Throwback Adventure – Palmer Island Lighthouse – Massachusetts

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!

In January 2017 Shadow and I Adventured to the Palmer Lighthouse in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Palmer Lighthouse is located in the Acushnet River at the entrance to New Bedford Harbor. It was built in 1849. The Lighthouse is twenty four feet high and is made out of stone rubble. It can be reached by foot at low tide through the hurricane wall in New Bedford Harbor. The Palmer Lighthouse is no longer a working lighthouse.

We had a wild Adventure to the Palmer Ligthouse on a cool winter day. We had many Adventures in New Bedford on this day, and the Palmer Lighthouse was one of our most scenic stops. I do not remember doing much research but found that we could make our way to the Lighthouse as the tide was low. Having no idea what the tidal patterns were we decided to journey to the Lighthouse, closely watching the water. We met a nice family along the way that adored Shadow, while also ran into some teenagers in the appearing to be up to some trouble. I was quite disappointed at all the trash in the area, I guess left behind from the tide. However we carried on, sometimes on rocky footing, but soon arrived at the Palmer Lighthouse. The Lighthouse was quite stunning, bright white and uniquely stone. There was a stone-like pathway directly to the Lighthouse so we were able to climb to the door to check out this beautiful Lighthouse. We really lucked out finding low tide on this visit, but did not stay long unsure what to expect upon our return. A fun, and memorable Adventure to the Palmer Lighthouse (Rating: 3).

Weekly Video/Photo

If you regularly follow my blog, and the weekly/video photo I would recommend skipping on to paragraph three, specific to this week’s video/photo. I have decided to add a weekly video/photo section to my blog. This blog will 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.

So 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.

Today’s feature is a video from a day-trip to Vermont with Shadow and Wilma, on which we stopped to explore the town of Wilmington, including a trail, and the Deerfield River. This video occurred IN the Deerfield River, and instantly brings a smile to my face every time I view it!! We were returning from our walk along the trail, and of course had to stop for a Shadow dip. After literally walking around the River Shadow decided to lay down, with no plans whatsoever to ever leave this cool oasis. Although he lives for getting into bodies of water I do not think I have ever seen him completely lay down in the water. I found the moment so humorous, and of course was quite pleased that he was cool and comfortable. Back at that time Wilma was almost scared of the water, although now she will take some steps in on occasion. She instead preferred to eat some grass as we waited for Shadow to finish his water therapy. I love that Shadow is a water boy, and that I captured this little moment FOREVER!

Please search for Wilmington in the “search box” for more information on this Adventure. (On a mobile phone you can find this at the very bottom of the page, and on the computer you can find it to the right of the blog.)

Enjoy!

June 8, 2019 – Brooks Woodland Preserve – Massachusetts

On June 8, 2019 Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Brooks Woodland Preserve in Petersham, Massachusetts. The preserve includes over thirteen miles of trails, rivers, brooks, forestland, and wetlands. The property was previously home to the Nipmuc Indians, while later being cleared for pastureland, and farms. The land was named for James Wilson Brooks. Brooks Woodland Preserve is owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations.

We had an invigorating hike at the Brooks Woodland Preserve on a lovely spring morning. I was wondering if we would make it to the property, as with no exact address we drove down a rocky country road. However, we were pleased to find the bright blue official Trustees sign and arrive at the trailhead. I confirmed that no hunting was permitted but yet became concerned to find a nearby sign stating “However…” warning you to be aware that hunters still could be around the area or on the property. I was thrilled to find one of Shadow and Wilma’s reflector vests in the car, slightly reducing my anxiety with this information. I often joke how I have one dog that looks like a bear, and one that looks like a deer, so therefore avoid properties known for hiking. Still a bit anxious with this warning, I covered by pups with bright orange, and decided to continue on our Adventure.

We began down a slightly overgrown trail hopping over two large trees that had fallen over the path. The trail opened up to a gorgeous field-like area, beautiful green colors spanning our view. We soon entered the woods and arrived at a gorgeous stream, and bridge. Shadow quickly found a path down to the water while Wilma and I watched from above (see the first video below). We relaxed at this singing brook for some time until Shadow was ready to leave the cool flowing water and journey on to the trail. Our hike mostly followed the yellow loop trail, although we veered off in some locations to check on various scenery, often a bridges over a singing brook. We met one couple on and off throughout our hike who appeared to be traversing the same trail. They were very nice, and seemed to appreciate some “hellos” with Shadow and Wilma. Besides this couple we found ourselves alone with nature.

This trail was quite special as the town it was located in was in the country, leading to a true natural hike. There was constant birds chirping, and oftentimes you could hear the singing of streams. Not a chance that you could hear the highway from this location, so tranquil and serene. Shadow seemed quite energized on this hike, often speeding ahead of us, I am sure quite enthused from the many, cool stream dips! My favorite parts of this hike were: trail that paralleled the stream, the picturesque bridges, watching Shadow’s joyful swims, lush green landscape, and being one with nature at this serene location. Besides my worries of the nearby hunting, we really enjoyed our visit at the Brooks Woodland Preserve. As you may guess I found this property through the Trustees of Reservations. Definitely a wonderful visit to this lovely property (Rating: 3)

Throwback Adventure – Fraconia Falls – New Hampshire

In October 2017 Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Fraconia Falls in the town of Lincoln, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Falls is a series of cascades that is sourced from Fraconia Brook. Fraconia Falls is a popular area for swimming and sliding down the Falls.

We had a wonderful Adventure to Fraconia Falls on a gorgeous Fall day. The hike to Fraconia Falls begins at Lincoln Woods, one of my favorite hikes of the White Mountains. We were excited to journey on an extra long hike, all the way to the Falls. The trail turned left when we arrived at a scenic wooden bridge, right about where we noticed the sign leading us to Fraconia Falls. We decided to first traverse this bridge and view the Brook before turning around and heading on the trail to the Falls. We then began hiking along the trail which paralleled the Brook. We soon located a scenic area to stop, relax, and have a snack, such a peaceful oasis along the shore. After a restful break we continued on to the Falls. The Falls was simple, and unique in its own way. We posed for some photographs, standing on the rocky platform, and viewing the area off to the right. I actually wondered if it was the true Falls as I was expecting a much larger, and more elaborate natural creation. I still sometimes ponder this question but we did follow the sign and arrived at this Falls, so how could we be mistaken??

The Falls was our last stop before turning around to return to our car. We had spent the day wandering the trails of Lincoln Woods and exploring various spots along the way. Another perfect day in the White Mountains (Rating: Lincoln Woods: 5, Fraconia Falls: 3).

Below please enjoy some pictures from the Falls, the trail from the bridge, and one from right before the Falls trail. If you would like to read more and see photos about Lincoln Woods search for Lincoln Woods in the “search box” for more information. (On a mobile phone you can find this at the very bottom of the page, and on the computer you can find it to the right of the blog.)

June 2, 2019 – Garwin Falls – New Hampshire

**Update** – I reviewed the Wilton, New Hampshire Parks and Recreation website and Garwin Falls is currently closed to the public – glad we could visit before this the closure – please check with them before visiting to make sure you have current updates/information

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Garwin Falls in Wilton, New Hampshire. Garwin Falls is approximately forty feet tall and is part of the Wilton Reservoir. There is a short walk to get to the Falls that passes some smaller cascades and a dam. The parking lot for the Falls only has several spots, and there is no cost to park. Garwin Falls is located on private property, however remains open to the public.

We had a jaw-dropping Adventure to Garwin Falls. Amazingly this Falls is only about forty five minutes from my house yet I only recently discovered it online. I was thrilled to find a local waterfall and could not have been more impressed at the beautiful site. We began our walk parking at a very small parking lot, luckily, not arriving at a busy time. We traversed the simple and wide trail for a short time before arriving at several cascades. The cascades were small but lovely. We walked along the brook and found some sandy areas. Shadow and Wilma enjoyed some drinks of fresh water, and of course Shadow made sure to take a quick dip in the stream! We took our time exploring this simple spot, walking until we could see the dam up ahead. We then returned to the main trail to continue on our journey.

We walked for another short walk before arriving at the massive Garwin Falls. I could not believe the size of the Falls as I was not expecting to be impressed. The Falls was thunderously singing a sweet song as we wandered over to the edge of the Falls. We were able to walk right up to the edge, and of course I took numerous photographs. I was absolutely stunned at this magnificent creation, wide in size, tall in height, and perfect in melody. We stared for some time, before talking along the edge of the brook. Agile Wilma jumping along, while Shadow a bit unsteady on the uneven surface. I attempted to balance across on a log, but was not able to get Shadow to follow so Wilma and I crossed to take a couple photographs before balancing back across. We took are time at this breathtaking location, pleased to only see several visitors who were all leaving when we had arrived.

On the way back to the car we wandered off the trail several times to explore the brook and upper cascades. We viewed the dam from below and atop, quite grotesquely plastered with graphity. Not what you expect to find in such a serene and natural environment, however we did not let this deter us from a fantastic visit to the Falls.

Garwin Falls was definitely one of the most picturesque waterfalls I have ever seen. We will be back again to visit this spectacular site (Rating: Waterfall: 5).

Throwback Adventure – Rye Beach – New Hampshire

In April 2015 Shadow, Buster and I Adventured to Rye, New Hampshire to explore a dog friendly Beach. Although I am not sure specifically which beach this is I know it was in Rye, New Hampshire, somewhere along 1A. (I do not believe it was labeled when we visited). Rye New Hampshire is a coastal town in southern New Hampshire. It is home to the largest coastline in New Hampshire.

We had a sunny Adventure to the Beach in Rye, back on April 12, 2015. The beach was very rocky, with tidal areas to explore. We were able to find some sand areas to sun-bathe and enjoy the day. It was our last stop on a busy day and we were happy to relax and enjoy the breeze. It was fun looking at photographs from this outing reminiscing about yet another Adventure we had with Buster. So glad he was able to have lots of travels! We will definitely have to visit Rye again in the future.

May 27, 2019 – Granny’s Ice Cream – New York

I am a bit behind on my blog from the weekend as we had a busy weekend of Adventures. Therefore I will be sharing these Adventures throughout the week.

On Monday Shadow, Wilma, My friends, and I Adventured to Granny’s Ice Cream on Route 29 in Johnstown, New York. Granny’s Ice Cream is part of the Royal Mountain Campground, and offers soft serve ice cream and other light food items.

We had a tasty Adventure to Granny’s Ice Cream to begin our Memorial Day. I would say Granny’s Ice Cream is in somewhat of a remote area, however was quite busy, likely due to the campground, and popular motorcyle route. Wilma seemed a bit unsure of this unfamiliar environment so she hung out with one of my friends, while our other friend, Shadow, and I waited in line. (Maybe because there was a big wandering around on a leash – haha!) I decided to try the cotton candy soft serve, and of course two dog friendly ice creams. Shadow and Wilma gobbled up their ice cream quickly as we sat in the grass. I savored my cotton candy ice cream, until Wilma, had a moment of excitement and ended up IN my ice cream. The aftermath left her quite thrilled as she was able to lick up this new flavor on her covered foot! Luckily I was just about full, so I guess the moment could remain humorous. We sat for a bit socializing with our friends, relishing the last day of our vacation. Nothing too fancy, but definitely glad to chow down on some ice cream, something I had been hoping for since the weekend began. It was a delicious stop on our journey back to Massachusetts (Rating: 3, Dog Ice Cream – 5, Company: Just right!)

Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a video from a wonderful Adventure that Shadow, Wilma, and I took last summer, to Ripley Falls in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Ripley Falls is an absolutely stunning waterfall, tall and gorgeous. It was so peaceful being there and hearing the singing sounds of the Falls. In this video I had climbed up a tall rock to take a photograph, so you see Shadow, nor Wilma were pleased at their brief moments of separation. However after snapping a couple of photographs we returned to the ground and everyone was again pleased! Definitely a special Adventure that I’ll always remember fondly!

If you are interested in reading more about this spectacular Adventure you can type in Ripley Falls in the “Search Box” on my page. On a mobile phone you can find this at the very bottom of the page, and on the computer you can find it to the right of the blog. You might see it in the midst of some outside advertisements.

If you are having a stressful day this will definitely help you relax! Enjoy!

Throwback Adventure – Wendell State Forest – Massachusetts

In August 2013 Shadow, Buster, My Aunt, My Uncle, My cousin, My cousin’s son, and I visited Wendell State Forest in Wendell, Massachusetts. Wendell State Forest is 7500 acres of forest land which includes several ponds, streams, and trails. It is popular for swimming, fishing, hunting, and biking.

We visited Wendell State Forest almost six years ago on two lovely days. I was picking up my cousin’s son Cameron for the weekend so we choose Wendell State Forest to meet as it was centrally located. Wendell State Forest ended up being a great find as we had a wonderful time. There were two main activities we especially appreciated. First, we spent plenty of time on the beach! Cameron enjoyed some swimming, hunting for salamanders, and catching guppies. Shadow and Buster loved sitting in the beach and of course the cool water, while I was able to catch up with family. There was not a sole around which made the beach especially tranquil. Nearby we found a bridge where Cameron located a variety of snakes sunbathing in the rocks, although far from my favorite site, it was fun seeing Cameron’s excitement in these long scaly creatures.

Our second main activity was a hike around the pond, also quite barren from guests. Cameron often walked ahead with Shadow while the rest of us mostly walked a bit behind with Buster. We found some picnic benches along the way, a little wooden bridge, and plenty of natural scenery.

It was a fantastic Adventure, especially as we also were also able to visit with our extended family. Really the perfect location for children to learn and appreciate nature. Cameron is growing up to be such an amazing kid, now fifteen and such a kind teen, so fun to spend time with! He recently was accepted as a camp counselor soon to be leading excited young ones on Adventures of their own. We will always have found memories of our Adventures to Wendell State Forest.

May 18, 2019 – Long Hill – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, my Mom and I Adventured to Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts. This property is a 114 acres in size, the former estate of Ellery and Mabel Sedgwick. It is currently owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservation. The property includes: gardens, the brick estate, trails, an orchard, a child’s garden, the “Food Project”, and a library specializing in horticulture. Tours are available in certain seasons.

We had a fragrant Adventure to Long Hill on a gorgeous, sunny spring day. It was exciting to find yet another dog friendly garden, what has become the theme of our recent journeys. Upon arrival we located printed property maps and started on the nearby path. Almost immediately we were greeted by a beautiful tulip garden, although a bit past peak, lovely in is own way. We walked around leisurely finding many colorful blooms, and a bright red tower feature, highlighting the Japanese gardens. There were footways in different directions leading to unique landscape features and just about every color that you could imagine, from yellow, to pink, to blue, to purple, to white. We soon arrived at the brick estate, as expected surrounded by flowers, trees, and lovely landscaping. It was almost a magical experience as if we had been transferred into another culture.

We found a perfect, shady seating area next to the estate to relax and enjoy the gardens. We conversed for a bit before Wilma and I decided to take a hike on some of the trails, while Shadow rested in the shade with my Mom. Shadow and Wilma were not too pleased to be separated, but we felt this was a good for both of them, as Shadow appeared a bit warm in the heat, and Wilma quite energy-filled. So we carried on with the plan knowing it was best for both. The trails were simple, and overall well-marked. There were maps along the way and signs marking various trails. Somehow we became a bit lost when missing an expected turn but soon found ourselves back on a familiar trail. As planned our walk was fast paced and energetic. We soon returned with Shadow and Wilma quite thrilled to be reunited with one another. Sweet kisses for all!

After our walk we savored a picnic as we smelled the aromatic flowers and gazed the beautiful property, watching visitors passing through. My Mom rocked her sun-hat fitting right in to the lovely scenery. While Shadow particularly enjoyed a cool dirt corner, Wilma chased after some bubbles floating by. It was therapeutic, peaceful, and quite tranquil. From there we ventured to our last stop, an area scattered with flowering fruit trees. We sauntered through the gorgeous trees, many of them exceptionally fragrant. Shadow, Wilma, and I sat under the trees as my Mom snapped some photographs. It was hard to leave not wanting the spectacular Adventure to end. However, we eventually headed out, another memorable Adventure.

So as you may guess this is yet another property I discovered through the Trustees of Reservations. We loved our Adventure to Long Hill and will expect be back (Rating: Gardens – 4, Trails – 3).

PS – A rolling video just for you Liz!