Highlights: Sculpture of a pyramid in Boston’s Fort Point Channel
If you’re hoping to view pyramids, you don’t have to book that trip to Egypt quite just yet. You only need to make a visit to Boston, MA, to see a pyramid of grand dimensions. The pyramid located in Boston named PYR 2014, which was sculpted by Boston-based sculptor Don Eyles, is said to be a sculpture that marks the past and future history.
The pyramid is made of plastic blocks which have been painted to look like the paving stones of the streets of Boston. It is more of a white shade. But, with the sun and the shade it threw that day, Mother Nature made it look a much darker color in some photos.
But how did they get this sculpture in the channel? Did they use some complicated contraption? A pulley system? Was there a helicopter drop? No. Nothing so elaborate was necessary. This link show how they did it.
Cormorants like the pyramid also.
The pyramid is 10 feet high and 16 feet wide and built from polystyrene, a synthetic aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene.
The pyramid was slated to be on display until November 15 of 2014. But, as of the time I took the photos in November of 2016 it was still there.
Nestled about half way between Boston, MA to the north and Caped Cod to the south, Marshfield, MA is a serene trail that also happens to bethe home to one of the best places for bird watching.
North River Wildlife Sanctuary actually has two sections to the trails. At least I consider them two sections. The trail from the nature education center
The trails at North River are easy with some slight inclines. Boardwalks allow access over marshland and wetland. However, not all of the trails are on clearly marked trails. Look for yellow and blue marked trees to ensure you stay on the trails. .
Along the trail closest to the nature center, there is a trail that is mostly dirt with soem gravel paths and boardwalks. If you do take some side trails (I suggest you do), you may come across some trails like the one pictured above that is covered in leaves and not clearly defined. Most trails are even with some minor inclines.
Along the trails there are some educational and recreational objects.
This sign identifies a certain type of bark and needles along the trail. There is also a tent for visitors to play with. There used to be two of them but they felt it made visitors too tense.
The Woodland Loop (the main trail from the educational center) leads to the Hannah Ames Trail (named after a former resident of the land). The 2.5 mile loop is easy with some pretty views. I heard lots of birds but failed to photograph many of them (this is atheme with my visit as you will see later). But the views are pretty and a boardwalk covers some wetland.
The gem of the sanctuary, has to be the trail that leads to the boardwalk with the observation platform by the North River. The signs for the River Loop trail, which veers off from the Woodland Loop after a quarter of a mile or so, are sort of tucked away. As a reference point, if you reach the tent on the Woodland Loop you’ve gone too far.
Once you cross the busy Summer Street (be careful), you will see a trail that leads to an open area with views of the North River in the distance.
There is a well worn grass trail that leads to a boardwalk over a wetland area. Trust me, there is a bird in the first photo in the bottom row. I swear.
The boardwalk leads to a very cool observation platform with cattails and other plants and trees along the sides of the platform.
The views from the platform are very pretty. I didn’t see much bird activity and it was a fairly cold day with a blustery wind during my visit.
After leaving the platform area, I noticed a somewhat hidden trail, the Red Maple Loop. For some reason, perhaps because of the thick brush and because it is heavily wooded, this is where I saw and heard the most activity. In fact, I saw some bucks while I entered the trail but they caught me by surprise and I couldn’t get their photo. There were lots of birds on this trail though. Again, they’re very hard to photograph. But, I did manage to photograph a few of them.
This Mass Audubon site also utilizes solar power as part of their commitment to the environment.
Below is a video from the observation platform by the North River. As you can tell by the audio, it was a pretty windy day!
Dates Of Event: Official lighting was November 21. Photos were taken December 9, 2016
Location: Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, 110 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA (near Tia’s and the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel)
Hours: Lights go on at dusk every day through out the holidays
Cost: Free
Parking: Parking in this part of the city is tough. If you can’t find street parking spaces, there is a parking garage at the Vpne parking garage located at 200 State St which is nearby. The Aquarium (on the MBTA’s Blue Line) and South Station (the Red Line on the MBTA) stops are also within walking distance.
There are several holiday displays in the city of Boston. You can skate and shop at the new Boston Winter attraction. You can view the light display at Faneuil Hall. Or, you can check out the tree at the Boston Common.
But, there is one holiday display that often goes unnoticed despite its festive display.
The Holiday Trellis display at Christopher Columbus Park in Boston’s historic North End, is home to one of the more beautiful light displays in the city.
The 260 foot trellis is lit up with 50,000 blue lights. A wreath decorated with a red bow and white lights hangs at the entrance to the trellis. Fourteen trees in the park are also lit up.
The lighting of the trellis is a big event at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park. Refreshments are provided and a musical guest performs each year (this year the musical performance was by Sharon Zeffiro).
While playing with my camera, I noticed how the path and lights looked much brighter with certain settings.
While those phoros look cool, the actual colors are not as bright.
The trellis is pet friendly and the dogs seem to really like the lights which seem to sparkle when they shine on the path. Denali, a 1 year old Golden Retriever, stopped chasing the spots on the path to pose for a quick photo.
Happy holidays, however you celebrate (or don’t)! Thank you all for the holiday cheer and for all of your support throughout the year!
Dates of Event: Every weekend in December, 2016, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (photos taken on December 16, 2016)
Location: Old Sturbridge Village (1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd.
Sturbridge, MA) (about an hour and half west of Boston and 45 minutes east of Springfield, MA)
Price: Adults: $22 | Youth ages 4 –12: $14 | Children 3 and under: Free (there are discounts if you’re in the military and if you purchase your tickets before December 1st for future reference)
Hours: 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm for the Christmas By Candlelight event (regular November hours are 9:30 -4:00 but their hours and the days they are open change depending on the time of the year)
Parking:There are an ample parking in the parking lot but it does get full during big events like the Christmas By Candlelight event
Handicapped Accessible: No, unfortunately, many of the houses do not have ramps
Stage coach rides, carolers, time period actors, Christmas trees; these are a few of the magical attractions at the annual Candlelight Christmas event at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
The first exhibit at the Old Sturbridge Village Museum is the gingerbread house contest. The contest is broken into 4 categories: adult professional (there are professional gingerbread house makers?), adult, youth and family. Some of the designs are very creative. Each visitor to the museum could vote for their favorite.
There are many houses with living actors who answer questions about the traditions and how Christmas was celebrated during the colonial and post colonial days,
There were also stations where you could get some mulled cider and, appropriately enough, freshly roasted chestnuts…on an open fire no less.
The houses were all decorated with lights (for safety purposes, lights replaced the candles which would have been used to light up the houses). I have tried to show a progression of how the houses looked as darkness descended on the village so there may be some duplicate photos of the same buildings.
All of the houses were open to the public, especially since it was another cold New England afternoon. The homes were all decorated in different eras. In fact, one could see the decor of diffeerent eras in each room in the house.
This shoppe was a realistic version of the shoppes of the day.
There were actors throughout the village. The last two gentlemen pictured below were playing instruments of the day. The man in the second photo is playing a Psaltery, an instrument dating back to the 3 B.C.E.
In one of the houses, The Ghost of Christmas Present waited for us. He told me he hasn’t had to scare anyone since Scrooge (not even any reality stars or politicians, apparently). So, he’s a pretty easyy going guy I guess. Tiny Tim’s cane leaned on a chair in the corner.
This actor was pretty quiet. He didn’t tell me much about his character. Hey, wait a second…
Of course there were carolers roaming the village and breaking into song when the mood struck them. They also sang, appropriately enough, “Oh Christmas Tree!” at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
It was too cold outside (single digits at some points of the evening) for most of the animals. But, the chickens and some chicks were in the barn.
There were also some bulls on the farm. They’re such beautiful animals.
And, of course, the horses that pulled the horse drawn carriage and stage coach. Don’t you just love how they walk?
Happy holidays too all and don’t forget to leave out your shoes in the hopes of getting carrots!
Below are some videos from my visit to Candlelight Christmas! You’ll have to turn your head or device to watch the tree lighting ceremony ( :
Parking: Free parking is located at the beach and in nearby lots.
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Dog Friendly: Yes, although dogs are not supposed to be on the beach from May to September 30, although they are allowed to walk on the sidewalk along the beach year round.
Highlights: Views of the Boston skyline, pretty, long beach, great place to view sunrises and sunsets.
December isn’t usually considered beach weather. At least, it’s not in New England. But, some of the best sunrises and sunsets can happen any time of the year.
For this shoot, I chose to focus (no pun intended) on the clouds. You never know what you’ll get at the beach, especially during sunrises and sunsets. My neighborhood could be cloudless and clear. But, when I arrive at the beach, a five minute drive from my place, it could be dark and cloudy. Not only that but it could be bright and clear on one side of the beach, it could be quite the opposite on the other side (something I noticed during this visit).
While the clouds on this particular morning looked foreboding and the sun itself was not visible, the colors in the sky were incredible. Often times, less is more. Sure, the sun itself is virtually nonexistent in most of these shots but that seems to add more by letting in pink, orange and blues. The clouds seem to be layered with rays of light poking out threw each layer.
It was a typical December day with temperatures in the 30’s. But the wind made it feel at least 10 degrees colder. The steel blue water rippled with the power of the wind.
The most obvious features of the beach have got to be the jetty and, of course, the Boston skyline.
Bandit, a Japanese Chin, enjoyed his morning stroll along the beach.
Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon, MA, may not have moose but it has everything else that makes a sanctuary the perfect place for a weekend hike. Pretty flowers and trees, scenic views and wildlife are plentiful at Moose Hill.
The nature center at Moose Hill was decorated for the autumn season with pumpkins and a quilted figure.
The trails at Moose Hill are, for the most part, easy with some modest inclines, except for the trail up to the fire tower. There is also a boardwalk over a red swamp area and some other boardwalks that are a nice touch.
The trail to the fire tower is challenging but it’s not too difficult. It’s a short incline up to the tower. Unfortunately, it appears to be off limits. Usually, signs and barriers don’t stop me but I draw the line at barbed wire. It’s too bad because the views must be amazing.
Instead of the fire tower, there is a great overlook at the Bluff Overlook on, oddly enough, the Bluff Trail. Most of the trees have shed their leaves but yyou could still see some pretty colors out there. I especially liked the branches in the first photoon the left hand side of the group of photos.
It is easy to find beautiful areas to photograph in Moose Hill all year round. Ideally, foliage season would probably be the best time to visit. I just missed the peak foliage season but it still looked beautiful. The shapes of the trees and the way the rocks form borders in the different sections of the park make for great photo opportunities. It really doesn’t take a lot of effort or talent to find the beauty of the sanctuary.
There is also a beekeeping harvest hive and a real hive located near the harvest hive. Both looked inactive. A bench sat precariously near the now destrcuted hive. “Be At Peace” is engraved on the backing of the bench. Good advice.
I was a little disappointed by the lack of visible wildlife during my visit. I got there early (between 7 and 7:30) but I still didn’t see any of the larger wildlife that is known to be there such as deer, foxes and coyotes. I did see these little critters, though.
chipmunk, Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, 11-13-16
red squirrel, Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, 11-13-16
And this owl.
Fooled ya!
But, this owl is an actual part of the sanctuary. It’s part of the “unnatural trail.” The unnatural trail is a family friendly trail that is geared more for children. The trail is about a quarter of a mile that has objects that you normally don’t find on a trail (like shovels and shoes for instance). The children are then asked to identify the randomly placed objects and answer questions about what was on the ttrail.
There is also the Billings Barn (the white building) and a maple sugar shack which campers use to make sugar from the sugar maple trees. During maple sugar harves season, the campers and people at the sanctuary leave buckets attached to the trees to harvest the maple sugar from the trees.
Plymouth, MA, is beautiful enough on its own. But, Plymouth during the holiday season is simply magical.
As part of their holiday season in Plymouth, MA, Plymouth 400, an organization which promotes the celebration of the upcoming 400th anniversary of the Plymouth Rock landing which will occur in 2020, helped illuminate Plymouth.
The festivities began with a celebration of some of the residents of Plymouth, MA and the surrounding area and some entertainment at the Hedges House on Water Street. The entertainment consisted of interpretive dance, an acapella rendition of John Lennon’s song “Imagine” and a celebration of a family in Massachusetts who helped start a charity which helps buy cellphone minutes for soldiers overseas (Cellphones For Soldiers).
After the Plymouth 400 celebration, the city was aglow with holiday decorations (both Thanksgiving and Christmas).
I was a little disappointed at the lack of decorations and some of the decorations weren’t lit by the time we got there. In fact, some of the better decorations were not on Main and Court Streets but off Water Street like these decorations at CabbyShack and The Tavern On The Wharf.
It is not a long walk to get from Court Street and Main Street. Just walk straight on either street (Main Street becomes Court St and vice versa). I was able to take a few photos of the holiday decorations on Main and Court Streets. It still was enough to get me into the holiday spirit, although it pales in comparison to some of the other displays in New England. At the same time, the scaled down decorations somehow gave it a more “small town” and tasteful feel to it which is also nice. Let’s face it, some places can overdo it with the lights and decorations.
The decorations are still up and a few more have more than likely been added. Plus, there is the annual Kiwanis Christmas Tree Lighting Friday, December 2 from 5:30 to 8 which will really get the city’s holiday season in gear.
I did see a cute dog at the Plymouth 400 celebration. Tully, a 3 and a half month old Labrador, was in the holiday spirit!
Mostly known for the tourist attractions Plimoth Plantation and Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Massachusetts is home to another lesser known, but no less impressive attraction. In fact, Plymouth is home to one of the largest sculptures in the states.
Clocking in at 81 feet, the National Monument To The Forefathers is the the largest solid granite sculpture in the United States. The granite was quarried in and transported to Plymouth from Hallowell, Maine.
The monument, also known as the Pilgrim Statue, was created by Hammatt Billings, a Boston architect, illustrator and sculptor. Billings would never got to see the sculpture in its final stages. Billings died 15 years into the construction of the monument, or about half the time it took to construct the statue. After Hammat Billings’ death his brother, Joseph, worked with a group of other sculptors to complete the project. Dedicated on August 1, 1889, after 30 years of construction, the sculpture was meant to be a memorial to the Pilgrims who settled in the area.
The memorial has several statues within the memorial itself. Statues representing Liberty, Peace, Tyranny, Education, Wisdom, Youth, Law, Mercy, Justice, and Morality surround the monument. The monument wwas position to face Northeast towards Plymouth Harbor and, perhaps not coincidentally, towards Plymouth, England.
Faith, the statue at the top of the monument, is 36 feet tall and made of solid granite. The Faith statue itself is listed as the 32nd largest statue in the entire United States and its territories. The statue is pointing to heaven with her right hand. In her left hand she is clutching a bible.
True to its description as a monument to the forefathers, all of the names of the passengers of the Mayflower. Recognize any names? Clearly, Massachusetts, as it would be later part of, was not all that progressive jusging by how women were considered “the wife of” the male passengers.
The park offers grand views of the statue and it is said that before all of the construction and the planting of trees in the area many years, you could see the monument from miles away. The park allows for some scenic views of the monument.
The memorial is surrounded by a spacious park and there is lots of room to walk your dog. China, also known as China Doll, a rescued Siberian Husky and Lab mix, was enjoying the park while I was there. She looks so happy!
Location Robinson State Park, 428 North St, Feeding Hills Rd (Agawam), MA
Parking: about 10 parking spots are avaiilable in the back entrance on Feeding Hills Rd. There is additional parking in the main entrance and by the beach area.
Cost: Free this time of the year when the park is unstaffed, $8 MA vehicle, $10 non-MA vehicles during “season”
Size: 1,025 acres
Handicap Accessible: Yes, but some parts of the main trail, which is paved, have sharp inclines.
Thanksgiving in Western Massachusetts. What could be more emblematic of New England? As it turned out, I’m not the only onr who feels this way.
As I approached the back entrance to Robinson State Park, every parking spot was taken (some spaces were parked 2 cars deep). I did find a spot just in front of the main entrance )the gates were closed on this holiday, however). Who knew a park would be so busy on a holiday? At least that is how I used too think. Now, it makes complete sense.
In the past, I never understood why people would spend Thanksgiving Day, or part of their Thanksgiving, at a park or some other outdoor attraction. People should be home with their family, watching football or the parade and stuffing their faces, the younger me would say to myself. But, now I get it. What better place to spend the early mornings of Thanksgiving? What better way and what better place to be thankful, especially at one of my favorite paarks. In fact, I like it there so much I have posted about Robinson Park in the past. But, I took a few different trails that I had never hiked on before this time. At 1,025 acres, Robinson State is so big it could take days to thoroughly walk or even bike all of the trails. So, I figured I would work up an appetite for my Thanksgiving dinner with a jaunt there.
The trees were barren and leaves carpeted the ground. Only a few months ago these brooks were teeming with frogs and other amphibians.
I always love to see that one plant that has survived the elements.
Theere is also a lot of eviddence of what the park used to be like. A beam stands in the Westfield River, a reminder of the railroad bridge that once ran through the area.
This looks like a damn or some other waterflow management system that is now dry save for a brook that dribbles on by below.
I came across this falcon during my hike. I was surprised at how close I got before the bird flew away.
I also came across lots of squirrels. This one was resting ona tree limb enjoying a snack
Robinson Park is a dog friendly paark. I saw and heard lots of cute dogs during my time there. All of the dogs I photographed happened to be rescues. It was very refreshing to see so many rescued dogs there.
Annie, a mixed breed rescue, struck a pose for me.
Jessie, on the left, is a 3 year old Lab mix. Shadow, on the right, is a 13 year old Lab mix as well. They are both rescues.
Daisy, a yellow Lab rescue from Tennessee, had fun playing with her stick.
I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
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Although Salem is known for the witch hysteria of 1692 and the commercialism that is largely based on this tragic part of their history, Salem has so much more. It really is a shame that is what people focus on. In fact with such programs as Creative Salem and the Salem Beautification Committee – who created this art program, Salem has seen a resurgence of the arts and entertainment that has always been a part of the city.
One of the exhibits recently in Salem is the Lady Of Salem figureheads located throughout the city. The nautical inspired art is meant to celebrate Salem’s rich maritime history. These figureheads are meant to closely resemble the decorated ornaments that used to be attached the front of ships.
While some artists have created more than one figureheads, they were mostly created by different artists.
Unfortunately, not all of the figureheads are on Essex St (the last in the group of photos below is on Derby St and one is inside the Salem Old Town Hall) and some have been either vandalized or removed for some other reason. Also, many of the figureheads almost seem hidden and very hard to find without the help of the map, and, even then, I still had a hard time finding them all. Add in the massive crowds this weekend and it made it very difficult to find them all. In fact, I only found about half of them. It does seem like a fun activity to do with your family.
The Lady Of Salem art display began in June of 2013 and they are brought out periodically. This past year it was on display frpm Juen until October. The figureheads are beautifully crafted and, if you look at them closely enough, you can imagine seeing them on the front of a ship, bobbing up and down.
Salem is an old city and some of the streets are cobble stone or not in the best condition. While Essex St is pedestrian friendly, some of the sidewalks in the city, such as Derby St where one of the figureheads is located, can be hard to navigaate.
Figureheads on ships have an interesting background. Figureheads on ships were all different in design and name, but they do have many similarities, particularly in their significance. Figureheads were said to embody the spirit of their ship. They were believed to placate the gods of the sea and ensure a safe voyage. Almost every prow had a carved figurehead on them. The figureheads replaced heads of animals and, at times, people that used to be placed at the front of ships in the hopes of looking out ahead for the ship’ss safety. Eventually, eyes were painted on the ships and then figureheads became the standard decorative piece. It was the best choice by far.
The figureheads vary in some respects. While they are all shapely females (it must be lonely off at sea), some are scarier than others while others seem more wholesome. There’s even a KISS-like figurehead (you’ll get this when you see them below). All of the figureheads were either sponsored by or loacted near local businesses which would explain why some figureheads have some unusual artwork on them, such as the phrase “I heart pizza.” I am not sure sea-faring people of that day even knew pizza was a thing.
The figureheads are not scheduled to be on display any longer (although I haven’t been there to confirm this). But, I am sure they will most likely be on display again in the future. They were, for a limited time, on display in the Peabody Essex Museum in Sale, MA (also on Essex St). The link at the top of the post has photos of all of the figureheads.
The figureheads below were all displayed on Essext St. during my visit.
Artist: Nick Papadimitriou.
Artist: Jean Pare
Artist: Alicia Irick Cohen
Artists: Mr. Bleckley’s 5th grade art students (Bates Elementary School, Salem MA)
New England Nomad 