Category Archives: Blog posts–Easy Walks

by | May 7, 2020 · 1:23 pm

Stumbling into a different world, off the Upper Charles Trail, Holliston

Guest Post:

Tommy Zazulak of Holliston reached out to me to share some photos he took near the Upper Charles Trail in Holliston. We exchanged a few emails, and he ended up sharing a delightful, slightly wacky story of stumbling across some intriguing stone culverts underneath the trail, in the area of Wenakeening Woods. The following are his photos and story. Enjoy! MTH

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Stone culvert underneath the upper Charles Trail in Holliston (photo courtesy Tommy Zazulak)

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

The best part of the Upper Charles Land Trust area and the trails contained therein isn’t what you see as you hike the Holliston Upper Charles Trail or the Wenakeening Woods path. Rather it’s what you don’t see from the main route that is so breathtaking. At least it was for me when I stepped off the marked trails and paths and discovered a variety of tiny aqueducts, brooks and stone bridges unnoticeable from the marked and heavily traveled Holliston Rail Trail. Continue reading →

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by | May 5, 2020 · 12:07 pm

In search of quiet–Buck Hill, Burrillville, RI

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Lonely pond at Buck Hill

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

We often study maps prior to heading outside, and this trip was no exception. But it turns out that best laid plans still go awry. As we traveled on some unfamiliar roads we completely missed our original goal, of Black Hut Wildlife management area, in Burrillville. Instead, we overshot and ended up at Buck Hill Wildlife Management area, also in Burrillville, RI.

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by | May 4, 2020 · 3:19 pm

Hitting the road during a pandemic

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Ready to head out on an undeveloped section of the SNETT, in Uxbridge

Where to go on our bike and be able to maintain a safe distance from others when we are out? We usually avoid riding on roads because of the danger of cars not giving enough space as we ride. But traffic has been almost non-existent as we stay home during the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, and suddenly our rural roads are more attractive places to wander on to explore the countryside.

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by | April 27, 2020 · 2:29 pm

Biking during a pandemic, Myles Standish State Forest

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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 | April 20, 2020 · 11:51 am

Discovering the Heron Rookery behind Stall Brook School

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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 | March 30, 2020 · 4:26 pm

Hughes Property, Hopkinton, MA

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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 | March 29, 2020 · 3:10 pm

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

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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 →

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by | March 27, 2020 · 2:59 pm

Along the Connecticut River

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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 | March 26, 2020 · 11:14 am

Powdermill Ledges, Smithfield, RI

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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 →

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by | March 25, 2020 · 1:31 pm

Mercy Woods, Cumberland, RI

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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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