Oliver Mill Park, Middleboro Ma

Posted on March 2, 2011March 2, 2011 by Dusty Roads

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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Scout’s Tips~ “Should you Ship your luggage”

Posted on March 1, 2011March 1, 2011 by Dusty Roads

SCOUT

We’ve been looking into this option since most of the airlines started hitting travelers with hefty checked baggage fees. But if you’re one of those travelers, like Dusty is (she travels with camera & laptop as well as clothing and other essentials), who just can’t travel light, then shipping your luggage might be an option.

These are a number of luggage clubs and door to door services but some of them can be more pricy than just paying the baggage fee. If you opt for one of these services, be sure to check with your destination to make sure they accept shipped baggage and where you can retrieve it.

Dusty has shipped shopping home using good old USPS. It was as souvenir walking stick from the Grand Canyon. It wasn’t too expensive to send it but since the walking stick was not very expensive in the first place, it doubled the price of the walking stick. Still Dusty felt it was money well spent since she didn’t have to deal with it at the airport. It was waiting for her when she got home.

If you buy large pieces or expensive pieces often the seller will ship them to you.

Shipping home from overseas is even trickier as you may have to pick anything shipped up at customs. We have no experience with this and did not research this as we travel primarily within the US.

If your idea of a souvenir is to collect brochures and books the postal service has a magazine / book rate. The service is one of their slower one but since these items are heavy and can push a bag over the weight limit, you might find this a good option for shipping.

There’s also Parcel post, FedEx and UPS. Each situation is different but speaking from experience, shipping those extra things home makes the return trip so much easier than trying to stuff things into already crammed bags.

So consider shipping on a case by case basis and do your homework. Will the cost to ship be worth the difference to pay an overweight charge or avoid a hassle at the airport? Keeping that in mind should help you with your decisions.

Happy Traveling

Scout

Introducing SCOUT!

Posted on February 28, 2011February 28, 2011 by Dusty Roads

SCOUT

Scout is our Prairie Dog Mascot. If you’re new to the site he got his name in a poll of the names suggested by our readers. Scout has a function of more than being a “pretty face”. Scout reviews travel magazines, newspaper articles, travel emails and attends travel conventions like AAA Travel Marketplace coming up this Friday in Foxboro.

He also talks to fellow travelers and compiles their recommendations for reference.

Scout asks questions

If you have travel questions you can put them in the comment sections and Scout will do his best to get an answer for you. Once he has it, you’ll see a Scout’s Tips column with what he finds out.

Scout keeps alert and when he runs across a good travel tip, he will report it right here!

Scout is Alert

So stay tuned for “Scout’s Tips”. I know he’s got some coming up.

Scout

Conversation with a Seasoned “Cruiser”

Posted on February 24, 2011February 24, 2011 by Dusty Roads

I been doing all this talking about our May trip to Arizona but there are other things to do on Vacation. I went on a cruise to the Bahamas once. It was nice. I had nothing to do with the planning so I am definitely not one to ask about cruising. I remember my favorite part was the day we spent at the private island. From talking with other vacationers who have gone on cruises, I think the “private island” is pretty standard. So I was chatting with a co-worker who also happens to be a dedicated cruise vacationer and I thought I’d ask her about her experiences.

Meet Julie, my friend and co-worker. Julie is in her 20’s and has a number of cruises under her belt. We’re hoping to meet her father in Scottsdale when we take the trolley. Her father is “Boston Jim” who I have mentioned a couple of times. But I am getting off track.

DR: Hey Julie. You like to cruise don’t you? How many times have you gone?

Julie: I love taking cruises. I’ve been 5 times so far.

DR: Do you always go the same time of year?

Julie: No but I like to go in February. I like to get away from the cold here in the Northeast.

DR: So you always go someplace warm?

Julie: I made the mistake once of taking a 5 day cruise out of New York on Carnival to some island in Canada. All I know is it was COLD!…and rainy. It rained , it poured and it was so rocky…I have never been so seasick in my life. We spent most days in the cabin!

DR: Do you have a favorite cruise experience?

Julie: I’d have to say my favorite cruise was my first one. We sailed on Princess Cruise Lines and it was a 7 day, 6 night cruise through the Caribbean. We went to St. Martaan and St. Thomas and made a stop at their private island, Princess Cay. It was so beautiful.

St Martaan was like the movies! The water was so clear. We snorkeled and swam. It was awesome. I was only 18 on that cruise and Princess Lines was the only cruise line that let you go without a parent or guardian if you were under 21. I don’t know if its still like that but it was then.

DR: You’ve mentioned Princess Cruises and Carnival. Have you been on any other cruise lines?

Julie: Yes one other. I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise. That one was more of an older crowd and everything pretty much shut down between 12 & 1 AM. The other cruises were more of a party time with something to do at all hours.

DR: Do you usually go with friends or your family.

Julie: I usually go with my friends. We like to do a girl’s trip. I’ve been on 2 of those. Then I went with my mom for one and the other 2 were with my boyfriend.

DR: Do you have another one coming up.

Julie: I hope so. I have to see if I can get the time off from work before I make it definite.

DR: What advise would you have for someone considering a cruise for the first time.

Julie: I’ve been on 3 day cruises and 7 day cruises and I like the 7 day cruises the best. The 3 day cruise is too short for me but with cruising you either love it or hate it so if its your first time, you might want to try the shorter 3 day cruise to get a taste of it.

If you like it then you could do a 5 day and work your way up to the longer cruises.

With the 3 day cruise they only stop at 1 port of call so you don’t get to see as much. There’s not enough time for excursions or a lot of shopping. We were only ashore for about 6 hours so it really limits your activities.

DR: Have you ever had a bad experience aside from the weather issues you mentioned.

Julie: Well, we went to the wrong port one time. My Mom and I flew into Fort Lauderdale because the plane fare was cheaper. When we went to meet the ship it wasn’t there and the Port Canaveral folks said there wasn’t any ship sailing out of Port Canaveral. We finally called the Cruise Line and they told us they were sailing out of Miami. We had an hour to get to the ship. I don’t know how the taxi driver did it but $100.00 later he got us there in time.

DR: Do you have a Dream Destination you’d like to cruise to?

Julie: Oh Yes! Hawaii! I would love to take a cruise to Hawaii. They only have 10 day cruises but you get to see all the islands. It would be awesome.

DR: I love Hawaii but I don’t think I’d want to cruise it. You wouldn’t get enough time on each island. There’s just so much to do and each island is so different.

Julie: I wouldn’t know what to do and I’m not one to do a lot of research. That’s what I like about cruising. You book your passage to where you want to go and let them worry about the rest. If you hate the planning part and figuring out what places to go and see, cruising is definitely the way to go. They have the shore excursions all planned out . You just sign up for what interests you.

DR: You hear a lot these days about cruises where everybody on board gets sick. Any experiences like that?

Julie: Other than that cruise where I was sea sick…no. The ships are spotless. They are cleaner than any land based hotel I’ve ever been in. They clean morning , noon and night. You come back to the room at night and a little towel animal and mint greets you. It’s just really nice.

DR: So do you have a favorite cruise line?

Julie: It’s hard. I would have to say it’s a toss up. Princess has awesome shows and the food is great. Carnival’s shows didn’t have the “wow” factor that the Princess shows did but there were more to choose from. The food wasn’t as good as the Princess food either.

DR: Was there open seating?

Julie: No every cruise I’ve been on has had assigned seats for dinner and I really don’t like that. I’ve only enjoyed my dinners partners on 1 cruise.

DR: Do you need a passport?

Julie: Yes it’s the law now.

DR: .Any last words for my readers?

Julie: Yes. Definitely try it.

DR: (Laughing) Try it you’ll like it?

Julie: Yes that’s it! Absolutely! I swear by it!

DR: Thank you Julie. I really appreciate you sharing your insights with me.

Little Colorado, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest

Posted on February 23, 2011February 23, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Rethinking Monument Valley Scenic Drive

I know that in yesterday’s post I listed a bunch of options but I was poking around online trying to get more information about the Painted Desert and ran across this link http://www.arizona-leisure.com/painted-desert.html There’s a video on the bottom and it really makes me want to take that long drive to Monument Valley. Apparently you will pass through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest on the way to Monument Valley.

I continued my search and found information on the Little Colorado. I drove by this on my last visit but didn’t stop. Now I’d like to see how we might be able to fit in a visit to this canyon as it was quite impressive too.

http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/littlecolorado.htm

According to these links Cameron seems to be a “hub” for both the Painted Desert and The Little Colorado and Cameron is on the way to Monument Valley.

Once again the only drawback is the length of the drive but if Sandy is up for it, I think I am too. If it ends up taking too long with all the stops for sight-seeing we can always turn around.

I’ll see what my co-explorer has to say. At least we can change our minds since there wouldn’t be any tour guide or dinner appointment to worry about.