Yesterday Shadow, Wilma and I Adventured to Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts. This was our second visit to the Park as Shadow, Buster and I had Adventured there back in May 2015. Maudslay State Park is the former estate of the Moseley family, and is located along the Merrimack River. It is known for its 19th century gardens, meadows, pines, and as one of the largest naturally-occurring stand of mountain laurels in Massachusetts. It is popular for hiking, cross country skiing, picnicking, horseback riding, and summer concerts.
We had a nice Adventure to Maudslay State Park on a sunny, Fall day. We arrived to find the parking lot packed with people, many with dogs in tow. Soon out of the car I was greeted by a woman searching for a missing dog. I viewed the photo and hoped for the best, keeping my eyes out for sweet little Ellie, throughout the day. My heart weighed heavy as we began our afternoon hike.
We peaked at the map before following the masses, pleased to soon find ourselves away from the crowd on a woodsy, tree-lined trail. I had printed a map, which clearly labeled the trails but soon found we were on a complex trail system with no names,or colors to direct us in our hike. So I decided to remember where we had walked, noticing little details along the trail. I was thrilled to eventually find the water, and a trail leading to the shore’s edge. We ambled along the water trail, finding a cute little bridge with a River view. The water’s edge was iced, as well as some of the rocks along the shore. It crackled as we walked bye, adding sweet nature sounds to the air. This was my favorite part of our hike today, adding color, and variety to the trails.
Throughout our visit I found the trails to be very dull, and quite confusing. I even had a brief moment of worry in finding the trail back with numerous turns in all directions. I was able to use my Nature Warrior (haha) skills, and continually headed back the the starting point until we chose the correct path. This however did not dampen our energized pace as we explored a new Park. My thought is this Park might be quite beautiful in the spring, but definitely bland and brown this time of year. I guess that will be the theme for the next six months in New England, but this will not slow us down. It is funny that Shadow, Buster, and Shadow visited this Park before as I do not recall specific details. However my photos reminded me that Shadow and Buster enjoyed a dip in the water on a much greener journey. We definitely will plan a trip back to Maudslay State Park in the warmer months of the year (Rating: 3)
November 2018
May 2015
The Adventures of Shadow and Wilma 