I would love to see, like the Fort McHenry National Monument, Camden Yards, not to mention the myriad museums and restaurants.

Both of these trips are easily achievable in a weekend, which makes them easy to plan around work schedules.

The winter might be ending, but I’m excited for what comes next.

— Erich Martin, assistant editor