Memorial Day Weekend at the D. A. R. State Forest

If you were in New England over Memorial Day Weekend you know it was horribly rainy.  Like cats and dogs.  So what do we do?  Go camping of course!  There's nothing like camping in the rain with a 15 month old who is precariously close to walking and a big white fluffy dog.

We went with a group of friends out to the D. A. R. State Forest in Goshen, MA for the three day weekend. There was a brief stop in at my younger brother's house to see my newest nephew and to let Lil Dude play with my older nephew.  During the this visit our lovely dog found their muddy puddle that once was a koi fish pond. The silly beast had mud all the way up his legs and under his belly.  We had to hose him off before he could even get back into the car.

My favorite dog friend.

We managed to get there in between storms on Friday. We quickly ditched the Lil Dude with our friends who were out there earlier (benefit of camping with others!) and while he was wailing, we went off and set up our tent and screen house.

Last year we bought a new tent because our family expanded to beyond our two person backpacking tents and the 6-person tent that we inherited from my brother-in-law was in very rough shape. It was really non-repairable. We would have needed tons of patches and new zippers. So we bought the REI Kingdom 6 and all of it's accessories.  Seriously if you're going to buy a huge tent, do it all the way. We've been out in it twice and so far it's been great. Of course, when you're trying to beat the rain it pays to remember how to put it together. We put it together incorrectly the first time and managed to bend a pole a bit too much. 

Last year we also bought a screen house to go over picnic tables. I had found a Coleman on sale at Target. It's pretty easy to put up. However, we managed to break one of the joints on this trip. Seriously we were starting to have some really bad luck!

We rescued our son from the terrors of being dumped in the woods with strangers and made supper while waiting for some of our friends to arrive. Team Ruffy (our friends) already had a vegetarian chili going. I was trying out some gourmet grilled cheeses and mozzarella appetizers. We finished up as the thunderstorms rolled in. 

Saturday, it poured all day! We had already decided that hanging out at camp was a bad idea for the babies and for the adults. As our remaining friends rolled in, we helped them set up their camps and then made plans for what to do. Some went up to the Element Brewery. Some went to a indoor playspace in Holyoke. We went to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. It was great for the toddler set (and we enjoyed it too!). 

From there we went to meet up with our friends at Yankee Candle Village. This flagship store can be just plain overwhelming. The boys are generally not to keen on it but most of us ladies purchased one or two scents (I may have come home with 6 or so candles). We wandered of to our designated dinner out for the trip at The Brewmaster's Tavern. We had called ahead so that they would be cool with 10 adults and 4 children. In fact, they gave us a private room!

The weather was starting to clear up some but we weren't quite there. We knew there would be one more day of of dampness. Sunday, we had cold and windy weather. We ate breakfast and while the weather was clear Big Dude, Lil Dude and I went for a hike around the D. A. R. with our pup.      

The D. A. R. has 51 campsites, so it's not a jam packed campground. The site were actually quite roomy and seemed to be mainly populated with tenters. There are quite a few trails leading from the campground. We walked down the road to the Wildlife Observatory which is a blind with cut outs so you can watch the animals (didn't see any) with out being noticed. 

From there we wandered down the Highland Lake Trail along the edge of Upper Highland Lake. It is a wooded trail that leads back to the check in. It is handicapped accessible and would have been fine for our stroller but we were testing out our new baby carrier. By we, I mean the Big and Lil Dudes were testing it out. 

Upper Highland Lake 

Friendly postings at the head of the trail

Easy grade of the trail

Sit and watch the water

View of the campground beach from the Highland Lake Trail

Big and Lil Dudes checking out the dock

The wind was starting to pick up and the waves were choppy on the water. We hiked along until we got to the end of the trail. There we found the boat launch and the day use beach. Then it started to sprinkle a bit. We hurried along and walked back by way of the road into the campground.  

Boat Launch

 

The D.A.R. gave the state 1020 acres in 1929. The park now has over 1700 acres of land with 15 miles of hiking trails. Given my genealogy, I know that I could be a member of the DAR. I thought camping here was fitting since Memorial Day is a time dedicated to honor those who have died serving in the armed forces.

 

After our hike, we went back to the campsite to see what everyone was up to. We were all quite chilly and made various plans. Big, Lil and I drove around to find various roadside Americana. Just down the road from us was this....

Arch made of Bikes

The Tin Man 

While Lil Dude napped in the car we saw Dinosaurs, larger than life baseball bats, and giant milk jugs. We wound our way back to meet up with friends in Northampton and stopped to picnic in a park. It would have been lovely if it was sunny! There were flowers and pools. We wandered around some and took a few photos and then the rain came back. We packed on up and drove back to the campground. That evening the weather truly did clear and we had a lovely campfire with s'mores and songs.

Monday, Memorial Day, was clear, sunny skies. Before we packed up we wandered back down to the Wildlife Observatory. It was early so we were hoping to see something but we only caught a glimpse of a pair of wood ducks. 

 

 

What a difference a day makes! We packed up in the sunshine and went for breakfast in Northampton. With the sun on our faces, I think most of us forgot how cold and raw the weekend had been. I'm proud of my friends and my husband for sticking it out in the nasty weather. I didn't sleep much because I was worried about the Lil Dude getting too cold. He was fine and I think he enjoyed himself. He was bundled up and slept fine in his tent until mornings when he decided to sleep on my head. This was a much better experience than last fall when he cried each time he heard a zipper!

We stopped in to see my sister-in-law and her boyfriend on the way home who live out in the foothills of the Berkshires. After a nice chat, we hit the road back to home. The following week was a 90 degree heatwave with humidity and nasty storms. I don't know if that would have been worse or better to camp in!

Ghiloni Park and Marlboro State Forest

A few weeks back, we had a play date with our friends Jo and Sir O.  They live down in Central MA so we tried to come up with a middle ground.  I'm not too sure that Marlboro is the middle but it worked for our purposes. It's a bit of a challenge to arrange play dates for Lil' Dude and Sir O sometimes due to nap schedules and drive times.  Of course, Mom and Dads work schedules don't help either!  But we agreed to meet up at Ghiloni Park to frolic (as non-walking babies do) at the playground.

Lil' Dude and I hopped in the car and went off in search of the park.  We had a call from Jo saying that she was going to be late due to a nap.  It was okay though because it gave us time to explore.  I've been to Marlboro many times but I had never seen this park before.  I was surprised to find that it was a large parcel of land tucked near a BBQ restaurant that Big Dude likes.  

After we drove through a golf course we passed right by the entrance to the park. My GPS told me that I should go further down the road, so I did and decided to try to circle the park.  From what I could tell, it is neatly buffered from the road by housing complexes. Once we got back to the entrance, we unloaded and set out for a stroll.  

Sign post for walking trails

The park has many soccer fields, a baseball field or two, toddler and older kid playground, skateboard park, beach volleyball court, a walking track, and oodles of picnic tables.  There were several buildings surrounding the parking area for maintenance and public restrooms.  The trails have an interpretive guide available but we didn't snag one.  Lil Dude relaxed in his stroller while I ambled along.

View of soccer fields in middle of walking track

I followed the walking/jogging track to get a feel of the area.  It is a clay packed oval that creates a bowl where soccer fields and two vernal pools were cradled.  Along the outside of the track you could veer off toward the larger fields near the parking area or into the woods.  After one loop I went off into the woods for a bit.  

Paved wooded path

The woods had a few surprises.   Along the walking path there had been picnic tabels, I did not expect to find more off in wooded alcoves.  There also were "natural" gardens that were maintained by the local garden clubs and lovely sitting areas.  I strolled in the woods for a while and then felt we should turn back in case our friends arrived.  

Part of the interpretive nature trail

Bird boxes were around the walking track

Memorial that overlooked the larger ball fields

We wandered back on the path I had gone down earlier and did another loop on the walking track. Jo called as got back to the parking area to say they were arriving. We spent another few hours playing on the baby swings, picnicking  watching skateboarders and digging in the sand. 

While Ghiloni Park is out of our way, it is a terrific park with toddler appropriate play space and lots of land to explore. It had the feel of a big city park in a suburban surrounding, with lots to do and no reason to not be outdoors.  

Should you want to visit Ghiloni Park and the Marlboro State Forest directions can be found on the city's website and a pdf of the park can be found as well.

Horse Hill Nature Preserve

It was a lovely warm day today for once.  I received a Facebook note from one of my closest friends to stop on by with the baby. I had originally planned to go for a jog on the Nashua Rail Trail but I opted to have a playdate instead.  Once her youngest woke up we decided to head to Horse Hill Nature Preserve for a small hike.  It is right around the corner from her home and we'd been there a few times together and separately.  
 
Horse Hill is the largest preserved open space property in Merrimack, NH.  It was purchased as conservation land in 2002.  The 550+ acre property consists of gently rolling to fairly steep terrain and two hills approximately 400' elevation.  The preserve is named after Horse Hill, one of two hills located within the property. The preserve includes a series of streams, ponds, swamps, and numerous wetlands totaling approximately 60 acres. 

The parking area is easy to find at 184 Amherst Rd with parking enough for 15 - 20 cars.  There is a posted map and trail map box at the trail head.  We followed the Loop Trail up to Lawstoka Pond.  The trail was wide and mainly clear of snow and mud but we did encounter a patch or two of winter remains.    
    

At the Loop Trail split we reached the pond.  There is one of the most impressive beaver dam I've encountered.  It's neatly laid and hold back the swelling pond very well.  The lodge close to the dam looked quiet.  There was a bench near by where you could take a break and quietly wait for the wildlife to emerge.  But with two babies and a preschooler we decided the animals would not be appearing.  
    

We continued up the Loop Trail until we reached the Loop Trail Bypass.  On the way we saw one of the largest beaver lodges that I've ever seen.  From a distance it looked as if it was 5 feet above the water.  I wondered if the beavers left the first lodge and moved to the larger lodge as more and more people used the trails.  It looked more secluded on that end of the pond.  

We followed the white blazes and encountered a few other hikers enjoying the warm weather.  The trails had been rerouted in several areas but were well marked and freshly blazed.  We stopped at the top of a hill at one point to listen to strange sounds coming from a wetland just out of view.  It sounded like geese or perhaps frogs.  
      

We didn't snag one of the maps at the parking lot but through a bit of guess work we managed to loop ourselves back to the pond by way of the Long Pond Bypass.  At this point the 3 year old was starting to get tired.  I was quite impressed with how well she managed to keep up with us and carry her sticks, pinecones, and twigs.  She was a true hiker.  
        

We made it back to the Loop Trail and kept her going with promises of the wishing well and occasionally being carried by her mom.  At the wishing well we all made wishes and pushed on towards the cars. 

The hike was an enjoyable one.  It was also the first time I carried Lil' Dude on my back instead of  in a front carry.  He did alright and seemed to enjoy himself.  Whenever I stopped he would push his hands into my shoulder blades to let me know that I should keep moving.  At one point, he liked the up and down momentum so much that when I stopped he kept bouncing as if he was riding a horse.  The fresh air was good for both of us.  He fell asleep on the drive home and I know I'm going to have a good night sleep.  

Should you want to visit Horse Hill Nature Preserve more information can be found on the Town of Merrimack website, including a trail map.  They allow hiking, biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, and snowmobile and horseback riding.

Spring is coming! Finally!

My little guy is one now.  Can't believe how quickly that year went.  This winter I've managed to get some jogging in and even ran a local race.  I learned how much more I enjoy running in the winter than in the summer.

We've had a long tough winter here in New England and the snow is finally disappearing.  This past week the Lil' Dude and I went to storytime in Chelmsford and then decided to pop over to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and see how the conditions were.

We made it about a mile and then the trail was completely covered with about 2 inches of snow.  There were signs of spring about though....  

We were passed by a group of bikers. They decided to push on through the snow.  I watched as they slipped and slid off their bikes.  I'm sure they found more pavement further on down the trail but it must have been hard work to get there.  

The Lil' Dude and I turned back towards the center of town.  We met up with a mom and young daughter that we had passed earlier and got to chatting.  The four of us wandered through the center of town towards the ball fields.  The mom was on roller skates and her daughter was on a trike.

It was terrific talking with them and strolling in the sunshine.  We even exchanged contact information with the hopes of getting outside with our kids again soon.  So in the end, no the trail isn't quite clear yet but we had a great time outside and making new friends.    

Sherburne Trail

In October we went for a quick walk in the woods near our home to get outside and to take some "spooky" Halloween photos of our baby.  

Sherburne Nature Center is on Coburn Road in Tyngsborough, MA. the Sherburne Estate and habitat is an 80-acre parcel consists of a combination of woodlands, marshes, a beaver pond, and a meadow maintained to support birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. It was donated to the town in 1999. 

Sherburne Nature Center activities are open to all who are interested. Unless otherwise noted, all activities take place at Sherburne Estate and will go rain or shine. In extreme weather conditions, activities will be canceled. No reservations or fees required. You simply show up.
    

We've hiked here many times.  We've also done some geocaching on the property as well.  It's one of our favorites for a quick time in nature.  The parking lot has a welcome sign with postings of animal or bird sightings.  The fall colors were starting to fade and we could see that storm clouds were going to be heading our way so we put the Little Dude in the Ergo and set out on the paths.  

 

We immediately came across this little guy hiding in the middle of the trail.  He had many friends nearby as well.  

This bench is one of many Gold Award and Eagle Award projects that have been completed by Girl and Boy Scouts on the property.

  

   

Ansel had fun sniffing about in the leaves near one of the vernal pools.  

We found a great spot at a fork in the trail to take photos of the Little Dude.  Then the skies grew very dark and we started to get dripped on by the oncoming storm.  We walked back quickly towards the parking lot but I couldn't resist getting some pictures of the wetlands in the gloom.  

 

The rain slowed and we wandered down towards the wetlands to investigate some new construction.  There was a gentleman installing a boardwalk and new benches to over look the beaver dam and wetlands.  We chatted with him for a bit and then after he told us it was safe we went out on to the new construction.  It was a lovely addition to the trails.  We were able to walk out a bit and be surrounded by cattails.  We liked it so much we went back there in November to take our Christmas photos.    

We wandered back towards our car as those dark clouds grew darker. Next to the parking lot is the house.  It serves as the hub for all nature exhibits in town and is a learning center to the public. We've never been in it but the gentleman constructing the boardwalk was staying there while he was working. 

     

As I mentioned this is one of our favorite spots to walk.  If you are in the area, I definitely recommend checking it out.  I always find something new to see and explore.  Maps are occasionally at the kiosk in the parking lot.  The Town of Tyngsborough usually has them on their website but the link I found appears to be broken at the moment.