Category Archives: Massachusetts

It’s Always Cooler on The Water

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With the heat and oppressive humidity in Boston Nancy and I made the decision to take a harbor cruise. It wasn’t much of a decision. The temps were so uncomfortable that it was really the only option.

We made a stop at Quincy Market  where Nancy got a smoothie and I got a cup of watermelon then it was back to the wharf for the harbor cruise. What a difference. As soon as we pulled out of the slip we could feel the cooler air…natural air conditioning.

The sights were many…Nantucket Lightship, Fort Independence,  Castle Island, Cod-zilla, Bunkerhill Monument, USS Constitution, The steeple of the Old North Church,  Coast Guard  Ships, Boston Fire Boat, Logan airport, the beautiful bridges around Boston The Zakim and the Mystic River Bridges and the list goes on.

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It was only a 90 minute cruise but it was just enough of a break before we had to fight the afternoon crowds back onto the “T” to head back to the “Burbs”.

Boston on a Hot Hot Day

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A couple of weeks ago my friend Nancy and I made plans to meet in Boston for the day. She is a college professor and she only had morning classes. I wanted to get some pictures of Boston landmarks for my photo cards. I figured I’d go into town early, grab as many shots as I could then meet Nancy for the afternoon.

Well, let me just say that going into Boston is never an easy jaunt. In fact it annoys me so much it’s hard to believe people do it daily for work. Trying to be frugal I decided to take the  “T”. I timed my departure (I thought I was being so smart) for 9:30 am to miss the rush hour traffic on Rts 24 and 93. Well that part worked . Traffic was heavy but moving and I found a parking spot on the 5th level of the Quincy Adams Parking garage…inside…so the sun would not be turning the car into an oven. So far, so good.

10:00 am I’m in front of the Charlie Card machine and I hear a train pull into the station.  I grabbed my ticket and ran for the platform…too late it had loaded and was just pulling out. Boy that was quick! No problem though. Trains run about every 10-15 minutes at that time of day. Sure enough it wasn’t long before another train pulled into the station. It was pretty empty and I got a seat right away. Only 10:15. I expected to be in town by 10:45 which would give me an hour to shoot pics before meeting Nancy.

But here’s where things began to fall apart. We seemed to be waiting longer and longer at each stop. Finally just before we got into Boston proper we stopped completely between stations. Now we got an announcement that there were “switching” problems at Park St. As soon as they got the train in front of us out of the way we’d be on our way. Tick Tock Tick Tock…I could hear the clock ticking in my mind.

Finally moving again we made it to Boylston but then we sat again. By now it was after 11:00 am So much for a free hour for my photo shoot.

Originally I was going to get off at Park St. Take pictures of the Boston Gardens and then walk over to the Aquarium taking pictures as I went. Now pulling into Park it was almost 11:15 and it was HOT…a record setter and HUMID. I decided I might as well take the train to Government Center and switch to the Blue line to get to the waterfront where I was meeting Nancy.

I’m not sure how I messed up. Probably faulty memory since there were no maps posted in the T car I was in but somehow I got twisted around and ended up over by The Rehab Hospital and the old Jail, the Science Museum and Esplanade on the Green Line. I got off and changed platforms to back track.

Finally on the Blue Line I made it to the Aquarium Station. Stepping onto the street was like walking into a solid wall of humid heat.

It was so extreme it took my breath away.

The various trolley companies all have ticket booths right there so I stopped by the Olde Town Trolley booth for a short chat.

JR used to work for them once upon a time  so I have a soft spot for them. But aside from personal prejudice I do feel they do the best job for the money.

Ghosts and Gravestones is Olde Town’s Ghostly tour. Love their promos! Halloween all year ’round! But I imagine the young lady was pretty warm in those volumes of skirts.

Leaving the trolleys behind I noticed that Boston has continued to move into the eco-friendly realm with bicycle rentals. A very nice idea.

By now I was soaked with perspiration and feeling very uncomfortable.  I found a nice outdoor bar on the wharf and plunked myself there to wait.

My icy cold club soda arrived at the same time Nancy stepped out of the T station. As I went to meet her the waiter reminded me to “stay hydrated”. Got it! I sure will.

It was time to put our heads together and make a game plan to survive the heat.

Peaceful Meadows

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Well back on the home front I continued with the unofficial review of area Ice Cream stands. A good friend recommended Peaceful Meadows on Rt 18  in Whitman. I definitely knew where that was. I drive by it quite often. What I didn’t know was that this is only one of 3 Massachusetts locations.

There’s a Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream stand at 109 West Grove St, Middleboro, Ma and another at 170 Water St, Plymouth, Ma. The correct address of the one in Whitman is 60 Bedford St, Whitman.

Peaceful Meadows started out as a dairy farm in Whitman and that is still the main location and there is still a dairy there. In fact all of the ice cream served at all 3 locations is made right there on the farm in Whitman.

I can see the appeal of the place for a family with children too, at least the Whitman location. I have not been to Middleboro or Plymouth but I think they are just Ice Cream Stands. The Whitman location is the farm and it is really a working dairy farm.

When you pull into the good-sized parking lot you see cows grazing in the pasture that backs the ice cream stand. The barn itself is open to the public and the day I was there contained a “pre teen” calf. You know what I mean..not a cute little baby but not fully grown up yet either. The mother cow was in an enclosure next to the calf. I hesitate to call it a stall as it was more like a mini corral . The sides were open. Children were picking up handfuls of hay and feeding both cows. They were gentle and let the little ones pet and scratch their heads while they munched.

Also located on the grounds is a little store with packaged ice cream, milk, homemade cookies and wonder of wonder, maple syrup and maple syrup candy. Be still my heart. That is a major weakness of mine. I left quickly before temptation could sway any resolve.

Having explored a bit it was time to taste the wares. I stood in a short line until it was my turn. I’m not very adventuresome when it come to eating so I am normally happy with a simple dish of chocolate but today I decided to try a sundae. Pretty basic…vanilla ice cream with hot fudge. Whip cream and nuts of course , hold the cherry.

You can’t fault the serving size. This didn’t come in a dish. This was in a large plastic cup. There was plenty of hot fudge too, not like some places that give you a little dot of hot fudge and call it a day.  My treat in hand I looked for someplace to sit back and enjoy.

There were no little tables with bright umbrellas, no picnic tables on the grass under the trees, only one small bench and a few boulders. Most people were sitting cross-legged on the ground. Perfect for little kids and maybe me about 10-15 years ago but now my joints might let me get down there but I’d never get back up!

Eventually one of the kids left the bench to go look at the cows and I quickly claimed the vacant seat. Time to dig in.

Hmmm. Very strong vanilla flavoring. I’m not sure I like it quite that strong. Also the ice cream, being homemade fresh from the dairy was very, very rich. That’s not a bad thing unless, like me all that butterfat tends to upset the digestive track. The hot fudge had a slightly burned flavor like someone hadn’t cleaned out the old before adding the new. So far I can’t give them high points. It certainly wasn’t the worst hot fudge sundae I’ve tasted but I wouldn’t put it in the top 10 either. I didn’t finish it. Most of it landed in the trash container.

Bottom line…I can see why it would be a favorite place for families with the cows to watch and the open barn to explore. Another Plus is that this is not a seasonal stand. It is open year round. There’s ample parking but not enough seating unless you like the ground and I’d only rate the ice cream a C.

So to my friend who loves this location all I can say is sorry. It isn’t to my taste. Maybe it is to yours and that’s good too. It’s why there are many choices out there. If everyone liked the same thing we’d only need one and where’s the fun in that?