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Category Archives: Massachusetts
Monsterland Massachusetts
Monsterland!
Did you know there is a place called Monsterland in Massachusetts? It’s located in Leominster, MA in the state forest. Here you can look for Bigfoot and other strange activity. Legend has it that the activity goes back to the 1800’s. Leominster is not alone with a reputation for strange happenings. We’ve also got the Bridgewater Triangle and New Hampshire has the Betty and Barney Hill Alien abduction.
Bigfoot in the forest- Internet
Ronny LeBlanc
Ronny LeBlanc is a Native of Leominster who has made it to the little screen in the Travel Channels’ series “Expedition Bigfoot.” LeBlanc tells of an experience in Leominster state forest when he was a boy that has impacted his whole life. He was 11 years old when he experienced his first Bigfoot.
“Within seconds the forest erupted in front of me. Trees and shrubs were moving. I started to feel these reverberations in the soles of my feet of something walking.”
More recently LeBlanc reports finding footprints for the big guy.
“The experience of seeing that impression in the ground, six footprints. Something I’ve seen in a lot of books of the pacific northwest and here we are in Massachusetts.”
Stock photo
Bigfoot In the Berkshires
In the 1980’s 4 friends were having a cook out on the shore of Lake Felton near the small town of Washington, MA. Apparently their BBQ had attracted something large. They could hear trees moving and branches snapping. When 2 of the friends decided to investigate. “It stood on two legs, silhouetted on the trail in the moonlight, and it was huge.” One of the friends told the Berkshire Eagle a few days later, “I don’t scare easily, but it scared me.”
The Whitehall Bigfoot
But Western Massachusetts isn’t the only Bigfoot Hotspot. For years there have been reports of Bigfoot in Whitehall NY. Whitehall isn’t that far from the Western MA border so some speculate that the Bigfoots have a migration trail that runs through Whitehall, NY and into Massachusetts. I’m feeling kind of left out. I grew up very close to Whitehall in the Adirondacks and now I live in Massachusetts but I’ve never run into one of the hairy monsters myself. But then again, I am not sure I want to.
Natural Wonders of the USA Part 3
Natural Wonders
Lets continue down the list of the wonders in each state. I hope you are finding this as interesting as I am. Maybe you’ll be inspired to check some of these out.
9. Tennessee – Ruby Falls
I’ve been to Tennessee. Best Bar B Que I’ve ever tasted. It ruined me for our local stuff! Plus I saw so much wildlife on that trip. But I didn’t see the Natural wonder for Tennessee. That is Ruby Falls.
Ruby Falls, Copied from Internet
Ruby Falls is different. You won’t find it off a trail or roadside. No, Ruby Falls is an underground cascade that follows a series of falls down 145 ft. The underground cavern is located in Lookout Mountain. Lookout Mountain is located minutes from downtown Chattanooga and would certainly be an extraordinary experience.
10. Massachusetts – Chesterfield Gorge
Massachusetts, my home state. I’m ashamed to say that I have never heard of our Natural Wonder. It’s called Chesterfield Gorge and if our weather ever clears up I’ll definitely take a trip to see it.
The gorge features deep walls that rise up to 30 feet high. The cliff edges do not feature any trails that go to the bottom but you can travel along the cliff top, which offers a terrific view of the gorge as well as the river and surrounding forest.
11. Arizona – Antelope Canyon
Every photographer has heard of Antelope Canyon, Arizona. I’ve dreamed of photographing it for years. I’ve been to Arizona several times. I usually stay in Sedona, the beautiful Red Rock country. It’s hard to believe that the Grand Canyon wasn’t Arizona’s number one Natural wonder but I can truly see Antelope Canyon too
Grand Canyon AZ- 2011 Photo credit Deb Neumann
Antelope Canyon- From internet
Antelope Canyon is spectacular especially when you have the right light. The best time to view the canyon is in the summer. Prone to flash flooding, you’ll want to avoid it during the monsoon season.
12. Washington State- Ho Rainforest
Washington is another state that I’ve checked off as visited. I went to Seattle where I rode to the top of the Space Needle and visited the Chihuly Glass Museum. Not Natural Wonders but certainly beautiful.
Seattle Harbor – 2013 Photo credit Deb Neumann
Washington State is located in the Northeastern part of the USA that is considered rainforest. Located in Olympic National Park is an old growth forest that can get as much as 14 feet of precipitation a year! That certainly qualifies the area as rainforest!
Hoh Rainforest, the most famous rainforest in the lower 48 states, has recently gained attention as perhaps “the quietest place in the U.S.”—the perfect remedy to noisy modern life.
I’ve not been to the Ho (Hoh) rainforest but I did experience the rainforest on my trip to Alaska. I believe that was the Tongass National Forest. Amazing places. wet and lush. And yes, quiet. All that moss and soft earth seems to absorb sound.
Next Time on Natural Wonders
We’ll explore 3-4 more natural wonders in my next post in this series. I hope you join in. Have you been to or heard of any of the places we’ve mentioned? Please share your experience in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
Retirement is Hard Work
Its Hard Being Retired
I thought retirement would be boring. My to do list just keeps getting longer and longer. You’d think once Redfin kicked me out that life would get easier but it hasn’t. Everyday I get another email from them with instructions of things they want me to do to get my severance pay. Sign this separation agreement, agree you won’t sue for age discrimination, send back the lap top and monitors, Health Insurance, Stock plan, 401K. The list goes on. I don’t know why they can’t just send me one email with everything in it and then go away. They aren’t paying me anymore so my time should be mine.
Unemployment
I’m waiting for my unemployment benefits to kick in. I have to have a list every week of places I’ve contacted for work. That’s a full time job- looking for work since I have to provide the name of the contact person and their phone number so Unemployment can check up on me. Most of the time I’ve been sending in applications via web sites so I don’t have a contact which means digging around on search engines to find out who the HR person is for each company I apply with.
Old Friends
I have a list of former co workers I can reach out to but haven’t figured out how to approach them yet. How do you call someone that you haven’t seen in 8 years to ask for a job? It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it.
Doctors Appointments
One of my retired friends told me that when you hit a certain age you have to retire to make time for all the doctor’s appointments. That seems about right. In the 2 weeks I’ve been unemployed I’ve spent an enormous amount of time with various doctors and have more appointments coming up. My health insurance ends Nov. 30 but I can opt for COBRA at Redfin’s expense for 3 months then I need add a Medicare Advantage plan. Just to find that out has been hours on the phone.
Whew, So much to do. Good thing I don’t have to work anymore!
Pilgrim Memorial State Park
Pilgrim Memorial State Park
The Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower…things we have heard about since we were children. That’s why Pilgrim Memorial State Park is one of the most visited Parks in the state. I am sure this little park makes a huge impression on young people when parents bring them along for a bit of “educational” vacation.
Located at 79 Water St, Plymouth, MA, the park is right on the waterfront making a visually stunning scene. From the Pilgrim cabins to the Mayflower replica (Mayflower II) this 17 acre park is the smallest state park. It may be small but it’s mighty. Over 1 million visitors flock to this lovely park that is steeped in history.
Plymouth Rock
This is a rock that might as well have had legs. It’s been moved and transported from location to location over the years. During the course of it’s many moves it was broken in half. Finally to preserve the historic stone it was placed on the waterfront where it is located today. A granite portico was built to protect it from the weather and souvenir hunters who liked to chip off pieces of the stone. The current portico was built in 1921 replacing an earlier gothic revival style monument. Whether you visit during the day or at night, this is a beautiful monument.
The Mayflower II
Board the Mayflower II docked at the State Pier in Plymouth. It looks sturdy quietly moored in the placid harbor but think about the size of the cruise ships that ply the oceans today and then imagine spending not weeks, but months (66 days) on an ocean voyage in this tiny vessel. The holds are dark and cramped. No air conditioning here. It makes me think of an old saying I heard once “Protect me Oh Lord for the Ocean is so big and my ship is so small”. If you are there at the right time of the year the crew is in full 1600’s attire and prepared to tell you of life aboard ship on that fateful voyage.
If You Go
Enjoy a Self Guided walking tour of the Park and it’s monuments
The walk is only about 1/4 mile and takes about 30 minutes
There are 9 stop on the tour including the Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock