Experience History on the Menotomy Trail

Created as a Scout project, the new Menotomy Minuteman Historical Trail guide tells the exciting history of Arlington, Massachusetts, the site of the most fighting and bloodshed on the opening day of the Revolutionary War, April 19th, 1775.

You can bike or walk the Trail past many important historic landmarks, such as the Jason Russell House, the Old Schwamb Mill, and the Uncle Sam Memorial. At roughly the halfway point along the trail, walkers stop at the Foot of the Rocks, where the largest engagement occurred as over 1,500 British troops were ambushed by colonial militias from all over Massachusetts at the start of the Revolutionary War.

The 4-mile Trail follows a loop that begins and ends at the Jefferson Cutter house in Arlington Center. It is designed for self-guided walking tours for anyone interested in American history, including families, school groups, and Boy Scout and Girl Scout units. Parking is available in the municipal parking lot in Arlington Center. Anyone interested in walking the Trail should dress for the weather and wear comfortable, supportive shoes. For those unable to complete the entire loop, there are opportunities to return to the starting point via MBTA buses.

You can download the Trail guides on-line, or pick up a printed copy at the Jason Russell House, the Jefferson Cutter House, the Old Schwamb Mill, or the Robbins Memorial Library. For more information, feel free to click here to contact the Arlington Boy Scouts.

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Tide Pooling at Wingaersheek

Dear Dispatches: Recently, we visited Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, MA, about 40 minutes from 2/128 up on the North Shore. The weather was great and it was low tide, which is perfect at this beach because there are tons of really cool tide pools to play around in. The kids, even the small ones, had a great time in the extended stretch of shallow water off the beach. On the way back we stopped for some fried whole clams and scallops in Essex. The lines were long, but it was worth it. - Stacey Sao, publisher of Boston Central

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Editor's Note: We recommend getting to Wingaersheek early or late for close-in parking ($20 weekdays; $25 on weekends; $15 after 3; free after 5), or bring an extra adult for dropoff so small children don't have to walk too far.

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Explore Hundreds of Family-Tested Destinations in The Compleat Day Tripper Boston & Cape Editions!

Great! Brook Farm

We love Great Brook Farm! The parking fee is only $2; there are easy hiking trails, the pond has a canoe launch and they claim it has fish. You'll see farm animals, there are honey bees in a see-through enclosure (my son loves that part), and the ice cream is delicious! Arguably, the best time at Great Brook Farm is the winter - the trails are open for cross country skiing. They even have one trail that is lit by lanterns so you can cross-country ski under the moonlight. The directions are on the DCR website. - Sue Leone Linder, Arlington

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Explore 350 Great Destinations in The Compleat Day Tripper!

Heading to the Harbor Islands

The Harbor Islands make a great day trip out of Boston Harbor Tours at Long Wharf. The boat ride itself is a blast, and George’s Island offers tours of Fort Warren, an old stone fort that's fun to explore, with lots of paths to walk on and open areas to run around (wear shoes and dodge the goose gifts).There are tons of fun kid-friendly things to do on many of the Harbor Islands and at Hull. Nantasket Beach on the Hull peninsula is a favorite, but be advised that the boat landing in Hull does not really get you very near the beach, though there are taxis.

The Care & Feeding of Day Trips

The Day Tripper Divas have teamed up with Google's Feedburner (below). Get the widget for your desktop, and you'll see all the updates the minute they are posted!

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Perpetual Motion Saves the Rainy Day

I just have to thank you again for your book. My friend and I (plus two 2 year olds and a baby) just spent 3 blissful hours on a rainy day at Perpetual Motion in Lowell. We would never have heard of it without the Compleat Day Tripper. - Christine Power Thielman, Arlington

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Editor's Note: Perpetual Motion now offers areas for school-age kids as well as pre-schoolers, plus they offer a coupon for Dispatches subscribers. Please visit our sponsor site to claim your discount!

Botanical Delights in Acton

The Day Tripper Divas recently rediscovered that Acton Arboretum, near the town's center, is an easy place to take a stroll and get a beautiful botanical education. Choose from the Orchard Loop, the Wildflower Loop, or the Highland/Bog Loop; and/or take a picnic and visit the nearby nursery. Enter via Wood Lane, Minot Avenue, or Taylor Road. Information is availalble at the website or by calling the arborists at 978-264-9631. The site is in Acton, about 15 minutes from 2/128. Many pathways are wheelchair/stroller friendly, and the Arboretum is working on making more trails accessible.

Low-Carbon Road Trip

Have you ever wanted to drive across the country? A New England Roots & Shoots Youth Leadership Council member's family is doing just that – on biodiesel fuel! Here’s a passage from their blog: "This summer we are planning a cross-country activism trip to see as many of the National Parks and the lands across America as we can before they are permanently impacted by the effects of climate change. Along the way, we will be visiting as many organic cafes, farmers markets, "green" yoga studios, biodiesel stations and sustainable businesses as possible to include in our video documentary." Stay tuned for more about this amazing trip!

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Roots & Shoots New England is now a Day Tripper Dispatches sponsor! Click here to learn more about Roots & Shoots, the international youth organization founded by renowned primate researcher and environmental activist, Jane Goodall.

Discover the Forest on Drumlin's New Trail

Drumlin Farm's new Forest Discovery Trail is a favorite with younger children, reports Banks Poor of Mass Audubon - a fact confirmed by my own daughter, who is attending Explorers Camp for incoming 2nd graders there this week. This interactive trail through the famous Red Pine Forest lets visitors explore the forest as one of the animals. You can get a hawk's-eye view of dinner, build a gnome home, and cozy up in a giant bird's nest. The trail habitat is a unique change of pace from the farmyard and a wonderful place for nature lovers of all ages to hike, explore, and learn more about the forest and the animals who inhabit it. - by Charlotte Pierce

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We invite you to "Gather" with the Day Tripper Divas!

Art Goes Wild! at Garden In The Woods

Garden in the Woods' ART GOES WILD! exhibit runs daily through October 31, 2007. The site-specific environmental art installation features eleven "Destination Gardens" by W. Gary Smith, and celebrates 75 years of New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods. Live demonstrations and exhibit are included with admission.

• July 28: Demo "Best Native Plants for Fall Color"
• July 29: Family series "Les Julian and Color Outside the Lines"
• Aug 6, 10 am: Live Animal Show "Owls of New England"
• Aug 26: ART GOES WILD Meadow Madness festival
• Aug 11, 5:30 pm: ART GOES WILD Twilight Music Series with D'Rafael of Gitano
• Sept 15, all day: Gardener's Day Festival
• Oct 14, 12-4 pm: Fall Family Festival

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"WILD" gift purchases, native plant purchases, and memberships support the Society’s plant conservation programs. Click here for Exclusive Garden in the Woods Dispatches Coupon

'Tripping Into Plimoth

Early one morning this week, I traveled down Route 3A in Plymouth on my way to Manomet to have breakfast with [some friends]. This is a Saturday morning ritual . . . it's a time for us to connect, share ideas and talk about the books we're reading and the places we have been during the week. After a hearty breakfast at The Three Sisters, by 8:45 I was traveling north on 3A when I saw the sign for Plimoth Plantation. Although I knew that as a Massachusetts teacher, admission would be free, I chose not to go in the Visitor's Center and check in. Instead, I took the winding staff path past the Visitor's Center to the Wampanoag Homesite. Though it was fun watching the young women in the Pilgrim costumes and imagining being a young maiden wearing layers of long skirts, but I'm glad I live in the 21st century! - adapted from a contribution by Elizabeth Mills Evans of Gather (see Golfing for Crabs)

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Golfing for Crabs

Netting crab on a small brook that runs into Cape Cod Bay this week yielded some improvement in her golf swing as well as 20 tasty crabs, said Dispatches reader and Gather member Elizabeth Mills Evans While her friend Laurun snapped photos, Elizabeth said she "got into the swing" of it and started to "feel like an old pro." After enjoying crab salad the first day, she was inspired to write up another recipe:

Crab & Rice Casserole

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup cooked rice; 6 to 8 oz. crab meat; 5 hard-cooked eggs; 1 C. mayonnaise; 1/2 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce; grated onion; 1 6 oz. can evaporated milk; pinch of tarragon. DIRECTIONS: Mix all ingredients. Put in buttered shells or casserolle dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

"While I was crabbing, Laurun took these pictures of this 'old pro' with my camera," noted Elizabeth. View more photos and read about our upcoming Compleat Day Tripper: Cape Cod & South Coast edition.

Greener 'Tripper Transport

Back by popular demand from the green-travel crowd are a couple of sites that Dispatches readers discovered last year for determining how to get from point A to point B via train, bus, boat, foot, bike, roller blades - or all of the above! You can plan HopStop trips in Boston - and New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Chicago. The MBTA's "Trip Planner" is a great tool for getting around Metro Boston and the suburbs, too.

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Click here for a preview of recent Dispatches postings!

Bike 'N Play

We found a great playground just past Lexington Center on the Minuteman Bikeway. Called Parker Field Playground, this bike 'n play destination has playing fields of all sorts and a beautiful, large, new playground that's ideal for toddlers as well as older kids. If you remember the multi-tiered wooden climbing apparatus that used to be at Parker, there's a shiny new structure there now. There are the typical climbing contraptions and slides, plus a really neat artificial rock to climb, which was a big attraction for our 3 1/2-year-old. There were probably a dozen or more parents there with bikes and kids, and we even met another family from Arlington Heights, so it seems to be a popular destination for Minuteman Trail users. Highly recommended! - Thanks to Dispatches reader and "Velo Fellow" Andrew Conway for this destination review! Click map image to enlarge it, or click here to download a PDF map of the Minuteman Bikeway.

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Read about 350 other family-tested destinations in
The Compleat Day Tripper: Metro Boston Edition!

The Great Beach Cape'R

(Drum Roll, please! . . . ) ...and now, the first of several samplings from our upcoming Compleat Day Tripper: Cape & South Coast edition! The new book, scheduled for release in Summer 2008, is researched and annotated by our latest Day Tripper Diva, Marlissa Briggett, herself a longtime summer Cape Cod visitor and writer for Cape Cod Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix and other publications.

Off-the-Beaten Beaches

Cape Cod vacationers traditionally make a beeline for the beaches, but what if you want some space to fly kites, have a picnic, or go beachcombing? Diva Marlissa has discovered some lesser-known beaches you might like to try, and some great strategies for avoiding the crowds (you'll read more in the book):

• Scusset Beach State Reservation, Sandwich
• Bass Hole/Gray's Beach. Yarmouthport
• Rock Harbor, Orleans
• Uncle Tim’s Bridge, Wellfleet
• Red River Beach, Dennis
• West Dennis Beach (kite flying area)

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Wonderment

Loss Gives Permission

I walk through broken landscape
---that's been around a long, long time.
It's beautiful, these cornices now at knee level.
---Wrong, but beautiful.
A mist floats me to a different place
---I couldn't have gotten to on my own.
The greens of the garden are heightened, multitudes of smells effuse.
I belong, it is familiar. A bit of wonderment as to how.
No frolicking, no running.
---Slowness seeps in.
A new speed to step into.

By Julie Kuhn, Jamaica Plain

Organic Education

Strawberry picking with 3 kids last week at Land's Sake Farm was a great experience, and even though it was the day after their Strawberry Festival, we managed three quick pints. The farm stand offered a nice selection of early greens, shallots, jam & honey, and the promise of much more was growing nearby.

This 30-acre organic farm emphasizes education with camps like Green Power for middle schoolers going throughout the summer, programs for urban kids, and after-school and weekend educational offerings during the school year.