Category Archives: Blog posts–Easy Walks

by | September 6, 2017 · 10:33 am

Seeking Easy Walks along the Wild Atlantic Way in Western Ireland

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Sun setting into the Atlantic near Spanish Point, Co. Clare

My husband had wanted to visit Ireland for years. We recently spotted a new service flying to Ireland from Providence with Norwegian Air and decided to go for it. Summer temperatures rarely get into the 70’s in the summer so this would be a respite for me from New England’s summer. Jon longed to see the limestone karst areas of the Burren, which has some pretty rugged landscape. I hungered for time near the ocean, with opportunities to find Easy Walks. We found a perfect spot to spend a week in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, but were unable to get into the house rental till the day after we arrived. Continue reading →

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by | August 21, 2017 · 2:10 pm

Staying Close to Home on a Hot Summer’s Day-Blackstone River Bikeway Woonsocket to Ashton Mills

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Hot day alongside the Blackstone River

I am truly ready for summer to be over. Besides berry picking, the lush greenery, and summer flowers, I really don’t love summer. The heat makes my legs stop working–really. But I need to get out. And so we set out on one of the most humid, warm mornings recently to take a bike ride. Close to home was the plan. Lucky for us, the Blackstone River Bikeway in Woonsocket, RI is a mere ten minutes from where we live.  Continue reading →

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by | August 16, 2017 · 1:47 pm

In search of Easy Walks in the White Mountains

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Many more steps awaited the trip to the bottom of Glen Ellis falls

We had an errand to run, all the way in North Conway, New Hampshire. We typically avoid the White Mountains in summer because of the horrendous traffic one encounters around Conway. But Limmer’s Boot Company makes the only boots my husband can wear without experiencing severe back pain, and so off we headed to get his boots looked after.

The overcast day was not ideal for being outdoors, but regardless of the weather, we didn’t want to pass up spending some time outdoors amidst this lengthy trip. The White Mountains have a lot of challenging trails, many that go straight up, but there were a few good candidates we planned to stop to check out at on our trip. Continue reading →

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by | August 9, 2017 · 12:07 pm

Out on the boardwalk…Stony Brook’s boardwalk has reopened!

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A new design, but the same footprint as the former boardwalk, and same wonderful views!

Stony Brook Nature Center, a Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk, MA has been without its beloved boardwalk for the past sixteen months, but the wait is now over and the boardwalk is open. Lots of info here on pages 6-7 of the Local Town Pages providing background on why the boardwalk has been closed for so long.  Continue reading →

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by | August 7, 2017 · 3:26 pm

Riding the rails–Topsfield Linear Commons

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View of Ipswich river from along the bike path

It was a perfect day to get out and our tandem bike was ready. We heard about a railtrail in Topsfield but had a hard time determining what condition the trail was in, or even if the trail was continuous, or broken up by highways and other barriers. And so we set out to discover for ourselves. Wonderful surprises awaited! Continue reading →

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by | July 31, 2017 · 10:01 am

Kidnapped! Return to the Quinebaug river in Southbridge

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Along the Quinebaug River, Southbridge, MA

During the week I tend to explore trails that are pretty local, getting out quite early in the morning to beat the summer heat. But we often get out on our tandem bike on the weekends, and for that, my husband and I venture to new places farther from home. Last weekend we visited the U.S. Army Corps’ Westville Dam area in Sturbridge. But this past weekend we had an errand to take care of in Sunderland, MA.

On our way out that direction, we stopped for a short walk just downstream from the Westville dam. The weather was overcast, cool even, a surprising reminder of cooler, fall days to come. Rather than bring our bike, we opted to keep things simple and stick to walking. Continue reading →

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by | July 28, 2017 · 11:12 am

Getting to work on the next book-North Attleboro WWI Park

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Amazing view found at the WWI memorial park in North Attleboro

In the coming months, expect to start seeing more reports from the towns of Plainville, North Attleboro, Attleboro, Seekonk, and Pawtucket and E. Providence in Rhode Island. The TenMile River WAtershed Council is collaborating with me to create the third in the Easy Walks trail guide series, and they have been hard at work getting me reports, photos, and fieldwork information about trails and canoe and kayak put-ins in the towns that host the Ten Mile River. Much of what I’ve received so far has been in Seekonk and E. Providence. Plainville and North Attleboro, Attleboro are pretty close to where I live so I’ve started making plans to explore trails up closer to my home to contribute to the needed fieldwork for this project. Plus, I just haven’t been able to wait to see some of these special places for myself. Continue reading →

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by | July 27, 2017 · 1:00 pm

Hopedale Parklands–a familiar place, seen with new eyes

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Marcia capturing cattails on the edge of Hopedale Pond

I’ve visited Hopedale parklands countless times since I first learned about this special place, probably fifteen years ago. Each season offers different surprises, and regardless of the season, there’s always something new to see.

But this morning’s walk was different in another way. I met Marcia at the main, Hopedale Street entrance, and we set off in the cool of the morning, before the day got too warm for me. Continue reading →

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by | July 25, 2017 · 12:17 pm

Piece of the Titanic Railtrail at Westville Dam, Southbridge, MA

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Gentle rapids on the Quineboag river

While I adore getting out on our tandem on any kind of usable railtrail, I have a real soft spot for trails that offer water views. Continue reading →

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by | July 20, 2017 · 11:00 am

“On the Ground Report” Mass Central Railtrail, Rutland, MA

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Out with our tandem in the summer, cooling vest on, cooling scarf as well, ready to have fun regardless of the heat

We love to get our tandem bike out on local, and not so local railtrails, but as we search the internet for information about trail conditions of various trails we discover, we find some consistent challenges. Websites are not updated. Parking areas often lack signage pointing to where they are located. And perhaps the most important issue–it is nearly impossible to ascertain trail conditions from the available information out there. Continue reading →

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