September 12, 2020 – Drummer Boy Park – Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I Adventured to Drummer Boy Park in Brewster, Massachusetts. Drummer Boy Park includes “Windmill Village”, Higgins Farm Windmill, several short trails, and a playground. “Windmill Village” is part of the Brewster Historical Society. Tours of the Windmill are available, however the Brewster Historical Society’s 2020 season has been cancelled.

We had a fun Adventure to Drummer Boy Park. I was drawn to this Park by the Higgins Farm Windmill, and decided to explore the entire area. We spent the majority of our Adventure checking out the Windmill, and made sure to traverse every trail we could find. Wilma found a gigantic rock to hop on and check out the view from above. We found the Park to be popular for families with young children, and visitors photographing the Windmill. A simple Adventure, but we loved the Higgins Farm Windmill. So glad we could Adventure to Drummer Boy Park today (Rating: 3.5).

August 22, 2020 – Nathaniel Allen Recreation Area (NARA Park) – Massachusetts

**Please note my blog crashed for several days but thankfully it is up and running – you therefore may have missed the last post if you area regular follower, and may not have been able to open it in general – I am relieved that everything is back on track**

Yesterday Wilma and I Adventured to Nathaniel Allen Recreation Area (NARA Park) in Acton, Massachusetts. NARA Park is located on a pond, and is popular for fishing, swimming, and picnicking. The Park has an amphitheater for summer concerts. The walking trail intersects with the Bruce Freeman Trail.

Wilma and I had a surprising Adventure to NARA Park, locating it completely by accident. We were walking on the Bruce Freeman Trail and were traversing a part just past where we had walked before and suddenly there was NARA Park. Such a pleasant surprise! Upon arrival we found the beautiful NARA pond, with gorgeous reflections of the clouds shimmering on the water. We began wandering down a trail finding children fishing. Soon we located an area with lovely water lilies, quite entertained by the frog panic as we explored the shore. Wilma found a log to climb, savored the smells, and was energized by the hopping frogs. From there we headed on the boardwalk and around the path. There were beautiful wild flowers, and numerous locations to enter the water. We soon walked by the beach, and guests picnicking before arriving at the main building. We met several people working at this location. They were so friendly and we enjoyed chatting for awhile, Wilma cherishing every bit of attention and a long belly rub. From there we continued on the path before returning to Bruce Freeman Trail. Since we found this lovely location by chance we did not have a map, but I believe we explored the majority of this location. It has been a long time since we found something accidentally and it is these simple days that make my day. Such a wonderful Adventure to the lovely NARA Park (Rating: 4).

Throwback Adventure – Rutland State Park – 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 July of 2013 Shadow, Buster, and I Adventured to Rutland State Park in Rutland, Massachusetts. Rutland State Park is a 300 acre Park that includes numerous trails and Whitehall Pond. As expected the Park is popular for: swimming, boating, picnicking, biking, and hiking.

We had a fun Adventure to Rutland State Park, many years ago. I remember enjoying walking with the boys on the nicely groomed trails, and also watching them enjoy a swim. It was a quiet location, and one that I have always thought I should to back, but have still yet to return. Another wonderful memory of an Adventure with my boys which I will treasure forever (Throwback Blogs will not always be rated).

August 17, 2020 – Cape Cod – Massachusetts

Today Wilma, My Mom, and I Adventured to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Cape Cod is a peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern corner of Massachusetts. It is a popular summer destination known for the laid-back lifestyle. Cape Cod draws tourists for its beaches, lighthouses, ponds, villages, and the seafood shacks and restaurants.

We had a relaxing Adventure to Cape Cod today. We were able to visit: the Green Briar Nature Center, Highfield Hall and Gardens, Nobska Lighthouse, and Nobska Beach. We have visited all of these locations previously, although it was Wilma’s first for several. These locations included: gardens, a fabulous lighthouse, and a lovely beach. Unfortunately the Lighthouse was under some construction, but we still enjoyed our visit. I decided to do a photo collage of all of these four stops combined all in one! If you have any questions about the photographs, or locations feel free to contact me on the contact form, or in the comments. A beautiful day with wonderful company (Rating: 4).

August 5, 2020 – Brookline Reservoir Park – Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I Adventured to Brookline Reservoir Park in Brookline, Massachusetts. Brookline Reservoir Park has a trail around the Brookline Reservoir of approximately one mile in length. Brookline Reservoir is a water supply for Boston. The Park is popular for walking, jogging and fishing.

We had a nice Adventure to the Brookline Reservoir Park. I was planning a trip to Rhode Island but with the last minute changes to COVID travel guidelines we changed to this back up plan. I had been curious about the Brookline Reservoir Park for some time, so was pleased to finally visit. The Park has been under construction and re-opened in June. I was thankful to find available parking as we started our Adventure late arriving at 9:30.

As I had read in my research the “trail” requested a one-way traffic pattern. I appreciated this for several reasons, including the COVID precautions. We began on our walk around the Reservoir, surprised to find few visitors. There was not much to see, but we still enjoyed our walk. The path had numerous benches, and besides endless geese poop it was quite clean. We took our time as Wilma appeared quite warm in the sun. Wilma engaged in a humorous, random roll in the middle of the walking path, and laid down to rest as needed. She loved smelling the trees and often smiled at me as we trotted, my sweet girl. Although the path was a bit unappealing a good change of pace on this warm day. So glad we could Adventure to the Brookline Reservoir Park today (Rating: 3.5).

July 29, 2020 – Jamaica Pond – Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I adventured to Jamaica Pond in Boston, Massachusetts. It is part of the Emerald Necklace Parks which were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. Jamaica Pond is a kettle pond with a 1.5 mile loop path. The Pond also contains the Jamaica Pond Boat House which proves opportunities for rowing and sailing. As expected Jamaica Pond is popular for running, walking, dog walkers, and boating.

We had a blue sky-filled adventure to Jamaica Pond. I was excited to check out Jamaica Pond, our second adventure to an Emerald Necklace Park. We arrived bright and early and were pleased to find a parking spot on Pond Street. I was surprised to find it so crowded at this early time but yet thankful for people wearing masks.

We began around the loop, the sky bright blue, and the Pond sparkling. The loop was paved and almost continually provided views across the pond, a beautiful sight. I found most of the visitors were quite intensely focused on their workout routine, while our walk was more a bit more suburban in style (haha). We found several spots to take photos near the water, but unclear of the water’s purity, I decided not to let Wilma wade. We enjoyed our trot around the Pond, and checking out the boathouse with the colorful boats floating on the Pond. We did see several dogs off leash, leading us to take a slight detour to avoid the chaotic scene. Unfortunately we had one brief incident where an off leash dog charged at us, quite disappointing. Overall we found that guests adhered to the leash laws.

There were few squirrel sightings but Wilma still enjoyed our walk and exploring a new environment. We really did love our visit to Jamaica Pond. It is a pretty setting, a great place to exercise, and provided endless benches to sit and relax. Obviously this location is far from a secret per the crowds. So glad we could visit Jamaica Pond today. We look forward to exploring more of the Emerald Necklace Parks (Rating: 3.5)

Throwback Adventure -Wompatuck State Park – Massachusetts

In April 2018 Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Massachusetts. Wompatuck State Park is a 3500 acre Park that is popular for camping, biking, snowmobiling, boating, and hiking. It includes 40 miles of forest trails that run by streams, ponds and a reservoir.

We had a fun Adventure to Wompatuck State Park. We had a full day of Adventures, and this was one of the many we enjoyed. We especially appreciated the boardwalk trails through the woods, and the water perfect for a swim. Wilma found some tasty sticks, while Shadow was often looking for the next water entrance. Wilma tried hard to keep up with Shadow on her hike, her best bud. I am not sure which body of water we found, but there are many in the Park. It was bright blue and quite scenic, especially next to the dry, brown spring grass. We will definitely have to visit Wompatuck State Park again in the future, a wonderful Park to explore (Rating: Throwback Adventures will not always be rated).

July 15, 2020 – Deer Island – Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I Adventured to Deer Island in Boston, Massachusetts. Deer Island is a Peninsula in Boston that is part of the Boston Harbor Islands. You can drive to the Island after crossing the town of Winthrop. The Island has a long history, including: serving as a prison camp for Native Americans during King Philip’s War, and a home to immigrants and refuges during the Irish Potato famine. The Island has five miles of trails including an almost three mile loop. It currently is the location for the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, which both treats and recycles waste. The Island is popular for walking, jogging, biking, and fishing.

We had a misty Adventure to Deer Island. We arrived at about 8am and I was quite thrilled to find a parking spot as the Island reviews indicated they are often limited. We began our walk around the main loop an almost three mile paved path. It was sprinkling, and somewhat misty as we began. I was surprised to find myself quite impressed with the beauty of the “trail”. There were many colorful wildflowers, and the waves were quite grand, loud and raging. Wilma often preferred to walk along the stone/cement wall, my rock loving girl. There were parts of the path where the waves actually crashed so high they spurted water over us and the path. I found this little natural feature so fun, although Wilma was not a huge fan of these unexpected showers.

I would guess we were about halfway around the Island when we found a little beach, centered by a breakwater, featuring purple tinted rocks. We normally would have wandered down the breakwater but there was a fisherman at the end so we decided to give him his space and explore the beach. I was disappointed to find a lot of litter on the shore, but sadly to be expected on a city beach. However we did our best to ignore this and appreciate the sand, shells, seaweed, lobster traps, and the water. Wilma loved sniffing around, and digging and running chaotically. She sometimes waded into the water, but dramatically bounded back when any type of wave appeared. A fun little diversion from the “trail”.

We then continued on the path along Boston Harbor. We soon found a spectacular view of Boston, so impressive. As we walked further the sky began to slightly clear, with dashes of blue between the clouds. I could not get enough of this view, and guess it must be one of the best skyline view of Boston. I took numerous photos of this scene, and dreamed about the zoom lens I wish I owned. Definitely one of my favorite parts of this walk as I love seeing the Boston skyline.

Throughout our walk the “trail” varied from a small path to opening up, to providing opportunities to walk on the rocks, to scenic vistas – paths off the trail. There were benches along the way to sit, relax, and enjoy the ocean views. An interesting aspect to Deer Island was the Treatment Plant which added various structures parallel to the “trail”. There was only one small part of the path where I noticed an odor, but thankfully that was a short part of our journey. We were able to view kiosks throughout to learn more about the location and history. Near the end of our walk we found several memorials, including the Irish Memorial, and the Judge A. David Mazzone Memorial.

I was very happy to be surprisingly impressed with Deer Island. The large waves made my mind think of movies where there is an ocean storm – just something I cannot describe in words but the sounds and the scene were majestic. The colorful wildflowers, combined with the unique structures of the Plant made for a distinctive experience. I loved the path too, quite pristine and quiet, I guess a perk of minimal parking. Although several things made me debate the rating I overall was very pleased with Deer Island, and look forward to returning in the future (Rating: 4).

Throwback Adventure – Mystery Lake – Massachusetts

In June 2014 Shadow, Buster, and I Adventured to this Mysterious Lake, not called “Mysterious Lake” but I actually am not sure what Lake we discovered. On this day I recall finding this location after some hiking, and there were no labels or signs around the location. We found several trails near the Lake, but mostly relaxed on the rocks. Both Buster and Shadow enjoyed swimming, while Buster was extra-relaxed laying out to enjoy this new location. I do not recall seeing many other visitors when we were there. And even thought this location may be unknown, I still decided share these special memories and moments with my boys (Rating: Throwback Adventures will not always be rated).

July 1, 2020 – Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (Acton) – Massachusetts

Today Wilma and I Adventured to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Acton, Massachusetts. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is a twenty five mile Trail that includes the towns of Lowell, Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, Acton, Concord, Framingham, and Sudbury. The Trail is 10 feet in width and is popular for: biking, skiing, walking, jogging, and rollerblading.

We had a surprisingly lovely Adventure to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. I was eager to take a walk on this Trail but did not have high expectations specific to scenery. We parked in a designated parking area on Route 27. Upon arrival we were greeted by the loud songs of cheerful frogs, perking up the ears of my curious Wilma. The Trail entrance was quite formal lined by black fencing and scattered with flowers. From there we turned right and began our walk. The Trail was framed by a scenic wooden fence. I was pleased to find the Trail quite wide, perfect for a mixture of those walking, running, and biking, and of course a safe distance in these days of COVID. We could hear the traffic on Route 27 but overall it was a peaceful setting.

The Trail was continually framed with rustic fencing, a simple feature that I appreciated. It did not take us long to arrive at a wetlands area filled with pussy willows, frogs, and birds. I was quite elated to find this knowing we were only exploring a small portion of this Trail. There were several more of these wetlands areas along the way, we even located some benches for visitors to sit and relax.

It is always nice when an Adventure exceeds my expectations. Wilma seemed hot today, even laying down for a quick nap, so we only walked about an hour. We definitely will be back to visit the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (Rating: Adventure will not be rated as only a small section of this 25 mile Trail was explored).