September 6, 2018 – Kimball Farm – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, My Mom, and I went to Kimball’s Farm in Westford, Massachusetts. We have been to Kimball Farm many times over the years.
Kimball’s Farm began as a dairy farm in 1908, with the Kimball family selling milk whole sale. In 1939 they opened an ice cream parlor, and began making handmade ice cream. Kimball Farm has grown over the years, and now has three additional locations. The Kimball Farm continues to be family owned, and has expanded to sell food, and provide entertainment, including: a zip line, a golf course, a driving range, bumper boats, volleyball courts, a country store, and a seafood and grill shack.

I was excited to FINALLY head to Kimball’s for our first visit of the season. We were lucky to find a moment when the lines were short, and although a cloudy, dark day, the weather was just right. I ordered my favorite peppermint stick, and of course two plates of dogilicious ice cream. The pups guided us to our seats, and we quickly devoured our tasty ice cream. It is always a memorable experience being at Kimball’s as it was a place we frequented, growing up locally. Almost a little too crowded nowadays, but we still visit once or twice a year, and treasure many wonderful memories with family and friends. It is really unbelievable how it has grown, even a declared tourist attraction in the area.

After finishing up our ice cream, we decided to walk around to check on the latest additions to this marvelous family dynasty. Definitely an Adventure strolling by the goats as Wilma squealed, and barked, even standing on her back paws to catch a glimpse. We carefully made it past and on to the path beyond. We peaked around a bit before heading back to the car. Always a lovely, and tasty Adventure at Kimball’s Farm (Rating: 5, dog ice cream: 4).

PS – I could not resist including our Buster in the midst of today’s photographs. He had special times at Kimball’s too! We sure do miss him!

Throwback Adventure – Cranberry Bog – September 2013

I will have sections of my blog that I will title “Throwback Adventure”, and will plan on posting them every Thursday. These are journeys we have taken before I started the blog, but are well worth sharing.

On September 8, 2013 Shadow, Buster, and I visited the Cranberry Bog in Carlisle, Massachusetts. Sadly Buster has passed away since, but he definitely enjoyed his share of adventures. He was an amazing boy, and will always be missed. The Cranberry Bog is also partially located in Chelmsford. The towns bought the property in 1986. It is now used for conservation and recreation purposes. The Carlisle section of the land includes 40 acres of a working Cranberry Bog. The property has wooded uplands, and wetlands with several ponds. There are trails throughout the property.

I was excited to visit this unique location. Who would think a Cranberry Bog would be a dog-friendly, and an off-leash hot-spot. We enjoyed explored the trails, viewing the Bog, and taking in the colorful landscape. Shadow and Buster enjoyed swimming in the ponds, a great option to cool down on a warm Fall day. We saw several other people and dogs throughout, but found the park to be quiet, and peaceful. One of my favorite photographs of Shadow and Buster came on this day, both posing at this scenic spot. We had a fun time exploring the Cranberry Blog (Rating: 4)

Cranberry bog

August 21, 2018 (Part II) – Rocky Roads Ice Cream Parlor – Massachusetts

Today, Shadow and I visited Rocky Roads Ice Cream Parlor in Marshfield, Massachusetts, Part II of our afternoon of Adventures. This was a rare, and unique journey as Wilma spent the day with her puppy friends, while Shadow and I ventured on today’s Adventure. As those of you who follow my blog already know, I am recovering from surgery, and I felt this was a good first step back into our Adventure. Shadow is super well-behaved, and extra calm, while Wilma has constant energy and unexpected wild moments. While I love every moment of Wilma’s entertaining energy, I decided to jump back into our Adventures with my Shadow

Rocky Roads Ice Cream Parlor has 26 flavors of ice cream, including soft serve and slush. This appears to be a new ice cream shop in the area.

If you have followed our blog you know that we cannot turn down some tasty ice cream on a summer day. Shadow waited eagerly while they prepared his soft serve, and I then decided to order coffee ice cream with whip cream. Shadow gobbled his up quickly, while I savored every bite. A super delicious treat to wrap up our wonderful Adventure in Marshfield, Massachusetts (Rating: 4).

August 21, 2018 (Part I) – Rexhame Beach – Massachusetts

Today Shadow and I journeyed to Rexhame Beach in Marshfield, Massachusetts. This was a rare, and unique journey as Wilma spent the day with her puppy friends, while Shadow and I ventured on today’s Adventure. As those of you who follow my blog already know, I am recovering from surgery, and I felt this was a good first step back into our Adventure. Shadow is super well-behaved, and extra calm, while Wilma has constant energy and unexpected wild moments. While I love every moment of Wilma’s entertaining energy, I decided to jump back into our Adventures with my Shadow

Rexhame Beach is on the South Shore of Massachusetts. It is one of the few coastal New England beaches that permit dogs all year around. There are also trails nearby, included along the South River. A fee is required to park during the Summer months.

We had a wonderful, relaxing, and uplifting Adventure to the Rexhame Beach. It was so nice to be out exploring again, and spending a summer afternoon at the Beach. I was stunned on arrival to see the parking lot was predominantly empty. Although it was a cloudy, cooler day, it was a pleasant surprise to find such a quiet location. We walked through the fence near the dunes before arriving on the Beach. The Beach was covered with colorful round rocks, adding texture and color to the sand. The waves were medium in size, but roaring, and current- driven. Shadow appeared uneasy with the waves, but we waded a bit before finding our perfect sandy spot on the beach. Shadow quickly enjoying rolling in the sand, digging, and some extra-relaxed napping. We spent time, taking in the sounds and sites, letting the worries of life fade away. The peace of a tranquil beach setting cannot be underestimated. Pure perfection!

After spending some time at the Beach we found a trail leading over to the “River”. We were told about the “River” by a fellow dog lover, and were awed by this unique feature. Shadow quickly jogged to the River, heading in for an immediate swim. We met some other dogs enjoying romping off-leash. There were benches along the trail, and some colorful flowers. Although nothing fancy, I really loved this find, and I think Shadow too.

We were so happy to have a wonderful adventure, and find a dog friendly beach. So glad to be headed back to our life of Adventures. We missed the company of our little Wilma Mae but we still had a fabulous afternoon exploring Rexhhame Beach, and the nearby trails (Rating: Beach – 3, Experience – 5).

Throwback Adventure – July 2016/November 2017 – Old Scituate Lighthouse

In July 2016 Shadow, Buster and I visited the Old Scituate Lighthouse, while in November 2017 Shadow, Wilma and I returned to visit the Old Scituate Lighthouse in Scituate, Massachusetts. The Old Scituate Lighthouse is also referred to as Scituate Light. It is a historic lighthouse which was built in 1811, later being purchased by the town of Scituate. It is located at Cedar Point in Scituate Harbor, and as expected is a popular location for painters.

We have enjoyed our trips to the Old Scituate Lighthouse. It is a special location, which allows a close-up view of a coastal New England Lighthouse. The Lighthouse is located directly on the shore, enabling visitors to go down to the water’s edge. It is gorgeous, and picturesque, providing a genuine New England experience. I loved our first visit to the Lighthouse, so decided to take some holiday photographs for our most recent holiday card. Therefore you may have a giggle or two as you view some humorous photographs, of course along with a fabulous landmark. I highly recommend a visit to this spectacular lighthouse in Scituate (Rating: 5).

November 2017

July 2016

April 7, 2018 – Massachusetts – Nantasket Beach

On April 7, 2018 Shadow, Wilma, and I visited Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. Nantasket Beach is part of the Nantasket Beach Reservation, and is a popular location for summer beach-goers.

I often plan my coastal beach adventures in the off-season, when many are dog friendly, and devoid from excessive visitors. This day of our adventure to Nantasket Beach was extra special, as Shadow had recently recovered from surgery. It was a gorgeous spring day, with a refreshing breeze. The Beach was beautiful, sand to perfection, while covered with perfectly rounded, and colorful rocks. We strolled around, while Shadow and Wilma stopped to smell, and inspect all objects in our path. They enjoyed some time playing together, which always melts my heart. My only disappointment in this beach was being located so close to the road, and parking lot. I guess that can be a common feature, but yet I prefer beaches that are completely away from the hustle of life. However, we had a wonderful time exploring Nantasket Beach (Rating: 4)

July 19, 2018 – Massachusetts – Sully’s Ice Cream Stand

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I visited Sully’s Ice Cream Stand in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Sully’s Ice Cream Stand has been family owned since 1986, and is known as “home of the super scoopers”. Sully’s has over 100 flavors, even including several sugarless options.

We enjoyed our little outing to Sully’s Ice Cream stand. The stand was very quiet, and we were able to place our order at the window immediately. There were many flavor choices but I settled on coconut chip, while Shadow and Wilma’s ice cream came with a treat frozen into the ice cream. There was limited seating, and the stand was right on a busy road so I elected to take our ice cream home. As soon as we arrived home, we quickly gobbled up our ice cream, enjoying every bite! I expect we will venture to Sully’s Ice Cream Stand again (Rating: 4).

Throwback Adventure – Stanley Park – August 2016

In August 2016 Shadow, Buster, and I visited Stanley Park in Westfield, Massachusetts. Sadly Buster has passed away since, but he definitely enjoyed his share of adventures. He was an amazing boy, and will always be missed. Stanley Park is a non-profit, privately owned park, that is approximately 300 acres in size. It includes: gardens, trails, playing fields, and a duck pond. The park was established in 1945 by philanthropist Frank Stanley Beveridge.

We stopped at Stanley Park after a wonderful visit with family. The park was beautifully landscaped, and highlights of our visit, included: a variety of bridges, an old working mill, the duck-filled pond, an old rustic church, and even a live swan! We enjoyed walking along the trails, and photographing the gorgeous scenery. This was as stop that I planned, but did not do any detailed research, so we wandered around without a map. However, I do think we found some of the highlights of this magnificent park (Rating: 4).

Throwback Adventure- Bridge of Flowers – July 2016

On July 22, 2016 my Mom, Buster, Shadow, and I visited the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. The Bridge of Flowers is a footbridge that connects the towns of Shelburne and Buckland. It once was a trolley bridge, and is now covered with flowers, literally a “bridge of flowers”. The Bridge of Flowers was created in 1929, and is now considered a nonprofit, maintained by gardeners and volunteers.

The Bridge of flowers is a stunningly beautiful, and rare find, being a complete bridge of colorful and aromatic flowers. The flowers are vibrant in color, fragrant and are flawlessly landscaped. Although the area is dog friendly, dogs were not allowed on the actual bridge. I was lucky to have my Mom with me who took care of Shadow and Buster while I did a quick stroll along the bridge. A unique and magnificent experience, definitely a must-see! (Rating: 5)

June 24, 2018 – Massachusetts – Moore State Park

Today we visited Moore State Park in Paxton, Massachusetts. Moore State Park is approximately 400 acres, and was a former home to grist and saw mills. Portions of the park are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has a pond, trails, and various “Mill Village Features” on the grounds.

This is actually the second time that we have been to Moore State Park, the first time was with Shadow and Buster in July 2013, and the second trip today, with Shadow and Wilma. My GPS was not too cooperative today, but we were able to locate the Park after an unplanned detour. We started our journey down a paved road, with beautiful, natural landscape adorning the sides. We soon arrived at the pond where there were several rustic wooden rocking chairs, picnic tables, and a gazebo-like structure to sit and enjoy the view. The more we walked I began to have some flashback memories of our initial journey, remembering that we had been caught in a downpour, before relaxing for a bit in the gazebo-like structure. I believe that visit was a shorter stop, while today we spent about two hours exploring.

I decided to start on some trails, before coming back through the viewing area. The trails were not well marked, but I was quite glad I had printed a trail map, which helped me navigate the forest, and not worry about getting lost. We started on Judy’s Secret Garden Loop Trail, and then connected to the Stairway Loop Trail. The trails were kind of blah, but we enjoyed walking along the pond, and finding some cute rock benches along the way. The trails were very peaceful, with the sounds of birds singing. Shadow enjoyed some swims, while Wilma jumped onto all large rocks in her path. The trails were very quiet, and we only saw one couple walking their dog. It is always nice to find a tranquil nature trail, away from the bustle of society.

After our walks on the trails we headed to various areas of the park to find some of the “Mill Village Features”, and take some photographs. These included: the Old Sawmill, the Bat House, the Chalet Foundation, the Enchanted Bridge, and the Artist Overlook. I took photographs of four of these “Features” which you can view below. This was one fun component of the Park. Definitely a unique Park to explore (Rating: 3)