Away from the Crowds in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is “The Bay State”; its coastline is largely dominated by its three bays—Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod Bay, and Buzzards Bay.

Bash Bish Falls is located in the Berkshires and is an amazing waterfall. It is in a lovely location surrounded by a forest.

Les Lutz, Director of Horticulture and Facilities Management at Heritage, created the Bulb River in Sandwich. 36,000 grape hyacinths make up this flower river, which appears to flow in the Heritage of Museums and Gardens like a purplish-blue river. There are 1,500 daffodils on either side, giving the impression that this flower river is encircled by plants and trees as it flows gently downhill. It comes to full bloom each year around Mother’s Day.

During the War of 1812, Dogtown and Babson Boulder Trail in Gloucester were an abandoned farming hamlet. By 1839 everyone had deserted Dogtown except for a bunch of dogs. Then, millionaire and artist Roger Babson decided to create a route made up of more than thirty massive boulders, called the Babson Word Rocks, each of which was carved with one of Babson’s motivational sayings.

During the Great Depression, Babson financed the project , which was completed by local masons. Walk the trail and you can see etchings such as “Never Try Never Win,” “Loyalty,” and “Use Your Head.”

When pirate Thomas Veale sought safety in a cave with his treasure in what is today the Lynn Woods Reservation Area in the middle of the 1600s. Dungeon Rock began to take shape. The pirate was killed by an earthquake, and his treasure was buried. The cave remains and an iron door that is opened every day for a period of time. To this day the treasure has not been located.

Newton’s Echo Bridge, the second longest of its kind, was built in 1877. The charming archway bridge connects the two banks of the Charles River. Stairs lead the way to the platform beneath the bridge that was constructed so that visitors could hear the vibrations and echoes of the various noises, such as loud sounds like gunshots and normal human voices echoing.

Franklin Park’s Overlook Shelter Ruins in Boston is part of a park that was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the Father of Landscape Architecture. Among his greatest works was Franklin Park; however, the park has fallen into disrepair and is overgrown. The beautiful gardens were decorated to maintain a rustic feel and housed water fountains, stone steps, benches, and an archway. The popular concert ‘Playhouse in the Park’ by Boston activist Elma Lewis has continued to be hosted in the park since 1966, but the pudding stone ruins remain ignored.

The Halibut Point State Park lies along the rugged coastline of Cape Ann. There are impressive granite quarries and tide pools with marine life. Hiking trails stretch through the park, along which visitors can discover hidden coves and secluded beaches.

The Kelleher Rose Garden is among the oldest in Boston, established in 1932. There are more than 1,500 rose bushes, and it has been awarded the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Award for Excellence. The garden was designed in the English style and is located near Fenway Park and remains mostly as Boston’s “secret garden.”

Mount Greylock is the highest peak in Massachusetts and offers fantastic views of the Berkshires. Visitors can climb the mountain trails for amazing views of rolling hills, dense forests, and distant peaks.

At the summit is Bascom Lodge, where hikers can take a rest and admire the surrounding scenery.

Poneyhenge in Lincoln is a small pasture where ponies and broken-down rocking horses rest. The first was a hobbyhorse, and soon others followed—wooden, plastic, and metal. No one knows how or from where they come, but now and then the ponies change places. At times, they might be arranged in a circle, scattered, and at times tossed about.

Walden Pond in Concord is a sanctuary for those seeking solace in nature. It is the beloved place of the American essayist, poet, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau. The clear pond waters invite visitors to go boating or swimming. It is surrounded by woods and features many trails for hiking.