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!

Exploring the "Emerald Necklace"

"We want a ground to which people may easily go when the day's work is done, and where they may stroll for an hour, seeing, hearing, and feeling nothing of the bustle and jar of the streets where they shall, in effect, find the city put far away from them..." ~ Frederick Law Olmstead, 1870 ~

Late one night I got a phone call from my sister Fran. "So, what are you doing tomorrow," she said. "I was thinking you should ride up to the city. Some of my art is being showcased at the Thayer Gallery and I thought you might like to see it." I did want to see the exhibit but I also had a bee in my bonnet. Wednesday was Earth Day 2009 and I wanted to explore "The Emerald Necklace", a series of parklands surrounding the city of Boston. Over the years I have visited Franklin Park and of course Boston Gardens and the Commons, but I had never explored the rest of the "necklace." click here for the full photo essay by Elizabeth E.

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North Shore Secret Spots and Favorite Views

"One of my favorite spots is Salisbury Beach State Reservation (off Beach Road in Salisbury)," says a DayTripper on the Massachusetts Outdoors Facebook site. "I've spent a lot of quiet time in the off season sitting on the jetty by Ben Butlers Toothpick. The place is crowded in summer but is very quiet and peaceful in the fall and winter. Other favorites are Sandy Point State Reservation (at the end of the Parker River NWR on Plum Island) at sunrise or sunset. Trustees of Reservations: Old Town Hill (off Newman Road in Newbury) offers fabulous views of the mouth of the Merrimack River and Plum Island. There are so many great spots in Massachusetts, but those are a few of my favorite North Shore spots." For more secret spots and favorite places, see Massachusetts Outdoors on Facebook. Used with permission.

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Obama Proclaims Outdoors Month

GREAT OUTDOORS MONTH, 2009

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

The United States is blessed with unparalleled natural beauty. From remote forests to urban parks, these spaces have inspired visitors for generations. Today, these areas continue to raise the human spirit in those who experience them. During the month of June, I encourage Americans to pay tribute to and preserve the great outdoors.

Americans of all ages can find calm and enjoyment in our Nation's vast outdoors. Those desiring quiet or solitude can explore one of our many National Parks, which offer tranquil and pristine surroundings. Those seeking recreation can also explore public lands, or they can simply run, bicycle, or fish in areas close to their homes. Whether near or far, the outdoors offers unique experiences.

Exploring the great outdoors can also help improve one's health. These spaces provide countless venues for walking, hiking, running, swimming, and boating, among other activities. Americans can combine the enjoyment of being outside with the exercise we all need to stay healthy.

My Administration is working to connect America's youth with our treasured landscapes, which should be viewed as classrooms for environmental education and gateways to careers in natural resources. These efforts will include outreach to those who typically lack representation in, and exposure to, these fields. The Department of the Interior is launching a summer mentoring initiative as part of this effort. This program invites families and friends to teach children about the joys and wonders of the outdoors. My Administration is also increasing the number of youth involved in national service on public lands. Through AmeriCorps and other programs and partnerships, we can continue our Nation's proud tradition of service and respect for the environment.

Americans are fortunate to have so many beautiful natural wonders and open spaces. I encourage all in our Nation to enjoy these resources and to help protect them for future generations. Together, we can carry forward our Nation's proud tradition of admiration and preservation of the great outdoors.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Great Outdoors Month. I encourage all Americans to spend more time outside and to participate in the nationwide events marking this occasion.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House - Press Office - Presidential Proclamation Great Outdoors Month

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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.

Wilderness Rafting Trips & Jobs

Many DayTrippers are planning spring and summer travels already, and this one's fairly close to home. Magic Falls Rafting Company is celebrating their 20th birthday on Maine's wilderness rivers this season. Owners Dave and Donna Neddeau, invested their savings to buy a raft, van and house trailer in 1989 and carried 38 passengers the first year. Today, the company is still family owned and operated with 41 rafts, 25 inflatable kayaks, a campground, lodge and inn for groups; recreation pavilion, retail shop on 15 acres alongside the Dead River. In 2008 the Neddeaus carried more than 6,000 rafting passengers. Note that Magic Falls is also hiring fit & experienced 18-plus guides for the summer.

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First Maple Sugaring!

• EVENT: Maple Sugaring at Land's Sake Farm
• DATE: Saturday, February 7th, 2009
• TIME: 10am-1pm
• LOCATION: Meet at the parking lot of First Parish Church (349 Boston Post Rd.)
• DETAILS: Kick off the maple sugaring season by helping tap approximately 200 maple trees around Weston. Land's Sake staff will provide a tapping demonstration and participants will be divided into groups and assigned to various locations across town. After the event, convene at the Bill McElwain Sugar House for some hot cocoa and cookies! Land's Sake is limiting this event to 50 people, so RSVP is required.
• REQUESTS: Land's Sake will provide most of the supplies, however, participants are encouraged to bring their own power drill and a 5/16" drill bit, if availalbe. This will allow for more people to be tapping at the same time. Please be on time, as groups will disperse to various locations.
• RSVP: Dave Quinn; (781) 893-1162; dave@landssake.org.

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Saddle Up for a Birthday Party!

Winter? Schminter! We're bundling up and heading out next week to celebrate my daughter's 9th birthday party at Sweet Meadow Farm in Sherborn (where she and her friend Anna blissfully attended camp last summer). At the farm, owner Patty Michaud starts birthday parties at the barn and kids get to work with ponies, then tack up the horses. Weather permitting, each guest gets to ride and feed the horses. Then everyone heads up to the pet store at the Michauds' house, where they can observe and handle the guinea pigs, kittens, birds, and other small animals. Finally, guests go upstairs at the farmhouse for a small party which includes a Sweet Meadow gift for the birthday girl. It's a bit pricey at about $30 per guest, but we are huge fans of Sweet Meadow and the party is a reward for other achievements. (Grownup Alert: Sweet Meadow is also near the Natick Mall if you want to drop off!) When we return to Lillian's, there will be a movie and "campout" in a tent in the living room. Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream on Saturday morning. Wahoo!

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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BUG Me!

Why drive thousands of miles for a vacation this year when you can have loads of fun close to home? New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods is the exclusive 2008 New England site for 13 BIG BUGS, David Rogers’ sculpture exhibit and the Web-of-Life Extravaganza through October 31. Every week there is another festival with giant sculptures, costumed characters, crafts, live bugs, lots of outdoor activities, even a Bug-Venture Guide to help you maximize your experience. Enjoy a remarkable mini-vacation each week and share the glories of Garden in the Woods with friends and family.

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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

Map Your Workout

Decrease the time you spend waiting on your bike at lights, or vary your workout by mapping your bike route or your walking/running route. One DayTripper Diva tells us: "I figure my mileage as I am training for the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure, which is 60 miles over three days in October. Am I ready....no way! (grin). But the MapMyWalk site helps."

Ah, Ipswich!

Spring is my favorite time of year up around Ipswich and Essex on the North Shore, and a May trip up there to fetch eggs from Hardy's Hatchery for our first grade chick hatching project revealed intense green fields and plenty of redbud and hawthorne trees in bloom -- and Woodman's Restaurant in Ipswich spiffing up for the season. If you're up during the hot season, Crane Beach is a hop and a skip away, but prepare for crowds and a jammed parking lot during peak hours.

Cross-Country Skiing for Kids

Get your kids involved with a fun, healthy, inexpensive, safe and relatively cheap lifetime winter sport! There is an excellent cross-country instructional league based at the Weston Ski Track, called the Bill Koch League. They encourage parents to get in on the act, too! They welcome all abilities and will teach kids 7+ how to ski and even do a bit of fun racing. There are over 80 kids in the local program. The season has a wonderful grand finale ski festival in Gunstock, NH. In December, practices will start again at our usual home-base at the Weston Ski Track on Saturdays at 9:30. In years past, our first on-snow practice is generally in mid-Dec., due to excellent snow-making equipment at Weston. For more details, email Lauren Hefferon of the Arlington Outings Club.

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"A Rotten Log Is Never Board"

In this video clip, Lauren Hefferon, who heads up the Arlington Outings Club and the Arlington-based European bike touring company Ciclismo Classico, explains a bit of nature at Great Brook Farm State Park. Hiking, biking and cross-country skiing are fabulous on the well-maintained trails, where we found, it's even fun getting lost. And the ice cream shop is awesome, with inside seating and a viewing window into the milking barn. Call ahead to book a farm tour. 984 Lowell Street, Carlisle, MA 01476; 978 369-6312.

How to Like a Monadnock Hike

Monadnock is a great climb - the 3rd or 2nd most climbed mountain in the world, they say. (Weekdays are more 'tranquil' as a result). I've hiked it to the summit twice. My daughter and wife made it most of the way up and then we decided to take another trail back down, but it doesn't get harder as you go - the difficulty level for 5-8 year olds is 'moderate to a lot' but fun, I would say. This is due to the scrambling up and down that you do. I wouldn't take them on a day when rain threatens, because a lot of the trail is scrambling over rocks and you don't want water pouring over those when feet are trying to get a good foothold - and would recommend you take children that you feel comfortable supervising, since the last thing you need is a daredevil kid bounding ahead and not taking his/her time on the rocks. - by Carl Wagner, Bishop "Green Bees" Roots & Shoots parent

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Click here for a good photo tour of Monadnock hiking.

Art of Farming at Old Frog Pond

Around the farmer's art
glow bountiful raspberries
accenting green bushes;
ample apples invite
your pies and crisps
as Old Frog Pond Farm
yields autumn fruit.

Visitors to Old Frog Pond Farm are picking organic Macs, Cortland and Golden Delicious in the orchard - Heritage is the variety of their splendid fall raspberries (photo).

Pick-Your-Own
Farmstand on the front porch
Sculpture in the studio and around the farm
Certified Organic by Baystate Organic Certifiers
Directions

Sea Turtle Rescue on Cape Cod

One of the great things about living on Cape Cod is the tremendous number of opportunities to get involved with ongoing work to preserve the environment and to protect wildlife, reported reader Rick Silva on the Dispatches Gather group. Rick and friends volunteer at the Humane Society's Cape Wildlife Center, and are involved in saltmarsh monitoring through the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (also see the author's recent article on fish monitoring with the APCC). On Monday, Rick was among a large crowd of spectators who came to Dowses Beach in Osterville MA to watch a group of sea turtles get released into the wild.

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A few of the turtles seemed a bit confused at first, but then slowly headed down the beach...

Stone Zoo's Amazing Birds of Prey

A Day Tripper reader highly recommends the Birds of Prey show currently at The Stone Zoo. The group putting on the show is from the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis. They present all rescued birds and the performance is educational as well as awe-inspiring, according to Eileen E. of Arlington, who adds that the show features about a dozen different birds and audience participation. The birds are majestic and the theatre is so small you get to see them up close. They swoop down from outside the fence and land on the trainers arm, lots of "ooohs" and "aaahs" - even really little ones were engaged. There are three shows a day, and it's well worth a day trip.

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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.