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!

Mountain biking on reservation lands

Dust off those wheels and tune 'er up! When trails dry out sufficiently, usually by mid-May, Leominster State Forest offers some of the best mountain biking around, within an easy day trip of Metro Boston. Click here to see a trail map. For general information on trails on central/western Massachusetts accessible lands, plus conditions and opening dates and ways to volunteer and contribute, contact The Trustees of Reservations, Doyle Community Park Center, 464 Abbott Ave., Leominster, MA 01453; phone: 978-840-4446.

Other Trustees of Reservations properties that allow mountain biking include Brooks Woodland, with 693 acres and 13.5 miles of trails at East St. and Quaker Dr, Petersham; North Common Meadow, with 25 acres and a half-mile trail at 22 North main St & 27 East St, Petersham; and Tully River Campground with 31 acres and 22 miles of trails at 25 Doane Hill Rd, Royalston, 978-840-4446. You can also bike some of the trails at Willard Brook State Forest. Rt 119. Townsend, MA. 978-597-8802; and Pearl Hill State Park, New Fitchburg Rd. West Townsend, MA. 978-597-8802.

When you're on the trail, Tweet your photos and reports to @DayTripperDiva to win biking gear! The Johnny Appleseed Visitors' Center would also like to see your photos and videos of biking in North Central Mass; post on Facebook page or upload to their website.

Beat the Heat at Reservoir Beach

Finally, it feels like summer! DayTrippers can keep cool locally - and frugally - at Arlington's Reservoir Beach. Located on Lowell Street in Arlington Heights, Reservoir Beach has a filtered/chlorinated swimming area, bathhouse, playground, and is supervised by certified lifeguards. Get a daily or a seasonal pass at the Recreation Department at 422 Summer Street or at Reservoir Beach. Arlington residents get a break on the gate price; season tags are an even better deal.

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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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Secret Spots and Favorite Places

This isn't really a secret, since it's an Audubon trail, but the High Ledges in Shelburne are beautiful. To get there you take Route 2 (Mohawk Trail) West from Boston, take a right at the sign for Davenport's Sugar House, and then follow the signs to the High Ledges. The signs are small and wooden, not big road signs. The walk is an easy, flat 30 minutes, and the view of the Deerfield Valley when you get to the ledges is spectacular. Great for little kids or older folks.

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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

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.

Middlesex Fells Hiking

The DayTripper Divas & families love the Fells, year-round! Click here for photos.

"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.

Near & Far - Our Gather Dispatches

Bike the Boston Area with Ciclismo Classico Short, local bike tours around Greater Boston, emphasis on open spaces, wildlife, farms, & natural settings.

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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...