April 16, 2023 – Bruce Freeman Trail (Concord) – Massachusetts

Yesterday, Wilma, Gus and I Adventured to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Concord, 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 refreshing Adventure to the Bruce Freeman Trail. I was eager to explore this section of the Bruce Freeman Trail, just recently open. We parked right off the well-known Concord rotary and off we went. It was a beautiful day, although the sun and blue sky did not arrive until the very end of our walk. We explored trail in both directions, including several gravel trails off the main paved trail. The scenery was simple, but there were some water views, benches, a bridge, field views, and some flowers along the route. The pups loved walking and exploring. We mostly saw walkers, runners, and bikers, but did see a couple furry friends, one of which was off leash and far from the owner. We enjoyed this Trail for about two hours. So glad we could visit yet another portion of the Bruce Freeman Trail (This blog will not 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).

Throwback Adventure – The Nashua River Rail Trail (Pepperell) -2015-2016

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. Many of these Throwback Adventures will include our Buster, who was known for his crazy tail, his happy howl, and his zest for life. We miss him dearly…he is forever in our hearts!

Shadow, Buster, and I had many, many Adventures to The Nashua River Rail Trail between 2015-2016 while living locally. The Nashua River Rail Trail is an approximately eleven mile trail that runs from Nashua, New Hampshire to Ayer, Massachusetts. As expected it is built on a former railroad. The Nashua River Rail Trail is popular for biking, horseback riding, walking, fishing, and roller blading.

We had many wonderful Adventures to the Nashua River Rail Trail. Our walks always began in Pepperell, and I often wondered if we ventured into another town as we wandered for hours. We found trails off the paved trail to rivers, and scenic, quiet spots. One time we even spotted a horse, who was far from thrilled to spot two large dogs. Even after heading far off the trail to avoid the horse, it just about bucked the rider off. Luckily she stayed on and we returned to the path to continue our walk.

I found the Nashua River Rail Trail to be especially pretty in the Fall months, the sun streaming over the water. The trail did parallel homes at some points, but often was deep in the woods, quite peaceful. There were some simple fences along the trail, in one location framing a marsh-like area. I did my best to locate a variety of photographs from our many Adventures. Definitely a lovely rail trail to explore (Rating: 4).

January 11, 2020 – Canalside Rail Trail – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Canalside Rail Trail in Turner Falls, Massachusetts. The Canalside Rail Trail is a Connecticut River Greenway State Park, part of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Trail is an approximate 3.7 miles beginning in Deerfield and ending in Montague. The Trail provides views of the Connecticut and Deerfield Rivers. It is a popular Trail for biking, walking, and rollerblading.

We had an icy Adventure to the Canalside Rail Trail. We parked at the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turner Falls, and then followed the signs directing us to the Rail Trail. I was quite disheartened to see the ice rink the Trail had become and even more disappointed that I had neglected to pack my ice cleats. However, we carried on slipping and sliding in our attempt to begin our Adventure. After some time I decided that we could succeed on a walk, so we shuffled along slowly but surely toward the Trail.

Our walk began at the merging of the Connecticut and Deerfield Rivers. We traversed a pedestrian bridge, the water rushing below, appearing almost dangerously close. We appreciated the views above the Rivers before carefully heading back to the Trail. The gate in the direction of the Connecticut River was closed so we headed the opposite direction toward the town of Deerfield. Along the way we saw many trestle bridges, pedestrian bridges, old rail tracks, and mill-like buildings. The Trail was peaceful, with few others battling the ice. We walked and exploring enjoying the unique views of the River and diverse scenery. I was eager to round each turn locating numerous bridges and continued variety. The Trail was lined with various fencing which I definitely was thankful for with the treacherous conditions. It was fun to locate a new Trail with distinct features. We definitely will be back for a walk on the Canalside Rail Trail(Rating: 4).

January 5, 2019 – Northern Rail Trail – New Hampshire

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Northern Rail Trail in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The Northern Rail Trail is a 58 mile multi-use trail popular for dog walking, running, skiing, biking, and snowmobiling. It runs from Lebanon to Boscawen and is the longest Rail Trail in New Hampshire

We had a simple Adventure to the Northern Rail Trail. I planned this stop to break up our trip which involved various Adventures throughout Vermont. I was quite curious to explore this Trail as I had read that it often parallels the river and has bridges along the route. There was a brief jaunt where we were able to see the River, which I believe was the Connecticut River. We were able too locate a little trail that went directly to the River’s edge although too far above the River for Shadow and Wilma to drink or swim. (The video below is from the River as we walked back to the Trail).

Throughout our walk I was glad to see that the trail was not just behind backyards, but also traversed the woods, paralleled the river, and went through field-type landscape. I was disappointed to only spot one bridge, concrete, and dull, but yet had realized we might not see any bridges due to the sheer length of the Trail.

Along our walk we saw many dog walkers, and were quite glad to not run into any snowmobiles. So overall I would say this was typical to my other visits to Rail Trails, a simple, and long walk with no memorable landmarks. However, likely a much different experience for those on a bicycle. Nevertheless still glad we could walk on the Northern Rail Trail today (Rating: 3).