Modern Day Thoreau » weekend

Perfect Fall Weekend in New England

admin — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:02:08 +0000

The Fall in New England is b y far one of the most special and beautiful places to be. The leaves changing colors, the crisp morning air, and of course the build up to Halloween. This weekend, the 9th and 10th of October, was a particularly beautiful time that embodied these very characteristics. Since the weather was going to be perfect for enjoying the outdoors and all it offers, I planned a day hike on Saturday with some friends at the Wompatuck State Park, on the south shore of Boston followed by a cookout back at the house. On sunday, Erin and I went to the Newburyport Fall Festival, in Newburyport, MA about 50 minutes north of the city.

Wompatuck State Park

The hike at Wompatuck was a perfect start to the weekend. We got there around 3pm, when the lighting in the Fall is perfect and went for about 3.5 miles and about 2 hours. We discovered and old abandoned “factory” that we later found out was part of the munitions depot used in WWII in the Battle of the Atlantic. The park is very large, so we were alone in the wilderness for the entire trip, which is always nice when your with friends. Wompatuck is located off of route 3A about 30 minutes south of Boston and has over 260 campsites, 12miles of paved bike trails and many more miles of hiking trails. You can see our track below:

Newburyport Fall Festival

On Sunday Erin and I went to the Newburyport Fall Festival for so good old family fun. Newburyport, if you don’t already know, is located about 50 minutes north of Boston on 95. Its a small coastal town there boasts a very eclectic and artsy crowd. There are plenty of restaurants in all different types of food, that you will surely find something delicious. The center square of downtown is always lively any time of year, but during the festival there are tons of vendors selling everything from food, to jewelry, to artwork. After walking around for a few hours and shopping all the vendors and shops, we stopped by Loretta. They have delicious sunday brunch/lunch in a small intimate atmosphere. They had the door open giving a nice fall breeze through the place. After strolling along the Merrimack river for a little while after eating, we decided to hit the road and head back to Boston.

Conclusion

I must admit, I don’t know if I’ve had a more perfect New England fall weekend before, as the weather was perfect, and all our activities worked out as we planned (as well as getting a great amount of exercise walking and hiking). You can check out more photos on my Photo Gallery page as well as my Flickr page.

Feel free to comment on YOUR favorite Fall activities!

World’s End Trail – Hingham, MA

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:27:51 +0000

So after a rather long summer hiatus from hiking of any kind, due to various life events, Erin and I decided to go for a like 4 mile hike during the beautiful Labor Day weekend here in New England. The temperatures have been a farcry from what they were a few days ago, so it was perfect weather for nice day hike.

World’s End Trail is part of the Trustees of Reservations trail system, so if you are a member it is free and if not its only $5, certainly not much to preserve such a beautiful piece of land on the South Shore of Boston. The trail is located on the border of Hingham and Nantasket about 25miles south of Boston. If your coming from the north just take 93 south to exit 12 and follow the signs for Quincy Center and then take a left turn on route 3A and that will bring you too the reservation.

In terms of equipment and things to bring, you don’t really need much else other than water and a camera for this hike as the whole loop is only 4.5miles and is easily done in under 1.5 hours. The trails are well groomed and allow bikers and hikers/walkers alike. If you prefer to spend a little more time, there are an abundance of areas why you could have a picnic at, many of which are off the main trail for a little privacy. Perfect for a bottle of whine, a french baguette, and some brie (just remember the wine opener of that could be a mood killer).

There are several variations to the trail that you could do, all of which are different lengths for your hiking tastes. Be sure to stop along the way and take pictures as the views of Nantasket, Hingham, Weymouth and of course Boston are amazing. Below is the GPS track for our trip and some pictures below that. Feel free to comment any other tips for this gem on the south shore. Also here is a link to the Trail Map.

worlds end at EveryTrail

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Photo of the Week: 2-12-09

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:14:03 +0000

Taken on the Ponkapaug Trail hike, this little tree was all alone in the field. Click the image to see the full size.

Ponkapoag Pond Walking Trail

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:32:17 +0000

Last weekend I bravely decided to go for a winter hike in the cold January weather in the hills of the greater Boston area. Blue Hills Reservation is a great spot that offers numerous trails of all different lengths and skill levels (if you’ve read any of my other post you know I’m quite fond of the spot). On saturday, in the low 20° New England weather I thought I’d try a trail that was a little more flat since the ground was so frozen. So, me, my trusty side-kick Erin, and my camera embarked on a small winter quest. Ponkapoag Pond is located on the southern part of the reservation just south of RT 95 and is on a dead end street right off the highway, so you can’t miss it. The first part of the trail in a 1/4 mile path that is fitted for vehicles and is actually just an access road to YMCA center and subsequently the trail itself. The trail is 4 miles in total, but due to the cold, we only were prepared to do about half of that, which included our trek down the frozen boardwalk and eventually to the pond itself. As we walked along, we passed several groups of people who were cross-country skiing as well as several snowhoers. This would would be a great place to get som exercise and enjoy the outdoors as well. As we ventured down the boardwalk trail, it was easy to see several meters into the brush since there were no leaves, but we weren’t fortunate enough to spot and winter woodland creatures on our journey. We passed serveral clearings along the way that provided great shots of the marshy surroundings, and with the sun in the 2 o’clock spot (or 10 if your facing back) there lights provided great shadows.

At the end of the trail we came to what seemed like a huge clearing, only to realize it was actually the pond and it was frozen solid. There were several people ice-fishing and several more cross-country skiing as well. We figured it had to be safe enough to walk on, so we ventured out on the ice. It was very convienent that the ice was covered in snow, as it made it very easy to walk on.

There is something very peaceful about a frozen pond and the cruching of the snow under your boots. It’s a very relaxing experience, assuming your warm enough to enjoy it. While the glare off the vast snow-covered pond, made it hard to get a good exposure, the visual camera (the one in our head), always takes a perfect shot.

I highly recommend this as a nice way to get outdoors in the winter to remain sane, and given that it only took us 2.5 hours including traveling from Quincy and back its a nice way to spend the afternoon even when its 20° out. Check out more photos from the hike here.

Rockland, Maine for Couples

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:36:31 +0000

Rockland ocean front

As the winter months approach in New England, I find myself desiring less day hikes and more multi day trips. New Enland in the fall and winter is one of the most beautiful places I know, and as such, I feel compelled to travel to all over it to take in as much as I can. This last weekend was my 25th birthday (or as my mother so nicely points out that I’m halfway to fifty) and I decided to take a 2day/1night trip to the beautiful coastal town of Rockland Maine. Rockland is an old fishing town whose roots are planted as deep as the great forests that surround it, and whose citizenry is kind and welcoming to visitor and local alike.

Background:

Rockland Maine is a coastal fishing town about halfway up the Maine coastline, about 1.5 hours from Portland. For most of its history Rockland was a fishing town, but in the early 1990s the town saw a shift to a more service related economy and with the help of famous arists like Andrew Wyeth and Leo Connellan, Rockland became a popular tourist destination for the mid-Maine coast. One of the most popular artistic destinations is the famed Farnsworth Art Museum which was commissioned in the will of Lucy Farnsworth. The downtown area of Rockland has transformed from a fish processing center of the Maine coast into an assortment of unique shops, boutiques, fine dining and art galleries. Rockland is now the commercial center of the midcoast Maine region, with many historic inns, a coffee roaster, a food co-op, a community radio station WRFR.

For my birthday my girlfriend reserved us a room at the Old Granite Inn in downtown Rockland. The Old Granite Inn is a classic Maine B&B with a modern and unique twist. The building is an old Elks Lodge that was renovated into a B&B by owners Ed and Joan. The inn is right at the far end of main street and provides unobstructed views of the harbor, pier and ocean beyond. Upon entering we were greeted by the owners’ dog Zack, a friendly English Springer Spaniel whose laid back personality fits his owners. The rooms here all have a bit of a modern zest that provides the feel of a luxory condo in the city, but the friendly and open atmostphere of the midcoast Maine region.

After checking in to the B&B, Erin and I ventured out into the heart of Rockland to explore what the town had to offer. The main street in town, aptly named Main Street, is riddled with cute boutiques and quaint art gallories. Each one seems more unique than the previous, and each one offers new treasures to uncover. Main Street also has its fair share of restaurants for

Old Granite Inn

your dining delight, and all have an excellent array of fresh seafood choices. But more on this later.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the 7/8 mile long rock pier in the harbor of Rockland that leads to a lighthouse at the end. The pier (pictured below) is a little outside of town, but juts into the harbor very noticbly from anywhere in town. Its main purpose is as a breakwater for the boats in the harbor and also a lighthouse for incoming fisherman. The lighthouse is open in the summer months, but when we were there it had already closed for the seaon. Still there is something interesting about exploring abandoned buildings, even if seasonal. From the deck of the lighthouse you are privy to extravagant views of the Maine coastline that might stretch as far as Bar Harbor on a clear day. While the pier is very safe under most conditions, several locals told us that if the moon is right, and its been raining a lot they’ve been able to kayak across the pier covered in water. But there is no worry of a flash flood overtaking it, so tread confidently. The area around the pier is also a playground/sunbath for the local seal population, and even though it was mostly cloudy, we caught one lying on a rock a hundred meters or so away.

Back in town, it was getting close to dinner time, but we didn’t want to use our one meal on only one restaurant, so we decided to try a couple and break up the meal. For pre-dinner drinks and appetizers we went to In Good Company, an old bank that had been converted into a 8 table dining experience. The ceilings are high, the kitchen is inthe open (with only the head cook/owner making all the meals) and the wine cellar is the old vault. The food is a mixture between a french bistro and European cafe. The lighting is dim and romanitic, but still appropriate for a first date, and the menu is superb. The food constantly changes, so there isn’t a worry about having tried the whole menu and the wine selection. We ordered the proscuitto and provolone stuffed green peppers and the french baguette and cheese platter. The former of the two went great with the South American wine we had, providing a perfect blend of spices, salts, and fruits. The latter of the two was a

The Pier Lighthouse

fresh baguette from the bakery down the street and some freshly sliced cheddar and butter. And if it doesn’t sound decadent enough, then the icing on the proverbial cakes is that the entire menu is all locally grown foods (with the exception of the wine).

After our taste explosion of a pre-dinner meal, we decided to try out the local tavern up the street that touted local beef burgers and Maine-made beer from Sebago Brewery. When we got there the place was packed, which is always a good sign if the local eat there too, and we had to wait at the bar for a few minutes for a table to open up. We ordered a couple of Sebago beers and observed the local scene in all its glory. When we finally got seated, half a beer later, the service was friendly and welcoming. I ordered the aforementioned burger and Erin ordered the fish n’chips. Both were amazingly fresh and delicious, and Erin couldn’t stop raving that hers was “the best and most fresh fish n’chips she’d ever had”. We ended the night with a few beverages at Bull Fenney’s where we got a chance to meet some interesting characters. Now mind you it was the day before Halloween, but we ended up sitting next to a couple who had just gotten married and the entire wedding party had dressed as zombies. It was one of the coolest things we’d seen in a while.

To summarize, Rockland is a great little coastal town that has some quaint and special places. Its a great place to visit for romantic weekend away or just a fun getaway with friends.

Photo of the Week: 10-29-09

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:21:28 +0000

Well I am back after about a month long hiatus so without further delay here is the Photo of the Week for the last week in October. Enjoy.

Boston from East Boston

Check out more photos on my Photo Site and on my Flickr

Photo of the Week: 9-18-09

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:36:20 +0000

Sorry for the delay in this post, but here’s the photo of the week for the second week in September. You can see more of my photos on my flickr page.

Photo of the Week: 8-28-09

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:54:29 +0000

Hey all,

Here’s my photo of the week. This was taken on the south shore of boston during the Thayer Trail hike. Enjoy!

Dandelion Trees

Check out more of my photos.

Photo of the Week: 8-7-2009

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:30:28 +0000

Well, I missed and entire week. So here is the photo of the week for the first week in August. Its summer themed so enjoy. Also look forward to my next hiking post after the weekend! Cheers!

Location: Outside of Juice n’ Java on Block Island

Check out more on my newly rebuilt design site and ReTweet if you enjoy!

Photo of the Week: 7-23-2009

admin — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:10:27 +0000

Since I won’t be around tomorrow, The photo of the week comes out on Thursday this week. The following photo is from my recent vacation in Block Island, RI. This was actually taken by my better half so props to her for her eye on this one.

Check out more on my flickr stream as well as on my professional portfolio