Ferry Beach and Two Lights

Two Parks Near Portland, ME
And yes, they're worth the drive!

A beautiful weekend had been promised, so I selected Ferry Beach as our destination for the day. Beth and I were up early on Sunday and realized we're still pretty far behind in our parks (30 weekends and 40 parks left to visit), so we decided to once again clump a couple parks together! And THIS time, with a full day ahead of us, we were quite determined to get it done! Unfortunately both cars had empty tanks and with gas prices going up, we saw yet another reason to clump trips. It's either that or we're going to have to open a lemonade stand to fund this project of ours. So Ferry Beach it was, and just a bit further north we decided to add Two Lights State Park to our trip. Perfect choice! Both parks are awesome, and places we will visit again. If you’re in the Portland area do NOT miss either of these parks. With a full winter snow onboard they may not be great, but for a 50 – 60 degree day with a mild breeze and most of the snow and ice melted, they were the perfect antidote to a touch of Spring Fever!

Ferry Beach

• Tucker’s Rating – 3.5 Wags (he would have rated it higher but since pets are not allowed in the park between April 1st and September 30th he is shading his vote just a bit.)



• Our Rating – 4 wags! We will most definitely be back but probably in the Fall. AFTER black flies and mosquitos have gone their merry way.
  



• Accessibility – Absolutely! Paved roads, flat dirt/stone dust trails, and beautiful wooden boardwalks. Even with a cane, a wheelchair, a stroller or a Lark you'd be able to have a wonderful day here.
  
  


• Fees – Fees at this park, and a number of other Maine State Parks are a bit confusing. In general it's best to check the schedule for individual parks in Maine. At Ferry Beach specifically we found that off-season there is a $1.50/person day use fee (if you can find the box to deposit it in). In-season, ME resident senior citizens get into the park for day-use for free, otherwise it’s $4 per Maine Resident Adult, $6 for non-resident adult, and $2 for non-resident senior. Also, there is a $1 per child fee and under 5 children get in for free. It's a bit pricy compared to other parks we've been to, but this is a beautiful park and it's obvious where the money goes.



• Pet Friendly – Only off-season, and only on leash. Tucker loved this park since it was very flat. Once he got his pace going he didn’t stop til we got back to the car. There are water fountains throughout the park but in winter they’re turned off… also, there are no trash barrels in winter. So bring water, and plan on carrying out anything that you bring in (or in Tucker’s case, produce once you’re there).

Some Tips for the Road

We headed out around 10 AM. The GPS told us total drive time would be just over 2 hours, and it was pretty right on (although I discovered it was set an hour ahead. Beth tells me next weekend when we go back to daylight savings time we’ll be all set). We filled the tank (ouch! Gas prices ARE going up!), stopped at McDonald’s for some juice and hash browns and were on our way! If you’re heading up this route, plan on extra cash for tolls… we paid at least $5 in tolls before we were up there! Two of them at $2 a piece! Even with our FastLane Pass, you should be aware that this might use up a significant portion of your monthly toll amount. But taking the FastLane aisles does speed up the process!

Also, note that exit numbers on the Maine Turnpike (Rt. 95) are based on mileage, not actual number of exits…. So when you’re at exit 2 and have to get to exit 34 it’s not as far as you expect! One other thing to note, rest areas in NH are primarily a bathroom and a liquor store. No coffee… not much for food… just a place to buy alcohol and a toilet. We never realized this before. But in both MA and ME a rest area provides something for everyone! Food courts, gasoline, rest rooms, dog walk areas…. Definitely a big plus! Tucker had the full back seat to himself today since Lillian decided not to join us this trip. She would have found the first walk pretty challenging since it was fairly long. Note to Lillian (and any other non-walkers): Any trail ranked as "easy" because it's flat doesn't mean it's short, and at 86, Lillian draws the line at a half mile or so! That's her prerogative, but on this day we were choosing the long and leisurely routes.

Over the River and Through the Woods - For Real!

Arriving in Saco, we easily found the entrance to the park even without a sign. Plenty of cars parked just outside the closed gates. There is a fairly long road to the gate house itself. It winds through beautiful woods with trails leading off every few hundred feet. I'm thinking park rangers are kept quite busy during the summer keeping people from parking along this road on the way to the beach. But it was empty and quiet on Sunday, except for the random red squirrel who hopped out to check on us as we passed. Maybe they were park rangers in disguise! I think Tucker thought they were very small cats since one stood about 3 feet in front of him and he just tipped his head and then looked at me with a puzzled look on his face.

There were a number of people out walking in the sunshine but this park is so spread out that for the most part we felt like we were on our own. Eventually we came upon a picnic area and the main parking lot. Ferry Beach State Park provides a LOT of picnic sites, a group area and shelter that can be reserved, changing rooms, rest rooms, and an educational walk through a Tupelo Swamp which was a beautiful find! We enjoyed the peace, the smell of green, and the fact that this is one of the larger stands of Tupelo Trees in the northeast. I don't think I ever saw a Tupelo tree... been to the Tupelo Music Hall but that's not quite the same. I'm sure this swamp is gorgeous in the Fall when the leaves are bright orange. But Spring was definitely lurking just below the surface in this place. We could hear the birds singing, see water trickling everywhere, and the ice on the pond was drawing back quickly. We did appreciate the fact too, that when spring finally does arrive (we knew that we were just stealing a few spring like moments in March!) this place is no doubt loaded with Black Flies!!!! That's a whole season of it's own in Maine! And in summer we would guess mosquitos too. So if you do head here “in-season” and want to walk the swamp, we’d recommend bug spray (industrial size), and long sleeves!

Beaches in Winter

We followed the path to the entrance to the beach and were disappointed to find it gated off for the season. The walkway actually passes below the road and the gates stretch from the ground to the top of the archway so there was no climbing over, under or squeezing through, cause we certainly considered it…. Ah winter… some things are a plus (lack of crowds, no need for multiple applications of sunscreen), but for a beach outing, summer is no doubt better. The beach is just a short walk from the main parking lot, but if you do go in winter and want to see the beach, we’d recommend parking out on the main intersection near the beachfront. That’s what we did once we’d finished wandering (and getting slightly lost) in the park itself. The trails are really nice and meander along a brook with many bridges to cross. All are kept in wonderful shape. We also came upon the picnic shelter which looks brand new and a sign indicates funding came from the sale of the Maine Loon license plates. Nice to see how that money gets used!

Getting Lost

The Tupelo Swamp includes many educational signs and trail maps but because a lot of the individual trail markers were taken down (for the season we assume) we did kind of wander a lot further than we expected (read "we got lost!"). Thankfully we knew it was an enclosed and limited space so not to worry that we’d wander forever, but still…. The brook started to look rather appetizing to Tucker whose tongue was hanging low. We were only carrying binoculars and a camera and no water! We don't let Tucker drink water from rivers and streams due to a lot of bacteria they can carry, so we kept him away and he managed to get back to the car without really getting too thirsty.

A Great Place to Steal a Spring Day Out of Season!

This would be a great park for kids and we heard a few who were obviously excited to get out of the house and out of heavy outerwear to just run free for a while! Lots of streams and brooks to play in, walkways to run down, and even a mountain biker or two enjoying the easy ride on a cool day. I'm sure a jogging stroller or bike trailer (or whatever those things are called) would be perfect! It's even flat enough for a tandem cycle if you've got one! So bring it on!

But Ferry Beach IS about a Beach so....

We did get there…. but not until after we made a quick detour into Ocean Park (a small town just north of Saco) to see if we could find a restroom… cause nothing is open in winter up here!!! Geesh! No restaurants, even the Chamber of Commerce/Visitor’s Center, Dunkin Donuts. and the amazingly huge public restrooms are locked up for the winter. Thank Heaven for 7-11… and I’m sure that’s not what they MEAN by that slogan, but we understood it big time! Just a note on Ocean Park. It’s a Chautauqua community. Also known as "Chautauqua-by-the-Sea". It was founded over 130 years ago and is a summer assembly inter-faith community. When I saw the sign when we drove into town, at first I thought Chautauqua was some sort of developer… but the homes are old and there’s LOTS of public buildings that had old dates on them as well. Come to find out there are a number of these communities around the country including one on Martha's Vineyard, and also Michigan, New Jersey, Tennesee and more! Check out their website at the above link if you're interested. It seems like a great place if you enjoy community suppers, lectures, music festivals and more. Not sure they're all that welcoming to diversity of our type but it peaked our interest enough to maybe go back and check it out during the summer.

Yes, Yes, We'll Get to the Beach, But a Convent Got in the Way!

..So back to Saco and the beach… we used the entrance and parking next to the Bay View Convent…. We were struck by the sheer size of the convent and thought initially that the place was just closed up for the winter… It’s four stories with an amazing lawn facing the beach, big porches, a huge parking lot… and as we walked around front to take pictures, we noticed the “for sale” sign. This amazing place is being sold as lots for an ocean front community. Very sad. But I did a little homework and found that the Bay View Convent was put on the market in 2009. Originally started by the Good Shepherd nuns, and run as a beachfront hotel, The Bayview Villa, the number of nuns available to work had dwindled from 260 between 1940 and 1970 to just 21 nuns that had been living at the convent and running the hotel. All were in their 70’s and 80’s. I can't even imagine them doing all the housekeeping, cooking, reservations... but there they were! Or at least there they'd BEEN. The nuns had just celebrated their 125th anniversary shortly before putting the property on the market! Originally they’d come to the area to help run an orphanage, a school and a hospital and were very busy in the community during that history. Read more (you’ll need to scroll about a quarter way down the page); I found lots of travel notes on the place and it sounds like it was definitely inexpensive, with shared baths, and breakfast included in the room charge with lunch and dinner as an option too… What a great escape it must have been. I’ve actually found its listing on loopnet at $3.6MM…. seems like a very cheap price for what’s there!

Anyway, we’ll move on from our dreams of one gigantic B&B on the beach. But we did want to point out that Ferry Beach itself is a very nice beach with many access roads and not a lot of parking. It’s a wide, sandy beach which isn’t that common in a state where beach and rocks seem to go hand in hand. During our visit there were a lot of dogs playing on the beach and its obvious that in winter that’s allowed, but NOT in summer. There were also a few really great dragon kites up and flying! Tucker stayed in the car since with his short legs, a walk on the sand would not have been a fun event. But we want to point out that in warmer weather (Spring, Fall OR Summer) we do NOT leave him in the car. If he isn't going to be admitted to wherever we go, we leave him in the comfort of his own home! While he loves going places with us, we don't think he enjoys a day spent sitting in the car and only being allowed out to "do his business" anymore than WE would! And dogs left in cars, even on cooler days, can be stuck in a deathtrap very quickly, even if the windows are cracked a little.... it's just not safe for them!!!! So PLEASE, if you bring your pets with you on these trips, do not leave them in the car!!!!!!! I can't stress that enough. As we left the beach, we were struck by the colorful fence along the path. Beth got a great shot of it… all tied with bits and pieces that wash up on the beach after a storm. Pretty enough to print and hang up!

Another great attraction (and I kicked myself for not taking pics) was the amusement park area in Old Orchard Beach. This is a real boardwalk on the beach kind of place with a roller coaster and lots of other rides and attractions, all in gorgeous Technicolor and sitting idle just waiting for April (or May) to get here. This area must absolutely hop once warm weather sets in, so when we head back (and we will!) we’re going to get up at the crack of dawn to get a space up here! Lots of seasonal rentals too, so if you’re looking for a place that’s just a little bit off the beaten path, think Ocean Park and Saco…. We know we will!

Two Lights State Park

• Tucker’s Rating – 4 Wags He loved this place but with the slippery shale stairs and some sudden drop-offs to the crashing waves below, he didn't get to meander quite as much as he might like. Still, lots of shady spots for a nap and happy people everywhere!
  
  


• Our Rating – 4.5 wags! We would have given it a 5 but we weren't sure what it's like in summer, and if it's jam-packed with people then it may remain a 4.5.
  
  


• Accessibility – Pretty good. Lots of flat, clear trails and alternate slopes instead of shale stairs, but this place does include a lot of rocks by the ocean to walk and sit on, and even on our own two feet it was a bit scary stepping around.
  
  


• Fees – Again, it's best to check the schedule. We didn't pay anything and didn't see anywhere to put the off-season fee of $1.50. But in-season I can imagine they collect every penny they can and rightfully so! This is a beautiful park and well kept. Maine resident adults appear to be $3, non-resident is $4.50 and Maine seniors are $1.50 with children 5 - 11 at $1.00 and under 5 free. So if you bring a family it could get pricy for the day!
  
  


• Pet Friendly – While this park appears to have a historic battery, the facility isn't open to the public. In Maine pets are not allowed on beaches or historic sites but it appears Two Lights is neither, so Tucker was good to go, and can come back in summer!!! I'd maybe call the park first to check on pets though if you head there in summer, just to make certain, since it's a long drive only to find you can't get in!
  
  


• Other Activities - According to the website, you can fish at this park. You'd have to be brave enough to wander down onto the rocks and then be able to cast from there.... but still, nice to know. They also have a wonderful kids playground, public restrooms, bbq's and picnic tables each set into their own little woodland nook overlooking the ocean. Get there early and stake a claim! That's what we're planning on doing come summer!

As I write this part of the blog I am realizing an issue with clumping parks and posts... they get pretty darned long when we like a park and visit more than one in a weekend. So hang in there, or bookmark us so you can come back and read more later!

A Bit of Art History

We headed north from Ferry Beach and drove right up to Portland before getting off the highway and heading to Cape Elizabeth and Two Lights State Park. One of the lighthouses that stands behind this park was made famous in a painting by Edward Hopper, Lighthouse at Two Lights. There really are two lighthouses too, although one is working and the other has been turned into part of a private home, so they don't look like "twins" anymore. This park is another one that is easy to find. Nice large parking lot, lots of signs, and an amazing view of Casco Bay and the open Atlantic. We saw two very large tankers sitting just off-shore, and a number of smaller boats so even in late winter, this bay is busy!

When Does "By the Ocean" Not Mean a Beach?

This isn't a beach style park. You are right on the water but you're dealing with high rocky cliffs and lots of shale. Wear good walking shoes if you're heading here for a day. Sandals would probably be great if they're Teva-style with good soles for gripping. Otherwise you may find the rocks a bit dangerous to wander around on. Also, bring your bbq supplies because the raised bbq's that can be found with each picnic table, are perfect, but there's no where in the park to buy supplies. Picnic tables are nestled into their own little woodland openings so you've not on top of each other when you head here, but there are areas that have multiple tables and bbq's within close proximity. Beth and I daydreamed out loud about getting a group of 10 or 12 friends together some early summer morning and heading up here to stake our claim and hang by the ocean all day long! Just seems like EXACTLY what this place was made for. To give you a vague idea of what the trails are like... reminds me of the Marginal Way on steroids! Oceanside trails, benches and picnic tables, but WOW what a view of the open ocean! And you don't have all the trinket shops and restaurants and lobster boats vying for space either like you do in Ogunquit. That has it's own kind of appeal, but Two Lights is definitely about the ocean and not shopping.

Art in Unexpected Places

We wandered along the trails, and stopped to read about Battery 201, which lies beneath the mound overlooking the ocean. In 1995- 1996, Bradley McCallum installed an exhibit, Permanence of Memory, including both collected objects, photos and voiceover, that provided insight into the world of a veteran of WWII. It included a Memorial Book for all Maine citizens who gave their lives fighting in that war. Very cool, the book had a page for each individual, and family members who attended the exhibit could add notes about the person, include photos, additional comments, etc. The exhibit took advantage of the batteries cold, damp, abandoned personae and McCallum was inspired to build it after happening on the battery during a hike. He had the sense, in the damp darkness of the building, that the walls were crying. The site wasn't open when we visted, and the exhibit moved on to other locations after it's initial showing, but you can read more about it in an essay written by Lucy Lippard. As with the painting by Edward Hopper, this is evidence that art can find you even when you're not looking!

As we soaked up the sunshine on the point, watching bubbles floating on the breeze (there was a woman sitting there blowing bubbles) we felt Two Lights is the perfect example of Maine, rocky coastline, beautiful ocean views, history, nature, friendly people, and a chance to explore. This one will no doubt continue to hold a spot in our Top 5 of the 52 for a good long time to come!

Odiorne Point, Fort Stark and Fort Constitution State Parks

Abandoned Buildings, Lighthouses, and Ghosts! A 52b452 Halloween Adventure

Tucker’s Rating – 1.5 wags for the forts (dogs aren't all that into military buildings and history but there IS lots to sniff) and 2.5 wags for Odiorne Point. 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.

The humans give the forts 3 wags each, and Odiorne Point gets 3.5 wags…. A bit better than the forts, and a place we thought we’d like to check out “in season”.

Pet Friendly - No. While we did see dog prints on the beach at Odiorne Point, NH State Parks do not allow dogs on Historic sites or beaches.

Price - 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!

Accessibility - 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.

Special Notes - 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. Portsmouth Kayak 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.

The Adventure (and forgive the length, but remember this is THREE PARKS!!!!
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.

We set out around 10:30 heading to the Portsmouth area to visit Fort Stark Historic Site, Fort Constitution State Park, and Odiorne Point State Park. 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. Check here for a list of pet-friendly parks in NH. 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!

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 Me & Ollie’s café and bakery . 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 Fresh Market 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.


Odiorne Point

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 (but you can print one off here), 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!).

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 Seacoast Science Center is also nearby and is another great place to stop. Probably something we'll do next time we go!

Fort Stark

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.

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.

Fort Constitution

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.

Walden Pond State Reservation
Transcendentalism, sunscreen, and a beautiful day. Or as Thoreau might have said, "simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!"

(three down, 49 to go!)

• Tucker’s Rating (if he could give one, dogs are not allowed) - 2 wags (and we’d give it a 3 since we got to actually see it)
• Admission Fee - $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
• Pets - NOT ALLOWED. As a matter of fact, there’s a $50 fine if you try to sneak your dog in.
• Accessible - Yes. This is a citified park. There were even people there in skirts and loafers walking the Healthy Heart Trail . 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.
• Other Activities - 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.
  

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. Walden Pond State Reservation 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.

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 Ferns Country Store 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!).

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 Main Streets Market and Cafe, 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!

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.

First task, checking out the replica of Henry David Thoreau's log home. Like I said, this is a citified 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). 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.

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 calendar of events , 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.

We hadn’t brought our bathing suits (being October those are LONG stored away) so we headed onto the Healthy Heart Trail. 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.
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. 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!

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 citified 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.

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.

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:

"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 Walden.
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!

Great Brook Farm State Park

Great Brook Farm State Park
Ice Cream, Horses, Dogs, what more could you want?

Pet Friendly – YES! Dogs and horses. Tucker gives this one 5 wags
Accessible – 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)
Special Note – This park includes a Healthy Heart Trail
Admission - $2 per car, other prices for students, seniors, etc

On Track with our 52!
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, Great Brook Farm State Park, 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.

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. The Alpine Butcher 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.

A Park for All Seasons
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 Great Brook Ski Touring Center, 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.

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. Get one now! 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.

A Few Missing Trail Markers
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.

Where To Go AFTER a Day at the Park
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. Vincenzo’s 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, Fishbones. 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.

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!

The Dry Run - Parker River National Wild Life Refuge and Sandy Point State Reservation

• Pet Friendly - no
• Accessible - yes (except for the dunes getting onto the beach.)
• Restrooms - available
• Fee - $5 per car (less for bikes)

"Outside the 52"
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 "outside the 52". 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.


On with our adventure - 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 not. 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 sans corgi.



Sandy Point State Reservation and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge are both located on Plum Island. We took the Scotland Road exit off Rt. 95 and drove past Colby Farm (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 Plum Island Grille (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!


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! The park has a bird checklist if you're really interested in seeing how many you can spot! 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.


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.


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.



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!

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.

On the way home we made a stop at Tendercrop Farm 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!

Other activities: 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.

Til the next park! This one gets added to the Bonus List - Outside the 52!

The First Steps

OK, 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?

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.

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!