Day Trip: Blue Bikes around Boston & Cambridge

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Have you tried BlueBikes?

Bluebikes is Metro Boston’s public bike share program, with over 3,000+ bikes and more than 300+ stations across Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville. It’s a fun, affordable and convenient transportation option for quick trips around town.

Grab a bike and explore some of these areas:

Single Trip $2.50

Unlimited two hour trips in 24 hour period $10

Annual $99 (best deal for locals or regular riders)

MAP – click on this to see pick-up locations

Make a day of it! Try renting in Seaport at Fan Pier, bike down to Design Center and back up to the Aquarium. So many fabulous spots to eat along the way and the view can’t be beat.

Or how about Arnold Arboretum?

Be sure to make it to Peters Hill for an incredible view of the Boston skyline

Or how about Stony Brook Reservation

How about trying Neoponset River Greenway? You can pick up a BlueBike at the Mattapan T- station which is a 2-minute ride from the trailhead.

If you take the path across the Harvest River Bridge you’ll enjoy incredible views of Boston Harbor and spot all sorts wildlife along the way.

Two Concord residents have used Blue Bikes for these trips:

Trip #1: Pick up bikes at Alewife and take the recreation path through Arlington to its end in Somerville, then biked over to Harvard Square. ALl sorts of dining options there.  Pick up the bike again after lunch and explore area around the Harvard Square and Harvard Campus then return bikes to Alewife.

Trip#2: Drive to Kendall Square and park car, pick up bike in Kendall Square and bike on the Harborwalk to the USS Constitution and further up harbor in Charlestown. Continue biking  down and over the Charles River locks to the North End. Enjoy an outdoor meal at Boston Harbor Hotel outdoor lounge then pick up picks and return them to Kendall Square.

Trip #3:  Drive to Kendall Square, park car and pick up bikes. Bike over to the Science Museum bridge. Either stop at Science Museum for a visit or continue on bikes and pick up the Esplanade path, continue up the Charles River past the Esplanade, B.U., and HBS. Continue to Harvard Square and bike back along the north side of the Charles back to Kendall Square past MIT.  Pick up a yummy outdoor snack from Brothers Market in Kendall Square.

There are so many local attractions to see and no better way to see them than one a bike – no hassle of looking for & paying for parking!

 

 

Day Trip: Take a Mural Crawl North of Boston

/0 Comments/in /by

Did you know you can see more than 100 murals throughout Essex County, north of Boston?

You can take a mural tour north of Boston this summer — all you need is a car and a map.

“In April, the North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a ‘North of Boston Mural Map’ highlighting the artwork displayed on buildings across communities north of Boston. It’s the perfect social distancing activity this season as folks head outside to explore their communities, according to Ann Marie Casey, executive director of the North of Boston.” (see full article in Boston.com)

 

Download the brochure

 

Interactive Mural Map

Click a map marker to display each mural and to learn more.

Click on a numbered map cluster to zoom into areas with multiple murals.

Throughout this map, you will find a number of our region’s outdoor, walkable murals available to the public at all times.

Visit different communities and experience the art and culture that North of Boston has to offer.

 

Check out murals in following cities:

 

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!

/0 Comments/in , /by

New Englanders love ice cream…. and no better place to get it than right here in Concord & Carlisle!

Check these businesses for open hours & carryout options.

Bedford Farms, 68 Thoreau Street, Concord

         

 

Helen’s Restaurant, 17 Main Street, Concord

   

 

Reasons to Be Cheerful   10 Commonwealth Avenue Concord

 

 

Trail’s End, 97 Lowell Road, Concord

 

Kimball’s in Carlisle    343 Bedford Road (Rte 225) in Carlisle

 

 

Or try to make at home….

“How to Make Ice Cream from Scratch” from GoldCoast Ice Cream 

Check out the Gold Coast Ice Cream website for delicious recipes & instructions for automatic ice cream makers, manual ice cream makers, freezer method, plastic bag method and milkshake makers. This website also provides all sorts of interesting  information on storing ice cream, nutritional facts and how to make waffle cones.

Mason Jar Ice Cream Recipe (from delish.com)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1  1/2 TB granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tspn pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Pour cream, sugar, vanilla and salt into a 16 ounce mason jar and secure tightly with a lid. Shake the mason jar until the cream thickens and almost doubles in size, 4 to 5 minutes. It should be opaque and easily coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Freeze for 3 hours, or until hardened. Scoop out ice cream with a spoon and serve with your favorite ice cream toppings.

The New York Times offers the “Only Ice Cream Recipe You’ll Ever Need”:

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • Your choice of flavoring (see note)

DIRECTIONS:

In a small pot, simmer heavy cream, milk, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturers’ instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR FAVORITE FROZEN TREAT:

Did you know?

There’s a Simple Trick to Help Brain Freeze… The real word for brain freeze is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. But you can keep calling it brain freeze or frozen headache.
What is brain freeze? In simple terms, you have temperature sensors on the roof of your mouth. When cold objects hit it before your body has time to process, your nerves send a message to your brain that signal heat loss.
This is what brings on that massive headache halfway through eating your ice cream.
To combat brain freeze, hold your tongue against the roof of your mouth. This will help warm your sensors and get your brain out of panic mode.

We Know How Many Licks it Takes to Get Through a Scoop
The magic number is 50.
We’re just jealous we weren’t the person who got to do the taste test to get that data!

 

Ice Cream Sundaes Were Actually Made For Sundays
There are two competing stories about the invention of the ice cream sundae. Here is the most popular one.
Ice cream sodas were a popular drink you could buy at the local soda shop. However, religious laws forbade shop owners from selling them on Sundays because people were not allowed to indulge in the sugary treats on the Sabbath.
The owner of Ed Berners’ Ice Cream Parlor, Edward Berners, decided to get around this law. One day, he served a customer ice cream soda without the actual soda part, so it was just ice cream and syrup.
Soon, the concoction was sold on Sundays as an alternative to ice cream sodas. However, it became so popular it was sold every day. Berners changed the spelling to “sundae” to avoid associating it with the holy Sabbath.

 

Which Came First: Chocolate or Vanilla?
If you thought the answer was vanilla, you’re wrong. Chocolate was actually invented first.
We generally assume that vanilla ice cream came first because it’s the common base that creates many other flavors. However, it wasn’t always that way.

 

Ice Cream Used to be a Luxury
Back in the day, ice cream was seen as a luxurious dessert that only the elite could enjoy. It was considered rare and exotic, and remained this way until the late 1800s.
The elite and rich upper-class society members were the only ones who could afford the imported ingredients and the cold storage.
These were also the days before the commercialization and manufacturing of ice cream. Therefore, it wasn’t as easy to get for everyone, which led to the exclusivity.

There is an Ice Cream Fruit in Hawaii
That’s right. There’s a Hawaiian fruit that tastes exactly like vanilla ice cream. It’s called the inga feuillei, but locals call it the ice cream bean.
It grows on perennial trees in hot climates, and it is enjoyed in many different ways by locals.

*Fun facts from stanpacnet.com

Enjoy some ice cream, today!

 

Day Trip: Hudson for full day of fun

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Start your day with a bike or hike along the Assabet River Rail Trail, 9.2 mile section of the trail is paved and open to the public, with 13 parking lots along the way.

     

The Assabet River Rail Trail, Inc. (ARRT) is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of promoting the creation of a multi-use recreational rail trail passes through the communities of Marlborough, Hudson, Stow, Maynard and Acton. The trail is built along the abandoned rail bed of the former Marlborough Branch RR, which was active between 1853 and 1980.

Try Brunch, Lunch or Dinner at a fabulous spot – The Rail Trail Flatbread Co. in downtown Hudson, 33 Main Street. Be sure to make reservations. Open Sunday – Thursday: 11:30-9Pm, Friday & Saturday: 11:30-10PM.

Read about this wonderful establishment and how they have grown and adapted during the pandemic. Here is a brief description from their website:

Although delicious wood fired flatbread pizza is the champion on our menu it’s just the beginning -we are a family friendly restaurant offering unique spins on new american comfort food classics like burgers, poutine, tacos and mac and cheese to name  a few..  some of our most popular items were developed by thinking about the food we crave and the places we’ve been. We believe food should be fun and approachable for everyone and never, ever too serious. Our friends brew some really creative craft beers.  we have twenty taps and a selection of bottles and cans.

Besides what were cooking in the kitchen and pouring behind the bar we’re proud to tell you that we’re an “open book management” company. Open book management empowers all of our team members to understand how our business works, have a say in how our company is run and share with us when we hit our goals. our team is what makes us special and we hope you feel it when you come visit us.

 

Indoor and patio options available – dining guests will have temperature monitored on arrival.

   

They offer appetizers such as wings, ribs, roasted veggies & calamari, Salads, Bowls, fabulous Flatbreads, Burgers and much more.

The patio is a fabulous spot to enjoy your meal.

 

Cap off your delicious meal with New City Microcreamery Ice Cream, same owner. You can pick up a pint as you leave Rail Trail Flatbread Co. (there is a case in front of store with about a number of flavors) or walk across the street and check out the Microcreamery and pick among all the yummy flavors. We loved the Salted Oreo!

   

Finish off your day – or save for another day… at Animal Adventures Family Zoo & Rescue Center, 336 Sugar Road, Bolton

Open 7 days a week, 10am-5pm

Come see and learn about animals such as Wallaby, Porcupine, Emu, Armadillos, Skunk, Opossum, alligators, snakes and other small reptiles, mammals, and amphibians!

They offer Daily Live Animal Presentations each day at 11am, 1pm and 3pm with the zookeepers  – during this 25 minute session you will learn about their rescue animals and you even get to touch and interact with them!

A number of tour options, encounters and classes are available such as:

  •  90- minute Private Tour
  • 2 hour guided Extreme Tour for just your group
  • Extreme Tour w/ the Owner, Dr. Ed Laquidara
  • Cat Connection
  • Owl Connection
  • Animal Encounter
  • Reptile Tour
  • Zookeeper for a Day
  • Animal Classes – learn about the fox, owl or cats
  •  Birthday Parties
  •  Summer Special – Book an After Hours Tour for regular prices! 

    Email: Info@AnimalAdventures.net

Have a great day!

Day Trip (Or Night): Date Night Out of the Town

/0 Comments/in , /by

Venture out for a Night OUT of Town….

Two great spots for a date  night (or family night or night with a friend):

 

LookOut Farm , 89 Pleasant Street, South Natick

You may know about LookOut Farm from apple picking but you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for this beautiful spot once you have enjoyed an outdoor  dining experience on their 180 scenic acre farm. The spaciously distanced picnic tables are sanitized between use and orders are placed via customer smart phone/device. Try some Lookout Farm beers, hard ciders and New England cuisine while taking in the surrounding farm views and fresh air. After or before your meal, take a walk along the paths through the fruit orchard which are open until 8pm.

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 12noon until 8:30pm

Last Seating is at 7:30pm, kitchen and drink orders must be placed by 8pm.

– Masks/face coverings are required while walking in common areas.

-Family friendly, children welcome, high chairs available.

– Sorry, no dogs allowed.

– Reservations recommended but Walk-ins are welcome.

– If you want to request a table under the tent or with an umbrella, please note that in your reservation. It’s first come first serve but they will do their best to accommodate your request.

Date Night at deCordova, 52 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln

Spend an evening with someone special at deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park.  Enjoy a private picnic throughout the sculpture park or select a candlelit table on the sculpture terrace.  Listen to live music, wander the sculpture park and relax in the beautiful surroundings.

Picnics include:

  • Sit at a candlelit table with a gorgeous view of Flint Pond and the sculpture park. Or bring your own picnic blanket and set off to explore the lantern-lit park
  • Catered picnic basket with meal of your choice and a bottle of wine
  • Live music

Please remember to bring a picnic blanket and insect protection.  Registrations must be completed the Tuesday before the event in order to confirm your meal selection.

For any questions please reach out to sbuyer@thetrustees.org