Easy Walks in Massachusetts

16/11/2024

The much-anticipated day is almost here! On Friday, November 22, at 1:30 p.m., MassDCR is holding a ribbon cutting for the new extension of the Blackstone River Greenway in Blackstone. Note the location:

📍 6 Mill Street, Blackstone, MA, behind the Polish American Citizens Club.

Completing the multi-use trail between Worcester and Providence is one of our priorities. Learn about our Legacy Campaign at BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.

31/10/2024

Our travels to the Gaspe Peninsula offered experiences beyond what we imagined. Here's the first in a series I will be writing up, ultimately what will become our "East Coast Foliage tour" We encountered peak foliage during our time in Canada, found foliage nearly at peak at Acadia National Park on our way home, then a week or so later headed south to grab time with grandboys in Tennessee.

On our way south we viewed even more peak foliage in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and maryland. By the time we headed back home the foliage in Tennessee was peak, Virginia mountains were glowing and West Virginia and Maryland were ablaze with color.

As we got back to Pennsylvania and New York it was only the oaks and their bronze and crimson leaves that were left. The oaks and birch were the same as we got back to Massachusetts.

But enough of that. Back to the beginning, to Quebec, late September, when foliage was thinking about changing.

After crossing the bridge over the Chaleur Bay from Cambellton, New Brunswick to Pointe-a-la-Croix, Quebec, we headed to Carleton-sur-Mer (Carleton by the sea). There we found our way to a campgrou…

29/10/2024

Undertaking an update to Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, underway. This requires not only checking details online. It also requires additonal field work. And helpful walking buddies. Thanks to Nancy Snow and Andrea Burke for joining me!

The Medway (MA) Trails Club and Open Space Committee have been hard at work since I last updated the 2nd edition of Easy Walks in Massachusetts in 2016. I recently visited Medway a couple of times …

14/10/2024

Do you love waterfalls? Here's an amazing place we had never heard of till we decided to head north. Enjoy!

Choosing to travel to Canada when living in New England is not that big a challenge. On a recent trip we left from Massachusetts and headed for the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, and stopped at Grand F…

11/08/2024

A fun ride on our tandem bike this afternoon along the Charles River trail in Holliston MA. We parked on Cross St. HOLLISTON JUST OFF RT 16/126. Crushed stonedust from the Milford line through Holliston to Sherborn. Lots of shade. A breeze. But perhaps the most exciting ( for me! is all the crossing warning lights along the trail. New-ish historical informational plaques along the way.

09/08/2024

I really appreciate this newsletter--today the topic is ticks, prevention of tick bites, spread of their range, and myths debunked. Worth reading.

All you need to know, including yes, misinformation

07/08/2024

Summer visit to arboretums are very cool. The trees and shrubs and herbs have their plaques posted, so you (and I) can quickly see what their names are--So satisfying! Here's what we saw when we visited the Acton, MA arborteum

Years ago my husband and I visited often the Acton Arboretum, just off Rt. 2 on Taylor Road. The parking area was rough with potholes, but a few of the paths were handicapped accessible. Some bench…

16/07/2024

It's challenging to figure out what to write to pres-set interview questisons, but at least it gives you some time to think. Thanks to Authority Magazine for inviting me to share my thoughts. And yes, I talked about Easy Walks and My Liturgy of Easy Walks. i also got to bring up the amazing opportunities the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor provides.

An Interview With Eric Pines

01/07/2024

Another fun interview with I am Refocused radio out of San Antonia.

Marjorie Turner Hollman has completed four Easy Walking guide books, and the backstory behind Easy Walks--her memoir of learning to find joy in the face of diff

27/06/2024

We recently headed out to Westfield, MA to enjoy a ride on our adaptive tandem bicycle. Here's what we found along the way: Bike rides are a rite of summer. We took a ride from Westfield to Simsbury, CT recently and here's what we found:

In this post we’re off to Westfield, MA and heading south into Connecticut. Late spring, cooler summer days, and early fall are the times when we take out our adaptive tandem bicycle. Our visit to …

24/06/2024

Newest Travel post--this time to the Blue Ridge tunnel in Virginia. Do you love tunnels? There's something about them that draws me to them. Here you go (with audio for my audiophile friends :-)

It’s a long drive from New England where we live, to Tennessee, where our grandboys (and their parents!) are. On our way there, or when traveling back toward home, we make a point of stopping place…

19/06/2024

Heading to Maine? My friend Jill McMahon of the Outdoor Movement Project has some great recommendations for where to cool off at swimming holes.

Aug 21, 20234 minSwimming holesSwimming Holes Near Bethel, MaineMy family recently spent a few days in Bethel and while there, explored several swimming holes and waterfalls in the area. On day one, we...

18/06/2024

PSA First official heat wave of the summer happening this week. Heat can kill. Here's what I do to keep safe when I go out in summer. You can do these things too. Please share.

We started with phase change cooling scarves, which are still my mainstay throughout the summer. We have two scarves and two refills, which we carry with us on bike rides. We have a dedicated free…

06/06/2024

Keeping cool in hot weather is something many of us struggle with. Here are some tips to help: (hint--think shade and waterfalls 🙂
https://mailchi.mp/fdeb2a2ae381/hot-weather-194815

22/05/2024

Sometimes the past and present collide. Here's one of those times, for me. Thanks to siblings and cousins who helped create those memories, and included some editing help along the way.

Have you ever felt like you’ve been someplace before, even when you know the surroundings are new to you? On a recent trip I got that feeling, though perhaps, it was more of an echo of the past. Di…

21/05/2024

A truly profound meditation on travel

Of the three stages of a pilgrimage — departure, initiation and return — the last is the least examined and perhaps most important.

20/05/2024

Thanks to Mary Glen Chitty for the heads up about Miles Howard's article in the Boston Globe on walking the perimeter of Boston. In the article Howard noted there is still a law on the books in MA mandating 2 of each town's selectmen (or designated substitus) to walk the bounds of their town every 5 years. An idea? Here's the link to the law. Let the discussion begin! https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter42/Section2

Here's the link to the Boston Globe article (subcription required). https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/17/opinion/boston-perimeter-walking-trail-90-miles/

Trekking in a “circle” around a city is becoming one of the great urban adventures of our time.