The main living quarters has been renovated and maintained through the years but it still keeps the basic feel of what living in that era was like.
The early settlers planted most of their crops in their yard. The staff at the Homestead continue growing these crops such as mugwort, sage and chamomile.
Pictured below is the front of the house. The front part of the house is what we might consider “the back” because the settlers always wanted their houses to face the south.
The accommodations are what a modern day realtor might call “cozy”.
They were “spinning” before it was cool.
There is also a meeting house, shoemaker shed and wood shed that still have a very rustic feel to them.
The Homestead also keeps their grounds well maintained.
According to legend, after being hanged, Rebecca Nurse was buried in a shallow unmarked grave because people convicted of witchcraft were not considered worthy of a Christian burial. Her family dug her up and buried her at the Nurse Homestead and they erected a memorial in her honor.
George Jacobs, another victim of the witch hysteria, is also buried at the Nurse Homestead.
Rebecca’s great grandson, Francis Nurse, resided st the homestead until he joined the Massachusetts Militia during the Revolutionary War. He is know interred at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead.
There are also a number of other monuments and graves in the Nurse gravesite
There is also a variety of wildlife on the Nurse Homestead grounds. I ran into these turkeys during my visit.
And I met a bear. Well, sort of. One of the workers was dog sitting and he brought his Golden Lab, Bear with him to the homestead. Bear likes to play catch.
Since it is Halloween is imminent and Salem is so well known for its Halloween attractions, I will be posting a series of blogs from the Salem, Massachusetts, area from my recent visits. If I took a photo of you or your dog and I haven’t posted it yet, I promise I will post it very soon. Also, I want to thank everyone (4 legged and 2 legged) and their folks who agreed to have their or their children’s photos taken. If you’re reading this, I greatly appreciate it.
Today’s blog features some of the sites, people and dogs of historic Salem.
There is something about Salem, or really any busy town or city, in the early morning hours. There’s a certain serenity in the early morning hours, especially when you contrast it with the throngs that will soon descend upon the town. While the city is still sleeping and the roar of vehicles seems a distant memory, street vendors prepare for a busy day and other early risers take to the empty streets. In a scant few hours, these city streets will be jammed.
There were some other early risers on the streets of Salem as well. I ran into Quincy while I was roaming the empty streets.
One of the things about Salem that attracts a lot of visitors, apart from the Halloween attractions, are the memorials and structures in the area. This particular structure in the heart of downtown Salem is the East India Square Fountain. In the warmer weather seasons, they often have water flowing in it. Designed as an abstract map of Salem, the two levels represent the pre-Colonial and contemporary shorelines of Salem.
A little farther down the road is the Revere Bell, a tribute to the citizens of Essex County which encompasses the most northeast section of Massachusetts, who have served in the armed services.
There is also a pretty arch near the Revere Bell that with overgrown foliage.
There were lots of people dressed up for the season
I also saw Chica
and Stanley during my visit
More photos from Salem and the Salem area to come…
The costumes ranged from the scary, like this dog bone skeleton
and this shark
to the funny like this pooch dressed as Beetlejuice.
In fact, a lot of animals dressed up as other animals and insects. Like these bees
and these bat dogs
or this elephant
There were also an octopus, lobsters, a spider and even a squirrel riding a dog.
Some dogs decided to dress more like humans like Sherlock Bones.
and this working class dog
Some dogs wore more creative costumes, like this Chia-pet
and this wolf in sheep clothes
and Goldilocks
And for those of you who thought dinosaurs were extinct, think again
There were also a number of pets dressed as fictional characters such as Chewbacca and Superman/woman (with a tutu no less) and a super hero.
Sleeping beauty was also at the parade.
And of course, what would a Howl-O-Ween parade be without a witch?
There were also some sports themed costumes
And some food themed costumes like these hot dogs and taco
Dogs were not the only participants. There were these two brave cats. One was dressed as a sailor and the other cat, Briggs, was just a spectator
Although all the participants were winners winners, the prize for best overall costume went to “Max” from the his “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” outfit.
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.
The last leg of our summer’s swan song at Cape Cod was spent at Waterfront Park in Woods Hole. Waterfront Park has several statues and sculptures. The most recent statue is a memorial to environmentalist Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring and the Sea Around Us. Both books are considered influential books in the environmentalist movement. Carson had worked with Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) which is located in Woods Hole.
The waterfront also has a shaded sitting area for the weary traveler to rest their bones.
There is also a sun dial statue dedicated to Robert Crane, one of the original financial supporters of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The sun dial was constructed so that you could tell what time it is from any direction. And, yes, it is accurate. A somewhat elaborate explanation is included on the ground in front of the sun dial.
The “Flukes” is a bronze sculpture by Gordon Gund. Gund, a successful businessman, was inspired to sculpt The Flukes after seeing pilot whales off the coast. It looks like more of a slide or play thing which explains the sign in front of the sculpture. I suspect it is not much of a deterrent.
The Waterfront is also the main point of embarkment for the ferry to the islands of Cape Cod, mainly Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
The waterfront also has some pretty views of the water and pretty flowers.
The waterfront park is also known for its friendly visitors. I met this friendly guy named Charlie as I was leaving.
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….
One last summer weekend. One last chance to soak up the dwindling magic of summer. What better way to laze away the remaining summer bliss than at the iconic Cape Cod Canal?
The canal stretches for 7 miles for Sandwich, MA, to Buzzards Bay. There are several entrances to the canal. We chose the entrance near the end of the canal at Buzzards Bay.
The views at the canal are one of the main attractions.
Fishermen and fisher women dot the rocky edges of the canal and it is a popular starting point for bikers, runners and walkers. The canal also is a bustling point for ships carrying a variety of cargo, particularly since it is so close to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I caught one as it passed under the railroad bridge.
Ducks and seagulls also find the canal too be a fun place to enjoy the summer.
This lady thought I was spying on her.
Well, until next summer…I’ll meet you at the canal.
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Tucked away in the quaint village of Mystic, Connecticut, stands the hidden gem known as The Olde Mystic Village.
At first glance, Mistick Village may seem like a nondescript shopping center. But, Mistick Village is much more.
There are many cramped stores for specialty merchandise such as custom made clothing and hand made jewelry, pet shops and eateries that dot the village. It would be easy to dismiss it as just another shopping center. But Mistik Village has many unexpected charms. One of the biggest surprises at Olde Mistik Village is something very unique.
Right there, smack dab in the middle of the village is a pond.
Forget about the cinema and the fudge shop. The ducks are the most popular attractions at the village. People feed them their dietary recommended food. Signs prominently remind people crackers and bread are not safe for the ducks to eat.
They are not restricted to the pond area either. You can regularly see the ducks roaming the walkways of the Mistik Village.
And, since so many people feed them, they are not shy.
The flowers and trees at Mistik Village are another unique feature of the shoopping center.
Yes, that is a birdhouse on the flag pole.
Keeping with the aquatic theme, a waterfall leads to a stream with koi fish.
Some of the most charming elements of the village are the decor. Walkways are furnished with wooden gateways.
Wooden chairs rest in front of this fashion shop.
Various structures are scattered throughout the village.
Of course, the Mistik Village is a dog friendly area.
I met Theo and Rebel. Theo was happy to see me. Rebel, on the left, not so much.
I also made a friend at Old Mistik Village. Charley is a rescue dog from Hurricane Katrina. His dad told us how, after noticing Charley, he arrived at the dog shelter at 5 a.m. to make sure he could adopt him. Charley is a very special dog.
After photographing a variety of mountainous, rocky state parks, I thought it was time to mix it up and visit a rocky, hilly waterfall. Initially, we planned on visiting CM Gardner State Park. But, the helpful park rangers at CM Gardner suggested something more picturesque, Chester-Blandford State Forest.
Since it encompasses such a large area (over 2,700 acres), Chester-Blandford has several entrances. The first part of the park we arrived at, Boulder Park, is a rather small area with a pond and a few ill defined trails. But, right from the rocky steps and mossy trails at the entrance it has a unique charm.
The trails also have some unique walkways and structures.
The highlight of the park may be the deep opening off the main trail.
Boulder Rock also has some eye catching plants and wild life.
The pond near the end of the main trail was a nice surprise.
Boulder Rock also had its share of wildlife such as this salamander and mouse.
Alas, our trip to Boulder Rock was over. But, about a mile down the road another entrance beckoned us, the main entrance to the Sanderson Brooks Falls trail of Chester-Blandford.
Pitcuresque views are scattered along the Brooks Falls trail.
Due to the lack of rain recently, the rapids weren’t very, well, rapid. But, the relatively still water and rocky brook provided some good shots.
Sanderson Brook Falls also had a fair share of wildlife such as caterpillars,
Toads
and dogs, like Loona.
After a roughly half an hour trek along some rocky terrain, a number of bridges and some steep inclines, I made it to the falls.
The brooks and falls are sure to be more active during the stormy seasons. But, it is still impressive and worth the trip.
To get the full effect of the falls, click on the short video below.
Is there anywhere in the New England area you would like me to visit?
What are some of your favorite waterfalls?
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