tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90427402594286864582023-11-15T08:38:25.249-08:0052 National/State Parks in 52 WeeksWe're visiting 52 National/State Parks within a 100 mile radius of home (that includes all of New England and a slice of NY). Not the greatest of outdoorswomen, but we're up for the challenge.52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-12083610365080224002010-08-10T11:15:00.000-07:002010-08-10T11:15:25.819-07:00We may not hit them all by "52" but we're still working!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.<br />
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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!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-87615847248008688712010-08-10T10:57:00.000-07:002010-08-10T10:57:00.935-07:00Robert Frost Farm Historic Site<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><strong><em>Lots of interesting facts about one of our best loved poets!</em></strong></span><br />
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<div></div>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.<br />
<ul><li><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Our Rating:</strong></span> <strong>2.5 wags</strong> 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.</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Tucker’s Rating:</strong></span> <strong>0 wags!</strong> 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. </li>
<li><strong><span style="color: blue;">Accessibility:</span></strong> <strong>Not really.</strong> 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. </li>
<li><strong><span style="color: blue;">Fees:</span></strong> <strong>FREE to NH residents according to the website.</strong> 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. </li>
<li><strong><span style="color: blue;">Pet-Friendly:</span></strong> <strong>No.</strong> Dogs are allowed in the fields behind the house but not in the actual property.</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: blue;">Activities:</span></strong> 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. <a href="http://robertfrostfarm.org/events.html">See the website</a>. </li>
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<div>We’d seen quite a bit about Robert Frost when we stopped at the <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/lwhp.htm">Lawrence Heritage State Park</a> 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: </div><br />
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<div>Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – </div>I took the one less traveled by,<br />
And that has made all the difference.<br />
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<div>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?</div><br />
<div></div><div>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. </div><br />
<div> </div>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!<br />
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<div>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.</div><br />
<div></div>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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0141439718&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>, 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. <br />
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<div></div>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!<br />
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<span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Frost-Farm-Poultry-Man/dp/0874510325?ie=UTF8&tag=52natistatep-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"></a></span><span>Frost ran the poultry farm in Derry with limited success,<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1584652322&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></span> 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!<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0312983328&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
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Other resources:</div><br />
<div>Alternate website with more resources for teachers, and Robert Frost history: www.robertfrostfarm.org</div><br />
<div></div>Frostiana: Seven Country Songs. A really beautiful piece of composition by Randall Thompson based on poetry by Robert Frost. <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0006ZP2WK&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<div></div>52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-26494228833738249072010-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:002010-07-13T11:46:49.396-07:00Moore State Park<span style="color: #38761d;"><strong>The Essential Springtime Park. Flowers EVERYWHERE!!!</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><em>Looking for a dream setting to spend a gorgeous spring day? This is it!</em></span><br />
<div></div>If you love rhodendrons, azaleas and mountain laurel, winding paths around waterfalls and old stone buildings, this is the place for you!!!<br />
<ul><li><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Our Rating:</strong></span> 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!</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Tucker’s Rating:</strong></span> 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!</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: blue;">Accessibility:</span></strong> 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!</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Fees:</strong></span> FREE</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Pet-Friendly:</strong></span> YES (on leash)</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Activities:</strong></span> canoeing, fishing, hiking, x-country skiing and picnicking.</li>
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<div> 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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0881926450&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> 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 <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/chestnut/">National Program </a>. 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 <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/print/Moore.pdf">here</a>! 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. </div><br />
<div> </div>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.<br />
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In the 1930, a family from Worcester bought the entire mill village area<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1886284164&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>, 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 <a href="http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/rosebay/moore_state_park.html">American Rhododendron Society</a>. <br />
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<div> 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! <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Don’t miss the Artist Overlook marked on the park trail map. It’s the perfect spot for photos.</span> 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.</div><br />
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<div>We headed home but not before stopping for lunch! A local favorite is <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?rls=com.microsoft:en-US&oe=utf8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=annie's+hot+dogs,+MA&fb=1&gl=us&hq=annie's+hot+dogs,&hnear=Massachusetts&cid=6654291094922626906">Hot Dog Annie’s</a> 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. </div><br />
<div></div>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?52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-1332211646632171512010-05-19T10:36:00.000-07:002010-05-19T17:09:27.595-07:00Minuteman National Historical Park<b style="color: #cc0000;"><i>A park memorializing so many events it spans three towns!</i></b><br />
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<span style="color: black;">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!</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Our Rating</span></b> - 4 wags</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Tucker's Rating</span></b> - 4 wags</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Accessibility </span></b>- 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!</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><b style="color: #cc0000;">Fees</b> - $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!</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><b style="color: #cc0000;">Other Activities</b> - Biking, hiking, picnicking, historic reenactments, museums and historic homes, nature/viewing areas, colonial craft demonstrations and lessons, and lots more! <span style="background-color: #ffd966;">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! <a href="http://www.nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/events.htm" style="color: #20124d;">Check the park website for details on times, dates, locations, etc</a><span style="color: #20124d;">.</span></span></span></li>
</ul><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Well, we knew this park was on our list and we knew that this weekend was the SAME weekend as our contest in Springfield. It's also a holiday weekend in MA but since I work in NH I made a last minute request for an extra day off. Then we crossed our fingers for at least sunshine rather than the rain we had at Wahconah State Park a few days before, and planned to get up at the crack of dawn, head to Lexington, and watch the reenactment of the start of the Revolutionary War on Patriot's Day. It'd be a dawn battle between the British regulars and the local militia. "Our side" lost that initial battle, but won the war. When we called Beth's brother to let him know where we'd been that day, he was quick to point out the "lost the battle" part, but we were there and we know the whole story!</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: black;">The </span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Early Bird Sees the Battle</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">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 <i>early</i> 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.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Have You Ever Met a Polite Crowd?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">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 <i>instant gratification generation, </i>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!)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">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!). </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">The Revolutionary Battle Road</span></b><br />
<span style="color: black;">It was still too early for most places to be open for breakfast. Starbuck's was standing room only, and <a href="http://www.nourishlexington.com/">Nourish</a>, 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.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">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, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/upload/MIMA%20Park%20Map.pdf">check here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">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. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Parades and Authors<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0940450089&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> </span></b><br />
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. <a href="http://www.nps.gov/archive/mima/wayside/index.htm">Wayside House</a>, home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Margaret Sidney (author of Five Little Peppers<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1402754205&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>), 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 <a href="http://www.louisamayalcott.org/">Orchard House</a> (just down the street from Wayside, and the setting for Little Women<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0451529308&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>), check the linked websites for visiting hours and activities.<br />
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. <br />
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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!</span>52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-66453014116412179482010-05-17T10:10:00.000-07:002010-05-17T16:10:58.768-07:00Wahconah Falls State Park<span style="color: #6600cc;">An Idyllic Setting in Western MA</span><br />
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<ul><li><span style="color: #6600cc;">Tucker’s Rating</span> – 4 wags. Although he didn’t go, he would have loved it! </li>
<li><span style="color: #6600cc;"> Our Rating</span> – 4 wags. </li>
<li><span style="color: #6600cc;"> Accessibility</span> – 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! </li>
<li><span style="color: #6600cc;">Fees</span> – FREE </li>
<li><span style="color: #6600cc;">Pet Friendly</span> – Yes </li>
<li><span style="color: #6600cc;">Other activities</span> –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! </li>
</ul><br />
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. <br />
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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. <a href="http://www.thebrewmasterstavern.com/">The Brewmaster Tavern</a> is beautiful and features their own <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.opaopabrewing.com">Opa-Opa Brews</a>. 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.<br />
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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!<br />
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We also discovered an incredible bakery, <a href="http://www.breadeuphoria.org/">Bread Euphoria</a>, 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, <a href="http://www.andrewquientpottery.com/">Andrew Quient Pottery</a>. With these two treasures alone, and the flat out gorgeous little golf course across the street, <a href="http://www.hidden-hills.com/beaverbrook/">Beaver Brook</a>, we just wanted to stay and explore the town but we had places to go! Specifically, Wahconah Falls.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!).<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.merrimackvalleychorus.org/">Merrimack Valley Chorus</a>. 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!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-89897238309080276972010-05-04T12:35:00.000-07:002010-05-17T16:16:49.303-07:00Lynn Heritage State Park and Salem Maritime National Historic Site<i><span style="color: #009900;">Some days life just takes you in a different direction!</span></i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #009900;">Lynn Heritage State Park is first</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #009900;"></span></b><br />
<ul><li><b><span style="color: #009900;">Tucker's Rating</span></b> - 0 wags (Pets aren't allowed indoors)</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #009900;">Our Rating</span></b> - 2 wags. Mainly because their website wasn't updated!</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #009900;">Accessibility</span> </b>- Seems to be fine. They've got ramps and I think elevators </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #009900;">Fees</span></b> - ????</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #009900;">Pet Friendly</span></b> - No. But it's an indoor park. I think you can bring dogs on the walk along the beach.</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #009900;">Other Activities</span></b> - 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.</li>
</ul>Having worked in Lynn for a number of years back in the 80's for my uncle, John Meshna, Jr. (any ham radio junkies out there?), selling bank-owned property there in the early 90's and then working for the VNA for a bit and being recently involved in a restaurant development project in the downtown area, I knew we needed to be familiar with where we were driving when we headed to "Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin!" Not to put a bad light on the city, but it does have some areas where didn't feel all that safe walking around. But we checked the directions, checked the website to confirm the park would be open on Sunday, and headed out just after noon. Lynn is a very dense city that encompasses a very diverse community. Lynn is truly a league of nations, and you'll see people from every walk of life from young mothers pushing strollers, to older couples out for an afternoon stroll, to Hell's Angels on motorcycles and monks working outside a temple (we saw all of these and more!)... it's all here. Easy access via train, and the close proximity to beaches and other oean side towns make this a great location for a park, and compared to many of the out-of-the-way parks we've got on our list, this is an easy one to visit even if you don't have a car! Unfortunately, some people are actually afraid to GO to Lynn. It is a city with a reputation for high levels of crime, and has carried this reputation for over a century. Most people in New England know Lynn by the following poem:<br />
Lynn, Lynn, city of sin<br />
You never come out the way you went in<br />
Ask for water, they give you a gin<br />
The girls say no, but they always give in<br />
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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elihu_Thomson">Elihu Thomson</a>'s experiments with arc lighting and industrial motors, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Pinkham">Lydia Pinkham</a> 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.<br />
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.<br />
<span style="color: #3333ff;"><b>Salem Maritime National Historic Site</b></span><br />
Salem's <a href="http://www.pickeringwharf.com/">Pickering Wharf </a>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 <a href="http://www.victoriastationinc.com/">Victoria Station</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.nps.gov/sama/index.htm">Salem Maritime National Historic Site</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.nps.gov/sama/historyculture/customhouse.htm">Customs House </a>where Nathaniel Hawthorne worked. A short distance away is a tall ship replica, the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/sama/historyculture/friendshiphistory.htm">Friendship of Salem </a>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 <a href="http://www.nps.gov/sama/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm">Fees and Reservations page </a>for a list of free activities if you really want a low cost day or two!<br />
<b><span style="color: #996633;">Other Historic Sites</span></b><br />
<b>Witches</b><br />
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 <a href="http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/index.shtml">Salem Witch Museum </a>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.<br />
<b>Historic Homes</b><br />
<a href="http://www.salemweb.com/witchhouse/">Witch House</a>, 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. <br />
<a href="http://www.7gables.org/">House of Seven Gables</a> (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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1416534776&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>, 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.<br />
Also check out:<br />
<a href="http://www.piratemuseum.com/pirate.html">New England Pirate Museum</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pem.org/">Peabody Essex Museum</a> (one of my favorite little museums!!! check out the website and you'll see why!)<br />
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! <b>4 wags</b> 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!)52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-42097191120702711012010-04-12T08:44:00.000-07:002010-05-17T16:14:21.327-07:00Purgatory Chasm State Park<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>You Take the Low Road, We'll Take the High Road</b></span><br />
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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.<br />
<ul><li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Tucker's Rating</b></span> - 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! </li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Our Rating</b></span> - 3 wags (and that's being generous) </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #990000;">Accessibility</span></b> - 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. </li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Fees</b></span> - Donation (they've got a donation receptacle near the Visitor's Center </li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Pet Friendly</b></span> - Yes, on leash </li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Other Activities</b></span> - Top roping (by permit only, year round except Sundays) </li>
</ul><b><span style="color: #336666;">Another Citified Park</span></b><br />
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, <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/print/PurgatoryChasm.pdf">get yours here</a>. 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!<br />
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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.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #336666;">When is a Path Not a Path?</span></b><br />
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.<br />
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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???)<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #336666;">Kids and Rock Climbing</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: black;"> This park is recommended in the Best Hikes with Children series<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0898865433&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>. 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! </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">This park also has a <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/hht/index.htm">Healthy Heart Trail </a>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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_roping/">top roping</a>. 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. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #336666;">What Else is in the Area?</span></b><br />
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.<br />
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We do have a recommendation for a great place to grab a cup of coffee and something sweet though, <a href="http://www.thecrownbakery.com/">the Crown Bakery</a>, 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!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-34772775547125423542010-03-23T04:10:00.000-07:002010-03-23T04:12:28.383-07:00Fire at Blackstone ValleySorry 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. <a href="http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/22915374/detail.html">Read more about the fire here.</a>52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-27227878117824972432010-03-11T13:44:00.000-08:002010-03-15T13:29:44.619-07:00Ferry Beach and Two Lights<p><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Two Parks Near Portland, ME<br /></strong><em><span style="color:#000000;">And yes, they're worth the drive!</span></em><br /></span><br />A beautiful weekend had been promised, so I selected <a href="http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=8&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search">Ferry Beach </a>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 <a href="http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=8&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search">Ferry Beach </a>it was, and just a bit further north we decided to add <a href="http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=28&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search">Two Lights State Park </a>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!<br /><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Ferry Beach</span></strong> </span></p><br /><ul><span style="color:#6633ff;"><br /><li></span><span style="color:#6600cc;"><strong>Tucker’s Rating</strong></span> – 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.) </li><br /><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">Our Rating</span></strong> – 4 wags! We will most definitely be back but probably in the Fall. AFTER black flies and mosquitos have gone their merry way.<br /></li><br /><br /><li><span style="color:#6600cc;"><strong>Accessibility</strong></span> – 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.<br /><br /></li><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">Fees</span></strong> – Fees at this park, and a number of other Maine State Parks are a bit confusing. In general it's best to check the <a href="http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/programs/DUfees.html">schedule for individual parks in Maine</a>. 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.</li><br /><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">Pet Friendly</span></strong> – 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, <em>produce</em> once you’re there). </li></ul><br /><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#336666;">Some Tips for the Road<br /><br /></span></strong>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 <a href="http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/fastlane/main.aspx">FastLane Pass</a>, 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!</p><br /><p>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. </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#006600;">Over the River and Through the Woods - For Real!</span></strong></p><br /><p>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.</p><br /><p>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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyssa_sylvatica">Tupelo Swamp </a>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 <a href="http://www.tupelohall.com/">Tupelo Music Hall </a>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 <a href="http://www.mainenature.org/blackfly/blackflyinfo.html">Black Flies</a>!!!! 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! </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#336666;">Beaches in Winter</span></strong></p><br /><p>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! </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#336666;">Getting Lost</span></strong></p><br /><p>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. </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#006600;">A Great Place to Steal a Spring Day Out of Season!</span></strong></p><br /><p>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! </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#006600;">But Ferry Beach IS about a Beach so....</span></strong></p><br /><p>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. <a href="http://www.oceanpark.org/">It’s a Chautauqua community</a>. 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 <em>Chautauqua</em> 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. </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#006600;">Yes, Yes, We'll Get to the Beach, But a Convent Got in the Way!</span></strong></p><br /><p>..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. <a href="http://fanset7.blogspot.com/2007_09_11_archive.html">Read more </a>(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 <a href="http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/15731216/187-Bay-View-Road-Saco-ME/">loopnet</a> at $3.6MM…. seems like a very cheap price for what’s there!</p><br /><p>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 <strong>not a lot of parking</strong>. 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!<br /><br />Another great attraction (and I kicked myself for not taking pics) was the amusement park area in <a href="http://www.oldorchardbeachmaine.com/Activity.htm">Old Orchard Beach</a>. This is a real <em>boardwalk on the beach</em> 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!</p><br /><p></p><br /><p><a href="http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=28&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Two Lights State Park</span></strong></a></p><br /><ul><br /><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Tucker’s Rating</span></strong> – 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!<br /><br /></li><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Our Rating</span></strong> – 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.<br /><br /></li><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#993300;">A</span><span style="color:#993300;">ccessibility</span></strong><span style="color:#993300;"> </span>– 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.<br /><br /></li><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Fees</span></strong> – Again, it's best to check the <a href="http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/programs/DUfees.html">schedule</a>. 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!<br /><br /></li><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Pet Friendly</span></strong> – 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 <a href="http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=28&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search">Two Lights </a>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!<br /><br /></li><br /><li><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Other Activities</span></strong> - 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!</li></ul><br /><br /><p>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! </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#993300;">A Bit of Art History</span></strong></p><br /><p>We headed north from Ferry Beach and drove right up to Portland before getting off the highway and heading to Cape Elizabeth and <a href="http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=28&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search">Two Lights State Park</a>. One of the lighthouses that stands behind this park was made famous in a painting by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hopper">Edward Hopper</a>, <a href="http://www.state.me.us/doc/parks/programs/history/twolights/hooper.jpg">Lighthouse at Two Lights</a>. 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! </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#993300;">When Does "By the Ocean" Not Mean a Beach?</span></strong></p><br /><p>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. </p><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Art in Unexpected Places</span></strong></p><br /><p>We wandered along the trails, and stopped to read about Battery 201, which lies beneath the mound overlooking the ocean. In 1995- 1996, <a href="http://www.mccallumtarry.com/index.php?article_id=25">Bradley McCallum </a>installed an exhibit, <a href="http://www.mccallumtarry.com/index.php?article_id=79">Permanence of Memory</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.mccallumtarry.com/files/lucy_lippard.pdf">Lucy Lippard</a>. As with the painting by Edward Hopper, this is evidence that art can find you even when you're not looking!</p><br /><p>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!</p>52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-23133761705549985032010-02-28T07:50:00.000-08:002010-02-28T08:30:35.470-08:00Halibut Point State Park<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">A Beautiful Walk by the Ocean!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you love open woods, fields, ocean breezes, and a bit of history, this is the park for you!</span><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Tucker's Rating:</span> 4 wags (he didn't join us but would have loved it)</li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Our Rating:</span> 4.5 wags. Just too interesting a place to only visit once</li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Accessibility:</span> 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.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Fees:</span> In winter FREE! Parking fee during the warmer months</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Special Activities:</span> Granite Cutting demos on Saturdays in summer.</li></ul><br />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 <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/halb.htm">Halibut Point State Park</a>. 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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Woods That Look Like Woods are Supposed to Look</span><br />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.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">Previous Occupants</span><br />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 <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/brochures/halb.pdf">self-guided trail map</a> will show the various features leftover from the quarry's heydays.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">Amazing Views</span><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">A Great Place to Wander and Shop</span><br />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 <a href="http://www.tuckscandy.com/">Tuck's Candy</a> before heading home, for just a tiny piece of almond bark as dessert. <a href="http://www.rockportusa.com/">There are so many things going on in Rockport year-round</a>, 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!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-66876218827874955012010-02-28T06:54:00.000-08:002010-02-28T07:49:47.095-08:00Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Now THIS is a park!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">An awesome spot for a day in the country no matter the time of year.</span><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">Tucker's Rating</span>: 4 wags (no food but otherwise a place he would love)</li><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">Our Rating:</span> 4.5 wags (again, no food, but we're definitely going back!)</li><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Accessibility:</span> </span>Definitely. Nice flat trails, elevator in visitor's center and accessible restrooms</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">Pet friendly</span> - Yes. For dogs on leash<br /></li><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fee:</span> </span>free but we're sure they'd take donations and the park deserves it!<br /></li></ul>We headed out this morning with the idea of going both to this park and <a href="http://www.nps.gov/rowi/historyculture/rogerslife.htm">Roger Williams</a> down near Providence, RI. Lillian wanted a drive so she joined us for the drive south, and a beautiful day it was but very blustery. It brought to mind Winnie the Pooh and his balloons! And even with the sun it was COLD! We took the scenic route based on notes from the website, but in our book it didn't qualify as scenic. The mill villages aren't readily apparent until you're almost to the park and we would have preferred more time at the park itself. But there is an amazing mill building complex just as you turn out of the center of town, that has been turned into housing and it is definitely worth checking out. We're wishing we'd taken pictures when we were there! Beautiful buildings and beautiful modern use while maintaining the historic look and feel.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Great Trail System!</span><br />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 <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/hht/index.htm">Healthy Heart Trail </a>at this park, and access to stamps for children keeping their Park Passports updated. The <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/Blackstone.gif">map provided </a>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 <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/images/blstBlackstone.gif">Blackstone Gorge</a>, <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/images/blstMillville.gif">Millville Lock</a>, 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.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Other Activities</span><br />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 <a href="http://www.blackstonevalleysugaring.org/">Blackstone Valley Sugaring Association</a> 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. <a href="http://www.thebrwa.org/Events/events.shtml">Check their activities out here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Some History on this Site</span><br />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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">A Boat Ride Too??</span><br />If you'd like to see the Blackstone River by boat, there are a number of options including the <a href="http://www.rivertourblackstone.com/">Blackstone Valley Explorer</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.ricka-flatwater.org/bvpaddlers.htm">Blackstone Valley Paddle Club</a>, and the <a href="http://www.wampypaddlers.org/">Wampanoag Paddlers</a>, so if you're looking for water fun you've found it here!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">A Short Visit and We're Learning!</span><br />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!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">An Important Point</span><br />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!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-80982282673692839802010-02-24T12:09:00.000-08:002010-02-24T12:35:15.543-08:00Hannah Duston Memorial<p><strong><span style="color:#990000;">A State Park it is not!</span></strong><br />But it does appear on NH's list of State Parks so we're counting it!</p><ul><li><strong><span style="color:#996633;">Tucker’s Rating</span></strong> – a definite 2 wags. He had fun running around and sniffing </li><li><strong><span style="color:#996633;">Our Rating</span></strong> – 1.5 wags, and that extra half wag is only in honor of poor Hannah. An amazon of her time who murdered her captors and escaped with two others to return to her family and friends… back in 1697!!!! </li><li><strong><span style="color:#996633;">Pet Friendly</span></strong> – Yes </li><li><span style="color:#996633;"><strong>Accessibility</strong><span style="color:#000000;"> – Steep walkway and access across a railroad bridge so not the best for a wheelchair or when the way is covered with ice. </span></span></li><li><span style="color:#996633;"><strong>Fees</strong></span> – Totally free. It's in a park 'n ride, how could they charge?<br /><br /><br />While it’s listed under NH State Parks, the <a href="http://www.nhstateparks.org/state-parks/alphabetical-order/hannah-duston-memorial/">Hannah Duston Memorial </a>is not a park. There is no signage except a plain brown sign stating “Path to Memorial Statue”, no separate parking, no State Park sign or even memorial sign to tell you WHAT memorial you’re seeing… and when you get off the highway there are no signs directing you as far as which way to go, or where to stop! Not that any of those things denote a State Park, but we come to expect a certain amount of information to be provided when we're heading to a park, and with this one we were sorely disappointed. </li></ul><p><strong><span style="color:#993300;">A Lonely Woman Isn't Hard to Find... or Is She?<br /></span></strong>We knew the statue was near the river, and we knew to drive towards Boscawen…. We saw Hannah Duston Drive and pulled into a Park ‘n Ride just past that street, and there at the back corner was a break in the metal lot barriers, and the lone brown sign at the top of an ice covered path. We walked down the path past what looked like a transfer station (piles of sand, trash, trucks, etc) and came to a walkway that led up a hill and towards the river. People had dumped trash next to the path but we saw footprints in the snow so we walked up the hill… nice view of the river, but no memorial… back to the path and Beth saw a bridge to the left… OK, it’s actually a railroad bridge with a narrow walkway along the side so we headed over and not too far beyond the bridge we came upon Hannah’s statue. Quite an imposing one actually, although sad that it does include graffiti, and someone obviously broke off Hannah’s nose which has since been replaced with a darker color granite. So there she stands, looking ferocious all alone in the woods next to a railroad track and a river. The NH State Parks website refers to the area as a pretty picnic site… it’d need to be a sight cleaner and have an actual picnic table to qualify as this in my book. No special signs to explain who she was or what she did or why there was a statue set up in her honor either. We did a bit of research on that and found conflicting stories…. But our summary:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Hannah's Story</span></strong><br />In Haverhill, MA on a night (or early morning) in March 1697, just a week after giving birth to her twelfth child, Martha, at the age of FORTY (who says women only had kids in their teens back then, and were considered old when they hit 30?) Hannah Duston’s home was attacked by a tribe of <a href="http://www.native-languages.org/abenaki.htm">Abenaki</a> Indians. She was in no condition to run, so she sent her children and husband to the <a href="http://hannahduston.com/garrison.htm">local garrison </a>to safety and stayed at the house with the baby’s nurse, Mary Neff. Both Hannah and Mary were kidnapped along with Martha, but because Martha was slowing down the progress of the group, the Indians took the baby and smashed her head against a tree to get rid of her (gruesome and this story has haunted me since I first heard about Hannah Duston many years ago). A family group of the Indians then took Mary, and Hannah and a 14 year old boy they’d picked up in Worcester about a year and a half earlier and headed north along the Merrimack River. They stopped on an island (presumably the one where the statue now stands) and in a few days Hannah, Mary and the young boy Samuel plotted to kill their captors. One night, when all were sleeping, they had their chance. In a matter of minutes Hannah, Mary and Samuel attacked and all the indians were killed. The threesome stole one canoe and scuttled the rest… they headed out on the river for home, but Hannah realized no one would believe their story (and because Indian scalps brought a reward) she returned to the site and scalped them all, keeping the scalps safe in a piece of cloth. They traveled by night and hid during the day along the river. Eventually they arrived in Hudson, NH and were reunited with their families. Interesting to note that Hannah’s husband went with her to Boston after her return, to request a special payment on the scalps that she had collected. A bounty had been set on indian scalps because of all the problems settlers were having with the indians. Some records show that the bounty had been reduced before the event, but when her account of the capture was revealed, including the fact that they had killed her child, the courts decided to pay her 50 pounds for the scalps.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Other Resources, Other Versions</span></strong><br />There are many sites that go into far greater detail about this event including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Duston">Wikipedia</a>, one sponsored by <a href="http://hannahduston.com/captive.htm">Hannah’s own descendents</a>, and one written by a guy out in Seattle. His approaches Hannah's story from a <a href="http://www.badassoftheweek.com/duston.html">totally modern perspective</a>, and had us laughing out loud! Not that her story is funny, but the modern twist really paints her like a comic book hero, including her in the "badass of the week" list! </p><p>There are actually two statues of Hannah. The one in Haverhill, MA is a bit different and provides more detail. It is supposedly the first statue in the country commemorating a woman and was originally erected in 1874. The Garrison House the family escaped to is also still standing in Haverhill, MA and there is a museum which may be located in the garrison however we couldn’t tell this from the website. If we have a chance later this year, we’ll make a visit to Haverhill to tie all these pieces together!<br /><br />We’d recommend this location as one to stop by if only for curiousity. It’s definitely not a destination park and doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to see, but if you’re on your way up to the Lakes during the summer, spring or fall, or going to a concert at Meadowbrook, it’s worth a stop on the way. This isn't really much of a park for winter.<br /></p><p>We continued our day with a drive to Laconia to visit my friend Nancy and had a great lunch and chance to catch up! Not the most eventful of Park trips, but it's another one to cross of our list! If you've been to this memorial and have additional notes to add, please feel free to contribute!</p>52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-81500675710783001422010-01-27T09:54:00.000-08:002010-01-27T16:39:33.678-08:00Lawrence Heritage State Park - #10<p><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Is it a park? Is it a museum? Is it the birthplace of Robert Frost (like the sign on Rt. 495 says)?</span></strong></p><ul><br /></ul><p><strong>Tucker’s Rating</strong> – 1 wag (pets not allowed and there’s nothing there for them anyway!)<br /><strong>Our</strong> <strong>Rating</strong> – 2.5 wags. Although the thought of us wagging our tails at ANYTHING but a 5 is kind of ludicrous. We considered this park an interesting place, but not a "destination park", at least not in winter. Also, the lack of staff and lighting was a big drawback. We’d suggest it as a place to go for those with a particular interest in mill history, Lawrence history, or if you happen to be in the area and have an hour or so to discover some interesting local facts. It's definitely not a waste of time, but not a highlight either. Kids might be entertained by some of the exhibits and they do carry the MA <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">DCR's</span> <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/passport/">Park Passports</a>. The Park Passports are part of a program run by the Massachusetts Division of Conservation and Recreation, to promote children visiting state parks. Actually a <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/passport/getting_started.html#sticker">really cool program</a> we've seen, similar to one where kids earn patches for visiting <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">firetowers</span> in NH! While Lawrence Heritage State Park doesn't have its own stamp (since its not really geared towards children) the passports themselves are available and they do have a stamp that can be used to prove you've visited the park. This site also includes a visitor’s center, and carries announcements about local events, so it feels a little like a tourist information booth when you first walk in, but there are interesting things to see. </p><p><strong>Accessibility</strong> - ADA Accessible including ramps and elevators. Lillian had no trouble getting in and around!</p><p><strong>Fees</strong> - Free (even the parking if you hit it on a day that the small lot has a vacancy. It was totally empty the day we visited.) There is also street parking but we'd recommend the lot.</p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Two weeks in a row! We must be determined this year!</span></strong><br />And to answer the first questions we posed, officially it’s a park, in reality it’s a museum, and no, Robert Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874. When his father passed away, he DID move with his family to Lawrence, MA around the age of 10. He graduated from Lawrence High School as valedictorian, and published his first poem in the school newspaper. His most famous poem, <em>Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening</em> with it's last four lines, "The woods are lovely dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep-, And miles to go before I sleep" is one I can still hear echo in my head in my father’s voice. Amazing how sound is something we carry with us forever. I even found part of this poem in Frost’s own handwriting <a href="http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/frost/english/images/nhded.jpg">on the web </a>. But this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">isn</span>’t a blog about Robert Frost, or poetry even! It’s about parks and hiking and interesting stuff along the way! So here we go!<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Let's do TWO parks!<br /></span></strong>We started off the day planning to see both Lawrence and Lowell's State Parks. Both were created around the business of the mills, so it seemed like a good combination. Unfortunately, as is usually the case with us, we got out of the house later than planned and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">couldn</span>’t hit both in the afternoon. They are pretty close together, and located just off Rt. 495 (easy to find), but these parks are not open late in the day. To be honest, except for the fact that the front door was unlocked at the Lawrence facility, you could have convinced me that we’d walked into a building that was really closed for at least the day if not the season.<br /></p><p>The <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/lwhp.htm">Lawrence Heritage State Park </a>is accessible to all, with ramps outside and elevators inside. A person Beth tells me was a park ranger (but who looked to me like just someone from the neighborhood), pointed out the ramps so we could help Lillian into the building. She turned them down, having already faced the icy parking lot and the icy walkway. She felt confident handling the 3 or 4 stairs up into the building. They were very clear and safe, and while the building itself is in among the old mill buildings, and a part of the city that one might think is mostly abandoned, we didn't feel that safety was an issue. The "park" itself is located in an old rooming house next to what appears to be the skeletal remains of another mill building, which has been cleaned up and beautified by a garden area with walks, benches and the roof opens up to the sky above. On the way back to our car after our visit, Beth even saw a hawk sitting on one of the rafters. No doubt taking a break from fishing in the canals nearby. The park building has been made over into an information- and image-filled archive of everything mill-related wrapped with the history of Lawrence in its heyday. What an amazing place it was before the mills started to shut down. We wandered and poked around, finding lots of dimly lit rooms. Thankfully it was a sunny day, so for the most part we could see displays, read signs, etc.<br /><br />As you enter the building there is a large piece of equipment that we think was a safe. Both the size and design is incredible! The sign on the front says if you’re wondering what’s inside, ask the person at the front desk to open it…. Unfortunately, there was no one at the front desk… or anywhere in the building that we could see. Just off the first large room there is also a small video room where they show various films (including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Impostor">The Great Impostor</a>, a film about a famous resident of Lawrence), and the feature on Sunday was about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Roses">Bread and Roses Strike</a>. I would have loved to watch the video, but the sign said to ask for assistance at the front desk and again there <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">wasn</span>’t anyone AT the front desk. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hmmmmm</span>......<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">What will you find?<br /></span></strong>The building holds memorabilia on the mills (their rise and fall), the collapse of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Pemberton</span> Mill in 1860 (we were happy to see that it was rebuilt and is still just down the street), the Bread and Roses strike of 1912, and the immigrant population as well as commercial <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">memorabilia</span> from various manufacturing companies in Lawrence including New Balance Shoes, signage from restaurants, letters written by George Washington (I’m thinking this is a case of "George Washington slept here." Why else would they have letters written by him?), school photos of Robert Frost and his wife, and more. It’s a place you could wander in for quite some time if you're into reading display signs and pouring over collages, photos, and memorabilia. There are lighted displays but none of the lights worked and it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">wasn</span>’t until I’d made my second pass by an area on the second floor that I read the sign stating that they were conserving electricity by keeping all non-essential lights off, so "Please check with the front desk if there is something you’d like to see…" Again, no one at the front desk! You’d think they’d take those signs down when they know no one will be at the front desk. I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">didn</span>’t bother to GO to the front desk until we were getting ready to leave because I knew no one was there. It wasn't until I stopped there on the way out to pick up various brochures and sign the guest book that I saw the bell and the sign saying to ring it for assistance. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">aaargh</span>! And how long, pray tell, would it take for that person who is obviously hovering somewhere close enough to hear the bell, take to get back to their post???… now I’m thinking if there was a ranger somewhere in that building (and Beth says the guy who told us about the ramp came in after us and went downstairs) then that ranger is sitting SOMEWHERE in that building…. My suggestion... <strong>SIT BEHIND THE DESK</strong>! Rather than sitting somewhere else waiting for a bell to ring. I mean REALLY, are they watching TV somewhere? Doing piecework? Handling correspondence? Sitting is sitting, isn't it? Either that, or put motion detectors on the lights so that when you enter the room, lights and buttons are activated. If the room is vacant for say 10 minutes, the power goes out. We did see the bulk of the displays but not all…. And we were wishing we’d been able to view them without having to squint or hope the sun would come out from behind a cloud. If it were a cloudy day I think we really wouldn't have bothered going upstairs at all.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Anything else?</span><br /></span></strong>They’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">ve</span> also got miniature reproductions of the famous mill clock tower (acting as a time capsule to be opened in 2053!), various mill buildings, and life-size statues in a mill room setting. This is a nice museum/park, but unless you’re watching one of the movies available, I think an hour tops is what you’d need, that and a flashlight!</p><p>So at the end of our hour, we headed out to explore the immediate area and were amazed at how far and wide the mills spread out. They cover acres of the city! I'd definitely recommend driving around a bit near the canal to get a good feel for how far and wide the mills stretched. Its no wonder that with the loss of both the cotton and woolen industries, Lawrence was hit with a terrible crash from which they are still trying to rebuild. Some of the renovation is very impressive, and you'll find some cute restaurants and shops scattered through the mills as well as some gorgeous stonework in a few. <a href="http://www.lawrencehistorycenter.org/">The Immigrant Archive </a>is just down the block from this building and I’m certain would be great for anyone interested in more New England history past and current.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong>What else is in the area?</strong><br /></span>As mentioned, this area of Lawrence is still under development. There are a lot of abandoned mill buildings, but more that have been refitted for various businesses including restaurants, manufacturing, doctor’s offices, etc. I'd highly recommend <a href="http://www.salvatoresboston.com/">Salvatore's</a> if you're looking for a restaurant with great food, reasonable prices and a beautiful deck that overlooks the Merrimack River. Some of the buildings have also been developed into loft and studio style residences, and if you like antiques you can find <a href="http://www.canalstreetantiquemall.com/">Canal Street Antique Center </a>and a few other interior decorating type of businesses in the area, with some great deals on all kinds of things both old and new! At Canal Street we were offered a beautiful solid cherry <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Asian</span>-style sideboard marked from $895, down to $495 and the owner told us to “make an offer” because he HAD to get rid of it! We did very well by resisting temptation but if you’re looking for furniture, glass, tea cups, lamps, you name it, you’ll find it!<br /><br />On the way home we tried to stop at our favorite Bradford restaurant, <a href="http://www.josephstrattoria.com/">Joseph’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Trattoria</span>/Bakery/Cafe</a>, but they were closed for a company holiday party (in late January I guess they cover lots of holidays). If you’re looking for a yummy bakery or home made pasta, brick oven pizza and fire roasted meats and seafood, this is the place to stop! We’ll make it back there next time we’re out this way most definitely. Instead, we headed to <a href="http://www.attheloop.com/methuen/index.html">The Loop</a>, which is the redesigned <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Methuen</span> Mall, looking happy, busy and much more popular than the indoor mall it had been. We poked around in Borders Books, had coffee and vanilla bean scones and headed back home. Altogether a nice relaxing and interesting day for a winter Sunday.<br /></p>52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-61879235823850300622010-01-18T08:03:00.001-08:002010-01-27T09:54:38.903-08:00A Garden Park in Winter - Maudslay State Park<span style="font-family:arial;color:#339999;"><strong>Yesterday's Estate, Today's Amazing Place to Wander</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000066;"><strong></strong></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000066;"><strong>Tucker's Rating</strong> - 5 wags (we speak for him) This is a dog friendly park. Lots of fields to play in, water to get wet in, and squirrels and chipmunks to play with. We even saw a few dogs off leash, but remember it was the off-season. In the summer I've seen the park rangers threaten citations for unleashed dogs.<br /><br /><strong>Admission Fee</strong> - free for the park itself, $2 to park your car. If you bring horses there is a field next to the parking lot to pull the trailers. Never had a problem parking here. Nice restroom open year round. But its the ONLY restroom available in the park so plan accordingly.<br /><br /><strong>Accessibility</strong> - NOT ADA accessible. Healthy Heart Trail is considered moderate difficulty. There are a lot of rolling hills and fields, and very good pathways, but in winter they can be ice and snow covered, and in summer some areas are steep. Not sure you'd want to be pushing a stroller, wheelchair or using a walker through this park. Its very big (450 acres) and wild and there's little to no pavement.<br /></span></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Here we go again after quite a hiatus</span></strong><br /><br />Well, its been quite a while since we’ve been out on the road. Beth’s father took a turn for the worse in his battle with brain cancer shortly before Thanksgiving (just after our trip to Plymouth) and passed away the Sunday before Christmas. We treasured the time we had with him, and think the women who work at the Hospice House in Merrimack, NH are true angels! And one of the many truths Ed reminded us of as his time was passing was to get out and do things when you want. Don't put it off. He also told us to love each other and the people around us. You never know how much more time you’ll have and we know there were places and things he wanted to do (in addition to cleaning out the garage) which we decided do FOR him because he really wished he’d had that time.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Best Laid Plans of Mice and Women!</span></strong><br />To start the year off we planned to go to Martha’s Vineyard's <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/corr.htm">Manuel F. Correlus State Park </a>to snow shoe. But the cost of the <a href="http://www.steamshipauthority.com/ssa/mv.cfm">ferry ride</a> and a hotel for a night, PLUS the iffy nature of this weekend’s weather had us thinking it might not be the best destination. Maybe next month (we’re putting it off for now but not forever!). Instead we chose <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/maud.htm">Maudslay State Park </a>in Newburyport, MA. This is another park we’ve been to numerous times, although I can’t remember ever going in winter. Nature definitely cooperated for the day and temps were between 40 and 50 degrees!!!! While boots were a necessity, a jacket really wasn’t. We’ve been out of hike mode for a while so forgot our walking sticks and binoculars, and only managed one camera but still it was a gorgeous day. My friend Jim joined us for the walk as well. I haven’t seen Jim in almost 30 years but we’d reconnected on Facebook and had been trying to figure out a time to meet and catch up! Awesome choice, because walks in the woods were something we'd shared back in college. We considered bringing Tucker but because of all the mud and possibility of snow, he stayed on the couch for the day. Good decision. While this is a park that dogs LOVE, Tucker is rather low-slung and would have spent the majority of the walk wet, cold and having to crunch through snow or slip across ice…. He’d definitely give the park 5 wags though, and we’ll be returning in the Spring WITH him most definitely. We give it 5 wags too. <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/maudslay.gif">Great trails (though not marked the map is pretty easy to follow), </a>really nice people, gorgeous views, and in summer lots of activities. In winter the one activity this park has listed on its calendar is <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/events/maud2-15.pdf">Track-it!</a> on February 15th. A park ranger teaches you about animal tracking, and then you head out into the park to seek out the tracks. Sandy Point State Park also has a program that weekend related to the Snow Owl so it might be a good option for President's Day weekend. In summer they have <a href="http://theaterintheopen.org/">Theater in the Open</a>, the <a href="http://www.sandyberkenbush.com/Maudslay/Maudslay%20Site/Art/openart.html">Maudslay Arts Center </a>featuring arts, dance and music, and more.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Foll</span><span style="color:#009900;">owing the Scout's Motto - Be Prepared!</span></strong><br />SO with hikers specified, and the sun leading the way, we headed to Newburyport. Parking is plentiful and just $2 for the day. You have to buy a ticket at the kiosk and leave it on the dashboard. We gave our ticket to some other park visitors as we headed out since we HAD purchased a full day pass we weren't using.... sssshhhhhh.... don't tell! This park welcomes mountain bikers, horses, cross country skiers, snow shoers, dogs and just plain walkers like us.<br /><br />In winter you may want to wear ice cleats on your shoes if you don’t do snow shoes or skis. We just did boots and my ankle is suffering for it. Parts of the park are gated off in winter to protect roosting bald eagles. This is a good thing because it is evidence that the Merrimack River has reached a point of "return" from its dirty past, and can now provide sufficient food to sustain these birds. Yay! We didn’t see any eagles but we DID see a flock of robins (does that mean spring is just around the corner, or did these guys buy a timeshare from the gaggle of Canada geese we saw hanging out on the river ice?).<br /><br />This park does include a <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/hht/index.htm">Healthy Heart Trail</a>, although we’re thinking during the winter the “ease” of this trail may be somewhat impacted by ice and snow. There are many ponds, a few waterfalls, some amazing views of the Merrimack River, open fields, abandoned buildings, an old swimming pool, an entire forest of rhodendrons and azaleas, one of the largest stands of naturally occurring mountain laurels in MA (I don’t know if we saw those but we definitely saw the rhodendrons), and 19th century formal gardens. If you’re looking for a gorgeous place for an outdoor wedding, a place to play volleyball or cricket, or just have a relaxing picnic, this would be it! Again though, not in winter! :) Weddings and other large events require a special use permit.<br /><br />There really wasn’t enough snow for snow shoes, but there was a beautiful hill that would have been perfect for sledding. As a matter of fact we heard kids enjoying it at the end of our walk. We were also followed by a labradoodle who found Beth far more exciting to walk with than her owners who were on skis. The park allows dogs on leash, however it is so large and open that I have frequently seen well behaved dogs allowed off leash. But as with all parks, dogs on leash are usually what's accepted. So you’re on your own with that issue. We wandered down by the waterfall and dam that leads out to the Merrimack River. Lots of ice piled up and we got some beautiful shots of the waterfall itself, partially frozen. Then we continued back up the hill and along the trail that follows the river. There is a VERY steep drop off to the river with no fence or railing so if you bring small children or adventurous kids (and this is the perfect park for kids to wander) be very careful near the edge of the trail. It’s a good 40 – 50 foot drop through brush to the water and there is no fast way to get down there for help unless you're a superhero. This trail features picnic tables and benches scattered around and something that we think was sculpture… kind of looks like waves, kind of looks like a sluice way from a drainage ditch. We didn’t arrive at any conclusions but took a picture anyway. There is a chain link fence at the end of this trail. One you COULD walk around easily since its just a fence on the trail itself, but we assumed it entered the area for bald eagles so we headed back up the hill.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">A Bit of History - Turning an Old Estate into a Beautiful Park</span></strong><br />The park itself is the former country estate of Frederick Strong Moseley, and was landscaped by Martha Brookes Hutcheson, one of the earliest female members of the American Society of Landscape Artists. Read more about it at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Maudslay’s%20own%20site:%20http://www.sandyberkenbush.com/Maudslay/Maudslay%20Site/index.html">Park Association's site</a>, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maudslay_State_Park">wikipedia</a> even has some great history. It became a park in 1985. The trail we chose led us to the formal garden areas! There’s an amazing espaliered fruit tree there, some beautiful sculptured trees, and some old stairs, outbuildings, raised beds and more! This is an incredible place to get ideas for your home garden too. We’re going back in May/June to see the rhodendron and azalea blooming, and even in later June these gardens are gorgeous. Nice place for a Mother’s Day picnic.<br /><br />Once we'd explored the gardens, we continued on and ended up in a big field overlooking the river. This is the location of one of the original houses, and you'll find remnants of the estate everywhere you look. Just a heads up for those looking to really walk the park. There is only one location with restrooms, and that’s the parking lot. It’s a long walk back, so hydrate accordingly! ‘nuff said!<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Time to Eat!!!!</span></strong><br />So by this time we’d walked about 2 hours (an hour longer than planned on) and decided it was time for lunch. We headed into downtown Newburyport and parked in the lot by the river which provided way more spaces than the parking lot next to the stores. Look for the parking kiosks again. A while ago this parking was free, but not anymore! $2 give you a couple hours to wander, or eat a relaxed lunch. We headed to the <a href="http://www.thegrog.com/">Grog</a> which is a great place for a sandwich, a salad, or something more formal. I LOVED the shrimp BLT I had, and Beth and Jim seemed to have no problem finishing their lunches either. If you're looking for music, this place has <a href="http://www.thegrog.com/cabaret.htm">live music in the evenings</a>. Other places we’d recommend is <a href="http://www.blackcowrestaurants.com/loc_nwbryport.html">The Black Cow</a>, <a href="http://misterindiarestaurant.com/">Mr. India</a>, <a href="http://www.tencenterstreet.com/">Ten Center Street</a>, <a href="http://www.michaelsharborside.com/">Michael’s Harborside</a>, <a href="http://www.szechuantaste.com/">Szechuan Taste</a>, and Caffé di Siena. Plenty of choices for coffee and a snack, a casual breakfast, lunch or dinner, or something fancier. You can even <a href="http://www.newburyportchamber.org/dining.shtml">rent a lighthouse </a>and have a gourmet dinner for two (a romantic idea but very pricy!). Basically you reserve the lighthouse and then select from a choice of area restaurants for the catering. Check out the <a href="http://www.lighthousepreservation.org/">lighthouse site</a> here for more information. Can you tell we’re foodies ALONG with everything else? Maybe the next blog will be 52 restaurants…. We’ll see!<br /><br />After a few hours for lunch, chatting and reviewing all our pictures we called it an afternoon and headed home. Hiking in winter is definitely a fun time. Calls for a bit more planning, but you really do get a sense of having the park to yourself. We’d recommend this one no matter the time of year! Followed by a trip to downtown Newburyport, or if you’re early enough, a trip out to Plum Island for the beach or another of our favorites, Sandy Point State Park! See you on the trails. Let us know if you want to join us on our next excursion!<br /><br /><strong>A few other links:<br /></strong><br /><a href="http://www.sandyberkenbush.com/Maudslay/Maudslay%20Site/index.html">Maudslay Park Association site</a><br /><a href="http://www.sandyberkenbush.com/Maudslay/Maudslay%20Site/aaa/aaaopen.html">Adopt-an-Acre at Maudslay</a>52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-14243861102564487052009-11-08T05:05:00.000-08:002009-11-12T17:09:29.167-08:00Plymouth Rock and the National Cemetary<strong><span style="color:#996633;">Honoring the Veteran's, Remembering the Pilgrims</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#333300;"><strong>Tucker’s Rating</strong> – 3 wags. While dogs are certainly welcome to stroll the street, they aren’t allowed in the museums in the area, or the shops, so a visit to this park (for a dog) is nothing more than a stroll down a city street. Both Tucker and Daisey joined us for this trip, and did get out to run around the rest area at the Cape Cod Canal… The humans on the trip give the park 4 wags. We’re definitely coming back in-season to explore the museums, and some of the antique shops, and the whole downtown area. Seems like a fun place to spend a weekend.<br /><br /><strong>Admission Fee</strong> – free for the state park, $10 for adults and $7 for children at Mayflower II, but they do offer package prices for entrance to </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.plimoth.org"><span style="color:#333300;">Plimoth Plantation </span></a><span style="color:#333300;">AND </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.plimoth.org/features/mayflower-2/"><span style="color:#333300;">Mayflower II </span></a><span style="color:#333300;">.Would be a very nice option if you’re a history buff or have children who are learning about the founding of our country.<br /><br /><strong>Accessibility</strong> – Accessible to all. There are handicap parking spots a plenty. Mayflower II appears to be handicapped accessible, although the ramps looked steep, and I’m not too sure how accessible the inside of a ship that age could EVER be. Plymouth Rock itself is just behind some stone columns within the memorial and can be seen from the sidewalk. Plenty of benches around and while the steps up to the statue of Massasoit are VERY steep, you can get there by walking up the sloping street on either side.<br /></span><strong><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">SO on with the adventure!!!</span><br /></strong><br />We were greeted again by a very sunny weekend and set Saturday as a day to drive south to the Cape. With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, and Thanksgiving not too far behind, it seemed the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/massachusetts.asp">National Cemetery</a> in Bourne and Plymouth Rock and the pilgrims were the perfect focus for this weekend. We packed up Lillian, Tucker and Daisey for the drive south, remembered water, binoculars, cameras and the GPS and loaded up the CD player with favorites for the two plus hour drive. Amazingly enough there are leaves aplenty still on the trees in November. They’ve turned a rusty brown, but against the blue sky it was a beautiful site. Driving through Boston we were happy to note that traffic cooperated and it wasn’t long before we found ourselves heading over the Sagamore Bridge…. Oops, wrong bridge! And they’re doing work on the bridge itself so it’s down to one lane each way…. We scooted off before joining the throngs and drove along the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/ccc/ccchome.htm">Cape Cod Canal</a> to the Bourne Bridge. For some reason this is usually the less trafficked bridge of the two, and Saturday it was the same, even WITH construction. We arrived at the cemetery in no time. It was decorated for Veteran’s Day, with Memorial Circle lined with flags waving in the breeze. The flags along this drive are donated by families who receive flags from the government when a loved one passes away. Nice way to memorialize someone instead of keeping the flag in its plastic container tucked away somewhere. The flags are lined up like a color guard greeting visitors to the cemetery and bring to mind all the men and women who have fought and continue to do so to ensure that we can live in a world where freedom is a possibility. Veteran’s Day is a holiday that many people kind of just move past without giving it much thought, but at a place like the National Cemetery you quickly realize the respect and honor that is due to so many.<br /><br />We got out of the car and walked down to my father’s gravesite and in the distance we heard the sound of bagpipes float on the breeze. Memorial services occur year round at the cemetery, and we saw a motorcycle escort leaving with limousines while we were taking pictures at the entrance. The cemetery has grown incredibly since my father was laid to rest here back in 1994. Both the current war in Iraq and the aging of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Generation">“Greatest Generation”</a> with all the WWII vets has had an obvious impact. But the facility is beautiful, peaceful and a wonderful memorial to those who have passed on and were a part of past wars, both on the battlefront, and on the homefront.<br /><br />After paying our respects, we headed out to Plymouth, with a stop at the rest area along the Cape Cod Canal. Tucker and Daisey probably had more fun at THIS stop than the rest of the day. There are monuments recognizing the engineers who assisted with the development of the canal at the stop, and also picnic tables and a beautiful view all the way to the Sagamore Bridge. There’s also a memorial plaque for Monica Dickens Stratton, the woman who founded the Samaritans, USA. It was Monica who got them to place barriers up on the bridges crossing the canal. In her words, “The Samaritans hope that saving people here will give them time to reconsider. To give themselves another chance at living, and at finding some help.” For as long as I can remember there have been signs on the Sagamore Bridge letting people know that the Samaritans are only a phone call away. It seemed appropriate that a memorial to her would be included at this mini-park.<br /><br />We did get confused by the entrances to the bridge on our way off Cape and ended up driving across the Sagamore (in the construction traffic) then circling around to head back again, so we actually drove to the Cape TWICE on Saturday! But soon we were back on track and reminding ourselves to update the maps in our GPS! Note to all! When you go exploring and rely on a GPS, make sure its got the most current maps and give yourself half a chance of getting to your destination without the words “recalculating route” ringing in your ears at every turn! While our GPS voice is pleasant, on days like this we expect to hear her say, “I’m sorry … what didn’t you understand about KEEP RIGHT!!!!” Or even “Sorry, you’re on your own!”<br /><br />We arrived in Plymouth after a half hour or so and easily found Plymouth Memorial State Park. There are two parking areas adjacent to the Park and memorial itself, however they provide very limited parking and require you to be able to parallel park… not something we seemed to do very well in the mini-van, so we continued on a short way to the waterfront and there was plenty of diagonal parking with meters, and only a short two block or so walk back to the memorial. The property is very clean and with the tide actually in, the rock sits in about 8 inches of water. Most people comment, “that’s it???” when they see the memorial, as though they expect this gigantic piece of granite to have been sitting on the beach. Whether or not pilgrims actually stepped on this rock can certainly be debated, but this is the story that has been told for generations and we’re okay with that. It’s a very simple site, free to the public, and not commercialized. I’d just like to see more information about that first group of pilgrims without having to pay to get into Mayflower II or Plimoth Plantation.<br /><br />Way back in the 60’s when I was in grade school I remember there being a lot of talk about the pilgrims and the development of the colonies, but I’m thinking that’s not a huge piece of education today. My reason for this is while we walked around the pier, looking through the fence at Mayflower II, there was one young mother, walking her two year old around the pier and the question was asked, ‘Mommy, where did the people COME from that were on this ship.” And Mom dutifully answered, “I don’t know….” WHAT?!?!?! There are actually signs posted outside the exhibit listing all the people’s names AND the port the Mayflower II left from. The least she could have done is read that sign. The ship on display actually DID sail from England to New England but obviously much after the original pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. The two year old wasn't asking about the original pilgrims, just the people who sailed on this boat. Maybe she couldn't give exact answers about the pilgrims themselves, but it would have been SOME answer. Poor kid. I wonder how many other questions he asks that get answered like that. In any case, you’ve got to love a mother who answers with “I don’t know” rather than trying to find an answer for a question she should already know the answer to, or use it as a learning experience for both mother and child! But don’t get me started….<br /><br />Across the street from the memorial is a steep set of steps, leading up to the statue of Massasoit. At the bottom of the steps is a sign for the Pilgrim Museum or Plymouth Museum or some such thing and at the top was a beautiful colonial style building, so Beth and I decided to walk up the steps…. At the top there are numerous viewers (25 cents for like 1 minute of time) and on a clear day you can see to Provincetown, but that big colonial building isn’t a museum! Its condominiums… I have a sneaking suspicion it USED to be the museum…. Because we walked up the street behind and saw a few other smaller museums, none of which were open, and NONE of which deserved a sign that big! Aaaaah progress... very sad. We also found the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.themayflowersociety.com/museum.htm">Mayflower Society House Museum</a>. The property houses the library of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. The museum is open during the summer, except during heatwaves, which lead me to believe it is NOT air conditioned! But definitely another spot we’d like to check out in-season.<br /><br />We’d only put enough money in our meter to last 30 minutes, and Lillian and the dogs were in the car so we had to head back at this point to discuss a late lunch. While buying a sandwich and eating in the car sounded like an easy way to go, we decided to drive a bit further along the water front and stop in at the Lobster Hut for some fried seafood. Located on the Town Pier, and selling some really YUMMY fried seafood, The Lobster Hut is a restaurant we’d recommend. Nice, clean tasting seafood, not overcooked, not greasy, great portions, reasonable prices, and they’re open 7 days a week, year round! We chose to sit indoors since it was very breezy, however there is plenty of outdoor seating as well. We watched through the window as a very large swan paddled in and around the boats moored in the harbor, and lobster boats came and went. This was a really nice and relaxing ending to our Cape Park trip. We already miss the salt air, and the sunshine!<br /><br />We’ve got a few other Cape Cod parks selected to visit, but I think we made the right choice for this time of year in stopping at Plymouth. Not sure where our next trip will take us, but we’ll be on the road again soon! Promise!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-43268336531324401562009-11-05T19:58:00.000-08:002009-11-10T11:40:10.006-08:00Odiorne Point, Fort Stark and Fort Constitution State Parks<strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Abandoned Buildings, Lighthouses, and Ghosts! A 52b452 Halloween Adventure</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Tucker’s Rating</strong> – <strong>1.5 wags for the forts</strong> (dogs aren't all that into military buildings and history but there IS lots to sniff) and <strong>2.5 wags for Odiorne Point</strong>. Since a lot of the trails run through some interesting woods, and a very nice beach, The Point is nice but still there's no place to lie down, and our guess is when the tide comes in there IS no beach.<br /><br /><strong>The humans give the forts 3 wags each, and Odiorne Point gets 3.5 wags</strong>…. A bit better than the forts, and a place we thought we’d like to check out “in season”.<br /><br /><strong>Pet Friendly</strong> - <strong>No</strong>. While we did see dog prints on the beach at Odiorne Point, NH State Parks do not allow dogs on Historic sites or beaches.<br /><br /><strong>Price</strong> - Free in the off-season for all. It appears that there is a fee for Odiorne Point, but the other two locations have no booth to collect fees, and since Fort Stark is not staffed, its a safe bet it's free all year round!<br /><br /><strong>Accessibility</strong> - None of these are what we'd consider "accessible". Odiorne Point has paved biking trails which would be fine for a wheelchair, walker or stroller, but that's just a path through a treed area next to the road. To get to the beach you'd be pushing or wheeling over rocks, roots, and narrow trails. The beach itself is wide and open when the tide is out. Fort Stark is a dangerous spot for children and the website even includes a warning about open stairways, wet rocks and instructs you to call 911 in the case of an emergency. Fort Constitution has paved walkways for the most part so of the three would be considered the most accessible, but as mentioned in the narrative below, if you wander onto the grass, watch out for sink holes... just the right size to step in and twist an ankle! And the turret houses, etc. are accessible only by climbing stairs.<br /><br /><strong>Special Notes</strong> - Odiorne Point has paved biking trails that are very nice. They also have a great boat put-in for motorized and paddle type boats. The tide was out when we were there and the creek that leads out into Little Harbor didn't look deep enough for a regular boat, but if you time it right it seems that is a definite option. </span><a href="http://www.portsmouthkayak.com/"><span style="color:#cc0000;">Portsmouth Kayak</span></a><span style="color:#cc0000;"> is not too far away and they do rentals although you'd need to check their site for prices, etc. The Seacoast Science Center is also nearby, actually abutting the park based on the maps we saw.<br /></span><br /><strong>The Adventure</strong> (and forgive the length, but remember this is THREE PARKS!!!!<br />Well, it’s been way too long since we did a park trip. With the very yucky weather we’ve been having lately, we would have been walking in the rain (or even SNOW one day) and with Tucker at our side, all we’d smell is wet dog! Plus, I don’t know about you, but wearing glasses and walking in the rain is just plain not fun! So we’ve had a bit of down time! And now the challenge is to catch up so we decided to visit THREE parks in one day! That’s right, this was to be a whirlwind tour of NH Parks and we knew exactly which three we’d pick. All located on the coast within a few miles of each other, 3 of the 7 forts built to protect Portsmouth Harbor and actually within site of each other.<br /><br />We set out around 10:30 heading to the Portsmouth area to visit <a href="http://www.nhparks.state.nh.us/state-parks/alphabetical-order/fort-stark-historic-site/">Fort Stark Historic Site</a>, <a href="http://www.nhparks.state.nh.us/state-parks/alphabetical-order/fort-constitution-historic-site/">Fort Constitution State Park</a>, and <a href="http://www.nhparks.state.nh.us/state-parks/alphabetical-order/odiorne-point-state-park/">Odiorne Point State Park</a>. All three parks are closed for the season so while the property is accessible to all year-round, there is no admission fee charged at this time of year, no park rangers on hand, and at least for Fort Stark, minimal parking since it seems that the actual parking area is stuck just beyond the chain pulled across the entrance to the site. But since we’re living on a mega-budget these days, free is good, and off we went. As with the last park, dogs are not allowed at these three. In NH dogs are not allowed in any historic sites or beach locations. <a href="http://www.nhstateparks.org/uploads/pets.pdf">Check here for a list of pet-friendly parks in NH</a>. Since both forts are historic sites, and Odiorne Point is definitely a beach, Tucker had to stay at home with Daisey for this trip. We did see doggy footprints at Odiorne so obviously off-season people risk it, but you didn’t hear that from us!<br /><br />On to our adventure. As we set out we realized that we hadn’t thought about lunch, and unfortunately we’d already passed the exit to our favorite Alpine Butcher. But this is an adventure after all so we decided to continue on our way and see what we found! Yay for us! As we got off Rt. 95 in Portsmouth and headed south towards Odiorne Point, we spied <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.meandollies.com">Me & Ollie’s café and bakery</a> . OMG!!! This place is awesome enough that we decided it was reason enough to get us to move to Portsmouth! (If there weren’t already enough reasons.) The café has four locations, 3 in Portsmouth, and 1 in Exeter. We stopped at the one located inside the <a href="http://www.philbricksfreshmarket.com/">Fresh Market </a>on Lafayette Road and Fresh Market is yet ANOTHER reason to love this area. We’d eat healthy all the time if we had these two establishments in the neighborhood! Low lighting, gourmet everything, organic organic organic, and lots of amazing prepared dishes to bring home for a stupendous home cooked meal when you don’t have time to cook. ME & Ollie's was even given an award by TV Diner and won Best Inexpensive Lunch on the Seacoast, and we agree! Our trip was on Halloween and as we walked into the store we saw a member of KISS grabbing a shopping cart in the parking lot. Produce workers included a cow, and a dominatrix, and the workers behind the deli case all wore prison garb. Me & Ollie’s had a hippie, a fairy and a cigarette girl. The food and that light hearted approach to “casual dress” got us in a great mood.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#3333ff;">Odiorne Point<br /></span><br />With sandwiches and pumpkin poppers in hand, we drove on to Odiorne Point. Plenty of parking, a great boat put-in (paved and sloped to the river) and very clearly marked trails greeted us. There were no brochures or maps since its off-season (<a href="http://www.nhstateparks.org/state-parks/alphabetical-order/odiorne-point-state-park/map.aspx">but you can print one off here</a>), so we sat in the sunshine and admired the golden colors of the marsh and Witch Creek as we ate. Then we set off towards Little Harbor. The walking trails are NOT flat. There are a lot of roots, narrow sections, rocks, and brush. Very peaceful and remote, and if you follow the bridge along the marsh, the trail takes you to the beach. Not your typical sandy beach, although it is sand, but it appears that when the tide is high there isn’t much beach left. Large rocks, seaweed, and a beautiful view of Wentworth by the Sea and the golf course across the water. The day we were there was changeably cloudy…. First bright sun, then very dark clouds, and occasionally the sun would be shining on the hotel while we sat in dark cloud so it made the hotel appear to glow across the water. Really beautiful. We wandered down to the point, alternating between the beach and the trail that ran through the woods. Lots of bittersweet strung across the bushes, and we came across an old stone fireplace at one point. Not certain if it had originally been in a water front home, or had always been an outdoor spot. We also found a fox hole. Or that’s what we think it was, on the dunes. I can’t imagine a fox at the beach, but the only other explanation is that the clam worms we read about (there’s a sign at the end of the point) that are supposedly 3 feet long and live in burrows in the beach, actually need a rather large opening to their burrow! I tried to get close to peer in but Beth would have NONE of it! I guess she just imagined some rabid fox or mutant clam worm coming out to attack! The point looks out over open ocean all the way to Isles of Shoals and we could see a light house. We knew it was our next stop, Fort Stark. We continued around the point, partly on the paved bike trails and walked past more abandoned buildings that reminded me of the cinder block booths that used to greet us at the local drive-in (now I’m dating AND regionalizing myself!). Memories of dancing popcorn boxes and Father Time counting down the minutes to “showtime” danced in my head. At one point we walked along the trail beside what MIGHT have been an old bunker. There were periodic cement underpasses with doors that look like they’ve been locked a very long time. This is a very strange park to walk through off season. Lots of things to explore and just past the height of foliage season we were struck by how golden and green everything seemed. It would be a great place for kids to run around in. The park itself is flat, but the trails aren’t stroller or walker friendly, and once you’re in the woods, you need a good sense of direction to know which direction to walk in. But we do believe that all paths lead back to the parking lot (unless you find yourself walking UNDER the road, in which case you’re on your own!).<br /><br />We read the historic marker to discover that Odiorne Point was actually an old settlement and the site of the first baby being born to European settlers in NH. The settlement included fishermen, coopers, farmers and more. Most of the buildings are long gone, but as mentioned, we did come across various remnants, so we considered this an interesting park. I can’t imagine how busy it would be in the summer, but definitely if you’re looking for a rustic beach on protected waters (no real waves to worry about) this would be a good one. But the parking lot isn’t huge, so get there early. At this time of year though, there’s room for all! The <a href="http://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/">Seacoast Science Center</a> is also nearby and is another great place to stop. Probably something we'll do next time we go!<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">Fort Stark</span><br /><br />At the end of Wild Rose Lane off off Wentworth Road, we almost drove right past without knowing! There’s no signage on the road, but the park really IS at the end of Wild Rose Lane. Parking for maybe 4 cars was all we found, since the entrance to the park itself is chained off. We assume this is open in the summer since it looks like there is a large grass/sand parking area just inside the chains. Fort Stark is an abandoned military property that includes buildings from the late 1800’s, early 1900’s and a very interesting building overlooking the ocean, which was built in the 1940’s.<br /><br />Again, since we arrived off-season, there were no brochures or maps, and none available on the website. This park is NOT one I’d recommend for people with small children. There are a number of buildings to explore, but no railings on most stairways, and some of the abandoned buildings are open to wander, but dark, and access to second floor open balconies, crumbling concrete and openings to floors below would make this very dangerous. While we were there we came across a few photographers, and on the second floor of one of the barracks it appeared some film students were taking horror or edgy fashion photos complete with draped camera, lights, and costumes. They worked silently, in a fog of smoke that was not coming from cigarettes. We left them alone to their work, and the crumbling floor they were standing on and continued to explore. The views beyond the fort were beautiful, and as we expected, we saw the lighthouse just offshore. The most interesting building we thought was the more modern building. Looking very much like the top of a ship, with a star shaped roof, and curved windows (mostly broken) looking out to sea. The entire building, unlike the others on the property, is gated off with barbed wire along the top. Stairs on the building are exterior with no railings and its difficult to determine whether that’s their original state, but the building definitely intrigued us. The older buildings are open for the most part. With what look like jail cells on the bottom floors (although one cell included a fireplace, and one looked more like an outdoor café, the rest of the buildings are also crumbling. Walking past the modern building, you’ll come upon a building with two levels. An open door on the first floor leads into a dark hallway behind the cells. It didn’t look safe enough to explore without a flashlight and a promise the whole thing wouldn’t collapse, so we continued on, but its obvious this is the way the aforementioned photography group accessed the second floor balcony. Walking around the building and up the hill behind you can look down on the building and see the strange patios, tiered wells (or maybe pools?), and turret rooms. And out to sea we could see waves crashing around the nearest lighthouse. But it was getting late and time to head to our final destination, Fort Constitution, located at the Coast Guard base.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">Fort Constitution</span><br /><br />A historic site located inside an active military site. There’s a big sign about the property being closed to the public, however on closer inspection there’s a sign telling visitors to Fort Constitution to follow the blue line to the park. So that’s what we did. Following the painted blue line through the parking lot, past the coast guard bell and buildings and on through the portcullis to the older site. It reminded me of walking through Mass General hospital when I was younger, following the different colored lines on the floor to get to the different departments. Coincidentally, we saw a tv show early Saturday morning commenting on this park and how it was haunted. We could believe this! Perfect spot to end our adventure on Halloween! One area, originally known as Fort William and Mary, was built in 1632. Most of the buildings were around during both the Spanish American War and the War of 1812. Most are only viewable through iron bars, but there are a few rooms you can go into. And we found the second lighthouse of the day. Viewable through broken glass windows in one of the turret rooms on the property. As with the other properties we saw no brochures or maps of the grounds. And scattered sink holes in the grass on the property, as well as access to rooms with broken glass windows again make this a somewhat dangerous place for younger children or those prone to twisting an ankle. But its definitely a bit safer and much more active than Fort Stark. there are many educational markers explaining the buildings and history of the site. This is an educational park, and history buffs, or children studying history of these eras would definitely find this park interesting. But care needs to be taken with younger children or people who find it difficult to handle stairs since railings are missing in some areas, and the grounds are well kept but not entirely flat. When it looked like rain was threatening we decided it was time to head home. We may return to Odiorne Point next summer, but probably not again in the off-season.52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-33696647986675276552009-10-05T05:54:00.000-07:002010-05-17T16:22:11.522-07:00<b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 130%;">Walden Pond State Reservation</span></b><br />
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Transcendentalism, sunscreen, and a beautiful day. Or as Thoreau might have said, "simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!"</span></i><br />
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(three down, 49 to go!)<br />
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<ul><li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Tucker’s Rating</b> (if he could give one, <b>dogs are not allowed</b>) - <b>2 wags</b> (and we’d give it a 3 since we got to actually see it)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Admission Fee</b> - $5 per car (less if you’re 62 or older and they do ask at the gate with a request for ID) Admission limitations - 1,000 guests. In the summer get there early so you can get in, in the Fall get there early so you can enjoy some of the peace and solitude that made this location the favorite of Henry David Thoreau. Later in the day that mood is missing</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Pets</b> - NOT ALLOWED. As a matter of fact, there’s a $50 fine if you try to sneak your dog in.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Accessible</b> - Yes. This is a <i>citified</i> park. There were even people there in skirts and loafers walking the <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/hht/">Healthy Heart Trail </a></span><span style="color: #990000;">. In season they have a beach wheelchair available for assistance across the beach and into the water and they have FM listening systems for those who would benefit for the park interpretive programs.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Other Activities</b> - swimming (and people WERE doing that in early October!), fishing, non-motorized boating, hiking, picnicking, snowshoeing, interpretive programs, Shop at Walden Pond and the Tsongas Gallery. Please note - NO BIKING on the trails. So if you wanted to do a bit of mountain biking, this is not the place.<br />
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</ul>After spending a full day yesterday in Maine with my quartet, and Beth spending the full day visiting parents in nursing homes, we both decided that in spite of the house needing a major cleaning and organizing, we needed an escape. Checking our list we knew it needed to be a park nearby since we were due again at the nursing home to visit my mother this afternoon. <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/walden/planYourVisit.htmhttp://">Walden Pond State Reservation</a> seemed to be the perfect option. It was nearby, a place we’d both been to but not at this time of year, and after a few days of rain and cloudy skies, the sun threatened to appear. What better way to catch the early color of Fall against some beautiful clouds and a bright blue sky! Good choice! Although our rating may point to a different story.<br />
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We drove out on back roads from home, stopping at Dunkin’ Donuts for bagels, water, and juice. Beth had some new binoculars to try, and we had charged up the camera, so we were ready to go. Taking Rt. 4 out through Carlisle again we drove past our favorite Great Brook Farm State Park, and headed towards downtown Carlisle. We smiled when we noticed <a href="http://matthewmulligan.com/ferns/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=27">Ferns Country Store </a>is just getting decorated for the season with giant spiders on the roof, pumpkins all around, and a heavy dose of Halloween fun! The store has been on that same site since 1844. Primarily a deli, bakery and grocery store, they also sell locally made gifts, and it’s another option to stop if you’ve forgotten something for your trip. And its SO photogenic (although we didn’t take a photo!).<br />
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Continuing on out to the park we noticed some leaves that had turned but not as many as we’d hoped. Driving through Lexington and Concord we realized how many places there are for people interested in literature and the group of authors that lived in the area, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, and even Margaret Sidney who wrote, "The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew". The area is rich in history and literature and certainly deserves more than the brief time we had to spend, but we'll be back. We also drove past <a href="http://www.mainstreetsmarketandcafe.com/">Main Streets Market and Cafe</a>, a favorite place of ours for dinner and live music! Friends of ours sing here occasionally and on a couple occasions we've actually joined in the performance. We also noticed A LOT of people on the road. Given that the park has a maximum guest number we were hoping that wouldn’t be the case today. Happily, there was room!<br />
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We sat in line waiting our turn to purchase a pass and got a quick taste of what the day would be like. We heard annoying beeping from behind. Beth looked in the mirror and noticed a large van trying to pull past us on the right. They held up an annual pass as they drove quickly past the line… RUDE! We pulled forward and again got beeped at while a larger vehicle tried to sneak past us to get into the park because they were holding an annual pass. This is NOT a two lane road, and the wait isn’t more than a few minutes, but we strongly urge the park to establish an access-road for annual pass holders because they obviously don’t have time to wait for us non-passholders to pay the $5 per car fee! The lot was filling fast so we quickly found a spot and began our exploration.<br />
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First task, checking out the replica of Henry David Thoreau's log home. Like I said, this is a <i>citified</i> park, and the fact that this replica is actually sitting IN the parking lot makes me think that not everyone is prepared to walk half way around the pond to see the actual site. If it were me I might have built that replica out there, just to get more people to walk, but there you go. No one asked me! The replica itself is complete with woodstove, small cot by the window, a writing table and chair. Very sweet. Thoreau had a great quote about liking the simplicity of his little retreat. There are quotes displayed around the site and one notes how happy he was with the cabin's simplicity, as opposed to other homes that were like walking about in a furniture store. Another of his quotes, “I had three pieces of limestone on my desk, but I was terrified to find that they required to be dusted daily, when the furniture of my mind was all undusted still, and threw them out the window in disgust. ("Economy" Chapter in Walden<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0486284956&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>). Me, I would have just left the dust there, if his mind was undusted and worked so well, why not continue with that approach. Plus, I can’t imagine he didn’t dust anything else, what with a wood stove and 3 large windows providing plenty of access to dust and pollen. But I suppose throwing them out the window just placed them in his “other room”, the place that is now known as Walden Pond State Reservation. In that same chapter of Walden, he wrote, “I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion”, leading me to believe he enjoyed his own company best. I’m thinking he would NOT have enjoyed the number of people jogging, walking, snapping photos and in general soaking up the essence of Walden Pond. Ironic that the park itself, the source of one of his best known books about solitude should today be such a crowded and interactive type of place. <br />
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After taking photos of the cabin and the statue of Thoreau himself, we walked across the street and down towards the beach. We were surprised to find children and adults in the water swimming. Some seemed to be preparing for a triathlon and were swimming in lines across the pond (not allowed per the park rules, but it appears when lifeguards are not on duty people do as they feel.) The beach provides public restrooms, a first aid station (only in the summer) and notices regarding activities being held in the park. In the next two weeks there are foliage walks, a Thoreau Ramble and Thoreau’s Garret. The announcement board and their web site include a <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/events/wald-oct.pdf">calendar of events </a>, so definitely check it out if you’re headed that way. We had limited time and wanted to just wander so we refrained from any organized activity. <br />
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We hadn’t brought our bathing suits (being October those are LONG stored away) so we headed onto the <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/hht/index.htm">Healthy Heart Trail</a>. There were many signs about park erosion and we saw immediate evidence. The beginning of the trail is closed, with a detour to the right and up the hill a bit due to erosion. In fact at one point the old trail just disappears into the water, and some site markers are actually IN the water! But after a short time the trail moves back down to the water’s edge. There are frequent stone stairways that lead to the water itself. Some are in good shape and are a nice place to stop for lunch, or to just sit and watch the water in the sunlight, and today some swimmers were using them as a way in and out of the water. We had fun trying to figure out what type of fish we were seeing at each spot. For the most part they’re just minnows but we know the pond is stocked annually and there are perch, sunfish and small mouthed bass. <br />
The bridge that crosses over Thoreau’s Cove is pretty and the cove itself is a beautiful spot to catch the autumn reflections in the water. Just beyond we found the site of Thoreau’s actual cabin. Its marked out with granite columns, and includes a plaque to mark the chimney foundation. Thoreau was one of the American Transcendentalists<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=52natistatep-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=081297509X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>. I’m not going to do a lot of research into that -ism for this blog, but the gift shop at the park carries many good books about the practice and its definitely an important piece of what Thoreau’s experience and way of life was all about. At the cabin site itself we were mildly annoyed by two women who stood there reading aloud about Thoreau's life from the park display and commenting on how he had “moved so far away” (actually only a half a mile from his parent’s home) and that his mom STILL took care of him, doing his laundry, recommending books, etc. In their eyes, “isn’t that just like a man… make a big deal about being on their own and his mother is still doing his wash!” WHATEVER! If you come all the way to Walden Pond and bother to walk out to the cabin site, why then make nasty comments about the man??? He was obviously talented and an individual thinker of his time. There is a pile of stones next to the cabin site which grows ever larger since followers of the Thoreau society and other like minded people leave behind their own stones… lots of stones, lots of people who appreciate the idea. Let’s respect that and go from there. Not stand around spouting off, trying to sound cerebral and superior while others are trying to appreciate. Again, RUDE! <br />
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We checked the map and at this point we were close to half way around the pond so decided to continue on. Beautiful views of kayaks slowly paddling, ducks v-ing their way out of the shady spots into the sunlight. It wasn't long before we came upon an opening in the woods fronting on the railroad tracks. These tracks were here back when Thoreau lived in the cabin and he writes of them, and the sound of the train's whistle. Now they’re part of the Fitchburg commuter line and while we walked, we twice heard the whistle warning people to stay off the tracks. We braved them ourselves for a few minutes to snap a shot or two…. Then continued our trek around the pond. On this side we noticed the distinct scent of aftershave, sunscreen, bug spray, and the public restroom… not very nature-like at all. With all the autumn leaves and the freshness of the air we expected more seasonal smells… in summer I can only imagination the pina colada smell of sunscreen is even stronger! Oh well, we’re not far from the city and as I said, this is a <i>citified</i> park. Many of the walkers were out there to get their fix of nature and fitness… never looking around, not smiling... to be honest I felt as though they could pour some gravel on their living room floor, open a window and power walk in place and they’d get the same experience, but here they were. No doubt they were in a park they considered their own backyard, and they weren’t happy to have to navigate around us sightseers with our cameras, maps and binoculars. Alas, narrow trails, a beautiful day, and lots of people in a fairly small park CAN be tough if you’re on a mission. Happily we really weren’t, so we strolled back by the beach, watched some kids fishing, took more shots of the clouds and sunlight on the water and then headed back across the street to check out the Shop at Walden Pond. <br />
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As I said previously, the shop is a great place to purchase books, prints, posters, and some really cute t-shirts with Thoreau quotes, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.” and many more. We bought two walking sticks because early in the walk I learned the danger of walking flat dirt trails in October…. Acorns!!!! Its like walking on marbles, and in some areas we felt the need for hard hats! LOL Just be careful! So now we’re outfitted with some great walking sticks, an appropriate souvenir for our day at Walden Pond, the home of the Thoreau Sauntering Society! Back at the car (and again commenting on the olfactory impact of the nearby restrooms), we decided that this is a park you should definitely see as early as possible. The trails open at 8 AM and we would recommend you try to get there that early if possible. While the park has over 460 acres, they have a huge problem with erosion and so ask that ALL hiking be restricted to the trails. The trail system is not extensive, but definitely nicely maintained, very clean and clear. There are very few trash containers so as with all public parks, "pack in-pack out" is the best way to go. Dogs are NOT allowed, and they are vigilant, so we recommend you not try to tempt fate. This is a great destination if you’re in Boston for a few days and looking for a quick nature fix with a literary bent. You can also find the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson (a fellow transcendentalist) and other literary greats in nearby Concord. There were definitely friendly people here. A lot of tourists from other countries, families, etc. many willing to help with a group photo or to chat about the pond itself, but it also seems to be a favorite location for a first date or a daily constitutional, so don‘t expect every walker to be a fellow nature lover.<br />
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With cooler weather heading in we’re looking forward to winter hiking and hopefully going to parks that are further outside our area. Check back soon! And I can’t resist one more quote:<br />
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"Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves, dispel the clouds which hang over our brows, and take up a little life into our pores. Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor, but endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world." from the chapter "Economy" in <b>Walden.</b> <br />
I've got a very old copy of Walden and something tells me at the very least I should go back and read that chapter!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-43720188493573133832009-09-15T05:59:00.000-07:002010-02-24T12:30:19.985-08:00Great Brook Farm State Park<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Great Brook Farm State Park</span></strong><br /><em>Ice Cream, Horses, Dogs, what more could you want?</em><br /><br /><strong>Pet Friendly</strong> – YES! Dogs and horses. Tucker gives this one 5 wags<br /><strong>Accessible</strong> – Yes, most dirt trails, but very even and while there is some steeper areas, parking lots are paved, and the trails to the picnic areas and the pond are an easy walk from that second parking lot (not the one next to the ski barn)<br /><strong>Special Note</strong> – This park includes a <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/hht/index.htm">Healthy Heart Trail</a><br /><strong>Admission</strong> - $2 per car, other prices for students, seniors, etc<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">On Track with our 52</span></strong>!<br />We heard the day was going to be sunny but weren’t sure whether to take a longer drive, or stay close to home. It didn’t take long to decide, Beth’s Dad having just settled into his new space to finish up rehab, and our deciding to bring Lillian along for the trip, closer was better. And what better than to return to our local favorite, <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/gbfm.htm">Great Brook Farm State Park</a>, right in Carlisle, MA. Not more than a 20 minute drive from home. The other really great feature of this park is dogs are welcome!!!!! Tucker was wagging his little tailless butt in anticipation! A favorite park of his to meet other dogs, get patted and ooh and aahed at by little children, and LOTS of things to sniff! Any park with food, shade, water, picnic opportunities, trails and other dogs is a big deal in his book.<br /><br />By late morning on Sunday, with temps edging into the low 80’s we decided to pick up a few sandwiches and drinks at a local butcher shop (our new favorite place to get sandwiches) and head over to the picnic area, then on to the trails. <a href="http://lowellprovisionco.com/">The Alpine Butcher </a>in Lowell is a GREAT place to grab lunch! Right off the highway, and even on weekends they make custom wraps, plus have lots of great gourmet additions, salads, cheeses, wine, mustards…. Also a great place for meat and fish, and pre-marinated selections, we keep telling ourselves we’ll be back during the week on one of those “in a rush” evenings when we just need something ready to go.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">A Park for All Seasons</span></strong><br />Anyway, with sandwiches, drinks, and utensils now in hand, the four of us rolled on to Carlisle and Great Brook Farm. As we pulled past the main parking area up by the ski barn, we noticed the abundance of horse trailers. Did I forget to mention that not only dogs, but horses are also welcome… and mountain bikes, bocce, lawn bowling, and in winter snowshoeing and cross country skiing. The park has ski rentals in winter out of a big barn known as <a href="http://www.greatbrookski.com/">Great Brook Ski Touring Center</a>, that usually also sells hot cocoa and has a nice fireplace going. Certain evenings during the week they offer skiing by lantern light, with kerosene lanterns lighting, what else, the Lantern Loop trail! The park also offers locally made ice cream (like 30+ flavors), and their own honey sold out of the dairy barn, where, in the spring, you can see the new calves and the milking room. Outside they have various farm animals to pet and feed including goats, pigs, calves, sheep and a random duck or chicken. They sell feed for the animals, and we’ve been at the park in the colder months to find some of these animals out enjoying the winter sun. The other nice touch is hand sanitizer so when you’re done petting and feeding you can get your hands cleaned up and ready for your ice cream. Picnic tables are plentiful up by the ice cream barn, and there are a few by the pond as well. If you want to bbq, check with the park ranger. We’ve done it on occasion, but fire dangers are real, so check first. The park also offers guided barn tours, and varied interpretive presentations about the wildlife, the farm itself, etc. Check their website for more information. Plus, they have a canoe put-in at one pond, so self-propelled water vessels (canoes, kayaks, etc) are welcome, but no swimming.<br /><br />Back to our trip. We'd recommend you print a trail map at home since a number of times we've found that the Interpretive Center is out and the Park Ranger has none. <a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/print/GreatBrkFrm.pdf">Get one now</a>! We pulled in through the second entrance and drove down the long entry to the next parking lot, smaller, and quite crowded, but its amazing how there’s always room for one more. Quite picturesque on this Sunday since the lot is backed up to a huge "If You Build It They Will Come" style corn field all fading golden in the September sun. The park offers plastic bags for dog owners in case you’ve forgotten yours. Special note - If you don’t like dogs, this is probably not the park for you since it seems every 2nd or 3rd visitor has at least one dog in tow. Tucker rates this park FIVE WAGS! Especially for the nice mowed grass fields and the shady spots to take a nap. But after settling Lillian in her folding chair near the pond for some peace and quiet we headed out to find “The City” historic site which is off the Garrison Loop and near the log cabin. Tucker looked longingly at a few shady nap spots, but he knew they’d be there when we got back.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">A Few Missing Trail Markers</span></strong><br />Unfortunately for us, we took the Pine Point Loop (really nice trail and well marked) through the forest on the other side of North Road from the ice cream barn. It leads you back out onto North Road which is VERY narrow and includes some turns that don’t allow oncoming cars to see you, so be very careful as you walk. Tucker stayed on the short lead. Thankfully cars drive slowly in this area. The unfortunate part though, is that we had to find the entrance to the Woodchuck Trail and we walked past one unmarked trail then continued on and on…. Poor Tucker’s tongue was hanging low. We hadn’t brought his water with us, and he would have NONE of the lemon Vitaminwater Beth offered. Eventually (about an hour into our walk) we decided that unmarked trail must have been the one we wanted so we headed back. Never got to the ruins or the log cabin, but now we know, take the unmarked trail! And next time we’ll find it. On the trip back Tucker’s tongue was dragging through the puddles! Note to self (and all you other dog owners) don’t forget the water!!!!! We walked through the field behind the ice cream barn on the way back and the smell of the hay, and warm pine needles was definitely a nice way to finish the day. We decided against an ice cream since the place was pretty crowded, but if you go, definitely take advantage. Its yummy!!! We then packed Lillan up, took advantage of the VERY nice public restrooms, and headed home.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Where To Go AFTER a Day at the Park</span></strong><br />There are two great restaurants in the area that we’d recommend for dinner after a day at the park. More on the nice side than a quick lunch spot. <a href="http://www.vincenzosrestaurant.com/">Vincenzo’s</a> is a really nice, smallish Italian restaurant. Unique dishes, GREAT Champagne POM fizzes and white peach sangrias, and their bruschetta of the day has never let us down. Its actually also a good place for kids. They’ve got these giant paintings on the wall, and in the rear room, the painting depict some very unique people. One evening Beth and I sat waiting for our meal and decided to make up stories about who these people were and what was going on in their lives. A bit of escapism from two women who have MORE than enough going on in our own lives! The second restaurant is right in downtown Chelmsford, <a href="http://www.fishbonesofchelmsford.com/">Fishbones</a>. An awesome seafood restaurant and fish market. Not sure I’d bring kids here, but they’ve got a menu that changes based on the market, nice seating outdoors in season (they’ve got heaters so the season lasts past summer and starts in late Spring!) and while it can be crowded, it is well worth the wait.<br /><br />This week we’ve got Beth’s father starting radiation treatments, and my mother having her second surgery, so life will keep us busy for a bit yet, but we are determined to get back out on the trails and blogging again here soon! Let us know if you want to join us on the next adventure!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-91568851902408694102009-09-07T12:40:00.001-07:002010-02-24T12:31:54.347-08:00The Dry Run - Parker River National Wild Life Refuge and Sandy Point State Reservation<ul><li>Pet Friendly - no</li><li>Accessible - yes (except for the dunes getting onto the beach.)</li><li>Restrooms - available</li><li>Fee - $5 per car (less for bikes)</li></ul><p><strong>"Outside the 52"</strong><br />We're a bit ahead of our 52 weeks schedule-wise, but decided to do a dry run today. We also quickly realized the other day that limiting ourselves to 52 parks resulted in us leaving out a lot of parks! And travel during the year, so limiting ourselves to the 100 mile radius might not let us blog about ALL the parks we hit. So we've come up with a separate category that allows us to travel and blog "<strong>outside the 52</strong>". That way if we head to FL, or MI, or upstate NY or anywhere else outside our 100 mile radius, we can still include it here for what its worth. We'll just include the "Outside the 52" header on those posts.<br /><br /><br /><strong>On with our adventure</strong> - In order to beat the holiday and final beach weekend of the summer traffic, and also to get to the reservation before it was full (this park does limit visitors so its best to get there early) we decided to get up at the crack of dawn and head out! State and National Parks are usually open from sunrise to sunset, and these were no exception, so we figured we'd be good to go at 5 AM. Big Surprise, at 5 AM this morning, while Beth, I and the four cats were up... Tucker, and the sun, were <span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>not</strong></span>. No sense in heading out quite so early obviously, so we snuggled back in for a bit and headed out just after 7 AM. You'll never hear me argue about a few extra minutes of sleep! Unfortunately we had to head out without Tucker. Poor guy. He got to stay home with Daisey because the parks we visited today do not allow dogs. Probably more because of the wildlife than anything. He's VERY well behaved and even made a special visit to see Beth's dad at the hospital this week, but rules are rules and we follow them so off we went <em>sans</em> corgi.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/sndp.htm">Sandy Point State Reservation </a>and the <a href="http://www.fws.gov/northeast/parkerriver/">Parker River National Wildlife Refuge </a>are both located on Plum Island. We took the Scotland Road exit off Rt. 95 and drove past <a href="http://www.colbyfarms.com/contact.html">Colby Farm </a>(with local corn and piglets!) and the Alden Merrill Dessert outlet (read CHEESECAKE!!!) on the way to Newburyport. Too early for cheesecake, and Beth tells me I"m not allowed a piglet, (big pout from me) so we continued to our destination. Sandy Point is out at the southernmost tip of the island, and from the bridge we had a good 6 miles to go. We drooled as we drove past the <a href="http://www.plumislandgrille.com/">Plum Island Grille </a>(great lunch and dinner, and on this holiday Monday morning it appears they're also open for breakfast!). To get to the Park we drove through the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, which starts immediately with misty marshes on the right (misty from the sun rising on marshgrass wet from a very cool night we had.) It's been a beautiful long weekend and we had gorgeous blue skies overhead and pretty quickly got a sneak preview of the great birdwatching we'd be treated to! At the Salt Pannes Wildlife Observation Area we saw Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets and ducks too far away to identify!<br /><br /><br />Once we drove south towards the preserve I remembered field glasses. Isn't it nice that we hadn't cleaned out the trunk since last year! Cause we found a pair! <a href="http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r5/parker.htm">The park has a bird checklist if you're really interested in seeing how many you can spot!</a> We drove past the boardwalks and the lookout towers of the Parker River property all the way out to Sandy Point. The road does turn to gravel, but is pretty smooth, but once you get to Sandy Point and take a right, be VERY careful of the deep ruts in the road.<br /><br /><br />We walked the beach for a bit, and got a kick out of a Herring Gull trying to steal someone's lunch out of their tote bag. Beth tried to defend the tote bag but I'm sure as soon as we left that bird was back yanking at that bag! That was the only type of bird we saw on the beach; gulls eating snails and trying to forage for lunch in tote bags. The boardwalk itself is really pretty out this way with a bench and covered area to sit, and there were some beautiful native Virginia Roses mixed in with the marshgrass. On our drive back we stopped at the Stage Island Pool Overlook. There we saw egrets, cranes, cormorants, sandpipers, and a very large swan. We also drove down the Pine Trail viewing area and parked. There were about 5 very serious birdwatchers out there with huge scopes and cameras and they were nice enough to let us have a peek at what was probably the rarest bird we'd see today, the Whimbrel, a bird that migrates from the arctic (Yukon Territory and Hudson Bay) where it breeds to the Carolinas or Southern CA. We watched as the bird crouched low into the grass when the Peregrine Falcon flew overhead. Its amazing how they can know that a predator is flying so far overhead.<br /><br /><br />We also watched a beautiful Montagu's Harrier looking for prey. It made Beth and I think about bringing bird guides and better field glasses or binoculars next time.<br /><br /><br /><br />If you decide to visit this park the one thing we'd recommend which we totally forgot was bug spray!!!! Deer ticks, mosquitos, black flies, no-seeums, and who knows what else, were VERY aggravating when we walked out to the Stage Island Pool Overlook. Long pants would be recommended if you're going to walk the trails and watch out for poison ivy, which is plentiful and just starting to turn a nice autumn shade of dark red here and there. One real bonus was that on most viewing platforms there are very high quality viewers that are free to use. Pretty much like the ones you see at the Empire State Building and other places, but much nicer quality and they don't cost a quarter for 3 minutes! </p><p>There is also a an interpretive center, and activities, lectures, etc. provided at one of the first marked viewing areas. We didn't stop in but if you have children with you, or anyone interested in finding out a bit more about the park and its history, this would be a good place to start.<br /><br />On the way home we made a stop at <a href="http://www.tendercropfarms.com/">Tendercrop Farm</a> to pick up cider donuts, old-fashioned Canada mints (for Beth's Dad since he's still in the hospital), cookies, something to drink, and swedish pancake mix! Its amazing the things you can find at local farmstands, although this place is much larger than a farmstand. The park is definitely an easy place to fill a day if you're into birding, beaching, walking, and enjoying nature! We highly recommend!<br /><br /><strong>Other activities:</strong> You can get a license to shellfish in the flats, pick berries (in season), and do some shorefishing, (all three require permission) and you can even driving your vehicle out onto the dunes for the fishing, but you definitely need the appropriate vehicle for this. The Saturn Aura is NOT the appropriate vehicle! Check at the office for availability of licenses before you head out. The beach at Sandy Point is gorgeous and flat and without that nasty riptide and steep incline of the Plum Island beach. There are rest rooms, basically outhouses, available, but no other commercial influence. Pack in - pack out, and while the boardwalks and roadways are fine for wheelchairs and strollers, to get to the beach you do have to walk through beach sand. Good for the calves, not good for mechanical things like wheels, etc.<br /><br />Til the next park! This one gets added to the Bonus List - <strong>Outside the 52!</strong> </p>52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9042740259428686458.post-63909968444349990232009-09-05T07:24:00.000-07:002009-09-05T07:32:31.464-07:00The First StepsOK, so we saw Julie and Julia and loved that idea of setting a goal and blogging about it, and with all the not great health issues going on around us right now (and for the past few years) we wanted to set a goal to do something healthy, and interesting and that would get us out of the house on a regular basis. So what better way than to travel to 52 State Parks within a 100 mile radius of our home, and visit them all before I turn 52, which happens in about a year, which is about 52 weeks! Cool, huh?<br /><br />Anyway, right now we're researching the State Parks in our "100 mile circle" and selecting the parks we'll visit. We'll take our dog Tucker, and when possible, parents, kids, friends, etc. and we'll blog here on our impressions of the parks, great places to stop nearby, happenings, experiences, and more. A few of the parks we've been to before. With some its been years, and a couple are regular favorites of ours, but we'll take photos, post trail maps, and whatever else might be of interest.<br /><br />It's a full year before the deadline but we've got winter rolling in in a few months so we'll see how we do. Wish us luck!52 before 52http://www.blogger.com/profile/04614286878542982791noreply@blogger.com0