Well, with all that's gone on with life in the past 8 or 9 months, we didn't want to PLAN on it, but we have decided to admit that we won't get to all 52 parks before I turn 52. Alas, vacation time, singing commitments, family stuff, illness, and all the rest has prevented us from being able to actually dedicate at least one day a weekend to visiting parks. We have clumped two and three parks into a trip, and we're still determined to finish the list this year, but if you're following us, just keep on! I've got two more parks to post about, Taylor Saw Mill and Fort McClary, and we've got to go BACK to Lowell, since the Folk Festival kept us hopping and didn't allow time to visit the actual park, but we'll get there.
To date we've visited 23 parks as well as 1 or 2 that weren't on our original list. We've also been at a few that we haven't really gotten to visit so we'll have to go back! But this has truly been a great experience and we've enjoyed it so much, we're already making plans for next year's blog sites! Stay tuned for more and I'm sure we'll get back on the Park visiting bandwagon by September!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Robert Frost Farm Historic Site
Lots of interesting facts about one of our best loved poets!
Maybe it’s only true if you live in New England, but Robert Frost seems to be one of the best-loved, and most well known poets in the US. And multiple states seem to claim him, from MA (we saw his high school years documented at the Lawrence Heritage State Park), to Vermont (he was named poet laureate of that state and also has a museum there) to NH with the Robert Frost State Park Historic Site. Stopping by the farmhouse in Derry, NH is a nice chance to catch a glimpse into this poet's life as well as that of his family. His turn as a poultry farmer, the health and education of his children, and the decisions he and his wife, Elinor, made about their lives together.
And that has made all the difference.
Entrance to the home is through the barn to the right of the house. The barn is filled with memorabilia, sculptures, children’s poems and drawings, photos, and a seating area where you can watch video of Frost himself reciting his poems, and his daughter speaking about growing up in the Derry homestead. Definitely take the time to watch the video. It's a treat to see and hear the actual poet recite his own work. And to hear his daughter talk about life in the farmhouse and New England in general takes you back to a time quite a bit different than today's busy life, but in it's own way, VERY busy. I can’t remember the name of the film itself but it was a PBS documentary produced locally. After sitting through that film, we were asked to pay the appropriate fee and then enter the house with the Park Ranger to start the tour!
As we moved into the kitchen of the house the ranger introduced us to his intern… actually his son who was learning the ropes of being a park ranger, and who was asked to do a bit of the presentation himself, specific to how laundry was done on a regular basis. He also pointed out the rules of bathing in the house, with the oldest person being allowed to take the first bath, and then the tub full of water being used over and over by each member of the family, down to the youngest. My guess is the youngest never was totally clean! Probably also didn’t have a clue what hot water was! At this point the ranger did allow Lillian to sit in one of the kitchen chairs and amazingly enough as we moved into the living room he told his son to carry the chair there so she could sit again. After that, he was very attentive to her having a place to sit as we went through the house, but she did have to climb the stairs to the bedrooms on her own power and there really wasn’t a place to sit up there. He just promised we wouldn't spend much time up there. We found the living room very interesting, complete with books Frost used to home school his kids. The selection included an eclectic mix with titles like The Pilgrim's Progress, and others you'd expect to see, and then some odd choices regarding religion, greek and roman history, exploration of the north pole and more! I diligently made a list when we were there, but unfortunately changed purses since then and the list is nowhere to be found! I wrote the park asking if they might share a title or two but so far no response. But suffice to say, the variety of books on those shelves would probably be a great start for a paper on home schooling in the early 1900s.
We found the ranger's stories of Robert Frost, his wife, and children and their travels very interesting. It’s obvious that Frost loved to explore. He started life in San Francisco, but at an early age moved to Lawrence. He's also lived in NH, VT and England to name a few mroe. He also clearly had a control issue, but it may have only been control to allow himself time to create. And he also had a desire to allow life to take him where and how it would, within limits. He wasn't going to be forced to do anything he didn't want to. That may seem contradictory but listening to the stories told by the ranger had us laughing, and wondering how his wife put up with him. Had to be love, most definitely!
Frost ran the poultry farm in Derry with limited success, taught at Pinkerton Academy until 1911, and wrote poetry, a talent that started when he was a young man and just seemed to continue throughout his life with no sign of stopping. When he sold the farm, he used the money to take his family to England where he began his real literary successes. Robert Frost didn’t want to be tied down and his wife seemed quite willing to live this type of life by his side. Her father was not behind the marriage, but was definitely a part of what kept them warm and fed in Derry. If you love Frost’s poems, or New England living in the early 1900s, or just want to walk the same land that a poet laureate has walked, to see where walls were mended and inspired the poem Mending Wall, a poem that features the line, "good fences make good neighbors", or to see the field that he stopped in on a winter's night in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, then check out the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH. It’s a nice place to spend an hour or two, and you might just find yourself checking out his poetry again! We still love it!
Other resources:
Frostiana: Seven Country Songs. A really beautiful piece of composition by Randall Thompson based on poetry by Robert Frost.
Maybe it’s only true if you live in New England, but Robert Frost seems to be one of the best-loved, and most well known poets in the US. And multiple states seem to claim him, from MA (we saw his high school years documented at the Lawrence Heritage State Park), to Vermont (he was named poet laureate of that state and also has a museum there) to NH with the Robert Frost State Park Historic Site. Stopping by the farmhouse in Derry, NH is a nice chance to catch a glimpse into this poet's life as well as that of his family. His turn as a poultry farmer, the health and education of his children, and the decisions he and his wife, Elinor, made about their lives together.
- Our Rating: 2.5 wags Not because we didn’t like this place, but it’s not really one we feel the need to visit again. Definitely worth seeing and we’d recommend it if you’re in the area, but “been there, done that” is probably more the case for us. Unless they have a special event like a Christmas Homecoming or a special outdoor exhibit. An activity in line with seeing more of the way of life in the early 1900's. Especially a life lived and written about by someone like Robert Frost. We provided suggestions for both of these activities with the ranger when we were there.
- Tucker’s Rating: 0 wags! Dogs aren’t allowed in the house or barn. And while he’d probably have loved the field, there are lots better fields around to sniff and wander through.
- Accessibility: Not really. People using wheelchairs or strollers would have difficulty here. The parking lot is nice and flat, and the ramp running into the barn is fine, but the bulk of this site is in the house itself and that is a standard old-fashioned farmhouse, complete with narrow stairs, and long-winded ranger talk with no place to sit even if you got into the house under your own steam but just aren't into standing still for long! More on that later, but suffice to say we can’t call this one accessible.
- Fees: FREE to NH residents according to the website. But on another site we saw a fee of $4 per NH adult or $5 for non-NH resident, still other sites state $7 for others with discounts for children and seniors. When we were there the ranger told us it was “free for NH residents and I’m not going to check to see where your license plates are from” but we did pay our fees, which I think were $7 for each of us. Seems a bit high but they have some great memorabilia, a really nice video and the house is pretty interesting so we thought it was worth it.
- Pet-Friendly: No. Dogs are allowed in the fields behind the house but not in the actual property.
- Activities: Shopping in the barn store (interesting books, pictures, etc.) picnicking, hiking. They have a series of events here in the summer including a quilt show, classes, etc. See the website.
We’d seen quite a bit about Robert Frost when we stopped at the Lawrence Heritage State Park and we’ve driven BY this old farmhouse numerous times, so thought it would be a good place to check out as part of the blog. After all, my father used to quote from The Road Less Traveled:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.
Only the last three lines of the poem, and I’m not so sure my father TOOK the road less traveled, but I also think the nuns who forced him to memorize poetry had a leaning towards what was very modern poetry back in the 20’s…. because this poem was written in 1920. I’m not sure kids are learning poems today that were written in 2000…. But then maybe they are, what do I know?
In any case, the previous weekend, Mother’s Day, had Beth traveling in one direction and I in another (our own "two roads in a wood.... " I guess) so we waited til the following weekend to take our respective mother and step-mother, out for a Sunday drive to Robert Frost’s Farm in Derry, NH. It's easy to find, right on Rt. 28, and plenty of parking! They’ve also got a really nice tree for photographs just behind the house, so definitely bring your camera if you want a pastoral scene for family photographs.
Our first stop was just inside the door, in the “outhouse” of the property. Since it’s located inside, and attached to the house itself, it’s more like an “in house” but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a bathroom since there was no bathtub, no running water, and a two seater “necessary”! I guess that kind of “sharing” is something only real family members or true friends would allow. The ranger spent quite a while in this room chatting about the history of the house and land, how the purchase was financed, how many chickens were purchased, the paint on the walls, the implements hung from the walls, and after 20 or so minutes Lillian started to fade. She’s not the greatest at standing on her feet, and in the heat of the day she needed to SIT! She walked back into the barn and figured she’d be stuck there for the whole tour, because there really wasn’t anywhere to sit once inside the house. The ranger didn’t hesitate in his discussion, but told us we could grab a chair if we wanted. I think more than a few of us were wishing he'd take her needing to sit as a signal that he needed to either shorten his speech or at least move to a different room, but no, he kept on. Eventually we moved to the next room, a large, unfinished room where wood was stored and other farm implements were displayed, and he continued his talk…. This guy DID love to hear his own voice. He even commented on that himself a number of times. He also told us he’d been a poetry major in college. AH! That’s why they chose him for this park. He definitely knew his stuff and could wax forever on Frost, poetry and the history of this property. I wanted to ask him to recite one of his own poems, since I was curious to see just how great a poet he could be that he was working full time as a park ranger, but I also really wanted to get on with the house tour AND have Lillian join us. It didn’t take long though, and that problem had been solved.
As we moved into the kitchen of the house the ranger introduced us to his intern… actually his son who was learning the ropes of being a park ranger, and who was asked to do a bit of the presentation himself, specific to how laundry was done on a regular basis. He also pointed out the rules of bathing in the house, with the oldest person being allowed to take the first bath, and then the tub full of water being used over and over by each member of the family, down to the youngest. My guess is the youngest never was totally clean! Probably also didn’t have a clue what hot water was! At this point the ranger did allow Lillian to sit in one of the kitchen chairs and amazingly enough as we moved into the living room he told his son to carry the chair there so she could sit again. After that, he was very attentive to her having a place to sit as we went through the house, but she did have to climb the stairs to the bedrooms on her own power and there really wasn’t a place to sit up there. He just promised we wouldn't spend much time up there. We found the living room very interesting, complete with books Frost used to home school his kids. The selection included an eclectic mix with titles like The Pilgrim's Progress, and others you'd expect to see, and then some odd choices regarding religion, greek and roman history, exploration of the north pole and more! I diligently made a list when we were there, but unfortunately changed purses since then and the list is nowhere to be found! I wrote the park asking if they might share a title or two but so far no response. But suffice to say, the variety of books on those shelves would probably be a great start for a paper on home schooling in the early 1900s.
We found the ranger's stories of Robert Frost, his wife, and children and their travels very interesting. It’s obvious that Frost loved to explore. He started life in San Francisco, but at an early age moved to Lawrence. He's also lived in NH, VT and England to name a few mroe. He also clearly had a control issue, but it may have only been control to allow himself time to create. And he also had a desire to allow life to take him where and how it would, within limits. He wasn't going to be forced to do anything he didn't want to. That may seem contradictory but listening to the stories told by the ranger had us laughing, and wondering how his wife put up with him. Had to be love, most definitely!
Frost ran the poultry farm in Derry with limited success, taught at Pinkerton Academy until 1911, and wrote poetry, a talent that started when he was a young man and just seemed to continue throughout his life with no sign of stopping. When he sold the farm, he used the money to take his family to England where he began his real literary successes. Robert Frost didn’t want to be tied down and his wife seemed quite willing to live this type of life by his side. Her father was not behind the marriage, but was definitely a part of what kept them warm and fed in Derry. If you love Frost’s poems, or New England living in the early 1900s, or just want to walk the same land that a poet laureate has walked, to see where walls were mended and inspired the poem Mending Wall, a poem that features the line, "good fences make good neighbors", or to see the field that he stopped in on a winter's night in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, then check out the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH. It’s a nice place to spend an hour or two, and you might just find yourself checking out his poetry again! We still love it!
Other resources:
Alternate website with more resources for teachers, and Robert Frost history: www.robertfrostfarm.org
Frostiana: Seven Country Songs. A really beautiful piece of composition by Randall Thompson based on poetry by Robert Frost.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Moore State Park
The Essential Springtime Park. Flowers EVERYWHERE!!!
Looking for a dream setting to spend a gorgeous spring day? This is it!
If you love rhodendrons, azaleas and mountain laurel, winding paths around waterfalls and old stone buildings, this is the place for you!!!
The park itself was originally an old mill village built back in the 1700’s drawing power for various mill buildings from Turkey Hill Brook. It encompasses 671 acres of history, archaeology, waterfalls, ponds, old stonework, fields and forest. Pretty much everything you’d want in a park, combined in a way guaranteed to remove you from the hustle and bustle of life in the 21st century, and with plenty of space to just sit back and relax, or wander and explore to your heart’s content.
In the 1930, a family from Worcester bought the entire mill village area, which was no longer profitable as a mill, and turned it into an estate. Florence Morton, a member of this family, and one of the first female degreed landscape architects in Massachusetts, is responsible for the general layout of the park and the beginnings of what is an amazing display of rhododendrons and azaleas. Her designs and work resulted in what was known back then as Glen Morton. In 1946 the property was purchased by the Spaulding family (another wealthy Worcester family who owned department stores in the area). Mrs. Connie Spaulding renamed the estate Enchanta. She was a member of the local garden club and gave her focus to continuing the plantings of various rhododendron and azalea plants, going to great lengths to achieve specific color variations and combinations, all of which could be viewed from her home. The state purchased the property from the Spaulding family in 1965 and it has remained a park ever since. To read more about the history of this spot, check out the website of the local American Rhododendron Society.
We considered this a very successful and memorable park trip and would recommend it highly to anyone, families, children, pets, individuals, and groups. We were thrilled with the scenery, found the trails easy to walk, Tucker enjoyed every minute of the day, and while there were people wandering the trails, you never really felt like the place was crowded. Heading out Worcester way? GO TO THIS PARK!!! Got it?
Looking for a dream setting to spend a gorgeous spring day? This is it!
If you love rhodendrons, azaleas and mountain laurel, winding paths around waterfalls and old stone buildings, this is the place for you!!!
- Our Rating: 5 WAGS!!!! We hesitated only a minute to decide that we would definitely live here! In a dreamlike setting, with mill ponds, waterfalls, and amazing flowers everywhere you turn, only those who truly love city living would turn down the opportunity!
- Tucker’s Rating: 5 wags! I’ve never seen a dog so happy. He was even rolling down the grassy hills then running back up to do it again! Anywhere he can meet another corgi AND have shady places to lie down, children to pat him, and big fields to play in is a dream destination!
- Accessibility: Good. The healthy heart trail is a bit steep and root covered, but there are plenty of flat or only slightly inclining trails, nice, clean open fields and you can see the flowers from almost everywhere. The bridge across the dam near the mill house might be a concern, but seems safe enough. There are definitely parts of this park that wouldn’t be accessible, but in our opinion it is well worth the trip because this is such a huge park and there is plenty of area that IS accessible!
- Fees: FREE
- Pet-Friendly: YES (on leash)
- Activities: canoeing, fishing, hiking, x-country skiing and picnicking.
We picked this park because of the beautiful pictures they featured on the State Park website and we were not disappointed. We chose a weekend in mid-May because the website commented on flowers really being beautiful at certian times of the year. Well, we definitely hit it at that “certain time” because from the moment we arrived, we saw flowers! Every shape and size of rhododendron and azalea were there. Actually, the rhododendrons and mountain laurels weren’t yet in bloom but the azaleas were out and incredible! Pink, orange, cerise, yellow, white, spilling down hillsides, crowded around the base of trees, leaning over Eames Pond. This park is a gorgeous place to wander, photograph, paint, and picnic in. The Healthy Heart Trail runs next to an area of newly planted chestnut trees which the park has planted as part of a National Program . It's pretty much new growth at this time but seems to be doing really well. As we’ve found in pretty much all parks, maps of the trails are NOT available, so print your own here! I highly recommend printing one since on our travels, we got a bit lost wandering around. Thankfully my inner sense brought us back to the parking lot eventually, but some of the signage is hidden, and the trails in the spring can blend into the forest floor and you wouldn't want to miss any of the marked archaeological or architectural sites.
In the 1930, a family from Worcester bought the entire mill village area, which was no longer profitable as a mill, and turned it into an estate. Florence Morton, a member of this family, and one of the first female degreed landscape architects in Massachusetts, is responsible for the general layout of the park and the beginnings of what is an amazing display of rhododendrons and azaleas. Her designs and work resulted in what was known back then as Glen Morton. In 1946 the property was purchased by the Spaulding family (another wealthy Worcester family who owned department stores in the area). Mrs. Connie Spaulding renamed the estate Enchanta. She was a member of the local garden club and gave her focus to continuing the plantings of various rhododendron and azalea plants, going to great lengths to achieve specific color variations and combinations, all of which could be viewed from her home. The state purchased the property from the Spaulding family in 1965 and it has remained a park ever since. To read more about the history of this spot, check out the website of the local American Rhododendron Society.
We enjoyed the beautiful day, the gorgeous scenery and took lots of photos of flowers, and we're certain that this park will remain in our top 5 for a long time to come. It's just beautiful, with easy trails to hike, friendly people, but lots of space for solitude, a beautiful pond and opportunities for various other activities but all in your own good time. Those other activities include: canoeing in Eames Pond, fishing in Eames Pond and Turkey Hill Brook, hiking, cross-country skiing, picnicking, and PHOTOGRAPHY! Don’t miss the Artist Overlook marked on the park trail map. It’s the perfect spot for photos. The day we were there a woman was taking pictures of her little daughter dressed in her frilliest party dress. She’d been sitting there quietly posing until she saw Tucker bouncing along the trail. Suddenly she was up and exclaiming, “look at the doggy!!!!” I saw her mother's disappointed (or maybe frustrated) look and realized she'd finally gotten her daughter quieted down and sitting still! We took a few quick shots and moved on so they could get back to what looked like some really beautiful pictures. I’m sure this is a popular spot with couples for wedding shots too. If you’re in the area and want a romantic setting (especially when the flowers are blooming) this is it! Our guess is during the fall this is also a totally gorgeous park to visit.
We headed home but not before stopping for lunch! A local favorite is Hot Dog Annie’s in Leicester, MA. Local hot dogs, local potato chips (Wachusett brand) and even their own soda! While some people may not think this is a GREAT hot dog place, it is definitely local, with clean picnic tables, quick service and lots of choices if you’re looking for hot dogs. We thought they were pretty darned good for hot dogs, and the price was right, so stop by if you've got a hankering.
We considered this a very successful and memorable park trip and would recommend it highly to anyone, families, children, pets, individuals, and groups. We were thrilled with the scenery, found the trails easy to walk, Tucker enjoyed every minute of the day, and while there were people wandering the trails, you never really felt like the place was crowded. Heading out Worcester way? GO TO THIS PARK!!! Got it?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Minuteman National Historical Park
A park memorializing so many events it spans three towns!
But we had to draw the line at walking the whole way. We drove through them instead! Believe me though, if we'd had segways or bikes and a significant portion of the trails hadn't been flooded, we may have been tempted!
The Early Bird Sees the Battle
In contrast to our first dawn awakening, to visit our first park back in September, this time when the alarm clock went off at 3:30 AM we knew we needed to be up and out! It was freezing on Patriot's Day, or very near to it! And the moon was still out, so Tucker stayed home. He's NOT an early bird and loves nothing better than lying on the couch on a Saturday or Sunday morning watching old movies and snoozing. But this is a park he would love. Just not so early, and not with muskets going off all around, and not with soldiers yelling... and he wouldn't have been allowed into the visitor's center. But on a regular visit to this park, we'd definitely bring him along! We left the house right on schedule, bundled in layers and headed to Lexington Green at 4 AM. Silly us to think that would get us there ahead of the crowd! There had to be at least 1,000 people there at 4:30 AM! People standing 2 - 3 deep around the green, tarps spread out and covered with quilts, sleeping bags and kids drinking hot cocoa, indicated that the truly early birds probably SLEPT here to get their spots. Some even brought ladders to sit on to see over the crowds. That's what experience teaches you.
Have You Ever Met a Polite Crowd?
We parked our car in a nearby lot and hoped we wouldn't get ticketed because parking was tight even at this early hour! That, and the fact that some parking was blocked out on the main street in preparation for a parade later that day. Next time it might pay to just head to Lexington the night before, have a nice night out, then stake out our spot up close with all the rest of the "campers". But lucky for us we headed to a large group of children standing on the edge of the green, and positioned ourselves right behind them... we knew the number of tall people blocking our view would be minimal! Except for one father who had been sitting when we got there, but stood up shortly after we arrived... I quickly found myself standing on the edge of a curb, leaning backward to avoid this guy's back. If I tried to step backward OFF the curb I crunched the toes of the person behind me, who was snapping pictures with her cell phone CONSTANTLY. Did you know that when you have the ringer turned up, the snapping sound your phone makes is ALSO loud??? OK, so at 4:30 in the morning maybe we're ALL a bit more sensitive, but seriously, at a few points I had this woman's phone shoved in FRONT of my face and snapped... thinking I should have at least gotten a few copies of those shots! But we could see, and that was the point. And we had selected a spot right in front of one of the colonial soldiers... He talked about his "family" and the events of that day and asked questions of all the children and adults in the area. Religion, women's rights, labor and gun laws, he brought current issues from today's news back into colonial times and we learned that things back then weren't so "old-fashioned" as we thought. As the sun slowly rose, we noticed children sitting on rooftops, the steeple of the church gleaming white against the early morning sky and the crowd had at least tripled in size! And as time passed, people started getting colder, more territorial, and some children, products of the instant gratification generation, had suggestions for the solider on how things could be made "more realistic" or "more fun", and some families who'd staked out their area with blankets, began to stand up... which made people behind (including us) want to move closer since a family lying down that may have taken up a 6 x 12 foot area, now only took up 4 x 5... but no, these parents didn't want their kids rubbing elbows with others, so they kept hawk eyes out for ANYONE who dared to move into their blanketed territory! Funny when I think back, but when I was standing there watching my breath frost out in front of me, and wishing I could see just a teensy bit better, I did NOT appreciate this behavior. I understand it was the kids' first time... but it was my first time too, and somewhere deep inside, the younger Madeline was itching to step forward with hands on hips and DEMAND I be allowed to join the front line where there was obviously space! I mean how much does a blanket need to see? (But let me take a step back and return to my adult self!)
Time flew (the actual battle didn't start until 6!) and suddenly alarms rang out, colonial soldiers started to flee and were called back by their leaders, shots were fired, dogs barked, men fell to the ground and the battle with it's sulphur-laden smoke and early morning surprise was over. The British had won. I think this shocked a number of the children in the crowd, and some adults, too. The red coats ran back into formation and some people thought they were running scared, but it didn't take long to realize there weren't many colonial soldiers left standing. The "dead and wounded" were tended to by family, with bodies removed to the cemetery behind the church. Later the colonial soldiers gathered to play a memorial tune for their fallen brothers before their march to Concord. And we headed to find breakfast (heartless souls that we are!).
The Revolutionary Battle Road
It was still too early for most places to be open for breakfast. Starbuck's was standing room only, and Nourish, the natural foods restaurant that had people out on the sidewalk handing out flyers, wasn't open for another half hour or so, so we headed out of town... on the road to see Paul Revere's capture site, the Hartwell Tavern, the Visitor's Center in Lincoln, and onto Concord to see the Minuteman statue and the North Bridge.
Unfortunately due to all the rain we've had, we saw many signs stating that the road to the bridge was washed out and not easily accessed. Hopefully they'll get everything back into shape for the summer because this is definitely a great trail for biking, hiking, segwaying and everything in between. While we didn't catch EVERY stop along the way, this is a beautiful park that educates as well as providing space for appreciation of nature and history. We stopped first at the Minuteman Visitor's Center right on Mass Ave. It wasn't supposed to open until 8:30 or 9, but because of the day's events they'd opened early. Very nice center with a short multi-media presentation, an impressive mural depicting one of the battles, a gift shop, and on this day a fully outfitted British soldier for me to pose with! I did apologize to him for winning the war and ask that he smile for the camera rather than scowling. I'll let you decide if he cooperated. They've also got picnic tables, and a very large parking lot so this would be a good spot to start your trip if you're not stopping in Lexington first. The actual trail starts at Fiske Hill just outside of Lexington Center, off of Mass Ave and runs all the way to Concord (3 1/2 hours walking according to the website), weaving in and out of fields and woods along Mass Ave. For a good map, check here.
Our stop at Paul Revere's capture site was quick. Very nice memorial and a lot of joggers along the path that runs behind it. We drove a bit further and came upon the parking lot for the Hartwell Tavern site. The tavern is a short walk from the lot and at the early hour we were there, the costumed staff had just started to arrive. We caught a couple photos of one "colonial woman" carrying her cup of Starbucks coffee, and another wearing sneakers rather than her traditional shoes. She asked us whether we could cut that out of the photo, but we try to report it as we see it, so....But this is definitely a part of the trip not to be missed. The tavern itself is beautiful and includes raised herb beds, barns, and the chance to watch cooking and musket firing demonstrations, ranger guided tours, and a chance to chat with costumed guides. There is also a short hiking trail across from the tavern.
Parades and Authors
We had planned on driving into Concord and then out to the North Bridge, but due to the holiday parade which was starting shortly after we arrived, we didn't quite get there. Parking had stretched all the way out to Wayside House and many roads were actually closed off. Wayside House, home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Margaret Sidney (author of Five Little Peppers), is not open year round. Margaret Sidney and her daughter are the ones responsible for the preservation of much of the history in the area including Wayside House itself. If you want to catch this literary site and Orchard House (just down the street from Wayside, and the setting for Little Women), check the linked websites for visiting hours and activities.
As we said when we visited Walden Pond, this is an area FILLED with authors and historic homes. Definitely a destination you could fill a week with, if you wanted to walk in your favorite author's footsteps, or imagine the settings that inspired these classic tales. We headed home after taking a few photos of both Wayside and Orchard House, but will definitely be back.
That's the best part of this entire blog project! We're finding all kinds of places we can run to for a quick day trip or weekend getaway! Hopefully you'll find them a handy guide for your own family, friends, pets or for just a solitary day on your own!
But we had to draw the line at walking the whole way. We drove through them instead! Believe me though, if we'd had segways or bikes and a significant portion of the trails hadn't been flooded, we may have been tempted!
- Our Rating - 4 wags
- Tucker's Rating - 4 wags
- Accessibility - excellent. Flat trails, accessible historic homes and visitor's centers, handicap parking, special listening devised at visitor's centers for films/slide shows, and even cell phone guided tours!
- Fees - $5 to access the Wayside House, free for children 16 and younger. Group tours available. Wayside House wasn't yet open for the season at our visit. Access to all the rest of the park is free!
- Other Activities - Biking, hiking, picnicking, historic reenactments, museums and historic homes, nature/viewing areas, colonial craft demonstrations and lessons, and lots more! Special date if you can plan ahead - Patriot's Day in April. That's when we went. It's a long weekend and the park has events going on the entire weekend! Check the park website for details on times, dates, locations, etc.
The Early Bird Sees the Battle
In contrast to our first dawn awakening, to visit our first park back in September, this time when the alarm clock went off at 3:30 AM we knew we needed to be up and out! It was freezing on Patriot's Day, or very near to it! And the moon was still out, so Tucker stayed home. He's NOT an early bird and loves nothing better than lying on the couch on a Saturday or Sunday morning watching old movies and snoozing. But this is a park he would love. Just not so early, and not with muskets going off all around, and not with soldiers yelling... and he wouldn't have been allowed into the visitor's center. But on a regular visit to this park, we'd definitely bring him along! We left the house right on schedule, bundled in layers and headed to Lexington Green at 4 AM. Silly us to think that would get us there ahead of the crowd! There had to be at least 1,000 people there at 4:30 AM! People standing 2 - 3 deep around the green, tarps spread out and covered with quilts, sleeping bags and kids drinking hot cocoa, indicated that the truly early birds probably SLEPT here to get their spots. Some even brought ladders to sit on to see over the crowds. That's what experience teaches you.
Have You Ever Met a Polite Crowd?
We parked our car in a nearby lot and hoped we wouldn't get ticketed because parking was tight even at this early hour! That, and the fact that some parking was blocked out on the main street in preparation for a parade later that day. Next time it might pay to just head to Lexington the night before, have a nice night out, then stake out our spot up close with all the rest of the "campers". But lucky for us we headed to a large group of children standing on the edge of the green, and positioned ourselves right behind them... we knew the number of tall people blocking our view would be minimal! Except for one father who had been sitting when we got there, but stood up shortly after we arrived... I quickly found myself standing on the edge of a curb, leaning backward to avoid this guy's back. If I tried to step backward OFF the curb I crunched the toes of the person behind me, who was snapping pictures with her cell phone CONSTANTLY. Did you know that when you have the ringer turned up, the snapping sound your phone makes is ALSO loud??? OK, so at 4:30 in the morning maybe we're ALL a bit more sensitive, but seriously, at a few points I had this woman's phone shoved in FRONT of my face and snapped... thinking I should have at least gotten a few copies of those shots! But we could see, and that was the point. And we had selected a spot right in front of one of the colonial soldiers... He talked about his "family" and the events of that day and asked questions of all the children and adults in the area. Religion, women's rights, labor and gun laws, he brought current issues from today's news back into colonial times and we learned that things back then weren't so "old-fashioned" as we thought. As the sun slowly rose, we noticed children sitting on rooftops, the steeple of the church gleaming white against the early morning sky and the crowd had at least tripled in size! And as time passed, people started getting colder, more territorial, and some children, products of the instant gratification generation, had suggestions for the solider on how things could be made "more realistic" or "more fun", and some families who'd staked out their area with blankets, began to stand up... which made people behind (including us) want to move closer since a family lying down that may have taken up a 6 x 12 foot area, now only took up 4 x 5... but no, these parents didn't want their kids rubbing elbows with others, so they kept hawk eyes out for ANYONE who dared to move into their blanketed territory! Funny when I think back, but when I was standing there watching my breath frost out in front of me, and wishing I could see just a teensy bit better, I did NOT appreciate this behavior. I understand it was the kids' first time... but it was my first time too, and somewhere deep inside, the younger Madeline was itching to step forward with hands on hips and DEMAND I be allowed to join the front line where there was obviously space! I mean how much does a blanket need to see? (But let me take a step back and return to my adult self!)
Time flew (the actual battle didn't start until 6!) and suddenly alarms rang out, colonial soldiers started to flee and were called back by their leaders, shots were fired, dogs barked, men fell to the ground and the battle with it's sulphur-laden smoke and early morning surprise was over. The British had won. I think this shocked a number of the children in the crowd, and some adults, too. The red coats ran back into formation and some people thought they were running scared, but it didn't take long to realize there weren't many colonial soldiers left standing. The "dead and wounded" were tended to by family, with bodies removed to the cemetery behind the church. Later the colonial soldiers gathered to play a memorial tune for their fallen brothers before their march to Concord. And we headed to find breakfast (heartless souls that we are!).
The Revolutionary Battle Road
It was still too early for most places to be open for breakfast. Starbuck's was standing room only, and Nourish, the natural foods restaurant that had people out on the sidewalk handing out flyers, wasn't open for another half hour or so, so we headed out of town... on the road to see Paul Revere's capture site, the Hartwell Tavern, the Visitor's Center in Lincoln, and onto Concord to see the Minuteman statue and the North Bridge.
Unfortunately due to all the rain we've had, we saw many signs stating that the road to the bridge was washed out and not easily accessed. Hopefully they'll get everything back into shape for the summer because this is definitely a great trail for biking, hiking, segwaying and everything in between. While we didn't catch EVERY stop along the way, this is a beautiful park that educates as well as providing space for appreciation of nature and history. We stopped first at the Minuteman Visitor's Center right on Mass Ave. It wasn't supposed to open until 8:30 or 9, but because of the day's events they'd opened early. Very nice center with a short multi-media presentation, an impressive mural depicting one of the battles, a gift shop, and on this day a fully outfitted British soldier for me to pose with! I did apologize to him for winning the war and ask that he smile for the camera rather than scowling. I'll let you decide if he cooperated. They've also got picnic tables, and a very large parking lot so this would be a good spot to start your trip if you're not stopping in Lexington first. The actual trail starts at Fiske Hill just outside of Lexington Center, off of Mass Ave and runs all the way to Concord (3 1/2 hours walking according to the website), weaving in and out of fields and woods along Mass Ave. For a good map, check here.
Our stop at Paul Revere's capture site was quick. Very nice memorial and a lot of joggers along the path that runs behind it. We drove a bit further and came upon the parking lot for the Hartwell Tavern site. The tavern is a short walk from the lot and at the early hour we were there, the costumed staff had just started to arrive. We caught a couple photos of one "colonial woman" carrying her cup of Starbucks coffee, and another wearing sneakers rather than her traditional shoes. She asked us whether we could cut that out of the photo, but we try to report it as we see it, so....But this is definitely a part of the trip not to be missed. The tavern itself is beautiful and includes raised herb beds, barns, and the chance to watch cooking and musket firing demonstrations, ranger guided tours, and a chance to chat with costumed guides. There is also a short hiking trail across from the tavern.
Parades and Authors
We had planned on driving into Concord and then out to the North Bridge, but due to the holiday parade which was starting shortly after we arrived, we didn't quite get there. Parking had stretched all the way out to Wayside House and many roads were actually closed off. Wayside House, home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Margaret Sidney (author of Five Little Peppers), is not open year round. Margaret Sidney and her daughter are the ones responsible for the preservation of much of the history in the area including Wayside House itself. If you want to catch this literary site and Orchard House (just down the street from Wayside, and the setting for Little Women), check the linked websites for visiting hours and activities.
As we said when we visited Walden Pond, this is an area FILLED with authors and historic homes. Definitely a destination you could fill a week with, if you wanted to walk in your favorite author's footsteps, or imagine the settings that inspired these classic tales. We headed home after taking a few photos of both Wayside and Orchard House, but will definitely be back.
That's the best part of this entire blog project! We're finding all kinds of places we can run to for a quick day trip or weekend getaway! Hopefully you'll find them a handy guide for your own family, friends, pets or for just a solitary day on your own!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Wahconah Falls State Park
An Idyllic Setting in Western MA
Beth and I were out in Springfield for our annual Sweet Adeline Competition. My quartet was singing Friday evening, and then the choruses had their contest on Saturday. Since Beth and I are now associate members of the chorus, meaning we weren't singing in contest, we had the full day to ourselves while the chorus prepared. But we needed a park that was close enough to Springfield for us to return to Symphony Hall in time to see the ladies of Merrimack Valley strut their stuff. The contest schedule said 4:30, so we knew we’d have plenty of time… and after a bit of meandering to get ourselves headed in the right direction (Springfield CAN be tricky to get around), we were headed north and west…. For QUITE a while! The sky was overcast and rain came and went. It was probably below 50 degrees and we hadn’t packed heavy duty outerwear and here we were heading into the Berkshires for a hike in what appeared to be a very remote location. I've READ about people like that and always thought, "how stupid were THEY??" And now here we were doing exactly the same thing, but probably with far less adventurous plans in the making.
The park itself is 30 miles from Northampton, just off Rt. 9 and we found the EXACT place we want to live when we grow up on that drive! Haydenville, just outside of Northampton, is a gorgeous village that is actually a section of Williamsburg. I’d never even heard of EITHER of those towns and have pretty much lived in MA all my life… Northampton is actually a “city” compared to Haydenville and Williamsburg, but while they’re small, we were taken by the shops, restaurants and sculptures we found and photographed. The Brewmaster Tavern is beautiful and features their own Opa-Opa Brews. Beth picked up a six-pack while I wandered around the downtown area taking photos of some amazing sculptures made of recycled tools, car parts, axe heads, and more! As I was returning to the car I noticed all the stained glass around the top of the building (obviously a library or ex-library) and it was amazing, books, ink wells. Even a home-made bird house hanging off the local bank caught my eye.
This place may be buried in snow in the winter, and the winding river may flood every hundred years or so, but the amazingly colorful mansions and historic homes were a sight to see. We pulled up and down little streets so I could snap a few photos of the gorgeous old mansions lining the main street. Some looked like southern plantation houses, some like Victorian cottages, and a few are indeed bed and breakfasts. Especially on a dark and rainy Saturday, they brightened up our day! Definitely we’re going back here, if not to live, then certainly to visit. Our next blog plans involve breweries so it’ll definitely be on that schedule in any case!
We also discovered an incredible bakery, Bread Euphoria, where we picked up lunch (and would have stopped for dinner too if we weren’t heading back to the concert!). The place is easy to miss since it’s located behind a house, in front of a barn, and is connected to a great pottery, Andrew Quient Pottery. With these two treasures alone, and the flat out gorgeous little golf course across the street, Beaver Brook, we just wanted to stay and explore the town but we had places to go! Specifically, Wahconah Falls.
As my ears started to block from the altitude we knew we’d reached the heart of the Berkshires… Are we there yet? But we kept driving until we were near Pittfield State Forest and the MA/NY border! To think we drove all that way in my Saturn VUE which breathed it’s last breath just two weeks later, and thank GOD it hung in there for us rather than leaving us stranded in the mountains in the very cold rain!
We took the left hand turn onto Wahconah Falls Road… pretty much a hairpin turn which leads you immediately into a trailer park. But never fear! If you keep driving, the paved road disappears all together and you’re on dirt (did I say never fear???)…. And you kind of start traveling upward…. If you’ve got a low slung vehicle you may bottom out so just be prepared. Thankfully it’s not far til you see the parking lot on your right and you’re there! And when you step out of the car, you’ll hear the falls! The area is extremely overgrown with moss, and along the right hand side of the path we noticed a field of miniature bamboo! I’m not sure of the species and it had no leaves yet but we noticed the segments and the deep green color as looking very out of place here. All research I’ve done indicate that this is not a naturally occurring plant for this park, and in fact is seen as an invasive species in the area. It had definitely taken over the entire valley next to the pathway heading to the river, but it did look beautiful and I can imagine it makes a beautiful sighing sound when it's full grown and has the mountain breeze blowing through it.
But the most important feature of this park is the waterfall, and you will not be disappointed. This is a very green, overgrown park that makes you think of fairies and elves. Lots of little nooks and crannies, miniature waterfalls, mushrooms, looming pines, and the bbq grills scattered around the clearing next to the waterfall don’t detract from that notion. Rocks near the water are covered with moss and are wet so be careful. Signs mention “no lifeguards” but also “no swimming” so I think this park, in it’s isolation, sees various activity, but on the day we were there it was cold and wet and very beautiful, with not a bathing suit in sight.
It’s not a big park, but there are trails that go uphill towards what we believe is a water supply, and may actually go right around the source of the falls itself. We were cold and not dressed for hiking through slippery hills and rocks so we didn’t explore further but had the place to ourselves to take photos and just listen to the soothing sound of water traveling over and around rocks, boulders and into a large pool below. If we could build a house by this place, we probably WOULD! Especially knowing that there is so much to see and do within an hour or so’s drive from here. It was a great place to get away from stress and work and never having enough hours in the day. Here it seems there are plenty of hours to just sit and soak up the serenity. (Why do I hear George's father yelling SERENITY NOW????? Guess it takes more than an hour or two to knock the dust of society off my brain!).
Making this a destination for a day might be tough unless you live in Western MA, or at least out in the Springfield area… and once you’re there you make your own fun because there is nothing in the park as far as facilities, but it would definitely be a gorgeous place for an Indian Summer cookout, and we’ll keep it near the top of our list of favorite parks! We had just enough time to drive back to Springfield to catch the chorus in the hallway of the hotel getting ready to enter the pattern for competing at Symphony Hall. We wished them luck and many broken legs, and then ran through the raindrops to the hall to watch them put their best on stage. No medals were won that day but the feeling of having put their best on stage, and enjoying singing together with friends was unmistakable. I guess we dedicate THIS trip to Merrimack Valley Chorus. A chorus Beth and I have sung with for a number of years, won medals with, practiced with, and consider part of our family! If you check out the link to the chorus before they switch out to the new picture, you'll even be able to see Beth and I in our sparkly glory from 2009's contest!
- Tucker’s Rating – 4 wags. Although he didn’t go, he would have loved it!
- Our Rating – 4 wags.
- Accessibility – It’d be tough with any wheelchair or stroller. There is a path but it’s not flat and has lots of roots, etc. various trails are also VERY steep and the day we went they were wet and slippery!
- Fees – FREE
- Pet Friendly – Yes
- Other activities –This is primarily a nature area with bbq grills and trails around the local water supply. The waterfall is gorgeous, and about 40 feet high. You can hear it from the parking lot! But signs everywhere state no swimming. I know people do it, but not on the rainy, cold day we were there!
Beth and I were out in Springfield for our annual Sweet Adeline Competition. My quartet was singing Friday evening, and then the choruses had their contest on Saturday. Since Beth and I are now associate members of the chorus, meaning we weren't singing in contest, we had the full day to ourselves while the chorus prepared. But we needed a park that was close enough to Springfield for us to return to Symphony Hall in time to see the ladies of Merrimack Valley strut their stuff. The contest schedule said 4:30, so we knew we’d have plenty of time… and after a bit of meandering to get ourselves headed in the right direction (Springfield CAN be tricky to get around), we were headed north and west…. For QUITE a while! The sky was overcast and rain came and went. It was probably below 50 degrees and we hadn’t packed heavy duty outerwear and here we were heading into the Berkshires for a hike in what appeared to be a very remote location. I've READ about people like that and always thought, "how stupid were THEY??" And now here we were doing exactly the same thing, but probably with far less adventurous plans in the making.
The park itself is 30 miles from Northampton, just off Rt. 9 and we found the EXACT place we want to live when we grow up on that drive! Haydenville, just outside of Northampton, is a gorgeous village that is actually a section of Williamsburg. I’d never even heard of EITHER of those towns and have pretty much lived in MA all my life… Northampton is actually a “city” compared to Haydenville and Williamsburg, but while they’re small, we were taken by the shops, restaurants and sculptures we found and photographed. The Brewmaster Tavern is beautiful and features their own Opa-Opa Brews. Beth picked up a six-pack while I wandered around the downtown area taking photos of some amazing sculptures made of recycled tools, car parts, axe heads, and more! As I was returning to the car I noticed all the stained glass around the top of the building (obviously a library or ex-library) and it was amazing, books, ink wells. Even a home-made bird house hanging off the local bank caught my eye.
This place may be buried in snow in the winter, and the winding river may flood every hundred years or so, but the amazingly colorful mansions and historic homes were a sight to see. We pulled up and down little streets so I could snap a few photos of the gorgeous old mansions lining the main street. Some looked like southern plantation houses, some like Victorian cottages, and a few are indeed bed and breakfasts. Especially on a dark and rainy Saturday, they brightened up our day! Definitely we’re going back here, if not to live, then certainly to visit. Our next blog plans involve breweries so it’ll definitely be on that schedule in any case!
We also discovered an incredible bakery, Bread Euphoria, where we picked up lunch (and would have stopped for dinner too if we weren’t heading back to the concert!). The place is easy to miss since it’s located behind a house, in front of a barn, and is connected to a great pottery, Andrew Quient Pottery. With these two treasures alone, and the flat out gorgeous little golf course across the street, Beaver Brook, we just wanted to stay and explore the town but we had places to go! Specifically, Wahconah Falls.
As my ears started to block from the altitude we knew we’d reached the heart of the Berkshires… Are we there yet? But we kept driving until we were near Pittfield State Forest and the MA/NY border! To think we drove all that way in my Saturn VUE which breathed it’s last breath just two weeks later, and thank GOD it hung in there for us rather than leaving us stranded in the mountains in the very cold rain!
We took the left hand turn onto Wahconah Falls Road… pretty much a hairpin turn which leads you immediately into a trailer park. But never fear! If you keep driving, the paved road disappears all together and you’re on dirt (did I say never fear???)…. And you kind of start traveling upward…. If you’ve got a low slung vehicle you may bottom out so just be prepared. Thankfully it’s not far til you see the parking lot on your right and you’re there! And when you step out of the car, you’ll hear the falls! The area is extremely overgrown with moss, and along the right hand side of the path we noticed a field of miniature bamboo! I’m not sure of the species and it had no leaves yet but we noticed the segments and the deep green color as looking very out of place here. All research I’ve done indicate that this is not a naturally occurring plant for this park, and in fact is seen as an invasive species in the area. It had definitely taken over the entire valley next to the pathway heading to the river, but it did look beautiful and I can imagine it makes a beautiful sighing sound when it's full grown and has the mountain breeze blowing through it.
But the most important feature of this park is the waterfall, and you will not be disappointed. This is a very green, overgrown park that makes you think of fairies and elves. Lots of little nooks and crannies, miniature waterfalls, mushrooms, looming pines, and the bbq grills scattered around the clearing next to the waterfall don’t detract from that notion. Rocks near the water are covered with moss and are wet so be careful. Signs mention “no lifeguards” but also “no swimming” so I think this park, in it’s isolation, sees various activity, but on the day we were there it was cold and wet and very beautiful, with not a bathing suit in sight.
It’s not a big park, but there are trails that go uphill towards what we believe is a water supply, and may actually go right around the source of the falls itself. We were cold and not dressed for hiking through slippery hills and rocks so we didn’t explore further but had the place to ourselves to take photos and just listen to the soothing sound of water traveling over and around rocks, boulders and into a large pool below. If we could build a house by this place, we probably WOULD! Especially knowing that there is so much to see and do within an hour or so’s drive from here. It was a great place to get away from stress and work and never having enough hours in the day. Here it seems there are plenty of hours to just sit and soak up the serenity. (Why do I hear George's father yelling SERENITY NOW????? Guess it takes more than an hour or two to knock the dust of society off my brain!).
Making this a destination for a day might be tough unless you live in Western MA, or at least out in the Springfield area… and once you’re there you make your own fun because there is nothing in the park as far as facilities, but it would definitely be a gorgeous place for an Indian Summer cookout, and we’ll keep it near the top of our list of favorite parks! We had just enough time to drive back to Springfield to catch the chorus in the hallway of the hotel getting ready to enter the pattern for competing at Symphony Hall. We wished them luck and many broken legs, and then ran through the raindrops to the hall to watch them put their best on stage. No medals were won that day but the feeling of having put their best on stage, and enjoying singing together with friends was unmistakable. I guess we dedicate THIS trip to Merrimack Valley Chorus. A chorus Beth and I have sung with for a number of years, won medals with, practiced with, and consider part of our family! If you check out the link to the chorus before they switch out to the new picture, you'll even be able to see Beth and I in our sparkly glory from 2009's contest!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Lynn Heritage State Park and Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Some days life just takes you in a different direction!
Lynn Heritage State Park is first
Lynn, Lynn, city of sin
You never come out the way you went in
Ask for water, they give you a gin
The girls say no, but they always give in
Back in 1997 the city solicitor tried to change the city's name to Ocean Park to avoid this reputation but his proposal didn't pass and so we still have the City of Lynn.... home to General Electric (which grew out of Elihu Thomson's experiments with arc lighting and industrial motors, Lydia Pinkham and her amazingly popular women's tonic (used to dig up old bottles for this stuff in the backyard where I grew up!), and a number of firsts including: the first dance academy in the US, the first tannery in the US, the first ironworks, and even the first Roast Beef Sandwich! But this isn't a blog about Lynn, or cities trying to improve their reputation... it's about the parks, and Lynn Heritage State Park is not going on our list of favorite parks.... mainly because when we finally found a place to park and tried to get in, the wrought iron gates were locked and this park was clearly closed! Very aggravating since according to the website, it's only open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 pm. Not the easiest park visit to schedule. If you decide to go though, we'd suggest calling the day OF your visit to confirm that the park is open. the lot, while small and easily missed, is easy to get to (just behind the park building) and free. We drove around the block twice (hard to do since there are a number of one way streets) and finally decided to park in the lot for WFNX... not recommended but for the short time we were there to take photos of the outside of the building and the neighborhood we weren't concerned.
They do have displays of historic artifacts in the front windows, and at the back of the building is a very pretty park. One large tree had obviously blown over in the recent windstorms we've had, and there was some trash strewn around, but it looks like it would be a very nice place to sit and have lunch. The stained glass that appears around the top of the 1st floor is beautiful and features images from Lynn's history including shoes, and other items. We did get some pictures of this and the park, but it was a short visit and we probably won't go back. The online walking map doesn't provide anything more than an outline of the streets in the area and the name of the park. No trails or indication of how to get to the waterfront boardwalk and the murals that are mentioned on the website. But it is just a block away from North Shore Community College, and as we said, about a block from the train station, so it's easy to find. With the rest of our afternoon free, we decided to head up to Salem, MA (about 20 minutes north of Lynn Heritage) to see how that waterfront has changed over the years.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Salem's Pickering Wharf used to be a popular hangout for me and some friends after I graduated from college. There were plenty of waterfront restaurants/bars and a great breakwater for walking. One of my favorites was Victoria Station, and I'm happy to say it's still there, looking pretty much as it did back then, including great outdoor seating! But wow has the waterfront area grown up since then! We found our way and parked in a public parking garage and it became immediately clear that this area of Salem has changed in a big way since the 80's. But we were thrilled to discover that Pickering Wharf is also right next to the visitor's center for the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, so we'd get to visit a park today after all! We stopped in at the visitor's center so Lillian could sit for a minute and the ranger immediately asked if we'd like to view their free movie on the history of the Salem Waterfront. If you go to this park, don't miss this movie. It's not long but gives a great overview of all the buildings in the area, and the heyday of Salem, when it was the center of international trade. The visitor's center is just across the street from the Customs House where Nathaniel Hawthorne worked. A short distance away is a tall ship replica, the Friendship of Salem which is part of the park tour. There are numerous historic houses, shops and wharves that are all part of the park property and would make a full day of sightseeing if you're in the area. To be honest, this area of MA has so many historical buildings, parks, and tours that you could easily book a week here and not get bored. We only had a few hours so decided that this would be a park we come back to, even if it wasn't on our original list of 52! It's easily accessible, and while there is a $5 fee to get into all the buildings and onto the ship, you can see quite a bit just walking around, and taking advantage of the free film we saw at the visitor's center. Check out the Fees and Reservations page for a list of free activities if you really want a low cost day or two!
Other Historic Sites
Witches
Salem is most famous for it's witch trials, and there are plenty of historic sites to learn about that part of Salem's past, too. The Salem Witch Museum provides a great reenactment of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 through the use of stage sets, special lighting and narration. I remember going to this museum as a school field trip, and again with a college group and it brought history to life for me.
Historic Homes
Witch House, also known as the Jonathan Corwin House, is the only home left in Salem with direct ties to the Witch Trials. Guided House Tours are expensive ($10.25/adult) but they do allow a $2 discount for self-guided tours, and if you are interested in witch trials, this should definitely be on your list. Special tours are held during October.
House of Seven Gables (also known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion) is listed with the National Registry of Historic Places and is open to the public. Featured in Hawthorne's novel, The House of Seven Gables, it's appropriate that they've recently moved the home of his birth to the same property so you can catch two historic sites at once. The House of Seven Gables waqs built in 1668 and is the oldest 17th century wooden home in New England. It's treasures include a hidden staircase, hundreds of old photos and paintings, and approximately 2,000 other artifacts! Definitely worth stopping in, and when you're ready to step back outdoors, you can enjoy their beautiful Colonial Revival Gardens.
Also check out:
New England Pirate Museum
Peabody Essex Museum (one of my favorite little museums!!! check out the website and you'll see why!)
Many of these sites are located along the Heritage Trail, a red line painted on the sidewalk that takes you all over the city. Starting at the National Park Visitor's Center, you'll walk through historic neighborhoods, museums, the waterfront, shops and more. So if you're looking for something to do for a sunny day, head to Salem! We didn't put this on our original list, but it's there now and we're definitely going back! 4 wags from us most definitely! (None from Tucker since they wouldn't have let him into the buildings, bt we did get him a patch for his hiking vest!)
Lynn Heritage State Park is first
- Tucker's Rating - 0 wags (Pets aren't allowed indoors)
- Our Rating - 2 wags. Mainly because their website wasn't updated!
- Accessibility - Seems to be fine. They've got ramps and I think elevators
- Fees - ????
- Pet Friendly - No. But it's an indoor park. I think you can bring dogs on the walk along the beach.
- Other Activities - This isn't the greatest of neighborhoods but IS a very short distance from the oceanfront so you could check out the beach, and they've supposedly got a mural along the boardwalk that outlines the growth of the shoe industry in the area.
Lynn, Lynn, city of sin
You never come out the way you went in
Ask for water, they give you a gin
The girls say no, but they always give in
Back in 1997 the city solicitor tried to change the city's name to Ocean Park to avoid this reputation but his proposal didn't pass and so we still have the City of Lynn.... home to General Electric (which grew out of Elihu Thomson's experiments with arc lighting and industrial motors, Lydia Pinkham and her amazingly popular women's tonic (used to dig up old bottles for this stuff in the backyard where I grew up!), and a number of firsts including: the first dance academy in the US, the first tannery in the US, the first ironworks, and even the first Roast Beef Sandwich! But this isn't a blog about Lynn, or cities trying to improve their reputation... it's about the parks, and Lynn Heritage State Park is not going on our list of favorite parks.... mainly because when we finally found a place to park and tried to get in, the wrought iron gates were locked and this park was clearly closed! Very aggravating since according to the website, it's only open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 pm. Not the easiest park visit to schedule. If you decide to go though, we'd suggest calling the day OF your visit to confirm that the park is open. the lot, while small and easily missed, is easy to get to (just behind the park building) and free. We drove around the block twice (hard to do since there are a number of one way streets) and finally decided to park in the lot for WFNX... not recommended but for the short time we were there to take photos of the outside of the building and the neighborhood we weren't concerned.
They do have displays of historic artifacts in the front windows, and at the back of the building is a very pretty park. One large tree had obviously blown over in the recent windstorms we've had, and there was some trash strewn around, but it looks like it would be a very nice place to sit and have lunch. The stained glass that appears around the top of the 1st floor is beautiful and features images from Lynn's history including shoes, and other items. We did get some pictures of this and the park, but it was a short visit and we probably won't go back. The online walking map doesn't provide anything more than an outline of the streets in the area and the name of the park. No trails or indication of how to get to the waterfront boardwalk and the murals that are mentioned on the website. But it is just a block away from North Shore Community College, and as we said, about a block from the train station, so it's easy to find. With the rest of our afternoon free, we decided to head up to Salem, MA (about 20 minutes north of Lynn Heritage) to see how that waterfront has changed over the years.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Salem's Pickering Wharf used to be a popular hangout for me and some friends after I graduated from college. There were plenty of waterfront restaurants/bars and a great breakwater for walking. One of my favorites was Victoria Station, and I'm happy to say it's still there, looking pretty much as it did back then, including great outdoor seating! But wow has the waterfront area grown up since then! We found our way and parked in a public parking garage and it became immediately clear that this area of Salem has changed in a big way since the 80's. But we were thrilled to discover that Pickering Wharf is also right next to the visitor's center for the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, so we'd get to visit a park today after all! We stopped in at the visitor's center so Lillian could sit for a minute and the ranger immediately asked if we'd like to view their free movie on the history of the Salem Waterfront. If you go to this park, don't miss this movie. It's not long but gives a great overview of all the buildings in the area, and the heyday of Salem, when it was the center of international trade. The visitor's center is just across the street from the Customs House where Nathaniel Hawthorne worked. A short distance away is a tall ship replica, the Friendship of Salem which is part of the park tour. There are numerous historic houses, shops and wharves that are all part of the park property and would make a full day of sightseeing if you're in the area. To be honest, this area of MA has so many historical buildings, parks, and tours that you could easily book a week here and not get bored. We only had a few hours so decided that this would be a park we come back to, even if it wasn't on our original list of 52! It's easily accessible, and while there is a $5 fee to get into all the buildings and onto the ship, you can see quite a bit just walking around, and taking advantage of the free film we saw at the visitor's center. Check out the Fees and Reservations page for a list of free activities if you really want a low cost day or two!
Other Historic Sites
Witches
Salem is most famous for it's witch trials, and there are plenty of historic sites to learn about that part of Salem's past, too. The Salem Witch Museum provides a great reenactment of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 through the use of stage sets, special lighting and narration. I remember going to this museum as a school field trip, and again with a college group and it brought history to life for me.
Historic Homes
Witch House, also known as the Jonathan Corwin House, is the only home left in Salem with direct ties to the Witch Trials. Guided House Tours are expensive ($10.25/adult) but they do allow a $2 discount for self-guided tours, and if you are interested in witch trials, this should definitely be on your list. Special tours are held during October.
House of Seven Gables (also known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion) is listed with the National Registry of Historic Places and is open to the public. Featured in Hawthorne's novel, The House of Seven Gables, it's appropriate that they've recently moved the home of his birth to the same property so you can catch two historic sites at once. The House of Seven Gables waqs built in 1668 and is the oldest 17th century wooden home in New England. It's treasures include a hidden staircase, hundreds of old photos and paintings, and approximately 2,000 other artifacts! Definitely worth stopping in, and when you're ready to step back outdoors, you can enjoy their beautiful Colonial Revival Gardens.
Also check out:
New England Pirate Museum
Peabody Essex Museum (one of my favorite little museums!!! check out the website and you'll see why!)
Many of these sites are located along the Heritage Trail, a red line painted on the sidewalk that takes you all over the city. Starting at the National Park Visitor's Center, you'll walk through historic neighborhoods, museums, the waterfront, shops and more. So if you're looking for something to do for a sunny day, head to Salem! We didn't put this on our original list, but it's there now and we're definitely going back! 4 wags from us most definitely! (None from Tucker since they wouldn't have let him into the buildings, bt we did get him a patch for his hiking vest!)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Purgatory Chasm State Park
You Take the Low Road, We'll Take the High Road
We headed out to Worcester and the Swedish Cemetery (aka All Faith's Cemetery) for Beth's father's 80th birthday. The day was beautiful and as we've said before, we've dedicated this blog and our travels to Ed and his statement to us to get out and do things because you don't know how much time you have left. So after leaving rose petals, tulips and roses on the gravesites, we traveled a bit south of Worcester to check out Purgatory Chasm State Park in Sutton, MA. This park really is just a hop and a skip from Worcester, and the crowd at the park attests to the fact that it's a very quick trip to a great place for a bbq, a picnic, and a spot for the kids to run around. BUT the main feature of this park, the chasm, isn't one you'd want little kids to play around on their own. When we arrived we were surprised by how many people were there. The parking lots are large and we did find a space, and an open picnic table (plenty of those as well) for Lillian to sit at while we explored the area.
This park is definitely a favorite with families, couples, and college students. They were everywhere, as was the smell of BBQ lighter fluid, the sound of college students singing obscenity-laden drinking songs, and little children running everywhere! We could tell this was one of the first truly warm and sunny days after a very rainy and raw winter. Everyone seemed to be there, soaking up the sunshine, enjoying the warm breezes and checking the fit on their summer shorts and tank tops. We stopped at the visitor's center but they haven't really stocked the brochure or map racks yet (although they did have very faint copies of the trail maps available). To be safe, get yours here. In the center of the room is a case with various displays of nests, eggs, plaster footprint castings, and lots of bugs (on display, not running around the building!), with a guide indicating that all can be found in and around the park. This was a nice addition, but no one seemed interested in looking. Today was all about the picnic!
WARNING: The restrooms were NOT clean. That's all we're saying on that account. Hopefully in the summer when they have a full staff (there was a ranger on site involved in cleaning outside) they are better able to keep up with the crowds.
When is a Path Not a Path?
When it's covered with boulders the size of a VW Bug!!!! Beth and I crossed the street from the visitor's center to find the picnic pavillion (packed with people and with an ice cream truck parked in front!) and lots of bbq grills ringing a parking lot filled with cars... Kind of reminded me of muscle car night at the local Dairy Queen... but shortly we saw the sign to the chasm. We took one look at the path down to the bottom and decided pretty quickly that today wasn't the day for this hike. Who knew? I had on my hiking sneakers and Beth had on rubber soled comfort mocs... usually perfectly fine for most of our hikes, but the gravel, stone, rock and on up to full-fledged boulders we'd be hopping, crawling, and climbing across combined with the sheer number of people who were all scrambling across the same, had me picturing a slip and my ankle caught between two rocks with either a sprain or a break lurking just below the surface.
Never fear! We decided THIS was a "high road" day... as in when you wear ankle supporting hiking boots you take the low road (read "chasm"), and when you wear lightweight walking shoes you take the high road (read "Charlie's Loop Trail") which takes you along the northern edge of the chasm, with plenty of opportunities to climb up on the edge of sheer cliffs, look down at the people scrambling through the rocks below, and hopping over and around brooks, rivulets, and tiny waterfalls. Really pretty actually, and it would have been an enjoyable and nature-filled break from the city if it weren't for the fact that the city had followed us to the park! We had to squeeze past small children chasing each other, excuse ourselves when we happened upon couples looking for a romantic spot alone, and tourists snapping photos of each other on the edge of the chasm... and the random small groups of college kids with their "to-go" cups, their short skirts and sandals, wandering through the woods on a surprise warm day in March. This reminded me of Walden Pond and our thought that it would be a much nicer place if it were less crowded (oh no, am I turning into a crotchety old woman so early???)
We're definitely coming back to this park but no doubt off-season. Maybe in the fall, although mostly we saw oak trees so not sure how much color there'd be. It would be a nice place for a cool autumn bbq, and there are plenty of open areas for Frisbee, blankets and a nice nap or a book to read, and if you're quiet and still long enough I'm sure you'd see some of the birds showcased in the visitor's center.
We caught plenty of good shots along our route, but the park is very monotone at this time of year (mud season), and due to the height of the trail, and the heaviness of the underbrush and the trees, it was difficult to get a photo of the chasm itself that actually shows it's size. At some points the gorge is 60 feet wide, with some walls rising to 70 feet (wouldn't want to fall from THERE!) and there are also small caves and channels with water running through (although that may be more the result of all the rain we've had lately). It also appears to be a good place for beginner level rock climbing since you've got some sheer rock faces, but height is manageable.
Kids and Rock Climbing
This park is recommended in the Best Hikes with Children series. To quote, "Families with small children may need a good deal of time and effort to get from one end of the gorge to the other, but you will enjoy every minute. You will no doubt meet a number of folks following the same trail but somehow, on this adventure, it doesn't matter. In fact, it's fun to trade incredulous comments with other, equally awestruck people." But we're thinking if your kids aren't the rough and tumble type you may want to pick one of the other parks we've recommended. I know I'd have a heart attack keeping kids away from the edges of the chasm, and every excitement filled shriek would sound to me like someone had fallen and broken a leg! Maybe I AM turning into an old lady!
This park also has a Healthy Heart Trail which in length is definitely healthy and do-able, but in difficulty we'd judge this one to be more "medium" than "easy". And there are websites that list this park as a good destination for top roping. This requires a permit from the park's visitor's center. Permits are free, and are good for a full year but no climbing is allowed on Sundays.
What Else is in the Area?
Colleges! Worcester is home to College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Anna Maria College, Clark University (Beth's Dad's alma mater), Assumption College, Worcester State College, and UMass. No wonder we found some guides that stated this was primarily a picnic site for urbanites and suburbanites. That's definitely what we felt, and while it is a beautiful space, it's just plain not our idea of a place to enjoy nature's beauty, except perhaps in the true off-season when most people are home staying warm and dry.
We do have a recommendation for a great place to grab a cup of coffee and something sweet though, the Crown Bakery, an authentic Swedish bakery that also sells yummy sandwiches and soup. If you go near a holiday, don't be surprised to find the place filled with people standing in line to buy their marzipan and fuit cakes, fruit pies, irish soda bread, cookies, and more! We always get the twisted rolls with saffron and cinammon! So make sure to stop on your way out to the park so you've have some energy for the climb!
We headed out to Worcester and the Swedish Cemetery (aka All Faith's Cemetery) for Beth's father's 80th birthday. The day was beautiful and as we've said before, we've dedicated this blog and our travels to Ed and his statement to us to get out and do things because you don't know how much time you have left. So after leaving rose petals, tulips and roses on the gravesites, we traveled a bit south of Worcester to check out Purgatory Chasm State Park in Sutton, MA. This park really is just a hop and a skip from Worcester, and the crowd at the park attests to the fact that it's a very quick trip to a great place for a bbq, a picnic, and a spot for the kids to run around. BUT the main feature of this park, the chasm, isn't one you'd want little kids to play around on their own. When we arrived we were surprised by how many people were there. The parking lots are large and we did find a space, and an open picnic table (plenty of those as well) for Lillian to sit at while we explored the area.
- Tucker's Rating - 2 wags. Way too rocky for his short legs, but if you've got a dog who likes to climb, this'd be the park!
- Our Rating - 3 wags (and that's being generous)
- Accessibility - Not really. While the Visitor's Center has a ramp, and the trails near the playground are easy to maneuver, Purgatory Chasm is about the chasm, and THAT isn't accessible at all. Not even for us since we weren't wearing real hiking boots and it's made up of all sizes of boulders.
- Fees - Donation (they've got a donation receptacle near the Visitor's Center
- Pet Friendly - Yes, on leash
- Other Activities - Top roping (by permit only, year round except Sundays)
This park is definitely a favorite with families, couples, and college students. They were everywhere, as was the smell of BBQ lighter fluid, the sound of college students singing obscenity-laden drinking songs, and little children running everywhere! We could tell this was one of the first truly warm and sunny days after a very rainy and raw winter. Everyone seemed to be there, soaking up the sunshine, enjoying the warm breezes and checking the fit on their summer shorts and tank tops. We stopped at the visitor's center but they haven't really stocked the brochure or map racks yet (although they did have very faint copies of the trail maps available). To be safe, get yours here. In the center of the room is a case with various displays of nests, eggs, plaster footprint castings, and lots of bugs (on display, not running around the building!), with a guide indicating that all can be found in and around the park. This was a nice addition, but no one seemed interested in looking. Today was all about the picnic!
WARNING: The restrooms were NOT clean. That's all we're saying on that account. Hopefully in the summer when they have a full staff (there was a ranger on site involved in cleaning outside) they are better able to keep up with the crowds.
When is a Path Not a Path?
When it's covered with boulders the size of a VW Bug!!!! Beth and I crossed the street from the visitor's center to find the picnic pavillion (packed with people and with an ice cream truck parked in front!) and lots of bbq grills ringing a parking lot filled with cars... Kind of reminded me of muscle car night at the local Dairy Queen... but shortly we saw the sign to the chasm. We took one look at the path down to the bottom and decided pretty quickly that today wasn't the day for this hike. Who knew? I had on my hiking sneakers and Beth had on rubber soled comfort mocs... usually perfectly fine for most of our hikes, but the gravel, stone, rock and on up to full-fledged boulders we'd be hopping, crawling, and climbing across combined with the sheer number of people who were all scrambling across the same, had me picturing a slip and my ankle caught between two rocks with either a sprain or a break lurking just below the surface.
Never fear! We decided THIS was a "high road" day... as in when you wear ankle supporting hiking boots you take the low road (read "chasm"), and when you wear lightweight walking shoes you take the high road (read "Charlie's Loop Trail") which takes you along the northern edge of the chasm, with plenty of opportunities to climb up on the edge of sheer cliffs, look down at the people scrambling through the rocks below, and hopping over and around brooks, rivulets, and tiny waterfalls. Really pretty actually, and it would have been an enjoyable and nature-filled break from the city if it weren't for the fact that the city had followed us to the park! We had to squeeze past small children chasing each other, excuse ourselves when we happened upon couples looking for a romantic spot alone, and tourists snapping photos of each other on the edge of the chasm... and the random small groups of college kids with their "to-go" cups, their short skirts and sandals, wandering through the woods on a surprise warm day in March. This reminded me of Walden Pond and our thought that it would be a much nicer place if it were less crowded (oh no, am I turning into a crotchety old woman so early???)
We're definitely coming back to this park but no doubt off-season. Maybe in the fall, although mostly we saw oak trees so not sure how much color there'd be. It would be a nice place for a cool autumn bbq, and there are plenty of open areas for Frisbee, blankets and a nice nap or a book to read, and if you're quiet and still long enough I'm sure you'd see some of the birds showcased in the visitor's center.
We caught plenty of good shots along our route, but the park is very monotone at this time of year (mud season), and due to the height of the trail, and the heaviness of the underbrush and the trees, it was difficult to get a photo of the chasm itself that actually shows it's size. At some points the gorge is 60 feet wide, with some walls rising to 70 feet (wouldn't want to fall from THERE!) and there are also small caves and channels with water running through (although that may be more the result of all the rain we've had lately). It also appears to be a good place for beginner level rock climbing since you've got some sheer rock faces, but height is manageable.
Kids and Rock Climbing
This park is recommended in the Best Hikes with Children series. To quote, "Families with small children may need a good deal of time and effort to get from one end of the gorge to the other, but you will enjoy every minute. You will no doubt meet a number of folks following the same trail but somehow, on this adventure, it doesn't matter. In fact, it's fun to trade incredulous comments with other, equally awestruck people." But we're thinking if your kids aren't the rough and tumble type you may want to pick one of the other parks we've recommended. I know I'd have a heart attack keeping kids away from the edges of the chasm, and every excitement filled shriek would sound to me like someone had fallen and broken a leg! Maybe I AM turning into an old lady!
This park also has a Healthy Heart Trail which in length is definitely healthy and do-able, but in difficulty we'd judge this one to be more "medium" than "easy". And there are websites that list this park as a good destination for top roping. This requires a permit from the park's visitor's center. Permits are free, and are good for a full year but no climbing is allowed on Sundays.
What Else is in the Area?
Colleges! Worcester is home to College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Anna Maria College, Clark University (Beth's Dad's alma mater), Assumption College, Worcester State College, and UMass. No wonder we found some guides that stated this was primarily a picnic site for urbanites and suburbanites. That's definitely what we felt, and while it is a beautiful space, it's just plain not our idea of a place to enjoy nature's beauty, except perhaps in the true off-season when most people are home staying warm and dry.
We do have a recommendation for a great place to grab a cup of coffee and something sweet though, the Crown Bakery, an authentic Swedish bakery that also sells yummy sandwiches and soup. If you go near a holiday, don't be surprised to find the place filled with people standing in line to buy their marzipan and fuit cakes, fruit pies, irish soda bread, cookies, and more! We always get the twisted rolls with saffron and cinammon! So make sure to stop on your way out to the park so you've have some energy for the climb!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Fire at Blackstone Valley
Sorry to hear about the fire yesterday at one of our favorite parks. It was in an old mill building under renovation to be used as visitor's center.... not in an area we'd gone to on our visit, but we spoke to rangers there who had been talking about the great plans they had... very sad. Read more about the fire here.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Ferry Beach and Two Lights
Two Parks Near Portland, ME
And yes, they're worth the drive!
A beautiful weekend had been promised, so I selected Ferry Beach as our destination for the day. Beth and I were up early on Sunday and realized we're still pretty far behind in our parks (30 weekends and 40 parks left to visit), so we decided to once again clump a couple parks together! And THIS time, with a full day ahead of us, we were quite determined to get it done! Unfortunately both cars had empty tanks and with gas prices going up, we saw yet another reason to clump trips. It's either that or we're going to have to open a lemonade stand to fund this project of ours. So Ferry Beach it was, and just a bit further north we decided to add Two Lights State Park to our trip. Perfect choice! Both parks are awesome, and places we will visit again. If you’re in the Portland area do NOT miss either of these parks. With a full winter snow onboard they may not be great, but for a 50 – 60 degree day with a mild breeze and most of the snow and ice melted, they were the perfect antidote to a touch of Spring Fever!
Ferry Beach
- Our Rating – 4 wags! We will most definitely be back but probably in the Fall. AFTER black flies and mosquitos have gone their merry way.
- Accessibility – Absolutely! Paved roads, flat dirt/stone dust trails, and beautiful wooden boardwalks. Even with a cane, a wheelchair, a stroller or a Lark you'd be able to have a wonderful day here.
- Fees – Fees at this park, and a number of other Maine State Parks are a bit confusing. In general it's best to check the schedule for individual parks in Maine. At Ferry Beach specifically we found that off-season there is a $1.50/person day use fee (if you can find the box to deposit it in). In-season, ME resident senior citizens get into the park for day-use for free, otherwise it’s $4 per Maine Resident Adult, $6 for non-resident adult, and $2 for non-resident senior. Also, there is a $1 per child fee and under 5 children get in for free. It's a bit pricy compared to other parks we've been to, but this is a beautiful park and it's obvious where the money goes.
- Pet Friendly – Only off-season, and only on leash. Tucker loved this park since it was very flat. Once he got his pace going he didn’t stop til we got back to the car. There are water fountains throughout the park but in winter they’re turned off… also, there are no trash barrels in winter. So bring water, and plan on carrying out anything that you bring in (or in Tucker’s case, produce once you’re there).
Tucker’s Rating – 3.5 Wags (he would have rated it higher but since pets are not allowed in the park between April 1st and September 30th he is shading his vote just a bit.)
Some Tips for the Road
We headed out around 10 AM. The GPS told us total drive time would be just over 2 hours, and it was pretty right on (although I discovered it was set an hour ahead. Beth tells me next weekend when we go back to daylight savings time we’ll be all set). We filled the tank (ouch! Gas prices ARE going up!), stopped at McDonald’s for some juice and hash browns and were on our way! If you’re heading up this route, plan on extra cash for tolls… we paid at least $5 in tolls before we were up there! Two of them at $2 a piece! Even with our FastLane Pass, you should be aware that this might use up a significant portion of your monthly toll amount. But taking the FastLane aisles does speed up the process!
Also, note that exit numbers on the Maine Turnpike (Rt. 95) are based on mileage, not actual number of exits…. So when you’re at exit 2 and have to get to exit 34 it’s not as far as you expect! One other thing to note, rest areas in NH are primarily a bathroom and a liquor store. No coffee… not much for food… just a place to buy alcohol and a toilet. We never realized this before. But in both MA and ME a rest area provides something for everyone! Food courts, gasoline, rest rooms, dog walk areas…. Definitely a big plus! Tucker had the full back seat to himself today since Lillian decided not to join us this trip. She would have found the first walk pretty challenging since it was fairly long. Note to Lillian (and any other non-walkers): Any trail ranked as "easy" because it's flat doesn't mean it's short, and at 86, Lillian draws the line at a half mile or so! That's her prerogative, but on this day we were choosing the long and leisurely routes.
Over the River and Through the Woods - For Real!
Arriving in Saco, we easily found the entrance to the park even without a sign. Plenty of cars parked just outside the closed gates. There is a fairly long road to the gate house itself. It winds through beautiful woods with trails leading off every few hundred feet. I'm thinking park rangers are kept quite busy during the summer keeping people from parking along this road on the way to the beach. But it was empty and quiet on Sunday, except for the random red squirrel who hopped out to check on us as we passed. Maybe they were park rangers in disguise! I think Tucker thought they were very small cats since one stood about 3 feet in front of him and he just tipped his head and then looked at me with a puzzled look on his face.
There were a number of people out walking in the sunshine but this park is so spread out that for the most part we felt like we were on our own. Eventually we came upon a picnic area and the main parking lot. Ferry Beach State Park provides a LOT of picnic sites, a group area and shelter that can be reserved, changing rooms, rest rooms, and an educational walk through a Tupelo Swamp which was a beautiful find! We enjoyed the peace, the smell of green, and the fact that this is one of the larger stands of Tupelo Trees in the northeast. I don't think I ever saw a Tupelo tree... been to the Tupelo Music Hall but that's not quite the same. I'm sure this swamp is gorgeous in the Fall when the leaves are bright orange. But Spring was definitely lurking just below the surface in this place. We could hear the birds singing, see water trickling everywhere, and the ice on the pond was drawing back quickly. We did appreciate the fact too, that when spring finally does arrive (we knew that we were just stealing a few spring like moments in March!) this place is no doubt loaded with Black Flies!!!! That's a whole season of it's own in Maine! And in summer we would guess mosquitos too. So if you do head here “in-season” and want to walk the swamp, we’d recommend bug spray (industrial size), and long sleeves!
Beaches in Winter
We followed the path to the entrance to the beach and were disappointed to find it gated off for the season. The walkway actually passes below the road and the gates stretch from the ground to the top of the archway so there was no climbing over, under or squeezing through, cause we certainly considered it…. Ah winter… some things are a plus (lack of crowds, no need for multiple applications of sunscreen), but for a beach outing, summer is no doubt better. The beach is just a short walk from the main parking lot, but if you do go in winter and want to see the beach, we’d recommend parking out on the main intersection near the beachfront. That’s what we did once we’d finished wandering (and getting slightly lost) in the park itself. The trails are really nice and meander along a brook with many bridges to cross. All are kept in wonderful shape. We also came upon the picnic shelter which looks brand new and a sign indicates funding came from the sale of the Maine Loon license plates. Nice to see how that money gets used!
Getting Lost
The Tupelo Swamp includes many educational signs and trail maps but because a lot of the individual trail markers were taken down (for the season we assume) we did kind of wander a lot further than we expected (read "we got lost!"). Thankfully we knew it was an enclosed and limited space so not to worry that we’d wander forever, but still…. The brook started to look rather appetizing to Tucker whose tongue was hanging low. We were only carrying binoculars and a camera and no water! We don't let Tucker drink water from rivers and streams due to a lot of bacteria they can carry, so we kept him away and he managed to get back to the car without really getting too thirsty.
A Great Place to Steal a Spring Day Out of Season!
This would be a great park for kids and we heard a few who were obviously excited to get out of the house and out of heavy outerwear to just run free for a while! Lots of streams and brooks to play in, walkways to run down, and even a mountain biker or two enjoying the easy ride on a cool day. I'm sure a jogging stroller or bike trailer (or whatever those things are called) would be perfect! It's even flat enough for a tandem cycle if you've got one! So bring it on!
But Ferry Beach IS about a Beach so....
We did get there…. but not until after we made a quick detour into Ocean Park (a small town just north of Saco) to see if we could find a restroom… cause nothing is open in winter up here!!! Geesh! No restaurants, even the Chamber of Commerce/Visitor’s Center, Dunkin Donuts. and the amazingly huge public restrooms are locked up for the winter. Thank Heaven for 7-11… and I’m sure that’s not what they MEAN by that slogan, but we understood it big time! Just a note on Ocean Park. It’s a Chautauqua community. Also known as "Chautauqua-by-the-Sea". It was founded over 130 years ago and is a summer assembly inter-faith community. When I saw the sign when we drove into town, at first I thought Chautauqua was some sort of developer… but the homes are old and there’s LOTS of public buildings that had old dates on them as well. Come to find out there are a number of these communities around the country including one on Martha's Vineyard, and also Michigan, New Jersey, Tennesee and more! Check out their website at the above link if you're interested. It seems like a great place if you enjoy community suppers, lectures, music festivals and more. Not sure they're all that welcoming to diversity of our type but it peaked our interest enough to maybe go back and check it out during the summer.
Yes, Yes, We'll Get to the Beach, But a Convent Got in the Way!
..So back to Saco and the beach… we used the entrance and parking next to the Bay View Convent…. We were struck by the sheer size of the convent and thought initially that the place was just closed up for the winter… It’s four stories with an amazing lawn facing the beach, big porches, a huge parking lot… and as we walked around front to take pictures, we noticed the “for sale” sign. This amazing place is being sold as lots for an ocean front community. Very sad. But I did a little homework and found that the Bay View Convent was put on the market in 2009. Originally started by the Good Shepherd nuns, and run as a beachfront hotel, The Bayview Villa, the number of nuns available to work had dwindled from 260 between 1940 and 1970 to just 21 nuns that had been living at the convent and running the hotel. All were in their 70’s and 80’s. I can't even imagine them doing all the housekeeping, cooking, reservations... but there they were! Or at least there they'd BEEN. The nuns had just celebrated their 125th anniversary shortly before putting the property on the market! Originally they’d come to the area to help run an orphanage, a school and a hospital and were very busy in the community during that history. Read more (you’ll need to scroll about a quarter way down the page); I found lots of travel notes on the place and it sounds like it was definitely inexpensive, with shared baths, and breakfast included in the room charge with lunch and dinner as an option too… What a great escape it must have been. I’ve actually found its listing on loopnet at $3.6MM…. seems like a very cheap price for what’s there!
Anyway, we’ll move on from our dreams of one gigantic B&B on the beach. But we did want to point out that Ferry Beach itself is a very nice beach with many access roads and not a lot of parking. It’s a wide, sandy beach which isn’t that common in a state where beach and rocks seem to go hand in hand. During our visit there were a lot of dogs playing on the beach and its obvious that in winter that’s allowed, but NOT in summer. There were also a few really great dragon kites up and flying! Tucker stayed in the car since with his short legs, a walk on the sand would not have been a fun event. But we want to point out that in warmer weather (Spring, Fall OR Summer) we do NOT leave him in the car. If he isn't going to be admitted to wherever we go, we leave him in the comfort of his own home! While he loves going places with us, we don't think he enjoys a day spent sitting in the car and only being allowed out to "do his business" anymore than WE would! And dogs left in cars, even on cooler days, can be stuck in a deathtrap very quickly, even if the windows are cracked a little.... it's just not safe for them!!!! So PLEASE, if you bring your pets with you on these trips, do not leave them in the car!!!!!!! I can't stress that enough. As we left the beach, we were struck by the colorful fence along the path. Beth got a great shot of it… all tied with bits and pieces that wash up on the beach after a storm. Pretty enough to print and hang up!
Another great attraction (and I kicked myself for not taking pics) was the amusement park area in Old Orchard Beach. This is a real boardwalk on the beach kind of place with a roller coaster and lots of other rides and attractions, all in gorgeous Technicolor and sitting idle just waiting for April (or May) to get here. This area must absolutely hop once warm weather sets in, so when we head back (and we will!) we’re going to get up at the crack of dawn to get a space up here! Lots of seasonal rentals too, so if you’re looking for a place that’s just a little bit off the beaten path, think Ocean Park and Saco…. We know we will!
- Tucker’s Rating – 4 Wags He loved this place but with the slippery shale stairs and some sudden drop-offs to the crashing waves below, he didn't get to meander quite as much as he might like. Still, lots of shady spots for a nap and happy people everywhere!
- Our Rating – 4.5 wags! We would have given it a 5 but we weren't sure what it's like in summer, and if it's jam-packed with people then it may remain a 4.5.
- Accessibility – Pretty good. Lots of flat, clear trails and alternate slopes instead of shale stairs, but this place does include a lot of rocks by the ocean to walk and sit on, and even on our own two feet it was a bit scary stepping around.
- Fees – Again, it's best to check the schedule. We didn't pay anything and didn't see anywhere to put the off-season fee of $1.50. But in-season I can imagine they collect every penny they can and rightfully so! This is a beautiful park and well kept. Maine resident adults appear to be $3, non-resident is $4.50 and Maine seniors are $1.50 with children 5 - 11 at $1.00 and under 5 free. So if you bring a family it could get pricy for the day!
- Pet Friendly – While this park appears to have a historic battery, the facility isn't open to the public. In Maine pets are not allowed on beaches or historic sites but it appears Two Lights is neither, so Tucker was good to go, and can come back in summer!!! I'd maybe call the park first to check on pets though if you head there in summer, just to make certain, since it's a long drive only to find you can't get in!
- Other Activities - According to the website, you can fish at this park. You'd have to be brave enough to wander down onto the rocks and then be able to cast from there.... but still, nice to know. They also have a wonderful kids playground, public restrooms, bbq's and picnic tables each set into their own little woodland nook overlooking the ocean. Get there early and stake a claim! That's what we're planning on doing come summer!
As I write this part of the blog I am realizing an issue with clumping parks and posts... they get pretty darned long when we like a park and visit more than one in a weekend. So hang in there, or bookmark us so you can come back and read more later!
A Bit of Art History
We headed north from Ferry Beach and drove right up to Portland before getting off the highway and heading to Cape Elizabeth and Two Lights State Park. One of the lighthouses that stands behind this park was made famous in a painting by Edward Hopper, Lighthouse at Two Lights. There really are two lighthouses too, although one is working and the other has been turned into part of a private home, so they don't look like "twins" anymore. This park is another one that is easy to find. Nice large parking lot, lots of signs, and an amazing view of Casco Bay and the open Atlantic. We saw two very large tankers sitting just off-shore, and a number of smaller boats so even in late winter, this bay is busy!
When Does "By the Ocean" Not Mean a Beach?
This isn't a beach style park. You are right on the water but you're dealing with high rocky cliffs and lots of shale. Wear good walking shoes if you're heading here for a day. Sandals would probably be great if they're Teva-style with good soles for gripping. Otherwise you may find the rocks a bit dangerous to wander around on. Also, bring your bbq supplies because the raised bbq's that can be found with each picnic table, are perfect, but there's no where in the park to buy supplies. Picnic tables are nestled into their own little woodland openings so you've not on top of each other when you head here, but there are areas that have multiple tables and bbq's within close proximity. Beth and I daydreamed out loud about getting a group of 10 or 12 friends together some early summer morning and heading up here to stake our claim and hang by the ocean all day long! Just seems like EXACTLY what this place was made for. To give you a vague idea of what the trails are like... reminds me of the Marginal Way on steroids! Oceanside trails, benches and picnic tables, but WOW what a view of the open ocean! And you don't have all the trinket shops and restaurants and lobster boats vying for space either like you do in Ogunquit. That has it's own kind of appeal, but Two Lights is definitely about the ocean and not shopping.
Art in Unexpected Places
We wandered along the trails, and stopped to read about Battery 201, which lies beneath the mound overlooking the ocean. In 1995- 1996, Bradley McCallum installed an exhibit, Permanence of Memory, including both collected objects, photos and voiceover, that provided insight into the world of a veteran of WWII. It included a Memorial Book for all Maine citizens who gave their lives fighting in that war. Very cool, the book had a page for each individual, and family members who attended the exhibit could add notes about the person, include photos, additional comments, etc. The exhibit took advantage of the batteries cold, damp, abandoned personae and McCallum was inspired to build it after happening on the battery during a hike. He had the sense, in the damp darkness of the building, that the walls were crying. The site wasn't open when we visted, and the exhibit moved on to other locations after it's initial showing, but you can read more about it in an essay written by Lucy Lippard. As with the painting by Edward Hopper, this is evidence that art can find you even when you're not looking!
As we soaked up the sunshine on the point, watching bubbles floating on the breeze (there was a woman sitting there blowing bubbles) we felt Two Lights is the perfect example of Maine, rocky coastline, beautiful ocean views, history, nature, friendly people, and a chance to explore. This one will no doubt continue to hold a spot in our Top 5 of the 52 for a good long time to come!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Halibut Point State Park
A Beautiful Walk by the Ocean!
If you love open woods, fields, ocean breezes, and a bit of history, this is the park for you!
We had intended to drive to Maine but decided to stay a bit closer to home and found ourselves driving out to Rockport, MA and Halibut Point State Park. We got a bit confused with our GPS directions and found ourselves winding through some amazing ocean front neighborhoods on the way to the park but still arrived just after 10 AM. In time to MISS the winter birding trip that was scheduled, but early enough to catch the trails without a ton of people wandering. This seems to be the type of park that people frequent all year round and we came across birders, moms with kids out for a picnic, and plenty of beautiful, wintery wood scenes... most of our pictures have that gray/taupe monochrome color but with the vivid blue sky in the background it was just beautiful.
Woods That Look Like Woods are Supposed to Look
What does that mean? You'll have to go and find out. Wandering vines, catbriar, bayberry, blueberry, arrowwood, shadbush and what we believe to be lots of Virginia roses which we seem to find along the ocean on every trip, create a very open, airy wood, minus the standard evergreen trees we're accustomed to. And everywhere you'll find slabs of granite. Halibut Point is located on slabs of 440 million year old granite... and at the end of the main trail you'll arrive at the quarry itself. Part of the Babson Farm Quarry and Rockport Granite Company.
Previous Occupants
We found the site very interesting, including the renovated WWII firetower that acts as a visitor's center (closed in winter) but previously was used by the military to protect both Boston and Portsmouth Harbors, the foundations of a coal burning power plant that the granite quarry workers used to power their equipment, and even the granite base of a railroad that was used to transport granite to the main lines for shipment across the country. The visitor's center features various forms of granite and equipment used to harvest the stone from the quarry. As you walk around the quarry itself, a self-guided trail map will show the various features leftover from the quarry's heydays.
Amazing Views
We walked all the way out on to the point which, according to the self-guided brochure, is made up of a mountain of waste granite. The view at the end is amazing. On the clear day we were there we could see all the way to Mt. Agamenticus in ME, and also Seabrook's power plant and Sandy Point Reservation on Plum Island (one of our first blog trips!). The water looked cold and the wind didn't help, so we'd recommend wearing something with a hood if you're heading out here in winter. But it was definitely beautiful. Looking down at the beach to the right of the point we could see many stone piles people have left behind. I don't think we've seen more in one place except for those we saw on Martha's Vineyard, and we can never resist taking photos. It just looks like a line of soldiers on the beach.
On the backside of the quarry we ran into some birders and chatted a bit about how many birds pass through this area in winter, including loons, grebes and puffins. We did bring binoculars but I think you'd have to sit for a while in one space for these types of birds to feel comfortable enough to come within viewing distance. The winter birding group had taken a different trail that led down to the beach and we decided that with all the wind and the amount of walking we'd already done, we weren't feeling like taking that additional route... plus, lunch was included in our plans, so we headed into Rockport and Bearskin Neck.
A Great Place to Wander and Shop
Even in Winter, Rockport is a great destination for anyone who likes to poke around in shops, buy jewelry, t-shirts, and fudge, check out some beautiful art galleries and just soak up the atmosphere of an ocean-side town. Motif #1 is one of the most famous sites in Rockport.... everyone has seen it whether or not they know what it is or where it is, and we chose to have lunch at The Greenery... a great lunch spot with a view overlooking the small harbor and Motif #1 sitting there large as life! It was like a painting come to life with gulls, and loons paddling around in front of it. We also made certain to stop at Tuck's Candy before heading home, for just a tiny piece of almond bark as dessert. There are so many things going on in Rockport year-round, and tons of little bed and breakfasts to stay in that this is a destination we'd highly recommend for a weekend getaway... but make it a long weekend. Otherwise you'll feel short changed. We know we're going back so we were okay with it just being a day. Rockport is a "can't get there from here" kind of location so plan for a nice drive out and back, and thankfully during the warmer months the park is open from 8 am to 8 pm so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy your day! We're definitely going back, and as with Blackstone this one is getting added to our list of favorites!
If you love open woods, fields, ocean breezes, and a bit of history, this is the park for you!
- Tucker's Rating: 4 wags (he didn't join us but would have loved it)
- Our Rating: 4.5 wags. Just too interesting a place to only visit once
- Accessibility: Good. Some steep paths, and rocky areas, but most navigable. Ramps to visitors center (which was closed) and clean, warm restrooms at visitors center, with chemical toilets near parking lot. During summer months they also provide guided tours with special assisted listening devices.
- Fees: In winter FREE! Parking fee during the warmer months
- Special Activities: Granite Cutting demos on Saturdays in summer.
We had intended to drive to Maine but decided to stay a bit closer to home and found ourselves driving out to Rockport, MA and Halibut Point State Park. We got a bit confused with our GPS directions and found ourselves winding through some amazing ocean front neighborhoods on the way to the park but still arrived just after 10 AM. In time to MISS the winter birding trip that was scheduled, but early enough to catch the trails without a ton of people wandering. This seems to be the type of park that people frequent all year round and we came across birders, moms with kids out for a picnic, and plenty of beautiful, wintery wood scenes... most of our pictures have that gray/taupe monochrome color but with the vivid blue sky in the background it was just beautiful.
Woods That Look Like Woods are Supposed to Look
What does that mean? You'll have to go and find out. Wandering vines, catbriar, bayberry, blueberry, arrowwood, shadbush and what we believe to be lots of Virginia roses which we seem to find along the ocean on every trip, create a very open, airy wood, minus the standard evergreen trees we're accustomed to. And everywhere you'll find slabs of granite. Halibut Point is located on slabs of 440 million year old granite... and at the end of the main trail you'll arrive at the quarry itself. Part of the Babson Farm Quarry and Rockport Granite Company.
Previous Occupants
We found the site very interesting, including the renovated WWII firetower that acts as a visitor's center (closed in winter) but previously was used by the military to protect both Boston and Portsmouth Harbors, the foundations of a coal burning power plant that the granite quarry workers used to power their equipment, and even the granite base of a railroad that was used to transport granite to the main lines for shipment across the country. The visitor's center features various forms of granite and equipment used to harvest the stone from the quarry. As you walk around the quarry itself, a self-guided trail map will show the various features leftover from the quarry's heydays.
Amazing Views
We walked all the way out on to the point which, according to the self-guided brochure, is made up of a mountain of waste granite. The view at the end is amazing. On the clear day we were there we could see all the way to Mt. Agamenticus in ME, and also Seabrook's power plant and Sandy Point Reservation on Plum Island (one of our first blog trips!). The water looked cold and the wind didn't help, so we'd recommend wearing something with a hood if you're heading out here in winter. But it was definitely beautiful. Looking down at the beach to the right of the point we could see many stone piles people have left behind. I don't think we've seen more in one place except for those we saw on Martha's Vineyard, and we can never resist taking photos. It just looks like a line of soldiers on the beach.
On the backside of the quarry we ran into some birders and chatted a bit about how many birds pass through this area in winter, including loons, grebes and puffins. We did bring binoculars but I think you'd have to sit for a while in one space for these types of birds to feel comfortable enough to come within viewing distance. The winter birding group had taken a different trail that led down to the beach and we decided that with all the wind and the amount of walking we'd already done, we weren't feeling like taking that additional route... plus, lunch was included in our plans, so we headed into Rockport and Bearskin Neck.
A Great Place to Wander and Shop
Even in Winter, Rockport is a great destination for anyone who likes to poke around in shops, buy jewelry, t-shirts, and fudge, check out some beautiful art galleries and just soak up the atmosphere of an ocean-side town. Motif #1 is one of the most famous sites in Rockport.... everyone has seen it whether or not they know what it is or where it is, and we chose to have lunch at The Greenery... a great lunch spot with a view overlooking the small harbor and Motif #1 sitting there large as life! It was like a painting come to life with gulls, and loons paddling around in front of it. We also made certain to stop at Tuck's Candy before heading home, for just a tiny piece of almond bark as dessert. There are so many things going on in Rockport year-round, and tons of little bed and breakfasts to stay in that this is a destination we'd highly recommend for a weekend getaway... but make it a long weekend. Otherwise you'll feel short changed. We know we're going back so we were okay with it just being a day. Rockport is a "can't get there from here" kind of location so plan for a nice drive out and back, and thankfully during the warmer months the park is open from 8 am to 8 pm so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy your day! We're definitely going back, and as with Blackstone this one is getting added to our list of favorites!
Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park
Now THIS is a park!
An awesome spot for a day in the country no matter the time of year.
Great Trail System!
We found the River Bend Farm Visitors Center easily. Nice and warm, clean restrooms, great maps, and a sign noting that this park is one of the Top Ten canoeing sites in New England. Seems kind of strange given all the places to canoe in the area, but with nice long canals and pools, easy put-ins, lots of picnic tables and bbq grills, we can imagine this is an awesome place to laze away a summer day. Lillian did not want to walk around in the wind and cold so she stayed in the car as we headed out across the bridge. We immediately saw the attraction of this park. Lots of nice flat, wide, open walking trails that run along the canal, and huge open fields. There is also a clearly marked Healthy Heart Trail at this park, and access to stamps for children keeping their Park Passports updated. The map provided is very easy to read and the people working in the visitor center were very helpful to point out nearby attractions that link to the trails including Blackstone Gorge, Millville Lock, the Stone Arch Bridge and various wildlife viewing areas. Some historic buildings are managed by non-profit groups in the area and there is a fee, but for most of this park all areas are fee free! We had hoped to drive over to the Gorge but time ran short so we wandered the immediate park and highly recommend it as a place to go when you've got a full day! The day we were there the towpath trails were busy with people walking their dogs or taking photos, and I even saw one brave person fishing through the ice. Not sure what he was catching in that fast flowing water, but he seemed prepared to spend the day.
Other Activities
The park features include maple sugaring and we saw the lines hooked up. Sugaring begins in March and the visitor's center had flyers for some events related to that. Check out the Blackstone Valley Sugaring Association for more information. There are also numerous places to put in canoes and kayaks, and along many parts of the canal it appears the current is slow enough for a leisurely paddle without actually going anywhere. Hunting is also allowed. We saw signs as we walked along the edge of one field, so wearing brightly colored clothing might be a good idea during hunting season. In addition, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing, is clearly available, although even in February there wasn't enough snow on the ground to accomplish any real skiing or snowshoeing. It also appears that the park may have canoes for rent. We saw a number stacked up behind the visitor's center, but they may be part of the interpretive programs the park runs so call before you go if you plan on trying to rent. The Blackstone River Watershed Association holds a kayak/canoe race in the Spring and also various events through the warmer months educating about the ecology of the river, and promoting enjoyment of this area. Check their activities out here.
Some History on this Site
The canals located here were originally developed to connect Worcester and Providence. Water from the Blackstone River powered the first successful textile mill, the Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI. It was this mill and the related canals that spurred the movement in our country from farm to factory, so this is the birthplace of the other mills we've visited in Lawrence, and in the coming weeks, Lowell. The towpaths that are now hiking paths, were used by donkeys or horses to pull the boats through these sections of the canal.
A Boat Ride Too??
If you'd like to see the Blackstone River by boat, there are a number of options including the Blackstone Valley Explorer, a 49-passenger riverboat. It appears that on the last Sunday of the month in May, June, July and August they give FREE river boat rides. The boat leaves from two different locations depending on the time of year, and both are located in Rhode Island. There are also a number of canoe clubs and rentals in the area including the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club, and the Wampanoag Paddlers, so if you're looking for water fun you've found it here!
A Short Visit and We're Learning!
More and more we're realizing the amazing amount of history that's just around the corner from home! We plan on returning to this park when the weather is nicer, with a picnic and Tucker, and maybe a bike or a kayak in tow so we can really spend a traditional summer day in the country. When we started these blog trips we had the right idea by leaving in the early morning, but with winter and the iffy weather we've delayed our trips til mid-day and we're losing out! So with the longer days and hopefully warmer weather we'll be getting back on track and spending full days exploring!
An Important Point
I do have to say that while we saw this park as the essential "day in the country" kind of destination, on the way to this park we did not have the feeling we were going to "the country". As noted, we read the website and it recommended a scenic route to see mill villages along the way. Don't bother using that longer route. You'll drive through a lot of condominium construction, prefab housing, and very few places where you could stop for lunch or a quick coffee. So plan accordingly. On our trip we ended up driving back to Waltham for lunch at Bertucci's! The parks close at 4 or 4:30 so we didn't have time to drive further south to see the gorge or head to Providence but this is an area you could definitely head to for a weekend getaway and have plenty to see and do! We recommend it and will keep it on our list of local places we enjoy!
An awesome spot for a day in the country no matter the time of year.
- Tucker's Rating: 4 wags (no food but otherwise a place he would love)
- Our Rating: 4.5 wags (again, no food, but we're definitely going back!)
- Accessibility: Definitely. Nice flat trails, elevator in visitor's center and accessible restrooms
- Pet friendly - Yes. For dogs on leash
- Fee: free but we're sure they'd take donations and the park deserves it!
Great Trail System!
We found the River Bend Farm Visitors Center easily. Nice and warm, clean restrooms, great maps, and a sign noting that this park is one of the Top Ten canoeing sites in New England. Seems kind of strange given all the places to canoe in the area, but with nice long canals and pools, easy put-ins, lots of picnic tables and bbq grills, we can imagine this is an awesome place to laze away a summer day. Lillian did not want to walk around in the wind and cold so she stayed in the car as we headed out across the bridge. We immediately saw the attraction of this park. Lots of nice flat, wide, open walking trails that run along the canal, and huge open fields. There is also a clearly marked Healthy Heart Trail at this park, and access to stamps for children keeping their Park Passports updated. The map provided is very easy to read and the people working in the visitor center were very helpful to point out nearby attractions that link to the trails including Blackstone Gorge, Millville Lock, the Stone Arch Bridge and various wildlife viewing areas. Some historic buildings are managed by non-profit groups in the area and there is a fee, but for most of this park all areas are fee free! We had hoped to drive over to the Gorge but time ran short so we wandered the immediate park and highly recommend it as a place to go when you've got a full day! The day we were there the towpath trails were busy with people walking their dogs or taking photos, and I even saw one brave person fishing through the ice. Not sure what he was catching in that fast flowing water, but he seemed prepared to spend the day.
Other Activities
The park features include maple sugaring and we saw the lines hooked up. Sugaring begins in March and the visitor's center had flyers for some events related to that. Check out the Blackstone Valley Sugaring Association for more information. There are also numerous places to put in canoes and kayaks, and along many parts of the canal it appears the current is slow enough for a leisurely paddle without actually going anywhere. Hunting is also allowed. We saw signs as we walked along the edge of one field, so wearing brightly colored clothing might be a good idea during hunting season. In addition, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing, is clearly available, although even in February there wasn't enough snow on the ground to accomplish any real skiing or snowshoeing. It also appears that the park may have canoes for rent. We saw a number stacked up behind the visitor's center, but they may be part of the interpretive programs the park runs so call before you go if you plan on trying to rent. The Blackstone River Watershed Association holds a kayak/canoe race in the Spring and also various events through the warmer months educating about the ecology of the river, and promoting enjoyment of this area. Check their activities out here.
Some History on this Site
The canals located here were originally developed to connect Worcester and Providence. Water from the Blackstone River powered the first successful textile mill, the Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI. It was this mill and the related canals that spurred the movement in our country from farm to factory, so this is the birthplace of the other mills we've visited in Lawrence, and in the coming weeks, Lowell. The towpaths that are now hiking paths, were used by donkeys or horses to pull the boats through these sections of the canal.
A Boat Ride Too??
If you'd like to see the Blackstone River by boat, there are a number of options including the Blackstone Valley Explorer, a 49-passenger riverboat. It appears that on the last Sunday of the month in May, June, July and August they give FREE river boat rides. The boat leaves from two different locations depending on the time of year, and both are located in Rhode Island. There are also a number of canoe clubs and rentals in the area including the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club, and the Wampanoag Paddlers, so if you're looking for water fun you've found it here!
A Short Visit and We're Learning!
More and more we're realizing the amazing amount of history that's just around the corner from home! We plan on returning to this park when the weather is nicer, with a picnic and Tucker, and maybe a bike or a kayak in tow so we can really spend a traditional summer day in the country. When we started these blog trips we had the right idea by leaving in the early morning, but with winter and the iffy weather we've delayed our trips til mid-day and we're losing out! So with the longer days and hopefully warmer weather we'll be getting back on track and spending full days exploring!
An Important Point
I do have to say that while we saw this park as the essential "day in the country" kind of destination, on the way to this park we did not have the feeling we were going to "the country". As noted, we read the website and it recommended a scenic route to see mill villages along the way. Don't bother using that longer route. You'll drive through a lot of condominium construction, prefab housing, and very few places where you could stop for lunch or a quick coffee. So plan accordingly. On our trip we ended up driving back to Waltham for lunch at Bertucci's! The parks close at 4 or 4:30 so we didn't have time to drive further south to see the gorge or head to Providence but this is an area you could definitely head to for a weekend getaway and have plenty to see and do! We recommend it and will keep it on our list of local places we enjoy!
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