Category Archives: New England

August 11, 2017

Prescott Park (Portsmouth, NH)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: July 29, 2017

Location: 105 Marcy St, Portsmouth, NH

Hours: open daily, sunrise to sunset

Cost: Free

Parking: There is a parking lot located on Old Bay St as well as street parking throughout the area

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: No

Website: Prescott Park

Highlights: flowers and plants, scenic, family friendly

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Bursting with color and fragrances, Prescott Park is sure to impress even those with the faintest of green thumbs.

A gift from Sarah and Josie Prescott in 1940, Prescott Park has come a long way from its industrial beginnings.   The highlight of the park, at least during the summer, has to be the garden that sits at the entrance by Old Bay St and Marcy St.  But, Prescott Park has more than just flowers there.

Prescott Park is much more than the garden that I focused on during my visit.  In fact, it is such a big area that they hold concerts with such popular artists as Aaron Neville and Valerie June and other events at the park.  During my visit they were holding a children’s party where a play was being performed.

 

 

There are two memorials at Prescott Park.  The first memorial is a fountain which is dedicated to  a fountain dedicated to Charles Emerson Hovey, an Ensign in the United States Navy and Portsmouth, NH native, who was killed in action on September 24, 1911.

 

 

The next memorial is less obvious.  A sign and anchor stand in front of the prominent flower bed at the front of the garden.

 

 

The sign in front of the flower bed states “A Salute To An Ordinary Hero.”  This “ordinary hero” was Billy Juse, a New Hampshire native, who died in an underground tunnel while he was working on the Deer Island Project during the 1990’s.  He was 34.  Since he and another coworker, Tim Nordeen, died on the same day John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s body was recovered, his story was overlooked in the news.  One solemn reminder remains in the park.

There are also view of the Piscataqua River, a popular spot for boating and kayaking.

 

 

There are benches, art and pretty trees and flowers on the way to the garden at Prescott Park.

 

 

Prescott Park has a variety of beautiful and colorful plants and flowers.  Since we’ve had so much rain and

 

 

The flowers ranged from the common to the unique.

 

 

To the left in the photo is Pelargonium Geranium Timeless Orange (yeah they look red to me as well),  To the right is the Pelargonium Geranium Timeless Pink.  Yeah, I know all of the types of flowers in the world.  Kidding.  They all had their names neatly written on them on cards by the flower beds.

Now for the truly scary part of the tour. The dinosaurs have invaded Prescott Park.  This is a great way to get kids interested and involved in viewing the flowers and plants at Prescott.  I

 

 

Sadly, dogs are not allowed at the flower garden area of Prescott Park.  But, I did see lots of dogs like Teddy, a 10 year old Pomeranian,  passing by on Old Bay Street which is next to the flower garden.

 

 

Today’s featured link is a link to an article that appeared in the Boston Globe magazine about the tragedy on the Deer Island Project in which Billy Juse and some of his co workers perished: Deer Island Tragedy

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8 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in dog, family friendly, flowers, New England, new hampshire, park, photographs, photography, photos, portsmouth, Prescott Park, Uncategorized

August 9, 2017

Babbs Beach (West Suffield, CT)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: July 4, 2017

Location: 435 Babbs Rd, West Suffield, CT

Cost: Free (but it may soon cost $20 for non residents – see below)

Hours: open daily from sunrise to sunset

Parking:  There is designated handicapped parking closer to the beach

Dog Friendly: No

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Highlights: beach, volleyball net, scenic, boating, concerts

Website: Babb’s Beach

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The former site of a small amusement park (Babb’s Beach Amusement Park), Babb’s Beach is a small, hidden beach located along the Congamond Lakes in Suffield, CT.

What Babb’s Beach lacks in size it makes up for in charm.

Parking was available on the grass in front of the beach when I went to visit.  But, only a week later, a sign was posted indicating it would cost non-Suffield residents $20 for the first vehicle and $5 for each additional vehicle  in each party to visit.  One of the reasons for this is the mess that was left behind by 4th of July visitors (present company excluded).  There are also about half a dozen handicapped parking spaces right along the entrance to the beach with handicapped accessible comfort stations.

There is a short, scenic walk from the main parking area to the beach head.

The beach is just as popular for the boating and other water activities as it is for the sunbathing and beach games (there is a volleyball net at the beach).

The beach is not very big (7 acres) and I could see how it may get overpopulated on busy summer days.  But, due to its somewhat hidden location and, surely, because of the additional fee they have just implemented, it will most likely remain the hidden treasure it was during my visit.

Today’s featured link is the Babb’s Rink Restoration Project.  Years ago, the Babb’s Roller Rink, located about a mile from the beach, was shut down.  They are now trying to raise money and awareness about the project to renovate and re-open the rink.

 

 

 

 

 

12 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Babb's Beach, beach, connecticut, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Suffield, Uncategorized

August 8, 2017

Revere Beach International Sand Sculptures (Revere, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: July 29, 2017 (competition took place July 21-23)

Location: 850 Revere Beach Parkway, Revere, MA

Hours: open daily 24 hours a day

Cost: Free

Parking: Street parking is available.  There are also parking lots nearby that charge a flat rate for all day parking.  Parking rates vary depending on the time of the year.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: sand sculptures

Website: Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival

 

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Playing in the sand isn’t just for children.  Each year, some of the most accomplished sand sculptors across the globe converge on Revere Beach to compete for the title of Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Champion.  This year, 15 sand sculptors threw their sandals in the ring to compete for this coveted title.

Since we had a lot of rain recently, some of the sculptures had some damage to them.  In fact, one sand sculptor was pretty much entirely damaged.  I usually try to attend the actual sand sculpting event but I had a previous engagement that weekend.  The sculptures were only one week old.  But, they did have visible damage in the photos.

It didn’t feel the same without the crowds, the hustle and bustle of the street vendors and street performers.  Each winning sand sculpture was marked with their place and a quick bio of each sculptor.  So, without further delay, the winners are….

First place went to Pavel Mylnikov from Moscow, Russia for his sculpture “Soul Evolution.”

Jonathan “Jobi” Bouchard from Montreal, Canada came in second with his sculpture “Two Energies”.

The third place winner and winner of the “Sculptor’s Choice Award, was “In Justice We Trust”, by Andrius Petkus, from Lithuana.  Unfortunately, it destroyed by the weather or some other forces.  Below is a photo of the sand sculpture from Revere Beach’s Facebook page as well as Cheatsheetoflife’s website..

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The fourth place sand sculpture was “Dunkaroos!” by Abe Waterman from Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Fifth place went to Leonardo Ugolini of Forli, Italy for “The Monstrous Gorge.”

There were many more sand sculptures worthy of recognition.  The following sand sculptures did not win any awards.  But, they are still worthy of being mentioned.

“Remembering Self” by Morgan Rudluff from Santa Cruz, California.

 

Dan Belcher from St. Louis, Missouri, sculpted “Rock. Paper Scissors.”

One of my favorites, “Even Though We’re Oceans Apart, You’re Always Near In My Heart” was sculpted by Sue McGrew of Tacoma, Washington.

“Whisper In The Dark” was sculpted by Dmitry Klimenko of St. Petersburg, Russia.  The sculpture was dedicated to H.P. Lovecraft, a New England native (Providence RI) who died 80 years ago this past March.

Deborah Barrett-Cutulle, of Saugus, MA, sculpted “Wishful Thinking.”

This sculpture,”Who Are You” by Susanne Ruseler of Ultretch, Netherlands, had a sculpture of a boy next to the dragon before it was destroyed by the weather.

Below is a photo of the sculpture from Cheatsheetsoflife’s website.

 
“Look Up” was sculpted by Marianne Van Den Broek from Key West, Florida.

Steve Topazio, from the United States, sculpted “The Sand With The Dragon Tattoo.”

I could not find a name nor the name of the sculptor for this sand sculpture.

Paul Hogard from Bulguria won the “People’s Choice” Award for “Save The Elephants.”

Dogs are welcome at Revere Beach.  I met Tony, a 4 and a half year old pit bull mix, there.  He’s such a natural poser!

There is no set date for when the sculptures will be taken down.  The website for the event states they will stay up until the weather erodes them.  Some of them were already beginning to erode when I went to visit last weekend.  But, some of them may still be up now!

Today’s Featured website is Cheatsheetsoflife.

Cheatsheetoflife took some wonderful photos of the sand sculptures during the sand sculpting festival.

18 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in dog, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Revere Beach, sand sculpting, Uncategorized

August 7, 2017

Bare Cove Park (Hingham, MA)

By New England Nomad

 

Dates Of Visit: July 28 & 30, 2017

Location: Bare Cove Park Drive, Hingham, MA (about 20 minutes south of Boston)

Hours: open daily, sunrise to sunset

Cost: Free

Parking: There are several parking areas.  The main parking area on Bare Cove Park Drive has room for about 40-50 vehicles

Trail Size/Difficulty: 484 acres, easy trails

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Fitbit stats: 3:16, 985 calories, 10,069 steps, 4.21 miles

Highlights: scenic, water, family friendly, dock house with historical military items, wildlife

Website: Bare Cove Park

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I made two visits to Bare Cove Park.  The first time I visited the park was July 28th.  I got there late on the 28th and the lighting was poor.  So, I stopped by two days later, Sunday, July 30.

As you can see by the photos, there are some beautiful sunsets at Bear Cove.  Unfortunately, the lighting wasn’t very good, though.

 

Once the site of a U.S. Naval depot (more on this later), Bare Cove Park now is the home to a variety of wildlife.  I found many birds during my visit.  There are also supposed to be fox, deer and other animals at the park.  I didn’t see any of them.  But, I did see evidence of them.

If you look closely at the little bird photo at the end, the bird has his or her lunch.

 

There was a crisp pre-autumn chill in the air when I made my way to Bare Cove Park.  It reminded me of the mornings you whittle away before the college and pro football games start.  But, I’d rather spend my day at Bare Cove anytime.

The views are simply amazing.

 

The thing that stood out to me mostly are the variety of pretty trees and flowers at the park.

 

Bare Cove is only 484 acres and it’s very easy to get around, even without a map of the park.  Trust me, I didn’t even get lost and I always get lost.  The trails are easy with hardly any inclines and they are mostly paved if you stay on the main trail.

 

Because of its proximity to Boston, Hingham was considered an important location for the military to produce ammunition and other supplies during World War II.  The magazines, or manufacturing  buildings, ran 24 hours, 7 days a week and employed thousands of people at is peak.

The dock house (only open Sunday from 12-2) has a variety of items from World War II that were manufactured in this very same area.

 

There are also two memorials outside of the dockchouse as well as other items from the days of the hey day at Bare Cove.  The ammunition depot was closed in the early 1970’s.

The memorial to the left, lying vertically on the ground, is dedicated to the men and women who worked at the ammunition depot during World War i, World War II and the Korean Conflict.

The memorial to the right standing up is dedicated to naval crew members who were lost when some ammunition exploded on a ship they were loading.

 

While dogs are allowed at Bare Cove the park is not considered a “dog park” per se.  All dogs are expected to be leashed or respond immediately to voice commands.  In my visits there all of these dogs fit into both or either category.

Here are a few of the cute four legged visitors at Bare Cove that I ran into during my visits.

Hickory is a 7 year old tree walking coon hound.

 

Bronn, named after a Games Of Throne charcater, is a 9 month old Newfie.  His mommy was teaching to fetch.

 

Gracie is a super friendly 2 year old pitbull.

 

Tundra (on the left), a 2 year old Golden Retriever, just got finished with his swim and was getting ready to go home.  His sibling, Piper (on the right), didn’t want to leave..

 

During my first visit, on the 28th of July, I met a very nice lady with three dogs.

America is a 10 year old mixed breed dog who got that name because the dog is a mix of many breeds, kind of like how America is a mix of all kinds of people.

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Sophia is a 6 year old chihuahua.

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Lily is a 10 year old Lab and Collie mix.

 

 

Bruiser is a 6 year old part pitbull.

 

Below is a video of fireflies at Bare Cove Park.  The lack of light and various animal aand bird noises give it a little bit of a spooky feel.

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Today’s featured link is a link to a 30 minute documentary that explains the history of Bear Cove Park.  The documentary was put together by Scott McMillan, the very same man who gave me a detailed tour of the dockhouse.

 

12 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Bare Cove Park, dog, flowers, Hingham, historical, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, scenic, trees, Uncategorized

August 5, 2017

Buttonwood Farm (Griswold, CT)

By New England Nomad

 

Date Of Visit: July 22, 2017

Location: 473 Shetucket Turnpike, Griswold, CT

Cost: Free

Hours:

March 1 – October 30

Current Hours
Mon – Fri 12pm–9pm
Sat – Sun 11:30am–9pm

Parking: There are about 50 parking spots in the parking lot.  When they are busy, you can park on the side of the busy street (as I had to)

Handicapped Accessible:

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: ice cream shoppe, sunflowers (seasonally), family friendly, cows

Website: Buttonwood Farm

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Once the site of a dairy farm, Buttonwood Farm is so much more now.  Not only do they have a sunflower garden with a maze and a famous ice cream shoppe, they also are the site of one of the more popular charity events each year.

Funny thing is I didn’t find one button the entire time I was there.

During my visit, the sunflowers were in bloom and Buttonwood Farm was holding a fundraiser for their Sunflowers For Wishes charity.

 

 

The dirt trails in the sunflower maze are easy to navigate.  The path is only about half a mile long.  Due to the showy outer ray petals of the sunflowers, bees and other insects, like this beetle, are attracted to the nectar and pollen.

 

 

In addition to the sunflowers, people (big and small) could ride their cow train or tractor tour.  All proceeds, of course, went to the charity.

 

 

At the end of the sunflower maze, there is a hill on a short incline where you can view the sunflowers.

 

There were also some performers at the top off the hill.  A man was playing music and there was a local painter, Jacqueline Jones, who was preparing to paint the sunflower garden.

 

Since it was a charity event, there were charitable organizations like the “Make A Wish” foundation.  They had my dream car there!

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The cows at Buttonwood are so docile and beautiful.

 

Sunflowers aren’t just for people.  Dogs also like to walk along the sunflower maze.

 

Tunken (on the left) is an 8 year old Chocolate Lab mix and Duncan (On the right) is a 3 legged Harrier, fox and hound mix

 

Alie is a 12 year old Mini Pinscher.

 

Ian is a 5 month old Golden Retriever who is in training to be a service guide dog.

Below is a video of the maze at the sunflower garden.  What struck me is, despite the large crowd that was there, how peaceful and quiet the place seemed.  It seems like a wonderful place to go and just have some peace and quiet.

Today’s featured website is Jacqueline Jones’ Paintings From The Open Air.  Jackie was painting a portrait of the sunflower garden during my visit.  You can find her painting of the sunflower garden on her website.

Based out of New Haven, CT, Jackie specializes in painting the nature of the New England area.  She also enjoys painting in other areas outside of New England such as the Colorado and New York areas.  Jackie has also won a variety of awards and has studied with some of the accomplished artists in the New England area.

 

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in art, connecticut, flowers, Griswold, New England, photographs, photography, photos, sunflowers, Uncategorized

August 4, 2017

Congamond Lakes (Southwick, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: July 4, 2017

Location: 93 Point Grove Rd, Southwick, MA

Hours: the ramps are open around the clock

Cost: $5 boat launch fee

Parking: there is parking available in the parking lot of the boat launch and there is limited parking on Point Grove Rd.,

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: boat launch, fishing, scenic

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What better way to spend July 4th than at one of the busier lakes in Western MA?

Lake Congamond in Southwick, MA, seemed like the perfect place to spend the summer morning hours before our barbecue.  But, mostly because I like to say and write Lake Congamond.  What a fun name to say and what a fun lake to visit.

As  the name suggests, Congamond Lakes is not one lake but, rather, a group of lakes at the border of Massachusetts and Connecticut.  There are various boat launches.  We stopped off at the boat launch in Southwick (MA).

 

With a maximum depth level of 35 feet, the Congamond Lakes are a popular place for boating or taking some other aquatic vehicle.

 

Ducks are common at the lake and they are so used to being fed they will sometimes eat from your own hand.

 

Congamond roughly translates to “long fishing place” and we saw quite a few people fishing.

 

The pier offers spots for fishing, places to view the water and the boats or a place to sit with a friend.

 

Dogs are allowed at Congamond Lakes.  I’m just not sure they’re supposed to navigate the boats.

 

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Some dogs prefer land to being on boats.  Samurai is a Belgian Malinois.

 

Today’s featured link is Paul Samson’s Kayaking Blog.    People on boats, or in this case a kayak, can get to places those on land can’t get to and Paul found some gems during his kayaking adventure.  Paul’s blog post about Congamond Lakes can be found here.

4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in boats, Congamond Lakes, dog, lake, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Southwick, Uncategorized

August 2, 2017

Unity Skate Board And BMX Park (North Adams, MA)

By New England Nomad

 

Date Of Visit: July 15, 2017

Location: Noel Field Athletic Complex on Route 8, North Adams, MA (310 State Street, North Adams, MA)

Hours: open daily sunrise to sunset

Parking: There is a small parking area next to the skate park

Highlights: skate park with ramps, stairs and rails for cyclists and skate boarders

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You never know what you’ll find if you just keep your eyes open.  While driving home from MASS MOCA (blog posts from there will be posted very soon), I came across this newly constructed bike and skate park.

The recently opened UNITY Skate Board And BMX Park (the ribbon cutting ceremony was July 1) is a great place for kids and adults of all ages to come together and show off some of their skating chops.

UNITY (an acronym for the United, Neighboring, Interdependent, Trusted Youth) has several rails, steps and ramps for bicyclists and skateboarders to use.  The park also has some decor that are tributes to famous landmarks in the area.

There park has two structures that are dedicated to two separate landmarks of northwestern Massachusetts.  The hole in the box in the first photo is a symbol of the Hoosac Tunnel and the grey ball in the second photo is a symbol of the memorial on Mount Greylock, the highest point of Massachusetts.

The park has lots of space for all of the skaters and bicyclists to attempt their stunts.

It was good to see people from all backgrounds, skill levels and ages using the park.

Below is a video of the skaters at the park.  As you can see, it attracts a good crowd.

Today’s featured website is Rye Airfield.  Rye Airfield in Rye, NH, is considered New England’s premiere skate park.

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4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in BMX, Massachusetts, New England, north adams, photographs, photography, photos, skateboarders, Uncategorized, UNITY Skate Board And BMX Park

August 1, 2017

Retro Pop Shop (Lee, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: July 2, 2017

Location: 395 Laurel St, Lee, MA (2 hours west of Boston and 45 minutes northwest of Springfield, MA)

Hours:  call for hours (413-243-0025)

Parking: there is room for about 10-15 cars in the parking lot

Handicapped Accessible:

Dog Friendly: No

Highlights: sale of vintage and hard to find items, ice cream shop

Website: Retro Pop Shop – Facebook

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Are you looking to relive old memories and go back to an easier, simpler time?  While it’s not literally possible to go back in time, Pop’s Retro Shop can make you feel as though you’ve gone back in time, or that you’re living in your parent’s hey day.  Odds and ends older than many of you reading this post are scattered throughout this vintage shop in Lee, MA.

Coke and McDonald’s memorabilia take up much of the space at the Retro Pop Shop.  In fact, Ronald is there to greet you when you walk in the front door.

Old coke bottles, lobsters, Simpson dolls and toy trucks lie scattered around the shop. Walking around the store was much like walking around my childhood room (or present day apartment).

Vending machines, refrigerators and even old gas station filling tanks are stored inthe garage of the shop.

Just walking past the old lunch boxes and lava lamps brought back so many memories and happy thoughts.

But, be aware.  There are lots of creepy statues, dolls and other items that seem more suited for Halloween.  Of course, it only made me like the store all that much more.

Retro Pop Shop is truly a family run business.  While Pierre runs the store, his daughter owns and operates the Local Lee Homemade ice cream store attached to the Retro Pop Store.

Keeping with the decor of the inside of the shop, the outside of the store has some vintage and offbeat items lying around.  They must get some pretty big rats out in western MA based on the trap by the entrance.

Although dogs are not allowed in the store (Pierre said a customer had complained about dogs being in the shop in th past), they are welcome on the grounds outside.  I spotted this cute Samoyed in front of the shop.

Today’s featured site is a website for a store that is very similar to retro Pop Shop. While walking through the Retro Pop Shop, I couldn’t help but think of another store in New England that caters to the fans of vintage memorabilia.  But, Wild Bill’s Nostalgia hs so much more .  

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9 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in dog, Lee, massachusetts, memorabilia, New England, photographs, photography, photos, store, Uncategorized, vintage

July 31, 2017

Western Gateway Heritage State Park (North Adams, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: June 22, 2017

Location: 115 State St, North Adams, MA

Hours: Mon – Fri 11:00 – 4:00

Sat & Sun 12:00 – 4:00

Cost: Free

Parking: There is ample parking in the main parking lot (for about 430 cars) and additional parking can be found farther down the street

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: No

Highlights: history of the western MA area, historical items

Website: Western Gateway State Heritage Park

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Tucked behind the busy streets of North Adams in an otherwise nondescript office building complex stands a museum highlighting the hidden history of the North Adams area.  It was truly a hidden surprise.    Just be aware if you do visit, you have to walk a short distance into the commercial space area to find the museum.  In fact, the museum/visitor center is so hidden that I accidentally walked into some office building in the front of the parking lot.  The man working there was understanding and said it “happens all of the time” and he promptly gave us the directions to the museum which he must have memorized backwards and forwards by now.

More of a visitor center than an actual museum (and certainly not a park), the Heritage State Park museum chronicles the history and development of the Hoosac Tunnel, a 4.75 active railroad that runs through the Hoosac Range, a mountainous region of Vermont as well as other historical events of the area.

Much of the visitor center is dedicated to the Hoosac Tunnel which was built 1851 and 1875 (and you thought construction projects took a long time these days).  The museum had many. exhibits on display that range from what the area looked like before the construction began to documenting what was involved in the construction of the tunnel.  As an fyi, the lighting was very dim and I think they frown upon using your flash.  So, some of the photos came out a little dark.

The museum also has some of the tools, equipment and vehicles used to create the tunnel and transport goods.

One hundred and ninety five people were killed during the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel which has added to its lore.  The section of the visitor center that deals with the mining history of the area, with its dim lighting adds to this spooky history.  There are also examples of rocks that prevalent in the area where the Hoosac Tunnel was built and had to be blasted or removed during the construction of the tunnel.

There is one section pf the visitor center that befuddled me a bit.  Apparently, there have been reported UFO and alien sightings in the area.  Apparently, Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires are a hot bed for extraterrestrial activity.  However, many of the documents and exhibits had to deal with Area 51 in Roswell, New Mexico.  I know.  My sentiments exactly.

The last section of the visitor center has travel guides, books and exhibits with information about the area.

As I walked to my car from the visitor center, I noticed Prada, a 5 year old Siberian and wolf mix, being walked near the Heritage State Park.  She was nice enough to pose for a few photos for me.

 

Today’s featured link is Wishes And Horses blog.  Wishes and Horses recently posted a blog post about the Hoosac Tunnel.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in dog, historical, Hoosac Tunnel, Massachusetts, New England, north adams, photographs, photography, photos, Uncategorized

July 29, 2017

Tom Fiorini Sculpture Garden (Lenox, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: May 31, 2017

Location: Behind Joane Cornell Jewelry Store (63 Church St, Lenox, MA)

Hours: Art is available for viewing 24 hours

Cost: Free to view (unless you want to buy something)

Parking:  Free street parking is available on Church St (although it may have time limits).  There is also a parking lot on Franklin St that you may use for short term parking.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: Variety of unique art and decorative items made by New England artist Tom Fiorini

Website: Tom Fiorini – Sculptor

Tom Fiorini Facebook

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You interested in a doghouse covered with license plates?  (dogs sold separately)

How about a some carved fish? (at least you don’t need to feed them or buy a tank for them)

Perhaps you’re looking for boat?  I’m just not sure if she is sea-worthy.

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Tucked away behind the Joane Cornell Jewelry store at 63 Church St, Lenox, MA (at least for now), Tom Fiorino’s art, sculptures and other unique items offer an unusual brand of decorative items.

Tom Fiorini is not your orthodox artist.  He works mainly with metals and often times his choice of tool is a chainsaw.  Much of his art is made of normal, everyday materials reshaped and manufactured into a completely different.

Tom’s signs, with their offbeat slogans and designs, may be the highlight of his collection.

Tom also uses his creativity to make his art and create arrtful designs.

I don’t know about you but sometimes I could really use this really big bottle of wine.

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Other miscellaneous works of art are scattered around the lawn.

As you can see by his art, Tom has a great sense of humor.

Also, his prices may be negotiable based on the sign below.

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For now, Tom’s work can be viewed at the address listed above on Church St.  I am not sure where he stores his sculptures during the winter season.  You can contact him at his website listed above for more information.  Below is more information about him and his art.

Keeping with today’s theme of outdoor art, today’s New England featured link is the deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum in Lincoln, MA.  I’ve yet to go there.  But, it is definitely on my list.

 

8 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in art, fun, Lenox, New England, photographs, photography, photos, sculptures, Tom Fiorini, Uncategorized