Walden Pond is one of my favorite places to swim. The beach is shaded by trees for large parts of the day, the bottom of the pond isn't icky, there's a nice swimming area outside of the roped, lifeguarded area that is perfect for adults who want to swim laps or just float around without crashing into children or being hit by frisbees.
The downside to swimming at Walden Pond on a hot day is the crowds. Later in the day, the parking often fills up and you can't get in at all. Even on a week day, it is pretty crowded. Granted, my trip this summer was July 5th, so I think a lot of people had extra time off for the holiday. But when I got there at 10:00 AM, even with the crowds, there was plenty of parking.
There are two sandy beaches, one large one near the bathrooms and changing rooms, and another smaller one that is to the right as you cross over from the parking lot. I believe only the large one has lifeguard coverage.
Facilities:
The bathrooms and changing rooms are clean, there are water fountains and usually an ice cream truck. If you're not a beach person, it's easy to follow your swim with a hike instead of hanging out in the sand.
Cost:
$5 for parking, but watch out for hot afternoons and weekends when the lots are full. It is disappointing to get all suited up and drive over only to find out that the lots are full and no one is getting in. Check out the Massachusetts State Parks annual pass, which for $35 lets you get into DRC parks free from January to December. I could easily make seven trips to Walden Pond, between cool weather hikes and summer swims, which would make the pass worth it for that park alone.
Location:
Right off Route 2, well signed, easy to access for anyone in Metro Boston or North Central Massachusetts.
Family-Friendly:
Absolutely. The main beach has sand for digging, shade so you don't roast your children, convenient bathrooms, and shallow water for swimming in the roped area.
Other Activities:
Hiking trails all around the pond, lots of people in kayaks and canoes and several adult swimmers taking long swims across the pond. Even though I believe the website says swimming across the pond is forbidden due to the depth of the kettle hole pond. I've swum across it myself, and while it's a short swim, it is definitely very deep and not a safe choice for anyone who is not a confident swimmer, accompanied by a friend.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
On the Road, er, Tracks, er, Road Again
I had a brainstorm this summer! I would take Amtrak when I went to visit my friend in NJ in August.
I have been driving down there since college because driving is convenient! I hop in the car at any hour, zoom down 287 and across the Tappan Zee Bridge, then the NJ Turnpike and/or the Garden State Parkway. It quickly lost its novelty, and the traffic (why has 287 been under construction since 1995?) became a unique form of torture. And the tolls kept going up!
It finally dawned on me that I have the whole summer off, and I can afford to take the trip a little slower. I scoped out Amtrak and found out that, although the ticket price varied throughout the day and week, for about $115 I could leave from Boston and get to Trenton, and that for a few dollars more I could take Light Rail to just a few miles from my friend's house! Between gas, tolls, aggravation and the cost of my time, the train was a huge bargain! I had visions of finishing book after book and strolling casually up and down the train car.
But I wasn't ready to lock in a train schedule, because I have an obsession with control and flexibility, so I didn't buy my ticket in June. (cue ominous music) I went to buy it a week before the trip and found out that the price had doubled! I whined to Kevin who said, "Oh yeah, they've been doing that for a few years, just like the airlines." AAAAARRRRGH!!
I couldn't believe it, but I also couldn't talk myself into driving down. So, Greyhound it is. It's little less convenient since I have to take the bus to Newark or New York Penn Station, then take a local train and then light rail. Plus it's a bus. It could be crowded, I get a little bus-sick, I have encountered more annoying or creepy bus passengers than train passengers, for whatever reason. BUT. I still don't have to drive.
Which is terrific, since this is my one big trip of the summer and I have to come back and start a class on the Monday after, so I have plenty of reading to do!
So I learned a lesson. Train travel is romantic, convenient, (at least traveling up and down the East Coast) and affordable. But only if you plan in advance. I may never have enough time to take the train again, because usually I am on a tight deadline when I travel, but maybe you will. Is it worth the trade-off in flexibility and convenience to let someone else do the driving?
I have been driving down there since college because driving is convenient! I hop in the car at any hour, zoom down 287 and across the Tappan Zee Bridge, then the NJ Turnpike and/or the Garden State Parkway. It quickly lost its novelty, and the traffic (why has 287 been under construction since 1995?) became a unique form of torture. And the tolls kept going up!
It finally dawned on me that I have the whole summer off, and I can afford to take the trip a little slower. I scoped out Amtrak and found out that, although the ticket price varied throughout the day and week, for about $115 I could leave from Boston and get to Trenton, and that for a few dollars more I could take Light Rail to just a few miles from my friend's house! Between gas, tolls, aggravation and the cost of my time, the train was a huge bargain! I had visions of finishing book after book and strolling casually up and down the train car.
But I wasn't ready to lock in a train schedule, because I have an obsession with control and flexibility, so I didn't buy my ticket in June. (cue ominous music) I went to buy it a week before the trip and found out that the price had doubled! I whined to Kevin who said, "Oh yeah, they've been doing that for a few years, just like the airlines." AAAAARRRRGH!!
I couldn't believe it, but I also couldn't talk myself into driving down. So, Greyhound it is. It's little less convenient since I have to take the bus to Newark or New York Penn Station, then take a local train and then light rail. Plus it's a bus. It could be crowded, I get a little bus-sick, I have encountered more annoying or creepy bus passengers than train passengers, for whatever reason. BUT. I still don't have to drive.
Which is terrific, since this is my one big trip of the summer and I have to come back and start a class on the Monday after, so I have plenty of reading to do!
So I learned a lesson. Train travel is romantic, convenient, (at least traveling up and down the East Coast) and affordable. But only if you plan in advance. I may never have enough time to take the train again, because usually I am on a tight deadline when I travel, but maybe you will. Is it worth the trade-off in flexibility and convenience to let someone else do the driving?
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