Hours: Open everyday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (I got there well before 8 and the gates were already open). Open but unstaffed after 10/11
Cost: $4 for adults $2 for children (ages 6-11), NH residents who are seniors (over 65) or younger than 6 get in free
Parking: There are about 50 parking spots in the main parking area. There are additional parking lots along the beach
Time To Allot For Visit: 1 to 2 hours
Trails: Easy
Dog Friendly: No
Highlights: abundant wildlife (mostly birds), pretty flowers and trees, lighthouse (Whaleback Light), scenic views, play area for children, “sunken forest”, science center, historical site
Lowlights: Parking can be tough (especially during the summer), since it is considered a beach dogs are not allowed at the park
The location of the first English settlement in New Hampshire, Odiorne Point has a very storied past.
Named after the Odiorne family who settled there during the 1660’s, Odiorne Point is probably best known for being a military installation during World War 2. Known as Fort Dearborn at the time, Odiorne Point was part of the military’s attempt to modernize the U.S. coast defenses. Part of the military installation served as a radar station by the United States Air Force beginning in 1949, and in 1955 this became the Rye Air Force Station. None of the Air Force’s installation remains there. Looking at the historical remnants of the fort it is obvious how far we have come as a military power. Real shells, a bunker entrance, a battery and other historical structures are scattered throughout the entrance to the park.
The park also has a science center located at the end of one of the main paths where people can learn about nature and the various wildlife that inhabit the park.
The trails at the park were easy to negotiate. However, if you do go off trail to get a closer view of the surroundings and wildlife you have to be careful and be mindful of the water level. I will touch on this later in the post.
As you can see from the photos above, the plants and trees at Odiorne are beautiful even if they are directly next to a dumpster.
Only about an hour’s drive north of Boston, Odiorne Point has something for people of all ages to enjoy. There is a play area for children as well as picnic tables and benches for people to sit and eat while they take in all of the beautiful views.
This particular family had a hungry visitor eyeing them as they ate lunch.
The birds are one of the main attractions of the park. A wide variety of gulls, egrets and other birds frequent the park.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The views at Odiorne State Park are pretty all year round. The lighthouse, Whaleback Light, provides a majestic backdrop for any photo. The weather was very erratic when I made my visit. It was rainy and raw when I first arrived at the park in the early morning hours. After waiting out the rain, the clouds gave way to the sun. Then, the wind picked up and drove the waves against the rocks. Basically, I experienced just about all the weather New England has in one day. In other words, it was a typical New England day.
Perhaps the biggest attraction of Odiorne Point State Park is the “sunken forest”. If you arrive during low tide, you can see what used to be a forest or some other land. What appears to be tree stumps, rocks and other land based structures appear on the floor of what will rapidly become the bottom of the body of water.
So, during low tide you can easily traverse these rocks (make sure to not try this with sandals on or barefoot) and get closer to the birds, ocean and other rocks. One important thing to keep in mind is the tide comes in pretty quickly. I made it out to the rocky area where the birds were all hanging out. Then, suddenly, I realized just how much water had accumulated around me. I quickly ran/sloshed through ankle deep water along the pebbles to make it back to land before it got too late. If I waited half an hour longer I would have been swimming back to shore. Below are some side side examples of just how quickly the water rises. The time lapse is only about an hour.
Below are two videos of the waves and scenery at Odiorne Point.
Hours: The website for Salem Willows shows their hours as being daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. but you can get in to the park before 11. We got their just before 10 and there was already some people there. I think the hours are the hours of operation for the restaurants and other businesses in that area.
Cost: Free
Parking: There are about 60 metered parking spots. The meters cost 25 cents an hour. There is also about 50 additional free parking spots in a nearby lot and off street parking is available.
Dog Friendly: Yes
Highlights: Family friendly, arcades, restaurants, willow trees, harbor, scenic walking path, grassy areas to grill, relax and for kids to play, jetty, place to rent surfboards and other aquatic sporting goods
As I entered Salem Willows I couldn’t help but think of my childhood of carnivals and traveling shows. My friends and I would be so excited when the fair came to town. Now, the fair is always in town. In these days of sit down eateries and chain restaurants, it was refreshing. If you d go, try the slushies or get a cone at Cappy’s!
Salem Willows has changed so much since its original opening in 1880. Willows Pavilion which featured a skating rink and restaurant dominated the landscape. Now, the area where the takeout food vendors are located still keeps the name of “on the line”. But, the restaurants are much different. In place of the sit down, grand restaurants stand take out vendors and ice cream shops.
There is also a stage for bands and other entertainers to perform. Named after former Salem resident and veteran, the Robert F Hayes Band Stand holds a summer concert series every year as well as holding other events.
But, there is so much more to Salem Willows than nostalgic stroll past the smell of flour dough and the buzzing and ringing from the vendors and arcades. Salem Willows is also, as the name would suggest, known for all of the willow trees planted to offer shade and beauty to the area.
The mostly shady loop around the bay and back too the parking area is an easy half mile walk. Along the way there are benches to sit on and a jetty to fish off or just enjoy the views. The views from the bay were very pretty. A variety of flowers and scenic views frame the busy blue waterway.
There was a lot of activity on and in the water at Salem Willows. That is a man swimming in the last photos
There is also a place to rent surf/paddle/body boards and other watercraft and flotation devices.
Salem’s love of art is evident even in the most unlikely places. These trash cans and rocks displayed some of the street art of Salem. I especially like the art on the rocks. Each block has a different symbol of the area painted on them.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Salem Willows is a great place to bring your dog for a short walk. Dixie, a 4 year old Maltese, was enjoying the seasonal weather and cool breeze when she stopped to pose for photos for me.
Parking: Parking was a breeze in the early morning hours in April. I found off street parking with a 3 hour limit. There were several parking spaces available. This will change when the weather begins to warm up (at this rate, sometime in mid-August). One thing I found interesting and somewhat vexing is that according to signs, the parking lot next to Napatree is not supposed to be used for going to the beach. I assume the parking is meant for shoppers and people patronizing the restaurants in the area. For an area that has limited parking this seems highly unusual. If you go in the summer, be aware parking will be very limited.
First, I’d like to thank everyone for reading and being so supportive as I post my 100th blog post. One hundred posts in just under one year. What better place to write about than Napatree!
A peninsula-like shaped area, Napatree is actually a sandy spit. It has been shaped through a process called longshore drift which is basically a process by which sediments such as clay, silt, sand and shingle are transported along the coast creating its unique shape.
You wouldn’t know it by looking at it now but Napatree used to be densely wooded. Trees lined the area until the Great September Gale of 1815 hit the area and the trees were destroyed. In fact, the name Napatree comes from the term nap or nape of trees.
The views from the entrance of Napatree are beautiful. In some of the photos, you can see a brown tint to the otherwise deep blue water. In fact, the colors seemed to change depending on where and when I took the photos. The tides, shallowness of the water and other factors can affect the way the water looks. I had never noticed it as distinctly as I did at Napatree. The waves and movement of the water may have played a part as well. Despite how calm the water seems in these photos this was not the case everywhere at Napatree.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
If you look close, you can see the Amtrak train in the distance that services the Westerly area in one of the photos.
The dunes and the sand were also very pretty.
At first glance, Napatree seems like a long stretch of beach on only one side. But, I kept hearing noises over the dune. At first, I brushed it off as traffic or some other noise. Eventually, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to climb one of the dunes and check it out. What I found was pure paradise.
The calm waves and plain waterscape were replaced with crashing waves, foamy water, beautiful homes (the homes on both sides weren’t pretty shabby actually), the Watch Hill Lighthouse and marine activity.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
When I arrived, the village was pretty desolate. This was partly due to the early time of the morning that I arrived and partly because the vacation season hasn’t began yet. Westerly did have a Cape Cod feel to it. From the quaint shops, the folksy, slowed down pace, the beautiful beaches and the mansions that dot the landscape (blog to follow soon about one of those lighthouses), I couldn’t help but think back to my childhood vacations at the Cape.
In due time, these empty streets will be bustling with activity. But, for now, it is a tourist/photographer’s dream having the area to one self!
There were several dogs at Napatree during my visit. Dogs are allowed on the beach but only until May 2nd. So, you’ll have to wait until next year to take Fido!
Daisy is a beautiful Golden Retriever. What a gorgeous smile.
Caesar is an aquatic pitbull
Below are videos of the different sides of Napatree. The first video is of the more calm waters that I saw when I first arrived. The second video is from the other side over the dunes to the more active side of Napatree.
Each year hundreds of kayak and canoe racers come to the Western Massachusetts to test their mettle against the rapids of the Westfield River.
The Westfield River, one of the longer rivers in Western Massachusetts, runs 78.1 miles and has a 497 square miles drainage area consisting of several tributaries. It attracts enthusiasts, recreational competitors and people who just like to challenge themselves. It also attracts an array of boating fans.
The Westfield River Whitewater Races, which have been held every year since 1953, are the oldest consecutively run canoe races in the US. People come from all over New England and farther to participate in the races. The races consist of novice and expert divisions. The novices race lasts 8 miles and the experts race for 12 miles. The participants race in two person canoes or one person kayaks. As if the rapids weren’t challenging enough, the race officials have the water behind the dam held for three days before the race to give more momentum to the current.
I never knew how popular kayaking, canoeing and boating was in Western Massachusetts. It was hard enough to find a good place to pull over or park along the route of the race. I was able to find a place on the side of the road to catch some of the novices who had already started.
Since the river wasn’t very active here, we drove to the Knightville Dam, the launch point for the race. The area was very pretty and the river was more active here. I even caught some enthusiasts who weren’t participating in the race.
At the main parking area, one of the racers let me photograph his boat.
Still not happy with my location, I found a better spot along the side of the river past a precarious rocky decline. Watching the racers expressions was fascinating. Some were determined. Others looked focused and even a bit bewildered. Others just looked like they were having a grand time. Then, there were others who didn’t seem to be having fun at all.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Not every racer made it to the end.
Eventually, they were able to wade across the river to the other side, no easy task given the strength of the rapids.
Monty, an 8 year old Siberian Husky, came along to watch the race.
Below is a video of a canoe racing tandem fighting the rapids. You can hear the strength of the tide. Rumor has it that it gets even rougher farther down the river.
Parking: Parking is available at the entrance, before the gate and there is a big parking lot where you can also launch your watercraft at the head of the beach.
Cost: There are a variety of different fees established for visitors to Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. For instance, if you walk in or ride your bicycle to the lake and you are 17 or younger it is free. If you walk to the lake or ride your bike and you are 18 or older it is $1 to get in. A resident (of Webster) motor vehicle costs $5 for entry. A resident motor vehicle with a water craft is $25, etc. See the link below for all of the fees and regulations.
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. Try saying that 5 times fast. I dare you!
Originally named Lake Chaubunagungamaugg or “Fishing Place at the Boundary”, Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg (meaning, “Englishmen at Manchaug at the Fishing Place at the Boundary”) is actually broken into two parts; a lake (Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg) and beach (Memorial Beach).
For the purposes of this post, I will call Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg Lake Webster as it is now more commonly called.
At the main entrance ofWebster Lake, there is a memorial to our veterans. It is a fitting tribute for those who have gave so much.
Upon arriving at Webster Lake, you will see the lake.
Memorial Beach is dedicated to the veterans of all of our wars.
As beautiful as the lake is, I found the beach, located just beyond the lake to be even more beautiful. To me, it’s basically one large body of water and I am not sure why they have separate names.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Webster Lake and Memorial Beach are a boaters/kayakers/fisher person’s dream.
Lake Webster also has a variety of bird life.
Dogs are not allowed at the lake or beach.
There is also a basketball court and play area.
The beauty of the beach and the sound of the water could only be captured in a video
Please check out my Facebook Page and like my page by clicking on the link below!
Cost: Since I visited during the off season, it was free. The web site states it costs $9 for MA vehicles and $11 for out of state vehicles. Prices may vary if you bring your boat.
Location: 107 Wallum Lake Rd. Douglas, MA
Parking: Parking is limited at the main entrance. It probably fills up quickly during the summer weekends. There is also additional parking for boaters farther down the road to the entrance. There is also additional areas to park near the forest.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at Douglas State Forest. It just happened to be in the area of another attraction I was visiting. But, I’m a firm believer in spontaneity, no I really am, so I decided to give it a whirl. I’m glad I did.
Douglas State Forest has a few different entrances besides the main entrance at Wallum Lake Drive. I passed some of them on the way to the main entrance. It may be a good option to try these entrances (off Webster and Wallis Streets respectively). After viewing the map for Douglas State Forest, I have determined I only walked a fraction of the 5,525 acres of the park.
There are many hidden trails and long trails in the park. In fact, the Midstate Trail, a 95 mile hiking trail that extends through central Massachusetts to Mt. Watatic in the north, runs through the forest. I saw a group of walkers/hikers at one of the other entrances during my drive. I suspect they may have been gearing up to hike a section of this trail. There is also some rare Atlantic White Cedar swampland at Douglas State Forest. Boards are laid down to allow walking over these areas.
After arriving at Douglas State Forest, I walked the easy, half mile or so trail trail to Wallum Lake (the trail continues on much farther but I only walked to the boat launch and fishing area). A sure sign that spring is begrudgingly, well, springing was abundant. The trails are mainly like the one pictured below. I would describe the trails I took as being easy to moderate but the trail may get harder the farther you walk.
There were several people fishing and an assortment of boats in the lake. Boaters always seem to want to show off and speed around when they see someone with a camera!
Douglas Forest is a year-round attraction. Swimming, fishing and boating are allowed in the lake. In the winter snow shoeing and snowmobiling are popular activities at the forest. Horses and dogs are also allowed at the forest.
The views from the lake were beautiful.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
What started as a gloomy, chilly, overcast day, typical of a true New England spring day, turned into a sunny, warm day. It was the perfect day to take your pooch out for a walk and they were in abundance at Douglas Forest.
Lloyd is a 3 year old husky and lab mix. He was adopted by his pet parent from a shelter and he loves to play in the water.
Delilah is a 5 year old Staffy (Staffordshire Bull Terrier). She was rescued one day before she was slated to be put down. She is also from England and loves to play with sticks. Welcome to America, Delilah!
Dixie and Monty, Irish Spring Setters, posed perfectly for their dad.
Central Massachusetts (where Douglas is located) had always been a place to drive through to get to Western Massachusetts and its plethora of mountains, forests and waterfalls. But, I have been spending a lot of time in Central Massachusetts. After my last few visits I have fallen in love with the area. I will have many more posts coming from my travels in the Central Massachusetts area. Stay tuned and thank you for reading!
Please check out my Facebook Page and “like” it for additional photos, posts and videos. Thank you!
Price: $20 for adults, $10 for children (ages 3-11) and seniors (over 65)
This was a special cruise and is not something they do regularly in the winter. During the spring, summer and fall they have cruises scheduled regularly.
Twenty degree weather and an impending winter storm; what better conditions for a harbor cruise. Ironically, that statement could not be more accurate.
We were greeted by gulls and rough seas when we arrived at the wharf.
As we made our way on to the boat for and they announced the cruise would be a three hour tour (in retrospect, that Gilligan’s Island reference should have been a bad omen), I was surprised by how roomy, comfortable and modern it was. The three story boat had booths on the sides of the cabin area and ample seating.
Even before we left the wharf I took some shots of the bay. You can see Logan Airport in the distance in some of the photos.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
As the boat left the bay, I took some obligatory photos of the skyline.
I had to bundle up (and hold on tight to the railing) for the shoot. I was surprised at how well I handled the overly active ocean. I’ve never been particularly fond of roller coasters, wavy oceans or anything that moves to and fro quickly. But, I did fine. The only time I felt a tinge of sickness was when a fellow traveler described his own feelings of sea sickness (gee, thanks random stranger). But, that quickly passed.
There was a variety of sea life, although the choppy waters made it difficult to photograph all of them. DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) officials were on the boat with binoculars on the lookout for wildlife and other points of interest and announcements were made whenever a bird or other animal was sighted.
I did photograph this Eider as he swam with friends.
and a few other elusive birds.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Even though it was a cruise for wildlife viewing some of the best views were of the harbor and the islands.
This is Spectacle Island. Spectacle Island was made entirely from the dirt from the huge construction project known as the “Big Dig”. it is much prettier during the summer.
These are some photos of Boston Light. Boston Light is the first Lighthouse in America. It is still working today.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant began operations in 1995. It is clearly the jewel of Boston Harbor. Prior to the construction of the sewage plant, sewage from Boston’s treatment facilities had contaminated shellfish after the sewage had been released. Lunch, anyone?
These structures are what is left of the bridge to Long Island (not the one in NY – we didn’t go out that far). It was dismantled recently. Personally, I think they should keep them. They make for a good background for photography.
Below is a slideshow of some of the other shots from my cruise. It was very windy and the sea was pretty choppy. I tried to capture this in the photos.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Finally, I found a cute furry animal named Bailey to photograph when I disembarked from the boat.
See below for videos of the cruise to get a better idea of just how windy it was.
We in New England are no strangers to stormy weather. But, the first stormy weather of the season always seems to catch us off guard. After all, it was only the first weekend of October. Much too early for stormy weather. But, it is hurricane season, after all. During this first storm of the season, I decided to go to my second stormy destination of the day.
By the time I arrived at Wollaston Beach, the storm had died down quite a bit. But, it was still pretty windy and wavy.
The water was rocky earlier in the day. This boat, the Cenzina, was one of three boats that were washed ashore Saturday.
Just like in life, a silver began to appear after the rocky weather.
Unfortunately, the wet weather made it hard to keep the lens dry which made some photos come out blurry. This was the best photo I could get of Maya.
To get the full effect of just how bad the weather was (and this wasn’t even during the peak time of the bad conditions) watch the video below. You may notice the light from the lighthouse in the distance at the tail end of the video.
After a short stay at Scraggy Neck, it was time for our next stop on our Cape Cod Farewell Summer trip.
Our next destination was the Nobska Beach in the quaint village of Woods Hole in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The Nobska area is so pretty and there are so many attractions because of its sheer beauty, I decided cover the Nobska area in two separate blogs.
The first thing that stands out at Nobska beach are the array of flowers and the makeshift trails at the beach (that and the lack of parking). The only parking available is on the side of the road along the beach and a scant few spots in front of the light house (I’ll be posting photos of the light house in the second part of the Nobska photo blogs).
Nobska Beach offers views of both Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island.
Boats and the ferry make frequent trips to the islands
If you hadn’t noticed, one of the treasures of Nobska Beach are the rocks and the rock formations.
But, to capture the real beauty of the views from the beach, it was necessary to walk down a narrow trail down to this modest rocky ledge.
But, the ledge was wide enough for me and my camera. And the views were well worth the extra effort.
Nobska Beach is also home to a variety of wildlife.
At the base of the beach there are two memorials. A memorial for Dennis Jeff Sabo lies under some plants, almost unnoticed. The memorial does not give any more information than his date of birth, date of death and name. A Google search yielded no results. The lack of details about Dennis adds to the memorials’ mystique.
The other memorial is dedicated to Neilie Anne Heffernan Casey. Neilie was a passenger on Flight 11 on September 11, 2001. A memorial and bench bearing her name lay in the area now dubbed “Neilie Point”. A beautiful reminder of an awful day.
After a brief but rewarding stay at Amrita Island, it was on the next destination on my Farewell Summer Cape Cod trip. Scraggy Neck is a private beach in Cataumet, a village in Bourne, Massachusetts.
The beach is usually monitored by guards during the summer season. But, since summer was basically over, there were no guards when I arrived at the beach.
The entrance to the beach is grassy. But, there is a makeshift trail you can follow. The occasional flower stand in the grass
The beach is long and it was high tide when I visited. But, there wasn’t much of a beach head when I was visited. The water did look clean and clear.
Seaweed and shells littered the beach.
Scraggy Neck is divided into two sides by a road that is frequented by joggers, bikers and cars. It was on the other side of the road that showed off Scraggy Neck’s more scenic views.
A narrow path leads to the water.
The fish is visible through the transparent water.
This part of Scraggy Neck is mostly grassy. So, it would not be the ideal area to lie out for a tan.
Scraggy Neck is also a popular spot for boaters to launch from.
After visiting Scraggy Neck, it was on to our next adventure….
New England Nomad 