Castle Island: Where am I?

A photo taken of a passing sailboat amid vibrant yellow wildflowers.
Photo taken by Charlotte Pierce

"Am I in the city, the park, at the airport, or the beach?"

Located in South Boston, Castle Island offers a miscellany of settings, thinning the line between commercial industry and nature. It is the perfect place to take a walk, fly a kite, have a picnic, lounge in the sun, or simply contemplate life. Smack dab in the center is a large pentagon-shaped structure, known as Fort Independence. Overhead, one will continuously see the arriving airplanes, beginning their descent on Logan Airport. They are so close that one can easily see, without squinting, where the aircraft originated from. 

If you're looking for a nautical adventure, look no further than the Harry McDonough Sailing Program on the adjacent pier. When hunger sets in, Sullivan's is a quick and great place to order a "lobstah" roll or some fish n' chips! If you feel like catching your own food, bring along your fishing poles and head to the Lt. John J. McCorkle, Boston Fire Dept. Memorial Fish Pier. The seagulls will join you as they catch crabs off the seaweed-covered rocks. 

A perfect place to spend time with your "main squeeze," this place can bring back nostalgia for some. If you classify yourself as a "beachcomber," why not scavenge the beach for something of value or interest? The next big photographer or lacking in creativity? Castle Island's varied landscape lets you experiment with different camera angles, perspectives, and lighting. 

If nothing I hinted at seemed to "float your boat," then at least come to 'people watch.' You might even come across two elderly women, matching in their white sweatshirts and blue pants, taking in the sights through their binoculars!!! 

Into the Mystic - and Stonington

Stonington & Mystic, Connecticut, are less than 2 hours from Boston and make a fabulous extended day trip at any time of year.

Stonington's big draw is a charming, very walkable village known as Stonington Borough, with several terrific restaurants on Water Street, which is the narrow, one-way main road along the water through town. Noah's and the Water Street Cafe are both charming, casual, with upscale menus, open for lunch and dinner, reasonably priced, and Skipper's Dock is on the water, in good weather definitely opt for the deck, good food, especially seafood. Boom is at Dodson's Marina and has a view of the water, a little pricier and the food's richer. The best and most charming place for coffee, tea and cookies in Stonington Borough is The Yellow House.

Water Street is lined with wonderful antique stores, art galleries, marine shops, unique clothing boutiques, and such, but it's relatively low key, very tasteful and not too touristy. Lots of artsy New Yorkers summer here, but there's also a working group of fishing boats. Down near the boats, there's a house where you can buy local fish and scallops on the honor system. You just pick out what you want, put the money through a slot, and take your change out of a can. There's a farmer's market nearby every Saturday morning in season, and some gorgeous old captain's houses. Everyone likes to walk around on the docks and see the boats at Dodson's - there are some beautiful classic yachts there. The lighthouse (above) and museum at the end of the Water Street is open to the public, and you can climb up to the light for spectacular views. Nearby, the Palmer House is also worth a visit, as is Stonington Vineyards, which is open year 'round and offers tours. (continued below)

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Just down the road is Mystic (interesting note, Mystic is not a town - half of it is part of Stonington and half is part of Groton). The Mystic Seaport Museum is definitely worth a visit - you and/or your kids will love climbing over the old ships. There are restaurants in and near Mystic Seaport, but the best is Bravo Bravo in Mystic Village for either lunch or dinner. The village has good shopping, a little touristy, but the drawbridge is fun to watch - the river's busy, so it goes up and down a lot.

On the way home, go via Rt 1 through Westerly, RI. In Charleston, stop at the Fantastic Umbrella Factory on the Old Post Rd. - a unique shopping experience. It's a collection of artsy shops in old barns and sheds with treasures like great inexpensive clothing, cards, musical instruments, toys, jewelry, and posters - a really crazy mix. There's also a good vegetarian restaurant called the Spice of Life alongside a garden center and petting zoo and farm. It's straight out of the hippie sixties! I think it's just open weekends. Definitely not upscale, but fun.

The nice thing about heading to Rhode Island and Connecticut is that people from Boston mostly go to the Cape, so even on busy summer weekends, there's not a lot of traffic coming and going - and it only takes a bit more than 1.5 hours to reach Stonington and Mystic.

- The Day Tripper Divas thank reader Betsy Baldwin for this excellent roundup!

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Schooner Sailing in Gloucester

When you visit Gloucester, consider a two-hour sail on the 65-foot schooner, the Thomas E. Lannon. Kay Ellis and family built the boat from scratch about 10 years ago. “We went out into the woods, cut the trees down, and went from there, but that’s another whole story,” says Kay. sail on the Lannon can be the highlight of a trip to Gloucester! Check for seasonal availability on the website or call 971-281-6634.

Paddle One, Paddle All!

The Department of Conservation and Recreation's Universal Access program announced the summer 2008 schedule for the DCR's adaptive paddling program for individuals with disabilities and their family members and friends. The program is carried out in conjunction with Outdoor Recreation of Hopkinton, Spot Pond Boating, and Eastern Mountain Sports.

Hopkinton State Park (Hopkinton, MA) Thursdays 10 AM- 4 PM: July 10, 17, 24, 31, August 7, 14, 21 (Rain date August 28).

Spot Pond (Stoneham, MA) Fridays 10 AM - 4 PM: July 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15, 22. (Rain date August 29).

(Note: The Hopkinton sessions can get a bit crowded, but the Spot Pond programs usually have plenty of room.)

Each session will consist of 20 to 30-minute guided kayak tours. A certified adaptive paddling instructor and lifeguard will join the participants on the water.

Fee is $5 per participant and free for one guest. There will be an $8 fee for each additional guest that wants to participate. This program is subsidized by DCR, EMS and ORH. Please call the EMS Kayak School at 401-762-8585 to make a reservation.

For other accessible DCR summer activities & events, click here.

Oceans of Fun in Woods Hole

Woods Hole makes a great day destination from Greater Boston. In the far part of Falmouth, there is the free Woods Hole Science Aquarium run by the National Fisheries Service (check hours) and a museum at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute focusing on underwater exploration and climate change.

Woods Hole and Falmouth also have some neat beaches that usually aren't overrun with tourists. Our favorite, especially for young children, is Woodneck Beach in Falmouth - part of it is a very calm marsh/sandpit area with tons of hermit crabs, and other creatures. .

There 's a fun bakery called Pie in the Sky in Woods Hole with outdoor tables, casual but nice, with great meal choices. Also Falmouth proper, near the center of town, has a brand new large playground with all kinds of cool ocean-related things; including a little
lighthouse you can climb up; it's very close to the library; by an elementary school.

We have family in Falmouth; so we go there quite often. It's about 1 3/4 hr. drive, with no traffic (we go down the 128 to Rt. 24 way). It's best to avoid rush hour, for a day trip, leaving VERY early in the a.m. is recommended.

Many thanks for this day trip tip from Jeanne Wells Hobbie, formerly of the Arlington Family Connection board, and director of Mystic River Musik.

Perfect Fun at Kimball Farm

Recognize the cover of The Compleat Day Tripper? Once again, my son's annual birthday party expedition to Kimball Farm on Friday night was perfect. This is the fourth in a row! Birthday parties are an easy do-it-yourself operation at Kimball Farm. We went from the bumper boats, to the mini-golf, back to the bumper boats, then pizza and ice cream! There's also a driving range and playground, and a great grill service during the summer with shaded picnic tables. You can put together goodie bags with candy & knicknacks from the Country Store. Kimball Farm can be crowded with school & camp groups, but it wasn't yesterday, probably because of the heat & humidity (not a problem for five 13-year-olds with 3 gallons of ice water! The crowds seemed to thin out after about 5 p.m. Phone (978) 486-3891. Prices range from $7.50 for bumper boats to $10 a round ($6 repeats) for mini-golf; discounts bundles and children to age 12.

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.

Paddle One, Paddle All

Outdoor Recreation of Hopkinton and Spot Pond Boating will be running the Universal Access paddling program in concert with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) this summer. Outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and physical abilities are encouraged to contact Outdoor Recreation of Hopkinton at or email on or after June 9th to reserve a spot. You can reserve weekly or for the entire nine-week season. Gear and assistance is provided on request.

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Explore 350 Great Destinations in The Compleat Day Tripper!

Transport Yourself on a Day Trip!

Take the Red Line to Harvard Square, hop the Blue Line to the Aquarium, take the Commuter Rail to Ipswich - or any number of trains or buses to Boston Common for an afternoon of skating at Frog Pond. A day of riding buses and trains can be a a great day trip in itself for many children, and an added bonus is that it's also a great way to teach your kids about the environmental benefits of public transportation. There's even the water taxi at Boston Harbor! A great site for determining how to get from point A to point B via train, bus, boat, or foot is HopStop. The site works for Boston - and New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Chicago. The MBTA has a great site, too.

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Harbor Cruise to the Hull Wind Turbine

This annual cruise is sponsored by the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance, and it's not only fun, but very informative for all ages! It starts at Rowes Wharf in Boston Harbor. In 2006, the Town of Hull won the Department of Energy's Wind Power Pioneer Award and now generates a significant amount of electricity for the Town throught its two wind turbines. Enjoy the photos!