Dates visited: December 16, 2015 and December 21, 2015
Tucked away one of the many side roads of West Springfield, MA, is an unexpected place.
The Maple Brook Farm is home to a variety of alpacas. It’s not everyday that you get to see alpacas grazing from the road so I thought I would stop by.
They tend to cluster together so it was hard to take photos of them alone.
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The driveway to the farm is usually open, at least during non holiday daylight hours. When I went to visit, there was no staff or anyone else there but the public is welcome and there is no charge. I just wish I knew what alpacas eat. I would have brought them a treat.
The grounds of the farm are well groomed and there are many structures and statues that liven up the area. It is definitely worth a visit.
Every year during the holidays, I make my annual trip to Yankee Candle Village in Deerfield, MA.
The flagship shop of New England, the Yankee Candle Village is known for his decorative and at times eccentric displays. But, during the holidays they go the extra mile.
From the moment you walk onto the property, the Yankee Candle Village welcomes you with holiday cheer and some unique decorations.
Inside the store, there is an assortment of holiday decorations and not just holiday decorations. Wizard of Oz statues, model cars and other displays can be found throughout the shop.
There are Christmas trees galore. Every where you look it seems there is a tree decorated in a unique way.
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There are also Christmas village light up displays located in one room. They also have a Halloween village set up.
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There is also a stream with koi fish
Try as we might, we could not find Santa. He wasn’t at his regular place
He wasn’t at his desk either
Finally, I found him in the shopping area
There is also an area where customers can make their own candles with the colors and scents they choose. They can also have a candle made in the form of their hands whether it be a fist, peace sign or index finger extended (no middle fingers allowed)
There is also a fountain in the shopping area and a mechanized band that plays for the children. It looks kinda creepy to me, though.
As I left the shop and day turned into night, the lights from the trees and decorations outside lit up the area. It was raining pretty hard so some of the images produced spots that almost look like snow. Sadly, it was only raindrops. There will not be any snow on Christmas for us this year.
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There are also many automated attractions at the shop. For instance, in the front of the store there is a toy train that runs along the wall.
Every 4 minutes, it “snows” at the Snowplace Factory in the North Pole of the store.
To get a full appreciation of the light display, I am including a short video showing off all the lights outside the store.
As fall made one more last gasp, I took advantage of the unseasonably warm (50 degrees) weather and made my way up north to the picturesque Pawtuckaway State Park in Nottingham, New Hampshire.
Located about an hour and a half north of Boston, MA, Pawtuckaway is a 5,000 acre preserve with a camp site, lakes, a beach, a spectacular view of the Pawtuckaway Mountains and 15 miles of trails. The parking lot is pretty big so parking shouldn’t be a problem if you get there early in the day during the spring and summer. There were only 4 cars there when I went in December. It costs $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 6-11. It is free when it is not staffed (from 11/2 until 5/1). The park hours are 8 am-7 pm.
The trails can be challenging not so much because of their inclines, which can be tricky at parts, but because of the rocks which are randomly placed throughout the trails. They can come in handy, though, when you have to cross the puddles along the trails.
I arrived at Pawtuckaway early in the morning. Mist and frost was still visible on the way to the lake.
Looking into the pond was like looking into a mirror.
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The views from the rocks trail on the Fire Tower make the long ascent (about 3 miles from the entrance) worthwhile.
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The fire tower is located a short distance (about a quarter of a mile) from the rocky ledge with all of the beautiful views.
While I preferred the views from the ledge, the fire tower offered views from every angle and both sides of the vista.
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There were also many pretty trees at Pawtuckaway.
There is also a beach at Pawtuckaway. I got there just in time for the sunset.
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Pawtuckaway is said to have been derived from a Native American word meaning, “big buck.” I didn’t see any bucks but I did some dogs! From top to bottom Artie, Lulu (on the left), Rooster (on the right), Tucker and Duke.
Video from the fire tower at Pawtuckaway. As you can tell by the audio it was quite a windy day.
Video from the rocky ledge it was less windy there)
Spending a crisp autumn day at Myles Standish State Park makes you long for summer days.
Since it is so big, Myles Standish has several parking areas. I parked at the main parking area where the ranger headquarters is located on Cranberry Rd. There were about 30 or 40 parking spots at this parking area. It wasn’t a problem finding a spot when I went but I bet it fills up quickly if you don’t go early during the spring and summer. Myles Standish also has camp sites for tents and some for RV’s. It costs $8 for MA residents and $10 for non MA residents to visit for the day when the park is open for the season. It is free off during the off season.
As beautiful as the forest is in late fall, it must be even so much prettier when all the flowers are in bloom or during foliage season. The wind was just strong enough to give the water a little ripple effect.
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There were birds a plenty at Myles Standish. The woodpecker in the second photo was too busy pecking to be scared away.
Myles Standish is a huge forest and it extends into several towns. There are 16 ponds, 13 miles of hiking trails and 15 miles of biking trails in Myles Standish. I stopped by Fearing Pond.
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There was also quite a few pretty trees and vegetation at the forest.
My one gripe about Myles Standish is the amount of trees they had cut down. It wasn’t clear why they had the trees down. But, it was unsettling nonetheless.
Holidays and mansions. Sounds like a pretty good combination to me. That is what the folks at the Newport mansions are offering all their patrons. As part of the holiday season, the Newport mansions have been decorated for the season. The $29 tour includes 3 of the mansions (The Elms, The Breakers and The Marbles). But, I was only able to see The Elms Mansion.
The mansions aren’t the only ornate buildings in the area. Some of the homes in the area are very pretty as well. Before you arrive at the mansions, you can peak at the pretty houses in the neighborhood.
When you enter the mansions, you are given an audio player with headphones to use as part of the self guided audio tour. Indoor photography is limited to certain rooms (usually they don’t allow photography at all in the mansions but they relaxed their policy slightly for the holiday tours). I might have sneaked in a few more photos from the rooms that weren’t authorized for picture taking. It’s actually kind of a good thing that they limit photography because you could easily be inundated with things to photograph. One room seemed more beautiful or interesting then the previous room.
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Photo taking is allowed on the exteriors of the mansions and the grounds of the buildings.
The mansions are available for tours throughout the year. So, if you can’t make it there during the holiday try going another time when it is less busy. If you go to the holiday mansion tour, it is only during daylight hours. Parking can be difficult, especially if you arrive later in the day. But, you should be able to find parking somewhere in the area if you can’t find a spot in the parking lots at the mansions.
When most people think of Newport, Rhode Island, they undoubtedly think of the ornate historic mansions. But, there is another gem in Newport – Easton’s Beach.
I was greeted by these Canadian Geese upon my arrival.
A short drive from the mansions, Easton’s Beach is less than a mile long. But, what it may lack in size it makes up in charm and beauty.
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The gulls, who were in abundance at the beach, are not shy.
Easton’s Beach is also a popular destination for sea loving dogs. I met Jack during my visit.
Parking was ample during my visit. But I suspect it fills up quickly during the warmer seasons. You do not need to feed the meters in the off season. After May 1st and until Oct. 31st parking fees are in effect (parking at an on-street metered space is limited to a maximum of three hours and the rate is $1.25 per hour and the meters located on Memorial Blvd. near Easton’s Beach are $2 per hour). It’s definitely worth the 2 clams if you’re in the area.
There may be nothing more festive than the holidays in the city. The city is so alive. Lights illuminate the dark city streets. Children gaze at all the trees and decorations. Even adults get into the spirit of the season. This was not more evident than at Faneuil Hall in Boston.
There are many statues and memorials at Faneuil Hall. This statue of Samuel Adams stands in front of Quincy Market. You can see some of the lights in the background. There is so much to photograph in the area and I will include other shots from the area in a blog post another time. I wanted to focus mainly on the holiday decorations and lights in this post.
Trees are lit up throughout Faneuil Hall.
Stores and restaurants also decorate for the season.
The main attraction has to be the tree, though. The lighting was not very good so I included a few different photos in the slideshow below.
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Some of the lights blinked, which was hard to get in the photos. So, I have added a video below to show off the really cool display
The only thing missing from the holiday display at Boston Common is a fresh layer of snowy ground covering.
I’m still getting the hang of my long time nemesis: night time photography. So, some photos are a bit grainy or blurry.
The Menorah was lit today (Sunday) as Hanukkah began today. It was not lit during my visit Friday night.
Boston Common has become a family friendly spot for people of all ages to enjoy. The Tadpole Playground is a fairly new addition to the Common.
The Frog Pond is iced over during the winter for skaters young and old, and of various skating ability.
the zamboni’s coming right at us!
More pretty decorations and lights
There’s not a shortage of things to get even the Scroogiest folks in the holiday spirit.
The Prudential Tower is visible from the Boston Common. Each day in December they are lighting the top of the tower in the colors associated with a different charitable cause, as part of their 31 nights of lights. The night I went they were recognizing the Catching Joy organization. Lucky for us, the charity’s logo has a variety of colors in their name. My photo is a little blurry but I am posting a video of the tower’s lights changing colors below.
The State House, located just behind the Boston Common, is also decorated for the holiday.
Lilly and Cameron (left to right) were both in the holiday spirit
To get a better sense of the fun that can be had at Boston Common, especially this time of the year, click on the videos below. Someone interrupted my video recording to ask for directions in the first video ( :
Named after Frank Winsor, the chief engineer of the construction project, the Winsor Dam section of the Quabbin Reservoir is a mecca for nature lovers, outdoors people and anyone who just wants to get out for a walk along the largest inland body of water in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If there is one word that best describes the Winsor Dam it would be peaceful.
The easy to moderate walking trails are surrounded by rolling hills and crystal blue water
I missed the foliage season. But, you can still see the colors peaking from the tree tops.
The staff at the Quabbin Reservoir use these boats as part of their gull harassment program to limit the pollutants from the birds.
Located about a half an hour from Springfield, MA and an hour and a half west of Boston, MA, Quabbin Reservoir supplies water to three towns west of the reservoir and acts as the backup supply for three other towns. There was a seasonal fall breeze during my visit which created pretty ripples on the water.
Quabbin Reservoir is expansive (it has an area more than 38 and a half miles). It is separated by different dams and sections. There is a pretty walking bridge that you can use to visit some of the other areas. There are some great views from the bridge.
The distance between dams are more than a mile. So, it is often a good idea to drive to the different parts of the reservoir.
One of the many great things about the area is that after you cross the bridge there are trails and a creek which people use to fish. I got my first two ticks of the season taking these photos, so you’re welcome!
The water is green in some places and it is so clear you can see the trout and other fish that inhabit the water.
There are also a variety of bird life at Quabbin Reservoir. I caught these titmouse on the trail (ok I laughed a little when I wrote that)
Dogs aren’t allowed at Quabbin reservoir. I did see one dog that was “in training”, though.
Bear Hole is not just a name give to the much traveled reservoir in West Springfield.
Tales of bear, deer and other animals have been told from many visitors at the park.
I didn’t see any bear, though. I only met the occasional dog (from top left to right Figueroa, Lily, Jyp, bottom from left to right Oreo and Connor)
and owl
The main attraction at Bear Hole is the waterfall.
and the pond it flows to
The trails are clearly defined (unless you go off trail to get a closer look at the waterfall and pond as I did from time to time). And runners and cyclists use the trails frequently.
Click below to view the video of the waterfall in all its splendor.
New England Nomad 