January 9, 2020 – Scituate, Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I Adventured to Scituate, Massachusetts. Scituate is a coastal town in Southern Massachusetts. It is a small town known for the beaches, history, restaurants, shops, and the fishing community.

We had a walking-filled Adventure to Scituate on a beautiful winter day. Although we have been to many of the locations we visited today, I have only blogged about the Scituate Lighthouse, so decided to do a blog about the town. Today we explored: Scituate Harbor, the Harborwalk, the shopping district, Lawson Tower, Veteran’s Memorial Bridge, and the Scituate Lighthouse. We walked and walked, and enjoyed the spectacular sun on this winter day.

The most beautiful stop in Scituate today was definitely the Scituate Lighthouse. It is one of the most gorgeous Lighthouses in New England with several breakwaters, and rocky beaches surrounding. One of the special features about the Scituate Lighthouse is you can get up-close to view this spectacular structure. While at the Lighthouse Wilma especially loved exploring the beach, covered with rounded beautifully colored rocks, and hoping along the breakwater rocks. We have been to the Scituate Lighthouse numerous times, and it never disappoints.

We also stopped at Lawson Tower, which we had not been to before. This was a grandly tall structure, surrounded by gating, but yet a unique and unusual Tower. I initially was planning on just blogging about this Tower but decided to share the summary of our time in Scituate due to our numerous other stops, and time spent exploring.

Throughout the day Wilma enjoyed charming those around us, rolling in the grass, walking, and exploring the coastal smells. I was planning on a half day trip today but between Scituate and our previous stop we walked the day away! So glad we could visit Scituate today (Rating: 4)

Throwback Adventure – Chesterfield Gorge – Massachusetts

I have decided to return to posting new “Throwback Adventures” after taking time to re-post some of my favorites with Shadow. This has been a therapeutic process for me to share. We are devastated that both Shadow and Buster have both passed, but find peace knowing we can continue to remember them through our “Throwback Adventures”. They were amazing boys and are forever in our hearts.

In August 2016 Shadow, Buster, and I Adventured to the Chesterfield Gorge with my Aunt and Uncle. If you are a follower of my blog, or a fanatic of New England Gorge’s you may be aware that there are two Chesterfield Gorge’s in New England – one in New Hampshire, and one in Massachusetts. Today my blog will be about the Chesterfield Gorge in Chesterfield, Massachusetts. The Chesterfield Gorge in Massachusetts is located in a steep rock canyon along the Westfield River. The Gorge has trails and is a popular location for fishing. It is a park of the Trustees of Reservation.

We had a wonderful Adventure to the Chesterfield Gorge with perfect company. I remember appreciating views of the Gorge from high above before walking down a hill to get to the water’s edge. The boys enjoyed drinking from the clear River water, framed by beautiful evergreen trees. The River was filled with rocks adding a variety of color to the scene. We enjoyed wandering down the trail parallel to the water and fantastic company. I look forward to exploring the Chesterfield Gorge again in the future (Throwback blogs will not always be rated).

Weekly Video/Photo

If you follow my blog regularly please skip down to the last paragraph…

I have decided to return to the “normal” Weekly Video/Photo section of my blog. As you likely know we lost Shadow about two months ago and I have been focusing this section on Shadow. However, I have peace knowing I will continue to highlight favorite photographs including Shadow and Buster. The plan will still be to still display a video or photo, usually highlighting an Adventure, while I might also sneak in some that are humorous, adorable, or just other fun dog moments.

If you have followed my blog from the beginning you will know that I adopted Shadow as a puppy, and about a year later adopted Buster as a puppy. We had many wonderful years together before experiencing the devastating loss of Buster at just seven. It took a long time for our hearts to heal, but almost a year later we welcomed little Wilma into our world. We were recently devastated to loose Shadow on April 3, 2020. It is so painful to know Shadow and Buster are both gone, but they will be in our hearts forever!

Today’s photograph is one I took last week of Wilma in Provincetown, Massachusetts, part of Cape Cod. I was looking forward to posing Wilma on this bench, and was quite thrilled to remember the location. It is so colorful, and the perfect summary of the coast. A good memory of our wonderful day on the ocean!

January 2, 2020 – Franklin Park (Including Schoolmaster Hill Ruins)

Today Wilma and I Adventured to Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Franklin Park is the largest park in the Emerald Necklace at approximately 527 acres. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1890s. Franklin Park includes: trails, history, a public golf course, Schoolmaster Hill and the ruins, Scarboro Pond, and the Franklin Park Zoo.

We had an unexpected Adventure to Franklin Park. My initial plan was to visit the ruins at Schoolmaster Hill and then likely head to the Arnold Arboretum nearby. However, not knowing exactly where it was located we parked and began walking. I soon realized we were in Franklin Park, and decided to just explore, and hopefully locate the Schoolmaster Hill in the process. We immediately stumbled on Scarboro Pond, and decided to walk on the loop around this Pond. The Pond was simple, but lovely, filled with ducks and framed by two two bridges on the near and far ends. The people we passed were friendly, which is not something I would have expected in the city. Along this tiny loop we found a map to help us navigate our route.

After Scarboro Pond we headed on the main loop around the Park. The Park was centered by the golf course, and the clouds and sun were just right. We passed various things including a playground and cafe before arriving at the Schoolmaster Hill. I was so excited to head up the Hill to check out the ruins. We arrived at the ruins after a short walk up the Hill, trotting through the ruins several times, appreciating each moment of the experience. Wilma appeared extra curious, jumping up, putting her front paws up to look through, and peaking into each corner. I absolutely loved the ruins, they were beautiful. Definitely exceeded my expectations! (Please see below for a video as well as numerous photographs).

After spending time at Schoolmaster Hill we continued to explore the Park, including: The 99 Steps/Ellicott Arch, and Scarboro Hill with the “vista” lookout. We spent about two and a half hours walking on the paved trails, and trying to see what we could find. I absolutely loved watching the sun setting the clouds were framed by all colors, and sunlight creating a spectacular scene. I wish this beauty was easier to capture on camera. As you may expect the sunset and ruins were my favorite parts of today’s Adventure, while Wilma loved walking along the stone fences, jumping on the rocks, and the expected walking and sniffing. Although I had heard of Franklin Park I never thought of exploring it until our accidental find. So glad we could Adventure to Franklin Park today (Rating: 3.5)

Throwback Adventure

I have decided to make some changes to my Throwback section. This is partly because I have had the blog for about two and a half year and each week I have posted an Adventure from before I started the blog. This has become more challenging between finding old photographs, and identifying the location. Although I will still be adding some here and and there I thought I would also use the Throwback Adventure to share past Adventures I have posted. I have new followers, and of course not every follower has been able to view all blogs.

So today I am sharing my blog from Fort Foster Park in Kittery, Maine. I have fond memories of my Adventure there with Shadow and Wilma back in November 2018. Fort Foster was a beautiful Park filled with the beautiful coast and Fort remnants. In addition we walked through a wind and hail storm, a crazy weather experience. We will definitely have to get there in the summer months. Please enjoy this previous blog on Fort Foster:

November 10, 2018 – Fort Foster Park – Maine.

A quick snapshot of our Adventure to Fort Foster Park…see our blog for more!

December 30, 2020 – White Crest Beach – Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I Adventured to White Crest Beach in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, part of Cape Cod. White Crest Beach is known for the large sand dunes, and rough waters making it a popular beach for surfers. The beach is long and wide and is reportedly less crowded then other locations in Cape Cod. The beach is not handicap accessible.

We had a sun-rising Adventure to White Crest Beach. We arrived at about 7am to find only one other car in the parking lot and not a sole in sight. The beach was instantly gorgeous, the sun-rising, and the views spectacular. We began our trek down the gigantic sand dune to the beach below, quite a fantastic entrance. We headed straight to the water and checked on the views down the beach. The sand dunes framed the beach adding quite the grandeur. We began our walk along the water and at various times also headed toward the dune to check out the sight (and smells – haha). The waves were crashing, it was so serene, a peaceful oasis. We spent about two hours walking and exploring. We found a couple of tidal pools, and lots of perfectly rounded rocks. Wilma enjoyed walking, some frantic digging, and literally ran circle around me! She was a little uneasy with the loud crashing sound of the waves but was curious to explore the tidal pools. The sky was spectacular and everything about the beach was beyond perfect. White Crest Beach might now be my favorite Massachusetts Beach…so far. We look forward to returning in the future (Rating: 5).

Weekly Video/Photo

If you follow my blog regularly please skip down to the last paragraph…

Today’s photograph is one I took earlier this month of Wilma at the Arnold Arboretum, one of my favorite local parks. It was a dark day, but I still love this photograph. She is such a good poser!

December 27, 2020 – Gill-Montague Bridge/Turners Falls-Gill Bridge – Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I Adventured to the Gill-Montague Bridge, also referred to as the Turners Falls-Gill Bridge. This bridge is a steel truss bridge that crosses the Connecticut River. The Bridge was built in 1938 and later remodeled in 2013.

We had a soaring Adventure to the Gill-Montague Bridge. We have driven across, and walked under this Bridge before, but decided to take the pedestrian bridge across and check out the intricate details. I was originally drawn to this idea as I had seen some shooting water from afar and was eager to locate the site of origination. So after enjoying a long walk on the Canalside Rail Trail we decided to take the journey up and over. (See this link for our original blog from the Canalside Rail Trail.) We walked across the Bridge until we located the water from what appeared to be a damn or power plant. I guess I should know exactly what it was caused by, and although I do not I do know it was spectacular, churning high in the air, which created gorgeous and unusual textures. We stopped numerous times to check out the views, and then walked to the end before returning. Unfortunately one of the most beautiful parts of the bridge is the side view, however I found it difficult to photograph due to the fencing, or other barriers. However, hopefully this overall gives readers a feel for this special bridge. So glad to share this unusual Adventures to those who love the water, bridges, and bringing their favorite furry pals on their Adventures (this blog will not be rated).

December 27, 2020 – Gunn Brook Falls – Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I Adventured to Gunn Brook Falls in Sunderland, Massachusetts. Gunn Brook Falls is located in the UMass Mt. Toby Forest. It consists of an upper and lower Falls.

We had a gorgeous Adventure to Gunn Brook Falls. We found Gunn Brook Falls on the side of the road, down a unnamed dirt road off of Falls Road. We parked and were quite pleased to have the location entirely to ourselves. I did not have high expectations but was thrilled to be mistaken. We began our trek at the top of the Falls and carefully made our way down the side. I was surprised that I managed to stay on my feet with all the leaves and the steep path, but I managed to stay upright. Wilma appeared quite eager to explore, and led the way enthusiastically.

We first explored the upper Falls. There were icicles on the side as well as in various spots along the stream. It was so pretty, and mystical. The Falls were roaring peacefully. I made sure we explored all angles before heading farther down the stream. I did not actually realize at the time that there was a lower falls, smaller, but still beautiful! It took some time to figure out how to get down to this Falls but we eventually found a route to get up close. The lower area was framed with large boulders, covered with moss. It was so scenic, and serene! I absolutely loved Gunn Brook Falls. The combination of a spectacular falls, the location being away from the world, and the experience exceeding my expectations added additional joy to the Adventure! Wilma loved hopping on the rocks, and appeared to be always looking around, making we curious of what wildlife might be nearby. She was a little unsure of the strong rushing water of the waterfalls, but that did not slow her down in exploring. Such a beautiful way to start our day trip today (Rating: 4.5).

December 26, 2020 – East-West Trail – Massachusetts

Today Wilma, I and a friend of ours Adventured to the East-West Trail in Worcester, Massachusetts. The East-West Trail is a 14 mile trail that winds through Worcester, including: twenty green spaces, the streets of Worcester, and the Worcester hills. It is part of the Greater Worcester Land Trust.

We had a crisp Adventure to the East-West Trail in Worcester, Massachusetts. I was surprised to find both Wilma and I were quite chilly while we waited for our friend, however, once we started walking we were just right. Although I had seen the trailhead for the East-West Trail I did not recall the name, so my research on this “Trail” mostly occurred along the way, and after I returned home to write this blog. Although there are “Trail” portions of the East-West Trail, is not actually a “Trail” but various areas of the city that are connected by foot.

We started our walk at Bancroft Tower which is located in Salisbury Park. I absolutely love this Tower, such a gorgeous site heading up into the clouds. Although there often appears some shady activities at this location we have often enjoyed a quick visit. From there we headed into the woods onto the “Trail”. The “Trail” briefly remained in the woods before we arrived on the street. The route was often unclear but the map let us know we were headed in the right direction. We wandered to Elm Park, checking out the bridges, iced over waterways, and the geese parading across frozen pond, providing quite the chuckle. Wilma was quite unfocused in this park, screaming down her favorite city squirrels, but she sure did enjoy it! Nearby we found the “Nordic Ski Trail”, but decided to continue our journey on the “Trail” heading into the Newton Fitness Trail, a part of the East-West Trail. We wandered into the woods finding a tree hole for Wilma to search, and spotting the fitness equipment and the disc golf. After the “Trail” ended at the road we began our journey back to the formal trailhead.

It was fun to explore a new location, but I was quite unimpressed with the East-West Trail. There was not much to see, and plenty of trash, and glass on various points of the journey. However we enjoyed about two hours of walking, great company, and the fresh winter air. It was fun to find a new “Trail”. I look forward to checking out other “green spaces” in Worcester….you never know what we might discover (Rating: 3).