Public Skating in Metro NW

Public skating at town recreation centers like "The Rec" (or TRex as my son used to call it) in Arlington is well underway. Arlington's Veterans' Memorial Rink is located at 422 Summer St. and public skating hours there are on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Town rinks like the Arlington Rec often have skate rentals and sharpening services, along with a concession stand and vending machines.

Other public skating around the area can be found at the charming Frog Pond at Boston Common, Burlington Ice Palace, The Charles Hotel, Chelmsford Forum, Larz Anderson Skating Rink, Murphy Skating Rink, Puopolo Park/Mirabella Pool/Steriti Memorial Rink, Simoni Memorial Rink, and The Skating Club of Boston. (We'll be adding specific links to these places soon, but you can click here for DCR's statewide list, sorted by town).

Childcare & Preschool Options Book

Arlington Family Connection has just released its 2006 edition of Childcare & Preschool Options in Arlington. This comprehensive booklet of preschools, daycare centers and other childcare options is a must-have resource for parents in Arlington and surrounding communities. The booklets are available for sale for $8 at the PTO Thrift Shop (basement of Fox Library, 175 Mass. Ave., E. Arlington) and at Isis Maternity (397 Mass. Ave., Arlington). They are also available for sale for $9 (includes shipping and handling) through Arlington Family Connection's website.

GMaps Pedometer Saves the Day

According to its founder, the GMaps Pedometer is a "little hack" that uses Google's amazing mapping application to help record distances traveled for a walk, run or hike, without having to drag a GPS or pedometer around - a potential day-saver for a Day Tripper with a child in a backpack or stroller or someone with limited endurance. Other tools like Google Earth or MapQuest are easier for calculating driving distances - after all, this tool is called a pedometer - you must add individual points for all the twists and turns in your route to get an accurate distance. Click map for a larger image of this sample walk at Willard Brook State Forest.

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Only a few more days to use the Regent Theatre's
two-for-two Voltaic Vaudeville ticket coupon!

Stow Away for Airplanes & Apples!

Stow's the place to be this weekend - while you're devouring your "$100 Hamburger" on the terrace of Nancy's Airfield Cafe, you can watch your 8-to-17-year-old take a small airplane ride (free every 2nd Saturday of the month), courtesy of the Young Eagles based at Minuteman Airfield. Then, Nancy recommends picking a few apples & pumpkins in the crisp autumn air at nearby Shelburne Farms, Carver Hill (try the ice cream!) - or join the throngs at Honey Pot Hill. Nearby you'll also find the Fruitlands Museum (a former Alcott house) a cozy place featuring a Shaker cafe, Native American dioramas by Henry Brooks, a gorgeous view, and free concerts on Thursdays. Nancy, who's big on using local natural foods in her cafe, will tell you how to get to local organic farms like the Small Farm, Applefield, and Blue Heron. If you still have time and energy after all this, take in the Children's Discovery Museum in Acton on the way home! This Perfect Day Trip will be covered in further detail in the blog, and many of the destinations Nancy told the Divas about are in our book, The Compleat Day Tripper - and the cafe website has directions, maps, and more area links - but of course Nancy is the best source of information!

Get $200 in Exclusive Coupons

Our $200 coupon inserts are still available for Dispatches readers to download and print - just click through to our sponsors page.

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Harvard Square makes a Perfect Day Trip almost any time, but when the fun, funky, and fabulous Oktoberfest hit the Square on Sunday October 8, the Divas were there, right next to our sponsors, Children's Technology Workshop! We wish to thank our fabulous AHS booth workers Silvain and Claire-Marie and Jule & Ben with their hobby-horse polo, and all you loyal Day Trippers who stopped by!

Oktoberfest Coupons

Harvard Square makes a Perfect Day Trip almost any time, but the weekend of October 8, 2006 was special, when the fun, funky, and fabulous Oktoberfest hit the Square. The Day Tripper Divas were there, and wish to thank all you Day Trippers who stopped by! We still have the $200 coupon inserts for Dispatches readers to download and print - just click through to our sponsors page.