It had been a while since we visited the Cape Cod Canal bikeway. Easy to get to, no need to cross either canal bridge if you stay on the north side, and so scenic. A place that is easy to access can be taken for granted. However, like other places we may feel tempted to dismiss as “boring,” the canal offers great variety when you look a little closer for what can change between visits.
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It was Memorial Day weekend, a time for remembrance of those who gave their lives in service of our country. These days, however, it is for many the unofficial start of summer. It was a beautiful day, and we knew lots of folks would be out and about.
We hoped to avoid crowds so rather than visit one of our local rail trails, we headed north with our adaptive tandem bicycle to investigate a trail we had not ridden on previously. The Rockingham Recreational Rail trail starts in the New Hampshire seacoast area. The eastern trail head begins in Newfields, New Hampshire, directly next to the Amtrak rail road right of way, which carries multiple passenger trains north and south along the coast.
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The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical park (C&O Canal) runs alongside the Potomac River valley from the tidal basin in Washington, D.C. to Western Maryland. What was once the tow path for the canal is now a broad, level footpath that is great for walking or bicycling. The Potomac River is within view for much of the section north of Williamsport, Maryland, where we traveled. The trail surface is in good shape, covered with packed stone dust for most of the section we traveled, with a few muddy spots along the way.
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Southern Maine is a reasonably short drive from most places in eastern Massachusetts. In the past our family has bypassed this area in our hurry to get to Acadia National Park, and locations farther north. Recently we simply needed a break from the cares of our regular routine, so we decided to head about two hours north for a day trip. York, Maine is known for its beaches, but it also has a lovely place to explore, Mount Agamenticus. We had read about it in Tom Wessell’s book Roadside Ecology and wanted to check it out.
One of the challenges of visiting a place for the first time is figuring out where we can access an entrance, and where we can safely park. Both tasks were complicated by the fact that Mount A (as it is foundly called) is undergoing some major construction at its entrance. A paved road brings you right to the top where you can enjoy 360 views of the surrounding countryside. When we arrived we found cars parked all along the road. (It was a weekend, so presumably it would be less crowded on a weekday). Mount Agamenticus is town-owned, and once construction is finished it will be charging a modest fee to park your car.
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Spring is a great time to get outside, but like the fall, visible signs of spring and the changes that happen in this season are compressed into a few short weeks. Summer and winter last for months on end. If you miss the window of opportunity to catch these quick changes, you will have to wait till next year to witness, and possibly capture in photos the wonders of new life springing forth all around us. At least, this is what I reasoned after realizing I have very few good photos of spring in my files.
Thus I welcomed the opportunity to get outside on a windy spring afternoon in April at Choate Park in Medway, MA. I met up with Marilyn and Dave Doré, collaborators with me for our upcoming book, tentatively titled Easy Walks in Massachusetts South of Boston. We are excited to get started on this trail guide, a companion to the other Easy Walks in Massachusetts books already available. We hope to publish by this fall or next spring. If you want to be the first to hear when the book is out, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this post.
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Listen Here
We visited the Marginal Way in Ogunquit on an overcast spring weekend. It was given this name because it brings visitors to the “margin” between land and sea.
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Warmer days offer a great excuse to get outdoors (as though we need an excuse). Grass is poking up through the soil. Maple trees are setting out buds that trim the woods’ edges with a reddish hue. My spring favorite, skunk cabbage, unfurls its shiny, rubbery looking shoots on the edge of, and sometimes in the middle of woodland streams and wetlands.
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You probably know what someone means when they say they are headed over to the local rail trail. These paved or stone dust developed paths, rail trails, have become a generally recognized part of modern life. The transformation of abandoned rail beds into walkable or bikeable paths has created a growing network of trails intended for recreational walking, bicycling, and other non-motorized uses.
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The Stanley Woolen Mill is one among many textile mills that used to create valued textile products and provided essential employment throughout New England. The mills went into decline in the early 20th century and most of the infrastructure of these mills has been put to alternate use, abandoned, or demolished.
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Call us contrarian, but we much prefer visiting beaches almost any other time than summer. Off season, beaches are uncrowded, parking is much less problematic, and you are quite likely to spot migrating waterfowl just off shore. For all these reasons and more we set off on a brisk, windy, March day to explore Napatree Conservation Area at Watch Hill, Westerly, RI. The Watch Hill Conservancy holds a conservation easement for this area. Here’s a link that can answer many frequently asked questions about Napatree.
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Marjorie Turner Hollman 