Category Archives: Massachusetts

Back to the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary

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Finally a day off when it isn’t snowing or raining. That’s not to say it’s beach weather but it’s a lot nicer than it’s been. The sun is out and although there is a stiff breeze it isn’t that cold, cutting wind. I have to drive to Plymouth so I think I’ll swing up to Marshfield and see how the sanctuary survived the winter. I intended to get there during the winter but it seemed like there was a winter storm every time I got a day off. So here it is …almost spring…and I’m just getting back here now.

As I pulled in to park I saw that the little garden and bird feeders were still there next to the entrance. I scared a flock of blackbirds but then I think I saw a flash of red. I think they may be red wing blackbirds.

My goal today is to make it to the end of the main trail. A friend of mine asked me if I’d been there yet. He said there are often deer and that you can almost always see a red-tailed hawk or two. I knew it was the wrong time of day for deer to be out in the open but I mainly wanted to see the area.

I started down the path and right off the bat met up with another couple who were really walking fast. I stopped and let them pass ahead of me. I wasn’t looking to run a race. I think I have seen this couple here before, He, like me, takes pictures and she seems to be along for the walk.

I took the right path down by the pond. There were ducks and swans and the ever-present Canadian geese. I passed the otter slide on the left but it didn’t look like it had been used in a long while. I entered the woods and here the path was still covered with snow and ice so I had to step carefully. I took the “Secret” Trail along the boardwalk that led to the meadow where I saw the deer last year. All was quiet, the leafless trees making for a surreal landscape.

Back in the woods I followed the boardwalk until the trail split. I went right this time and took the loop trail which is just what it says…a loop. Back on the boardwalk again I hooked up with the main trail and followed it up to a wooden platform. This must be the Fox hill Observation platform and the end of the trail. I sat there listening and looking out over the varied terrain thinking about what it would look like in a month or two when spring has really “sprung”. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a movement. A large bird was flying low over the landscape. It was too far away for a picture so I just sat and watched. It landed on a fence post and I used my telephoto to get a little better look. I think it was a hawk but I couldn’t tell what kind. Maybe the red-tail I’d been told about?

It didn’t stay there very long before it took off circling higher and higher. It was soon joined by 2 others, the three of them dipping and gliding in a kind of ballet in the sky. I’m not sure how long I watched but eventually I figured I should head back. Other than the 2 people I had met when I started out, I hadn’t seen another soul.

Leaving Fox hill I took the right trail again. This one was marked River Walk. I had started it last visit but had turned around. This time I was determined to walk the whole thing and I’m glad I did.

The Green River was slow and meandering here, it’s smooth surface acting as a mirror for the trees along it’s banks. Not too far in the river made an oxbow and led me around to a pretty wooden bridge. This too was reflected in the calm river waters.

Crossing the bridge led to a board walk over a swampy area and on to another bridge. Once I crossed that bridge I recognized the other end of the River Walk. I was back on the main trail. A bit farther on is a little trail to the right that I remembered from last year. It’s where I got the picture of the buttercups and sunshine. Today it was just dead grass but it still held a surprise. As I headed out of the last bend a hawk took off from the tree right in front of me. I got a good glimpse and then he was behind the tree line.

I moved up to the end of the trees only to see him winging upward to do the same soaring dance I’d seen the other 3 hawks do earlier.

I continued along the main path until I reached the duck blind. I let myself in and probably spent a good 30-45 minutes there watching the geese play on the pond. They were splashing and bobbing like so many little kids playing. They all seemed to be in pairs too.

By now it was definitely time to move on. I still wanted to find the Marshfield beach .

I was impressed by the condition of the trails and the blinds. Everything is groomed and some of the fence posts looked new. If they are, then the Audubon folks have been busy indeed as winter hasn’t even come to an end yet.

　

　

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Grand Canyon Railroad and the AAA Travel Show

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As I wandered on to the 2nd half of the show floor I seemed to be moving into the more local booths, local as in states. I stopped at The Hershey, PA booth and right next to it was Lancaster County, PA, Amish country. And then I saw a big sign…Lake George and I had to stop there. I have to laugh because even after I told them I was from the area, they pressed the brochures into my hands. One of the reps was a young lady who has a store on Main St in Bolton. She knows my mother and brother so I told her to tell them she had seen me.

More local was the Concord Booth manned by reps in colonial dress.

 There was a National Parks booth too where I stopped for a chat.

As I was preparing to leave…if I could find an exit…I saw a booth that I has somehow missed. The Grand Canyon Railroad! There were 2 young ladies manning that booth and it wasn’t crowded so I had a chance to have a nice visit. I told them we had a trip planned in May and would be taking the train and include the Rim tour. They said that was absolutely the way to do it (of course ) but then we discussed some of the other tours in the area. They had both been on the Bottom of the Canyon tour but with another tour company. They had heard of Native American Journey’s but didn’t know it well. They said that going with them would give us more of the perspective of the Native Americans. They also said that some areas of places like Monument Valley are closed unless you have a Native American Guide. I had heard that but it was nice to have confirmation. As I was getting ready to leave they handed me 2 wooden train whistles as a gift. I had mentioned my sister was going on the trip with me and they remembered saying, “here’s one for you and one for your sister.” Very good. I am impressed by things like that. Shows they were really listening to what I was saying.

I left the Grand Canyon booth and went to the third floor so I could get a look out over the show floor.

 Then I headed back down to leave. Easier said than done. I walked around and around and couldn’t find the exit. Finally I asked one of the security guards.

By the way, security was tight. We didn’t have to pass through any screening but the guards all had the little wires in their ears and seemed to be a higher level than the normal “rent -a-cop”. Anyway, they gave me directions that could have been from Peter Pan…First Star on the right etc J they told me to go to Hershey and take a right then a left at New York etc…Pretty funny. Finally I saw a small exit sign.

But you still had to get past all the AAA displays by the exit. I skipped the survey and headed out. I’d had enough of crowds and “hawkers” for one day. All together I was in the show for around 3 hours. You could easily spend all day but I had what I came for and was glad to drive off into the sunset.

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AAA Travel Marketplace

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Every year I read about the AAA Travel Marketplace. It’s touted as THE Travel event of the year. According to it’s advertisements you should come prepared to book your trip as there will be deep discounts and show specials.

Like most shows it always falls on a weekend and like most shows, I end up missing it because of my work schedule but this year I decided to take a day off and check it out. There were a couple of reasons for my decision. One was that I am writing this travel blog and I felt I should be able to offer some comments on the show and the second reason was that I wanted information on Alaska Cruises since that’s the goal for 2012.

I went on Friday because it was easier to get a Friday off work than an Saturday or Sunday. That meant that I missed the public appearance of Wally the Red Sox mascot and the rep from the TSA who was going to speak about the controversial airport screening policy., both things I would have liked to see/hear. Oh well…in a perfect world J Let’s face it, we can’t have everything even if we want to and life is all about choices.

The show opened on Friday at 2pm and was at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. I headed over to arrive around 3pm. I pulled up to the Fidelity entrance as indicated on my ticket but the doors were locked. While I looked around several other cars pulled up and soon there was quite a crowd milling around. About the time I was pulling out my cell to call AAA someone else got the same idea. He got through first and informed us that that we had to go to the other side of the stadium complex and enter there. We all loaded back into our cars and caravanned around the complex.

When we got to the other side we saw the parking attendants and signs…AAA parking.

Even so close to opening time the lots were filling up fast. Looking at the number of cars and the distance I was from the doors I chose to lock the DSLR in the trunk and just take the point and shoot. I felt it would be easier to carry and less conspicuous in a crowd.

It was a good choice.

One inside I was directed up the escalator to the 2nd floor. As soon as I walked in I was in Canada land. There were booths for Quebec, New Foundland, Nova Scotia, Montréal, Bay of Fundy and on and on. I was cornered briefly by one of the Canadian reps… bonjour, Com on sa va etc then with brochures and bags I continued on past Ireland, Costa Rica, Bahamas. My head was starting to spin!

Then the crowds began to thin out. There was a large area with desks and computers marked “Reservations” . Apparently this was where you could whip out your checkbook or credit card and take advantage of all the show specials. I gave that area a wide berth. I only wanted information.

And then I saw the Cruise booths. There was Princess, Disney, Linblad ( Nat Geo’s cruise line of choice), Holland America, and more. I started asking about Alaska at the first booth and was immediately told they were all booked up. I moved on to the next and was also told to try again another time…no specials here. When I reached the Holland America booth the rep was more gracious. She gave me brochures and explained how they set up their cruises and excursions. She said they run the most trips to Alaska so very seldom sell out early. She also told me to go to the web site and if I had questions just to call and they would help. She said it was not to0 early to reserve a cruise in 2012. She said a small deposit holds the reservation. Then she looked around and said “You can go though AAA travel agents, but they will charge you a fee”. That is the same thing my friend Julie told me too.

With my cruise information collected and enough reading material for at least a month, I just wandered around the rest of the show. I’ll tell you a little about that in my next post.

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Oliver Mill Park, Middleboro Ma

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A few posts ago I talked bout the Herring run in Middleboro but was stumped when asked what the ruins were. So I returned to the park today and learned that it’s official name is Oliver Mill Park. There is a large display board next to the parking lot before you reach the picnic area that has a sign and copies of several articles about the area and the herring run.

The sign says:

“Oliver Mill Park
“The Muttock area has a history of occupation and use that dates to the early Archaic Period, attracting Native Americans who came to fish in the Nemasket River and who probably established a small village nearby. In 1734 a dam was built across the Nemasket River here, replacing an old native fish weir.
“Between 1744 and 1776, Peter Oliver, an important provincial Tory official and judge, as well as an industrial entrepreneur, operated an ironworks that included one of the earliest rolling and splitting mills in New England. Oliver’s works dominated Middleborough’s early economy and were significant for the degree to which they exploited the power of the Nemasket River, using as many as eight water wheels to run an integrated cluster of iron works, grist, saw, and other water powered mills.
“After 1800 the site was converted into a shovel shop under the ownership of General Abel Washburn and operated into the 1840s.
“Following the abandonment of the site in the 1870s the area was largely ignored until the 1960s and 1970s when it was partially restored for recreational purposes. Oliver Mill Park survives as one of the most significant industrial archaeological sites in Middleborough and in the southeastern Massachusetts region.”

The park is located off Nemasket Street, and is very near the intersection with US 44.

After parking and reading the sign, walk along the paths to the stone mills ruins, literally a building shell with partial walls and no roof. There are several channels to look at, including one that allows herring to swim upstream. You can cross the river on a wooden bridge that allows you to look into the tea colored water. When the herring are running, you can easily see the fish as they travel back to their natal waters to spawn.

There is also an ample picnic area, if you want room to spread out.

The stone bridge that is so photogenic is the Muttock Bridge. It has quite a history, far more than I care to recite here but I will share a link with you to a great story with some historic pictures. It’s a really interesting history and a well written account. http://nemasket.blogspot.com/2010/01/muttock-bridge.html

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