Harvard – The Adventures of Shadow and Wilma

Today Shadow, Wilma, My Mom, and I Adventured to Doe Orchards in Harvard, Massachusetts. Doe Orchards is a family owned business encompassing approximately twenty five acres of apple orchards, 10 acres of Christmas trees, and two acres of berries. As expected Doe Orchard is popular for fruit picking. There is also a small farm stand where you can purchase fresh fruit.

We had a fun Adventure to Doe Orchards. I had been thinking about apple picking for some time, and we finally fit it in to our schedule. This was our first visit to Doe Orchards, and as you might expect we were thrilled to find a local dog friendly apple orchard. We began at the stand getting the information, and choosing our apple bag(s). There was a map of the apple trees, and kind people to answer our questions.

After gathering our necessary information we headed off into the orchard to pick some apples. I was excited to participate in this Fall New England past time. I am far from an expert on apples, but was excited about the process, and anticipation of some apple filled baked goods. We weaved in and out of the trees, simple, but scenic. The trees were marked by color, which were then labeled on stands throughout. Definitely a very organized and clearly marked farm. It appeared some of the varieties were well picked, but I was quite pleased with the choices, the company, and the experience. There were few other visitors on this grey Monday evening.

The dogs appeared quite pleased to have a weekend evening out on the town. Shadow enjoyed some rests in the grass, while Wilma watched our every move. My Mom and I chatted, and took some time wandering before we filled our bag(s). So glad we discovered the wonderful Doe Orchards. And just to add for those local dog followers, dogs are not permitted during their berry picking, but thankfully are welcome during apple picking (Rating: 4).

Yesterday Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts. Fruitlands Museum is a museum celebrating multiple visions of America on the site of a utopian community. It connects nature and culture with a variety of exhibits. It is on 210 acres of property which also includes hiking trails, a store, special events, and a cafe.

We enjoyed a gusty Adventure to Fruitlands Museum, a place we have been to on at least on two other occasions. We started off in the museum area, with lovely views, perfectly shaped buildings, and unique statues along the road. The area is always perfectly groomed, although little landscape to see in the winter months. We walked through the exhibits heading down the hill, the wind incredibly breezy, almost pushing us back. We appreciated the museum area visually before heading to the trails.

We spent most of our time exploring the trails on the property. The trails were marked well with color, winding through the woods, up and down some hills and through a field. We saw some deer from afar, enjoyed some boardwalk trails and dodged slippery ice patches along the way. The trails were very simple, and somewhat blah in the brown of winter. There were kiosks along the way providing information, and numbers to label different parts of the trails. We especially enjoyed the hike through the field adding a variety in the color, with some perfect hay-like grass for Wilma and Shadow to partake in some synchronized rolls. The hike was somewhat eerie with squeaking trees, not a person in site, and gun shots from afar. Although I had called to make sure there was no hunting at this site, the sounds caused some worry, and masked the “normal” relaxation of the hike. However, we carried on and were glad to get some exercise on this February winter day.

So as you know, we only explore part of the Fruitland Museums property as the Shadow and Wilma were not invited into the museum buildings. Therefore we will not rate this Adventure for our readers, but definitely a unique local spot for an Adventure. Below you will see photographs from our visit yesterday, and a past visit with Shadow, Buster, and My Mom (although this past visit was more a relaxing time viewing the sunset, versus exploring.)

February 9, 2019