The 413 Mom

Summer Bucket Lists 2018

Happy First Day of Summer!

I've compiled all 10 of our Summer To Do Lists on one easy to find page on The413Mom.com.

I hope you'll use it often to help plan the best summer ever with your family! Hope to see you at the playground/spray park/library/hiking trail/park/craft program. That's where we'll be. #bestsummerever 

Military Families: FREE Admission to Blue Star Museums through Labor Day

Attention Military Families: beginning on Memorial Day you can receive free admission to a host of museums, nature centers and cultural venues for FREE. This promotion runs through Labor Day (September 3) and all you need to do is show a valid, active proof of service to receive free entry for yourself and up to five members of your family. (In fact, the ID holder does not even need to be present. See eligibility rules here.) 

There are more than 2000 museums included in the program, and free admission is offered in all 50 states. A few of the local hot spots includes:

• Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
• The EcoTarium
• The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
• Historic Deerfield
• Lutz Children's Museum
• Mark Twain House
• Mass Audubon locations (including Drumlin Farm)
• Norman Rockwell Museum
• Old Newgate Prison
• Old Sturbridge Village
• Phelps-Hathaway House and Gardens
• Smith College Museum of Art
• Springfield Musuems
• The USS Constitution Museum 
• Wistariahurst

The list of participating venues is updated throughout the summer. You can find a list of all participating venues here. Just a small way to thank you and your families for you service. And a great way to provide some unplugged fun this summer. Enjoy!

Gotta Visit: MA New England Trail Section 02 (Southwick, MA) #gotakeahike

You know that elation of finding a top ten hike literally right in your backyard? Yeah -- I had that feeling today when we checked out Section 02 on the Massachusetts portion of the New England Trail (also knows as the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail). This section of the trail is not only a challenging hike -- you pass through several unique properties that will keep the kids interest peaked. 

The trail starts on Route 57 at the Southwick town line. You'll begin through the gate at the green "Welcome to Southwick" sign, and the parking area is directly behind this sign. (This second leg of the trail is directly across the street from the stop point of Section 01 which runs from Rising Corner, CT to Feeding Hills. Please be careful if you're crossing Route 57 between these two sections of the trail -- the traffic here is no joke and folks are not expecting pedestrians.) 

You're going to see a lot of signs like this on the trail as the New England Trail runs through private property. Don't forget that when you're on the NET you wank to look for the white blazes (we got off trail several times and had to find our way back). In this pic you can see a white blaze on the log lying on the ground.  

As my kids say, the best thing about this hike is that you'll see lots of different "habitats." Mountainous cliffs, dense forest, grassy fields, beautiful overlooks. It's definitely NOT a boring hike. You'll encounter this rock formation pretty quickly after you start the trail. It's actually easy to lose the trail here first thing (not a great way to start a hike) so look for those white splashes of paint. 

This hike is for bigger kids -- we had two five-year-olds in our little party -- and they did OK. Although you will for sure spend some time packmuling the littles on your back or shoulders. I wouldn't recommend this hike with a little one in a backpack unless you're an experienced hiker. I was hands over feet at times, there are some sheer drops along the trail (do NOT let a toddler run ahead), and there are a lot of hill climbs. 

If you have kids (or adults) who need a lot of scenery change on a hike -- this is the one for you. You'll pass by quarry ruins, hike right through the old WWLP television station grounds, and past the Springfield Water Supply. There's an amazing grassy hill to run down past the reservoir -- straight out of the epic Little House on the Prairie intro:

The full length of this leg of the trail (3.7 miles) runs through Robinson State Park and into Mittineague Park; however, we called it once inside Robinson (at about the 3 mile point). We left one car at the trail head and parked a return vehicle along one of the park's turn offs on Route 187. There was no way we were going to get the kids to hike back to the trail start -- it was a rigorous two hours of hiking. We only made two very quick snack/water stops. 

If you're looking for an interesting hike to get the family started off for the season, you can't do better than this section of the NET. I'm always surprised at how quiet these trails are -- we only encountered one other hiker. Please do a thorough tick check when you get back to the car -- especially if you bring a furry family member on the trail. We brought several unwelcome hitchhikers out of the woods with us. 

There are no facilities on the trail. BYO water and snacks. However, there is a great ice cream stop about a mile down the road from the Southwick parking lot (Moolicious Farm) which can be a great incentive for reluctant hikers. You can set your GPS to 300 Feeding Hills Road, Southwick, MA to get to the trail head. I hope you love this hike as much as we did. See you on the trail! #getoutside #gotakeahike

Gotta Visit: Rising Corners Hiking Trail (Southwick/Agawam)

Have you heard of Rising Corner? It's where Southwick and Agawam, MA meet up with Suffield, CT. It's also the trail head for a challenging 2-mile hike that skirts the state line. Specifically -- it's the first Massachusetts section of the New England Trail -- also known as Section 01 of the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (or M-M) Trail. 

There's an open, grassy parking area at the Rising Corner trail head -- you can't miss it. Once you park the car follow the wide grassy trail to the woods. It's easy to get the kids invested in this hike -- they'll love running through the grassy approach to the trail and once you're in the woods it's a few hundred yards until you reach a long bridge that runs over a swamp. Pretty quickly after the swamp, though, you're hitting a challenging incline. From there on out it's a hilly hike through the woods. You can keep the kids on the lookout for the white blaze marks. The trail is pretty curvy -- and it's easy to get off track so look for the double blaze marks noting a turn in the trail. 

There are some fun logs to climb over on the trail, a few fallen branches to duck under, and after about a mile into the trek you'll come upon a wide open clearing with a beautiful view. This is a good spot to sit and rest for a few. After the lookout it's back to the hilly terrain. You will cross a tiny stream with a tiny bridge perfect for a quick game of Pooh sticks.

Eventually, you'll come upon the property of the Agawam Bowmen Club. You'll see archery targets along the path. As you reach the end of the 2-mile hike you'll notice a giant rock on the right side of the trail. Perfect photo opp. If you let the kids slide down the rock a few times they'll probably find the energy to reach the end of the hike. Shortly after the rock slide you'll come upon a lovely brown house and gravel driveway. This gracious homeowner shares a driveway with the end of the trail. You can follow the gravel drive as it curves to the left and you'll reach the official end of the trail at the red apple Agawam Bowmen sign. 

Section 02 of the New England Trail picks up across Route 57 -- but I wouldn't recommend crossing this road. It's super busy and folks are not expecting pedestrians at the top of the hill there. Better to turn around and head back and pick up the next leg of the hike another day. 

It took our party of five (two moms, two big kids and two littles) just about three hours to hike four miles (two in and two back) on this trail. It took two hours to hike in and an hour to return to the Rising Corner parking area (it was a chilly November morning and the promise of hot lunch at home lit some fire under our tails). It was a quiet hike -- we only encountered two other folks on the trail. The little kids did great with intermittent piggy back rides when their feet just couldn't go anymore. You have to have a carrier for the babies and bring your own water and snacks. There are no amenities  anywhere on the trail or at the trail heads so make sure everyone uses the potty beforehand. 

There is no fee to use the trail or for parking; however, please keep in mind and be respectful of the fact that portions of the trail run through private property. Please respect the generous property owners and stick to the trail. 

This is a great 413 hike for the whole family. I love that it's part of the 215-mile New England Trail that runs from Long Island Sound in Connecticut all the way up to the New Hampshire border. This is a doable hike in/out goal to complete with the kids in the coming years. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. See you on the trail! #getoutside #gotakeahike #newenglandlife

Road Trip Worthy: Falmouth (Cape Cod, MA)

Every time I visit Cape Cod I find a new spot that I think is the most perfect Massachusetts beach experience with kids. This most recent visit has me thinking that Falmouth is the absolute best spot to hit the beach as a family. 'Why Falmouth?' you ask? Well, let me tell you:

• Falmouth is at the entrance to the Cape (Upper Cape I think is the proper term) so you avoid the dreaded Route 6 traffic jams that prevail as you crawl deeper into the Cape. 
• Falmouth village is a low key center -- there's ice cream, a Cupcake Charlie's, the beautiful Eight Cousins book shop, other fun shops and a great mix of restaurants; however, you get to escape the mini golf, loud arcade, inflatable park, etc. 
• That being said, there is an awesome (I mean AWESOME) playground right in the center of town. We went multiple times per day. Adjacent to the playground (in season Memorial Day - Labor Day) there is a restored carousel to ride. Tickets are $3 each or you can buy a punch pass of 10 rides for $20. There is also a perfect bike/trike/walk/run trail that runs adjacent to the playground and into the center of town.

• The Falmouth Library is A-MAZ-ING. You know I have a thing for libraries but this one is gorgeous. And it has a well stocked children's room too for when you want to get out of the sun. (And immaculate bathrooms). The Library is across the street from the playground and carousel.
• Falmouth is home to a Seafood Sam's location. Enough said.
• Falmouth is home to Woods Hole and the Island Queen so you have walkable access to the Martha's Vineyard ferries. No daily parking fee if you want to make the jaunt across the bay -- you can walk from your hotel. 
• Falmouth Heights Beach is delightful. The water is warm and gentle. If you are a treasure hunter -- this is your spot. Lots of beautiful shells and pebbles. However, if your kids have that "Pig Kahuna" lurking murky ickiness factor about seaweed -- stay far away from here. Lots and lots of seaweed. We had a lot of fun hunting for "glompies" (aka seaweed) and making sand faces with glompie hair and having glompie fights (other beach-goers did not approve) but it can't be said enough -- if your kids are afraid of seaweed do not come here. 

• We stayed at the Falmouth Heights Motor Lodge, and while usually anything with the name 'Motor Lodge' scares me off we'll definitely stay here again. The spacious grounds offer several rooming options including independent 'cabins,' a beautiful, clean pool, and lots of lawn space to let the kids run around. There are swings, barbecue grills, and lots of shade trees. You can definitely relax as a family here with lots of room to spread out and save some money by grilling dinner or enjoying a picnic at one of the many tables. (There is a Stop & Shop and a WalMart within two miles if you'd like to purchase groceries). FHML also offers a free continental breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m. so you can grab an coffee on the way to that early morning beach visit that always happens with the kids. 
• The walk to Falmouth Heights beach is literally five minutes from the Motor Lodge. It's a lovely walk through quiet streets and a park. We grabbed the stroller out of the trunk, loaded faith in and put all the buckets, blanket and cooler on the stroller handles and it was a simple stroll to the beach and back. 

Gotta Visit: Whalley Park (Southwick)

You know when you make a great discovery right in your own backyard and can't believe you've never been there before and you can't wait to tell your friends all about it? Yeah. Whalley Park in Southwick. You gotta visit.

Whalley Park has a perfect playground! There are separate playscapes for big kids and little kids and LOTS of swings. Hooray! The best part -- the entire playground is fenced in so you don't have to worry about little ones escaping. It's actually relaxing to hang out on the benches and watch the kids play. There's no worry about traffic or anyone wandering off. And while the playground is large it's very open so it's easy to keep an eye on more than one kid at a time. 

The park also offers lots of beautifully paved walking paths perfect for bikes, trikes, scooters and strollers. If you have big kids, you can even get some laps in while you keep one eye on the playground. There are new, clean bathrooms on site and a huge pavilion with lots of seating for picnics (if not under reservation). Dogs are welcome on leash. There is plenty of free parking on site. Whalley Park is free and open to the public seven days a week during daylight hours. 

Whalley Park is located at 42 Powdermill Road in Southwick -- right next to the Southwick Motocross site. Just look for the giant Whalley Park stone sign. You can't miss it.

See you at the park! #getoutside #getoutsideandplay #childhoodunplugged

Road Trip Worthy: Garden's Dream Corn Maze (Enfield, CT)

If you want to bring the family to a corn maze this autumn; but your wallet is frightened by the idea -- you've got to drive to the corn maze at Garden's Dream Farm in Enfield, CT.

This is a no-frills corn maze located on a beautiful nursery just over the MA/CT line. And, get this -- it only costs $5/person to visit and kids 5 and under are FREE! You can't ask for a better deal.

When you arrive at the farm at 355 Taylor Road in Enfield, follow the gravel driveway to the parking lot and look for the wooden shed decorated with scarecrows -- this is where you can buy your maze admission tickets and receive your stamp card. There are 12 stamps to collect as you navigate the maze. Once you've paid the entry fee, head to the back of the farm to the cornfield and try your luck.

This is not a huge maze (6 acres) but it took us about an hour to complete. The paths are not as wide or clear as some other corn mazes so I wouldn't recommend a stroller. Also, I would skip this attraction if anyone in your party has mobility or low vision issues. If you have little ones bring a carrier. Bring some water -- I swear every year I forget how hot it can get inside a corn maze on an October afternoon. There are restrooms on site and a cheater exit at the halfway point if someone needs to make a quick getaway back to the restroom while you're trying to solve the maze. 

There are small decorations to look for throughout the maze -- garden gnomes, bunny and turtle statues, and a few Halloween decorations scattered about. But nothing scary. This corn maze is safe for all ages. Once you find all twelve stamps you'll reach the grand finale: you get to meet Big Foot himself! Or rather, a wildly decorated Saskwatch statue that makes the hunt worth it. The maze is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I highly recommend Garden's Dream if you're looking to enjoy this traditional autumn activity but in a simpler way. There are no other attractions on site besides the beautiful pumpkins, gourds, plants and mums to peruse so it's a quick in and out. It makes for a fun and cheap afternoon out with the family. 

I hope you enjoy meeting Big Foot as much as we did! #getoutdoors #supportyourfarmers

 

Road Trip Worthy: Pumpkintown USA (East Hampton, CT)

If you're looking for a fun and festive fall field trip, where you won't have to worry about the skittish ones getting scared -- set the GPS for Pumpkintown USA located on Route 66 in East Hampton, CT. 

Pumpkintown is just what it sounds like -- a little village made up of over 70 pumpkin heads. There is nothing scary or gory, just fun 'day in the life' scenes. Kids can freely explore the little houses and scenes in a fenced in area including a fire house, barber shop, fast food restaurant, church, and others. Some of the houses have interactive elements such as the fire house where kids can clamor through a simple maze and end up at a little fire pole they can slide down.

My girls' favorite activity was the Pumpkintown Post Office, where you can actually send a post card postmarked from Pumpkintown USA. (Stamped post cards can be purchased in the harvest shop for $.75). There is also a kids' hay maze and tire bounce area (bouncing around on inflated inner tubes) included in the village admission. Although Eden, 9, had a great time, Pumpkintown is really geared toward the littlest set -- some of the activities are for those under 54" in height. 

Heading to Pumpkintown on a weekday is an absolute steal -- admission is only $2/person. On weekends, the price goes up to $6/person. The weekend fare includes some additional activities such as face painting, a bounce house, and a sling shot game. There is also a mile-long wagon ride you can purchase for $7/person any day of the week. The ride takes you through the forest across the street from Pumkintown to see additional pumpkiny scenes. 

The Pumpkintown area is quite small so it is easy to keep an eye on more than one kid at a time. On the other hand, I can imagine it gets pretty crowded on weekends. If your little one gets overwhelmed easily, it is probably best to make the trip on a weekday. There are tons of cute photo opps scattered throughout the site, not only the pumpkin displays, but lots of wooden cutouts that kids can stick their heads through and become part of the scene. There is also a farm stand and harvest shop on site where you can purchase apples, pumpkins, corn on the cob, and other local delights. 

Pumpkintown USA is located at Paul's and Sandy's Too, 93 East High St., East Hampton, CT -- just about 45 minutes from the lower Pioneer Valley. It is open daily from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (weather permitting), through Halloween. 

 

Road Trip Worthy: The Gardens at Elm Bank (Wellesley)

There's a not-so-secret garden in Wellesley, MA that is a perfect place for kids to explore nature: The Massachusetts Horticulture Society's Gardens at Elm Bank. This 36 acre gem which is actually the headquarters for Society, is worth the drive because it has so many intriguing spots for the kids to discover including a children's garden just for them. 

Everywhere you turn in the Children's Garden there is something new to make the kids want to play: large nest-like chairs, a tiny water fountain, a sandbox, paths to explore, a tea party table, musical instruments, and many little spots to hide. We had a great game of hide and seek when we visited! 

The whole estate is so inviting to all -- it is all accessible and therefore stroller friendly. The ground are made up of eight separate gardens each of which offers something to explore: fairy houses, seed mailboxes, fountains, sculpture, pagodas and of course incredible blooms and plants. Beautiful photo ops abound. 

My favorite element are these Goddess Statues which were given to the Mass Horiculture Society in 1861 by Benjamin Pierce Cheney -- the founder of the firm that became American Express. This photo really doesn't do them justice -- these ladies are so impressive in person -- viewing them makes you feel that you must be far from home. 

Elm Bank is a beautiful place to spend a summer or fall afternoon with lots of space for the kids to run around. There is a lot of shade for summer days and so many opportunities to teach the kids about plants and flowers. You don't have to be an avid gardener to enjoy a visit here. Picnic tables are available for lunch and there are clean bathrooms on site. Elm Bank is located right near Wellesley College which is another nice place to explore and not too far from the Natick Mall which is also worth the drive. 

Elm Bank is open to the public from May 1 through October 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The grounds are closed to the public on Mondays and there are usually children's activities and garden tours offered on the weekends. Admission is $10/adults and FREE for kids under 12. Set your GPS to 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. 

 

Road Trip Worthy: Lavender Pond Farm (Killingworth, CT)

Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth, CT is a delight for the senses. The beauty, the smells, the serenity -- a visit to this New England gem is as relaxing as the name suggests. 

On our recent visit we could smell the lavender as soon as we pulled in the long driveway. It was like when you get close to the beach and everyone rolls down the car windows to smell the sea! In July the fields are in full bloom and the lavender scent just hangs in the air (the bloom begins in June and can continue through August). 

The farm is a beautiful place to spend an hour just walking the paths between the lavender beds, enjoying the giant chess board, swinging on the giant wooden tree swing, and visiting with the chickens and bumblebees. There are a few picnic tables where you can enjoy your lunch. The kids loved exploring the farm. There is a grassy path that loops around the pond that makes for a nice little nature walk. There is also a beautiful gift shop that carries all things lavender (of course). We took home some of the lavender lemonade (so good), and lavender body products. It's a great place to pick out a special gift. 

Lavender Pond Farm is the perfect place to unwind and just enjoy the beauty of the natural world. It's a nice place to let the kids roam and explore as long as they understand that they need to stay on the paths and not enter the flower beds or pull on the plants. Do NOT forget your camera. Such a beautiful spot for photos. The grounds are stroller friendly. There are porta-potties in the parking lot. Leashed dogs are welcome to visit too. There is no cost to visit the grounds and no parking fee. 

It's amazing to realize this farm is relatively new. The first lavender plants were only set in place in June 2014. You can find more information about their events and specials by following their Facebook page. 

Lavender Pond Farm is located at 318 Roast Meat Hill Road in Killingworth, CT. The farm is open to visitors seven days a week from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The farm season runs from Mother's Day until Christmas. It's located about 20 minutes away from Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. You can easily combine the two in one road trip. 

#roadtripworthy #getoutside #supportyourfarmers