Care for some cranberries with your football?

Photo by Caitlin Morrow

Football season is right around the corner and many New Englanders are setting their sights for Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place. But for the rest of us, a picturesque, quintessentially New England secret lurks just behind Bass Pro Shops at Patriot Place. For those who've had enough of sports, concerts or shopping, the Ocean Spray cranberry bog and half-mile nature trail is a great spot to take the kids to see wildlife like birds or turtles, and for strolling couples and active walkers looking for a change of scenery.

Look! A Crane!

This cranberry bog was planted in 1929. Because the flower of the cranberry looks like the crane, head, and beak of a sandhill crane, the name "crane berry" came to be. Dating back to the 17th century, these berries have been used for medicinal purposes and health benefits. Along the path, there are red signs that reveal information about cranberries and their environment. It's a perfect blend of history and nature. 

Fauna with your flora

On our recent visit, the DayTripper Divas spotted an adorable pair of turtles, perched on a small wooden plank, basking in the warmth of the sun, and an "aw, so cute" escaped our lips. A variety of other animals are await explorers of all ages here.

Photo by Caitlin Morrow

With a separate parking lot, a sign pointing you in the right direction, and a DCR "Healthy Trail" certification, this destination is a hidden gem. We visited in mid-summer, but it's also strikingly beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing and the bright-red cranberry harvest is underway!

King Richard's Faire

Every year, King Richard's Faire comes to Carver on week-ends from September through the end of October. Our Divas went on Sept. 3rd, the first day of the Faire, when Carverites can attend for free (admission is usually $26.). Once you are within the gates, everything is quite expensive. Reading reviews about the Faire, we can understand why some people feel it's "outrageously overpriced." But if you don't eat at the Faire, you can save quite a bit and still enjoy the sights and entertainment. - from Elizabeth Evans via Gather.

The Paper House ~ Recycling in the 20's

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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The Trees of Harvard Yard

Harvard University turns out to be a great place to take out-of-town guests - and take in some natural splendor at the same time (see map). As the center of Harvard University since its founding in 1636, Harvard Yard has always been a popular tourist attraction. Each year, countless faculty, students, locals, and tourists from every corner of the globe pass through the green oasis in the middle of the urban jungle. Even with outrageous real estate costs, Harvard has chosen to expand its space in the Allston area of Boston rather than sacrifice its priceless green space. The diverse green canopy that extends over the campus each summer only adds to the reputation and tradition that surround Harvard. "The [trees of the] Yard exude a sense of security and stability in a dynamic and ephemeral society," muses Harvard grad Ryan Lynch, creator of a fabulous interactive map to the arboreal splendor of this icon of American acadaemia.

North Shore Outings

Opening Day Celebration, Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich - May 23

• 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - What better way to launch the summer season and check out this favorite North Shore destination? View the Student Clothesline Art Show, timber frame construction demonstration, new colonial house display, maypole dance, antique carriages, crafts, food, and more. Visit the new and improved gift store or take a tour of the houses. The event is co-sponsored by Mercury Brewing Company, makers of Ipswich Ale, who will present the history of beer making. Admission: free. Address: Ipswich Historical Society, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA 01938. Information: 978-356-2811.

Also around the North Shore this weekend and in the coming week:


Stevens-Coolidge Place House Tours, Stevens-Coolidge Place, North Andover - May 23- 24

• 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Discover how the Coolidge family transformed an early 19th-century farm into a bucolic summer estate in the early 1900s. The house features murals, a tavern ballroom, and original collections of furniture, glass, porcelain, textiles and personal belongings. Recommended for children 8 years and older. Fees: Members: Free and Nonmembers: Adult (18 and older): $8 and Children: $5. The spectacular gardens are free and open to all, sunrise to sunset. Address: Stevens-Coolidge Estate, 137 Andover Street, North Andover, MA 01845. Tel: 978-921-1944 x4009.

Newburyport Spring Fest, Downtown Newburyport - May 24 - 25

• 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Enjoy spring and merchant hospitality in Newburyport as art, crafts, food & music fill downtown for Newburyport Spring Fest 2009. Downtown Newburyport, Market Square, Newburyport, MA 01950. Tel: 978-462-6680.

Young Farmers, Appleton Farms, Ipswich- May 26

• 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Become a first-hand farmhand as you dig in the dirt, compare compost, plant seeds, grow crops, churn butter, spin wool, care for cows, and more! Fees: Members: $72 per session and Nonmembers: $90 per session. Please pre-register. Address: Appleton Farms, 219 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938. Tel: 978-356-5728 x15.

Traditional Quilting, Ipswich Museum & Historical Society, Ipswich - May 26

• 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Classes to adults and middle school students in the traditional quilting by teacher and quilter, Rhonda Galpern, of the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell. Times: Adults: 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. and Students: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Fees: Adults: $65, students: $55. Address: Ipswich Museum & Historical Society, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA 01938. Tel: 978-356-2811.
  

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DayTripping from Farm to Factory

During the early days of the industrial revolution, thousands left their farms for work in Massachusetts's growing cities of industry. Later, immigrants came to work in the great mills. Together, these forces changed indelibly our natural and cultural landscape. This day trip links three Department of Conservation and Recreation facilities through the story of MA’s transition from a farming community to an industrial society. Begin your trip at Great Brook Farm State Park to see an example of the landscape from which mill workers originally came. Examine a display of agricultural history, and then take a walk among the fields and forest. In Lowell, see how the power of the Merrimack River transformed Lowell into an industrial center. Drive along the Merrimack, looking across at the industrial landscape it enabled. Complete your trip at Lawrence Heritage State Park, where waterpower, the planned city, and immigration are illustrated in its engaging museum exhibits.

Visit Farm to Factory: the transition from Farming to an Industrial Society by Tim Rayworth, Mass. DCR Environmental Education Coordinator

Political Places of Boston - Downtown Walking Tour

Political Places of Boston
by Muddy River Press

Many of the places covered in the guidebook Political Places of Boston are located downtown or in adjacent neighborhoods. Walking is a wonderful to visit these places. This guidebook complements the other walking tours of Boston such as the popular Freedom Trail. However, if you limit yourself to the Freedom Trail, you will miss several, important, downtown political sites. Click here for a fascinating, in-depth tour that brings you back to where you began. Take the book with you for a complete experience.

En Garde in Worcester!

PLEASE NOTE: The Higgins Armory Museum has been closed. The collection was distributed  to other museums in the Worcester area.

Last weekend, we revisited one of our favorite winter indoor destinations - the unique Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester. Worcester steel magnate John Woodman Higgins assembled this one-of-a-kind collection in the early 1900s, and when when his wife kicked the collection out of their house, he erected a stunning steel building to house it!
On weekends, the Higgins offers demonstrations on armor, swordplay and other aspects of medieval life and combat. There's also a great kids' zone with a giant chess game and dress-up area, and a several authentic pieces of armor that kids can try on. At kids' birthday parties, the birthday boy or girl gets to be King or Queen in the Great Hall (for members only). Originally recommended by stained glass artist Dan Maher for one of our early Dispatches. About an hour from Boston but street access in Worcester is tricky; take a good map. Phone 508-853-9697.

Walden in Winter

The sunlight was perfect at Walden Pond from 2 to 4 pm on on Jan. 4. My son and I found that walking the 1.7-mile pond trail loop was a great time to reconnect and have a free-flowing talk, easy and from the heart. Strangers seemed oddly familiar and wished us "Happy New Year." The parking is $5 but the machine was broken so we wrote a note that we would leave a donation; the store reopens on January 15.

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A Nature Walk Second to None

Lynn Woods Reservation is the second largest municipal park in the greater Boston area. This 2,200 acre forest reserve consists of ponds, wetlands, streams, deciduous/evergreen forest and rocky ledge. The ponds provide the drinking water for the residents of Lynn and surrounding communities. Wildlife abounds in the forest. Well over 100 species of birds inhabit or seasonally frequent the woods. A large rodent population supports such predators as hawks, owls and red tail fox. More than an aquifer, more than a wildlife preserve, more than a natural experience, Lynn Woods can provide a rare adventure.

So head on over for a nature walk second to none - and a great view of downtown Boston. You will come to love and appreciate the woods like the early settlers and citizens who wisely preserved it for future generations. For more information on events in Lynn Woods, contact the Ranger at 781-477-7123 - and send some photos to the DayTripper Divas' photo contest!

- by Laurel Collins

New Bedford Bound!

It was a sunny day (that always helps on a Day Trip) when my husband and I set off for a jaunt to New Bedford. It was an easy hour's drive and we quickly found an on-street meter (not enforced on weekends).

Our first stop was the National Park Service's visitor center, where we grabbed a map of the area and directions to our two planned destinations. First was the Seamen's Bethel, a small chapel for whaling crews, where the pulpit is in the shape of the bow of a ship (that was also featured in the movie of Moby Dick).

Our next stop was New Bedford Whaling Museum where we spent nearly two hours wandering the halls learning about the local New Bedford glass industry as well as distant whaling adventures that the area is known for.

After the whaling museum, we decided to make the 10-minute walk to the Rotch Jones Duff House & Garden Museum to see a 19th century sea captain's manse as well as the nicely maintained garden, renting the recorded headsets for a self-guided tour, which added to the value of the trip.

Despite adding on the Duff House, there were many more spots in New Bedford area we wanted to check out. We shall return!

-by Caroline Ronten, DayTripper Sales & Marketing Diva

Save the Date for Ed-Ventures on Sept. 19-21

Join the Family Resource Center of New England for a weekend of American "Ed-Ventures" and connect with a wide variety of family enrichment and homeschooling activities. Inspired by the upcoming election—and in the spirit of fun, learning and good citizenship—this year’s theme highlights significant historical and scientific events from America’s past that will encourage students to think of ways that they too can make a difference in our country’s future. The FRC Museum & Community Education Expo 2008 runs September 19 - 21, 2008 in Boxborough, MA.

History Comes Alive in Sturbridge

See history come alive in quiet simplicity in Old Sturbridge Village, a little southwest of Worcester. This is a settlement created by gathering together and restoring original buildings from towns throughout New England. Trained guides demonstrate colonial life in this re-creation of an 1830s New England village. There are more than 40 restored structures, including a school, a tavern, a few churches, a meeting house, a bank, some shops, and several homes. In addition, there's a working farm and a water-powered mill. The costumed staff demonstrates the making of soap, bread,shoes, tinware, and even horseshoes, all in historically accurate costumes. Map

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.

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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'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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Trains of Our National Heritage

The Day Tripper Divas recently visited a model railroading exhibition at the Museum of Our National Heritage in Lexington, which runs interesting cultural programs all year, including two railroad shows in the winter. The HUB Division of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) was chartered in 1958 and draws members from Eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. The Northeast Ntrak Model Railroad Club arrives at MONH for a similar show on Feb. 17 & 18. Enjoy the photos!

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Thar She Blows! at the New Bedford Whaling Museum

The annual Moby Dick Marathon isn't the only reason to visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum, one of the more unique museums around. From the giant blue whale skeleton to the Lagoda, the world's largest ship model, this place is pure New England. And, if you were lucky on Jan. 3-4, you caught part of the 11th annual Moby Dick Marathon in about the most appropriate setting possible.

Read an article on the Melville Marathon and more
on the museum by Marlissa Briggett.

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Marlissa Briggett writes for the Cape Cod Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix and other publications, and is the author of The Compleat Day Tripper: Cape Cod & S. Coast Edition (scheduled for publication by Pierce Press in 2007). She can be reached via email.

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Swords & Play at Higgins Armory Museum

The Divas finally made it through snow and sleet on Dec. 30 to visit the Higgins Armory Museum, a truly unique museum in Worcester, originally recommended by Dispatches reader Dan Maher for one of our early issues There are great demonstrations on the weekends, plus a great kids' zone with a giant chess game and dress-up area, and a host of armor collected by Worcester steel magnate John Woodman Higgins in the early 1900's. At kids' birthday parties, the birthday boy or girl gets to be King or Queen in the Great Hall (for members only). Call 508-853-9697.