Tag Archives: Trustees of Reservations

Doane’s Falls Royalston MA

Just one of the three spectacular falls here

Third time is a charm…. Our first attempt to visit Doane’s Falls in Royalston, MA was a complete failure. The February weather had turned to the path to ice alongside the trail to the three waterfalls of this beautiful Trustees of Reservations property. Our second try was in the early days of the pandemic, and the parking area at the corner of Athol Road and Doane Hill Road in Royalston was stuffed full of cars. Visitors seeking the safety of the outdoors had squeezed themselves into the relatively narrow corridor next to the river. Too crowded for us! But a recent trip to Royalston provided all the conditions we were hoping for. A cool but not cold day, lots of shade (until the leaves fall), very few other visitors, and no ice!

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Finding Easy Walks at Powissett Farm, Dover

2020 has been a challenging year for most of us, and certainly more challenging for some than others. For those of us lucky enough to have kept healthy, we are keenly aware that often, remaining healthy has come at the cost of incredibly loneliness. and facing a different Thanksgiving, we wondered if we could do something different to help ease the loneliness just a little. Easy Walks lend themselves to time with older family members. It works for me too. The day promised to be overcast, and rather than plan a shortened visit, we suggested family meet us at a local trail where we could enjoy time taking an Easy Walk together.

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Return to Gooseberry Island

The outgoing tide left hardpacked sand along the shoreline of Gooseberry Island on an overcast morning

The forecast was for rain, so we used our strategy for #Avoidingcrowds and headed to the shore, confident we would be able to enjoy a walk outside without lots of fellow travelers. Gooseberry Island, in Westport, MA is still our favorite, and closest place to take in the scent of salt water.

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Bird Park, E. Walpole, in Winter

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Happy Grandma Sue, at Bird Park

I had grand plans for my visit with Sue, a long-time friend, and former neighbor, who now lives just down the street from Bird Park in East Walpole. We would visit with her new grandson, then head over to check out the new boardwalk in the town forest. Continue reading

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Looking for Kettle Ponds in Sherborn, MA

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View of the pond through the beech leaves

Sherborn does not make it easy to locate their public spaces. Information is not posted on line about their public spaces. A booklet, Sherborn Walks, is available for purchase at Sherborn’s town hall. Written in 1992, it has been frequently republished, but does not appear to have been updated since 1992.

My book, More Easy Walks in Massachusetts, includes the town of Sherborn, MA, but presently only includes Rocky Narrows in Sherborn. I am in the process of updating the entire book, probably adding at least another 15 Easy Walks, and Sherborn was on the list of places I wanted to revisit.  Continue reading

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Spring before spring–Rocky Narrows, Sherborn

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Looking for spring along the banks of the Upper Charles River in Sherborn

There is a time when the calendar says spring is here, and yet, and yet, in New England, the landscape still has a bleak look. Buds are swelling, grass has started poking out, in the marshes green shoots reach skyward, and migrating birds have begun heading north. But the trees remain bare. Ferns remain hidden under the soil. Bushes hint of color to come. and broken branches from the multiple March snowstorms this year litter both yards and trails. Continue reading

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Coming Home

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Fall in New England

I have heard it said that understanding and sharing your past can change your future, but it was only recently that I began to fully grasp this truth.

In my work as a freelance writer and personal historian, I often ask people, “How did you get to where you are today?” The question might be in reference to a person’s vocation, but it may also simply be about how a person came to live in a certain place. The answers I’ve received have been endlessly fascinating. Continue reading

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Hidden Jewels of MetroWest Walking Trails

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Mill Pond Westborough

Enjoy some “Hidden Jewels of MetroWest” in this recent blog post I shared with Massvacations.com

http://www.massvacation.com/blog/2015/06/5-top-spots-for-easy-walks-in-massachusetts/

Marjorie 

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors, and is the author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd editionMore Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd editionEasy Walks and Paddles in the Ten Mile River Watershed, and Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are. Her memoir, the backstory of Easy Walks, is My Liturgy of Easy Walks: Reclaiming hope in a world turned upside down.

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