Category Archives: Blog posts–Easy Walks

by Marjorie | April 27, 2020 · 2:29 pm

Biking during a pandemic, Myles Standish State Forest

Woodland trail at Myles Standish State Forest

Each spring we eagerly look forward to getting out our adaptive tandem bike, which allows me to enjoy time on the trails far beyond how far my feet can carry me. Last spring we were in process of building our new bike, and were delayed in getting out. And this spring, well, there’s a pandemic about, if you had not heard. So beyond concerns about the days getting too warm for me, we have the added concern about whether we might expose, or be exposed to, anyone else who could make us deathly ill.

We decided, rather than visit one of the several local rail trails nearby, which we felt sure would be more crowded than we felt comfortable with, to head out to Carver, to the Myles Standish State Forest. Continue reading →

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by Marjorie | April 20, 2020 · 11:51 am

Discovering the Heron Rookery behind Stall Brook School

Long distance view of the heron rookery, Stall Brook

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

Four years ago I saw a drone video posted on our local Bellingham, MA Conservation Commisison Facebook page offering a glimpse of a great blue heron rookery near power and gas lines north of Rt. 126, somewhere near Stall Brook elementary school in Bellingham. I have since wondered if it was possible to get a view of the herons without climbing in a plane to do so. Continue reading →

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by Marjorie | March 30, 2020 · 4:26 pm

Hughes Property, Hopkinton, MA

A wide path invites visitors to come and enjoy the trail through the woods

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

When I started resarching trails for my Easy Walks in Massachsuetts book series, I wondered if there would be enough open space for me to write about. Seven years later, I wonder if I can keep up with new trails being developed in nearby towns. I visited the Hughes Property in Hopkinton, MA several years ago with John Ritz, chair of the Hopkinton Hiking club, who described the area to me as having been recently donated to the town. Continue reading →

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by Marjorie | March 29, 2020 · 3:10 pm

Skull Rock Lock, along the Blackstone River, Uxbridge, MA

Upstream from Skull Rock Lock, along the Blackstone River

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

We looked for a smaller place to walk that might have fewer visitors to avoid in this time of physical distancing. While intending to head to one destination, we passed the small parking area on Rt. 122 in Uxbridge, Skull Rock Lock, south of the town center, that offered access to the Blackstone River. No one else was there. Just what we were looking for. Continue reading →

Along the Connecticut River

View of French King Bridge from Cabot Cove, Montague

We recently visited friends who live near the Connecticut River and enjoyed getting out with them for some local walks. They took us to a spot underneath the French King Bridge, where we walked alongside the river and watched ducks searching for food in the frigid waters. We had often stopped at the bridge itself to gaze up and down the river, but we gained a very different perspective from down at river level. Continue reading →

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by Marjorie | March 26, 2020 · 11:14 am

Powdermill Ledges, Smithfield, RI

Boardwalk through potentially wet area in springtime, with stone walls along the way

We often spotted the sign on the highway for Powdermill Ledges, in Smithfield, RI, but had never followed through to track this open space down. I read that it was the headquarters for RI Audubon Society, so I was glad to finally get there (before the global pandemic, when everything was shut down). It was an easy drive down Route 295 to Rt 44 west to Rt. 5. We were able to obtain a map from the visitor center, which was helpful. Continue reading →

Mercy Woods, Cumberland, RI

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

A perfect spot to sit and rest awhile along the trailMercy Woods in Cumberland, RI is a new property added recently to the Cumbland Land Trust outdoor spaces open to the public. 229 acres of open space with trails offers a great option for visitors to explore the trails. The trails are well-marked, wide, and relatively smooth. The landscape is hilly, and the trails offer a lot of elevation change. Continue reading →

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by Marjorie | March 23, 2020 · 12:10 pm

French River, Webster and Dudley, MA

Views of the French River from the trail

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

In this time of “all things virus-related” worries, we decided to explore a small trail in Webster last weekend along the French River, the French River Greenway, site of the former Perryville Cotton Mill. Continue reading →

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by Marjorie | March 20, 2020 · 2:52 pm

Staying close to home: Fort Nature Refuge

Beaver pond at Fort Nature Refuge

We decided to stay close to home when we ventured out a few days ago. Searches in nearby towns turned up Fort Nature reserved in North Smithfield, RI, a short drive from our home just on the other side of the border in Massachsetts. This small (235 acre) property offers some nice variety of outdoor experiences. But you will find no forts here–the name refers to the Fort family, which donated the property to be kept as open space. Continue reading →

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by Marjorie | March 13, 2020 · 2:18 pm

Sea, sand dunes, and marshes at Sandy Neck Beach, Barnstable

Miles of beaches await at Sandy Point

We visited Sandy Neck beach on a mild winter’s day. We were not the only visitors. A number of others strolled the beach, but with 6.5 miles of beach to walk, it was not crowded. Unlike most beaches, Sandy Neck allows, with multiple conditions, motorized vehicles and horses on certain portions of this beach. It is not every beach that requires stop signs. Permits are required to access these trails with motorized vehicles. Continue reading →

Category Archives: Blog posts–Easy Walks

Biking during a pandemic, Myles Standish State Forest

Discovering the Heron Rookery behind Stall Brook School

Hughes Property, Hopkinton, MA

Skull Rock Lock, along the Blackstone River, Uxbridge, MA

Along the Connecticut River

Powdermill Ledges, Smithfield, RI

Mercy Woods, Cumberland, RI

French River, Webster and Dudley, MA

Staying close to home: Fort Nature Refuge

Sea, sand dunes, and marshes at Sandy Neck Beach, Barnstable

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