June 7, 2020 – William Cullen Bryant Homestead – Massachusetts

Today Wilma, My Uncle and I Adventured to the William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Cummington, Massachusetts.  William Cullen Bryant was a well known poet and the owner of this estate for many years.  He also helped to inspire the Land Conservation Movement, and often wrote about nature. The William Cullen Bryant Homestead has almost three miles of trails and the home is open for tours.  The property is a National Historic Landmark and is managed by the Trustees of Reservations.

We had a poetic Adventure to the William Cullen Bryant Homestead.  I was quite excited to have My Uncle join us on our first Adventure of the day.  We arrived to an empty parking lot, immediately spotting the gorgeous red barn, vibrant in color.  We then headed over to Bryant’s home. The home was just lovely, well taken care of and quite grand in style.  After wandering around the homestead we headed out on our walk.

We began our walk on the Rivulet and Pine Loop Trails.  The Trail began through the field with beautiful mountain views, and wild flowers scattered throughout.  The Trail was lined by a rock wall, creating a gorgeous scene.  We walked past a small pond, and soon crossed a road to continue on the Trail.  The Trails were simple, but having great company reminded me how many more things you can discover.  We found some unique mushrooms, a bridge, granite rocks, and awed at the immense trees.  We could hear the birds singing, and were surrounded by the peace of nature.  Throughout the Trails there were several postings of Bryant’s poetry, an interesting feature along the way.  At some points the Trail paralleled the Rivulet, the theme of one of Bryant’s well known poems.

After completing these Trails we headed over to the Sugar Bush Trail.  This Trail was a bit wider in size, and highlighted the intricate system of maple syrup collections, plastic tubing winding trees to one another.  Although I am quite naive of this process, this was far from anything I have seen before.  On the Sugar Bush Trail we enjoyed a variety of discovers, including:  an old Chevrolet, an orange salamander, the ruins of the Sugar House, and several more poems posted along the route.

As per her usual Wilma appreciated a nice, long walk with new smells, often preferring to lead the way.  And although I found the Trail to be quite simple overall, I loved exploring the estate grounds, appreciated the beautiful mountains views, and the wonderful company.  We enjoyed catching up, and appreciating the little details of nature.  So glad we could explore the William Cullen Bryant Estate today (Rating:  3.5, Company:  Perfect!)