With the start of summer comes the longest days, the most sunlight (and the summer heat, of course). We had an early light dinner and headed out with our adaptive tandem bicycle to one of the closest local trails, the handicapped accessible, stone dust covered, Upper Charles Trail in Holliston, MA. A helpful strategy we have used for avoiding crowded trails is to get out early in the morning, or at supper time, when others are headed home.
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Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.
While it was difficult to tell from the maps we studied and the trail reports we read, it looked as though the Quinebaug Rail Trail in Dudley, MA might offer a bikeable path for us to explore. If we found this not to be true, we had Plan B at the ready, to travel just a short ways north to join up the Grand Trunk Rail Trail in Southbridge.
Continue readingFiled under Blog posts--Easy Walks
Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.
We headed north to investigate a potential rail trail we had heard about in Mason, NH, to see if it was bikeable. Called the Mason Rail Trail, we found very little up to date information on the internet, a little info on the Mason town website, but later discovered a quite recent account of a visit there only last week.
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You never know what you might find…just off the road, traveling through Smugglers Notch
As I work on finishing up my book, “How to Find Easy Walks Wherever You Are,” when we travel to unfamiliar places, I am reminded of important points made in the book. These are some of the concepts I have found to be helpful: be willing to explore; be willing to turn around; learn to read maps; use the internet; and tell everyone you are looking for Easy Walks. We used nearly all these principles on our most recent trip to Vermont. Continue reading
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Delaware river with mountains on either side of the river
When we got to the Delaware Water Gap, I was surprised to learn that it is so much more than a spot where the Delaware River cuts between a mountain range. In fact, for about thirty miles, on both sides of the river, the Water Gap is actually a National Recreation Area. Continue reading
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Liz talks with the group prior to heading out to walk at St. Vincent’s in Worcester
Winter offers challenges to everyone, especially those of us concerned about the consequences of slipping on ice and injuring ourselves. The past three winters Worcester resident Liz Myska has created an indoor walking program that provides not only a safe place to walk, it also has drawn people from a wide variety of backgrounds to come walk with those who are visually impaired, and learn how sighted guides can be helpful to those who have limited vision. Continue reading
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Large beech tree at Thayer House Medway still holds on to a very few leaves as winter sets in
We’ve had some snow recently, then deep, deep cold that has turned the soft fluffy white stuff into the kind of surface that prompts one to think of ice skates. Turns out this has been a week I’ve been out on the trails quite a bit, so I’ve had the chance to sample many types of ice on the trails in the area. I hear we’re in for more snow, and possible rain, which will alter the landscape yet again so it’s anybody’s guess what next week will bring! Continue reading
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Winter’s first snow in the woods behind Silver Lake, Bellingham
I often get the feeling I’m crossing into another place and time when I stride through the woods right behind my house in Bellingham. We live within sight of Silver Lake, which at one time was the local “hot spot” for entertainment of all kinds–a carousel carried wooden horse in endless circles in the beach area, and a dance hall offered Big Band tunes in the 1940’s. I hear there were even performing horses that dove into the lake from great heights! Continue reading
Views of the Charles River
Medfield State Hospital operated from 1892-2003 as a state mental hospital, sometimes referred to as an insane asylum. Now owned by the town of Medfield, the grounds are open to the public during daytime hours, and offer some stunning views of the Charles River. Accessed from Old Hospital Road, just off Rt. 27, north of Medfield Center, the property is surrounded by Charles River floodplain. Continue reading
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“The Crew” setting out to mark the trail
Each time I put together yet another Easy Walks book, this time for the towns that host the Ten Mile River watershed, Easy Walks and Paddles in the TenMile River Watershed, I try to work with local folks to make sure the trails that will be included in the book are well marked. This usually requires walking the trails, and seeing for myself what the trails are like. Continue reading
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