Nearby: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Sandy Point

Last July, a few weeks before I visited Ohiopyle, I explored the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Sandy Point State Reservation on Plum Island. The island is about an hour's drive north of Boston just beside the quaint town of Newburyport, one of my favorite towns on the North Shore.  On my first visit to Newburyport, I passed the sign to Plum Island only because I did not have sufficient time to explore it properly. So I returned a couple months in the height of the summer, when it was flocked by not only birds, but beach-goers and the like. Situated along the Atlantic Flyway, the Parker River Wildlife Refuge's most important visitor is the migratory bird, of whom this refuge was established for in the 1940s.  It's a place of multiple habitats including salt marsh, forest and sandy beach. The latter was by far the most popular destination when my mother and I visited, but it was the paths we found in Sandy Point Reservation, found on the tip of the island, that were the most enjoyable for us. The good weather prompted by abundant sunshine allowed us to enjoy the island to the utmost as a nearby escape from Boston. Though I imagine both sites offer a different type of allure on a damp day when its features are hidden by fog. This morning Boston endured the presence of snow yet again, and I think we will take any type of weather at this point, besides the cold. Fog and rain would be infinitely better, though we'll hope for blue skies like the ones from last summer found on Plum Island. 

Nearby: World's End

A few weeks ago, I sought World's End to embrace the final days of autumn, when the trees were still alit with color and when sunlight was not as precious as it's now become. World's End, which can be found in the south shore town of Hingham, boasts enchanting carriage trails that run beside sprawling meadows and spectacular shores. According to the Trustees of Reservations, it has an intriguing history of nearly becoming something else, whether it was the site of a housing division designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the UN headquarters, or a nuclear plant. As I wandered for many hours through World's End, I was quite grateful that it remained as it always was, a remarkable landscape touched only by the feet of mesmerized visitors . 

A Lady Escapes: White Mountain Wonder

In early October, I take to the mountains. It is there, amidst a wilderness of peaks, that I can best appreciate nature's grand display of autumn color. Thus last weekend I drove north to the White Mountains yet again, where near 80% of the trees had turned.  The simple and relatively quick route to the White Mountains encourages my regular returns, but I am repeatedly struck by the beauty I continuously find, safeguarded in the old places and bursting in the new. The Kancamangus Highway was as glorious as ever, but stumbling upon the Silver Cascade waterfall and hiking to Ripley Falls (both in Crawford Notch) afforded such excitement and exhilaration that made me eager for more trips. Is it odd that one of my favorite parts about being a Bostonian is how easy it is to get away? 

Fall in the Fens

Fall has arrived in earnest. The mornings are colder and the evenings darker; scarves and sweaters are donned as the leaves begin to fall in the crisp autumn air, and Bostonians stop where they did not stop before, to take note of the colorful world around them. Here are weekend photographs of the Fens, as I made my way to a coffeehouse this past Sunday morning. The weather was appropriately overcast, so that no clouds could compete with the splendor of the trees. The Back Bay Fens are a perfect place to pause and observe the magic of New England's favorite season.

The Ivy World of Beacon Hill

This is the Beacon Hill of two weeks ago-it's stately buildings draped in magical ivy, preparing for the annual exchange from green to red. Now, fourteen days later, that exchange is well underway for the ivy and leaves of Boston, not only in Beacon Hill, but in each neighborhood. The sun rises later and later on our changing world and sets early enough for me to use my candles once more. So goes October in New England,  a time of balancing where we wave goodbye to summer with one hand and hello to winter with the other.

Nearby: Purgatory Chasm

  This past weekend was a perfect opportunity to visit Purgatory Chasm State Reservation, located about an hour from Boston in nearby Sutton. It was an easy drive on a lovely morning with temperatures lingering in the 60s. The park is filled with numerous trails but the real gem is the chasm itself, a near mile long space both filled and cradled by high, granite rocks on either side. To pass through the chasm means to climb over some of these rocks and marvel at others-for this reason, proper footwear is necessary...if one isn't careful, a quick slip could mean a broken ankle. I spent a little more than an hour exploring the reservation, passing through the chasm from both ends and hiking a few of the nearby trails. Without a doubt, the park is one of the most unique settings I have seen in Massachusetts and I would happily return back for a hike and picnic on the rocks.

The August Garden, the August Common

September has arrived, but August was glorious. Here are late summer moments captured in the Public Garden or Common, all taken by the iphone, during my mornings before work. 

A Lady Escapes: Ode to Franconia Notch

My love for nature continues to lead me elsewhere during my weekends. Two weeks ago it led me to the White Mountains, chasing waterfalls and marveling at peaks. I left the city early, reaching the mountains well before 9. I chose the forests of Franconia Notch for my summer's day, focusing on three paths in particular: the Pemi Trail to the Basin; the Basin Cascade Trail to Lonesome Lake and the Lake Trail back to Lafayette Campground, where I had parked the car. I was far from alone during the hikes-families filled the paths with their enthusiasm and laughter. Still, I had a couple moments of solitary tranquility, finding my bliss so far away from Boston in the beautiful land of New Hampshire. The future foliage lets summer enjoy her last evenings-before long, I will be back. 

Nearby: Spectacle Island

Heat drove a friend and me to Spectacle Island this past week, which offered us a temporary respite from the cruel blaze of the summer sun. We took the ferry from Long Wharf in downtown Boston and arrived at our lush destination fifteen minutes later. Along the way we passed other harbor islands, but this is the one we chose for our day, tempted by the promise of a swim and picturesque trailways that cover the landscape. When we arrived the island was filled with day campers and their counselors, all enjoying the sea breeze on the fourth or fifth day of over 90 degree temperatures. Armed with deli sandwiches and a healthy appetite, we walked to the summit of the island and found a bench to devour our lunch. Afterwards, the sandy beach and cool water beyond beckoned us and we let the salt of the water that we had traveled on soothe our overheated bodies. 

Who knew such a beautiful island waited for our Bostonian presences?