Walden Pond

Walden Pond Reservation is one of my favorite parks in central Massachusetts. It is perfect for a summer beach day, if you don't mind the crowds, it is beautiful and quiet for a quick swim on a fall morning, and it is beautiful for a walk when the weather is too cold for swimming. It's easily accessible from Route 2, and parking is $5 per car.

It turns out it is also amazing in the fall. Walking trails wrap all the way around the pond.

Walden Pond also has the unique opportunity to see a replica of Henry David Thoreau's cabin, the place where he wrote Walden. 

The original cabin site is there too, further into the woods on the other side of the pond.

Anyway, Kevin and I went west along the pond from the main beach and then went up to the Esker trail when we reached the boat launch area. There were tons of families with young kids, couples, teens and other, larger groups all around the pond, but once we got up to the Esker trial, people were more spread out and it was a very nice walk. The leaves remaining on the trees were beautiful, and so were the golden leaves all over the trails. 

Two roads diverge in a wood...I know, wrong New England writer.

I really like this shrub, so much that I wanted to see the pond through it. Don't judge me.

Wyman Meadow is a little damper than I usually like my meadows, but it is supposed to be top notch for wildlife viewing.

We got to the MBTA railroad tracks that border the north edge of the pond.

Then we followed the pond around to Thoreau's Cove and the site of his original cabin. Apparently people bring rocks to the site to commemorate...something... This is where they thought the original house was, until they found the remains of the chimney in 1945.

                                      

These stones mark the boundaries of the original cabin. 

From there we crossed a cute little boardwalk, then accidentally ended up back at Route 126. We ducked back into the woods and took the Ridge Path and the Sherwood Trail (maybe?) back to the beach.

See how happy we were about it?

Back at the main beach, I lost my ever-loving mind, took off my shoes and socks and waded into the pond. Confidentially, that was my plan all along, and if it hadn't been quite so leafy, and if I had remembered my towel , I would have waded in a little further. It was beautiful! And it made a passerby say "Hot diggity!" People are strange.

Moderately chilly.

The pond itself is a glacial kettle-hole, 102 feet deep at its deepest point. That's one reason swimming across it is forbidden, which, um, I didn't know...on my last visit. I am bummed that I missed the chance for an October swim this year. Maybe I can get back in the early spring, before the crowds of sane people dust off their beach towels.

This is right after Kevin said "Be careful or you will get your pants wet." It is clearly too late.

Once my feet dried a little, we went back to the cabin replica, and I checked out the signage while Thoreau looked confused about Kevin's phone. 

Oh, I always wondered what my pond looked like from the air!

Here is a really cool post describing the construction of the house and giving some stats. The cabin is cozy and it makes me want to buy a Kindle and retreat from real life for the winter. Which, I'm pretty sure, is the modern equivalent of what Thoreau did. He was all, "You guys, stop being so commercial! It's way lame! Hey, Emerson, can I borrow some money and land so I can be Transcendental for a while? BRB and I'll dedicate my book to you, I swear!" 

Excuse me while I fantasize for a moment about ditching all my belongings and moving in here. 

Anyway, I highly recommend this as a day trip. In the summer, DCR recommends that you call ahead and make sure they haven't hit their cap of 1,000 visitors at a time. I've never had this problem, but I avoid going when it's super hot. The main beach features a building with bathrooms and changing areas. There is often an ice cream truck on site when you're all heated up from swimming or hiking. I get why Thoreau picked it, even if I think he might have been a selfish tool. A great writer, don't get me wrong, but a tool.


Total time: 2 hours
Distance: Nearly 1 mile along the Esker Trail, about 1 mile around the east side of the pond. Total: A bit less than 2 miles.
Cost: $5 for parking
Words of Wisdom: Bring a map because the trails are not clearly marked. It's very difficult to get lost, but we had a lot of questions and uncertainty along the way.

10 Best Things to Do Now that Daylight Savings Time is Over

I always get so excited when it's time to "fall back" in November. An extra hour of sleep? Yes, please! And then 4:30 pm comes and the sun is low in the sky and I think, "Wait, I take it back. I would rather have the daylight." It turns out I'm not the only one with mixed feelings. Nationally, daylight savings time was first established in 1918 in the U.S., but that law was repealed. The practice was popular again during World War II as an energy saving measure. It was finally standardized in 1966, but states can choose whether to play along. Study all this, because there will be a quiz.

It feels like the real start of winter for me. It's the beginning of dark, cold afternoons and limited hours to get yard work and errands done. But it's also the beginning of long, cozy evenings. To celebrate, try:

1. Building a fire: Bundle up and make s'mores around a campfire or fire pit on your patio. Or if you are really lucky and have a fireplace or a wood stove, it's time to get it cranking.
2. Making mulled cider: Whether you heat a whole gallon in your slow cooker or fancy it up on the grill like Bobby Flay, it's a perfect way to warm up a cold evening. This fancy Betty Crocker version is delicious for a fall party. 
3. Simmering some soup: No, not all my ways to celebrate the end of daylight savings time involve food, I swear. But a bowl of hot soup is the perfect dinner for a chilly, dark evening.
4. Baking homemade bread: To go with the soup! Try this one that does all the work on its own while you enjoy the precious hours of daylight.
5. Getting up early: If you're like me, you've been getting up in the dark for weeks now and you survived. Try setting your alarm a little earlier now that the sun is coming up earlier. Drink that coffee in an honest-to-goodness ceramic mug and get a jump on the day. Among other factors, increasing exposure to sunlight can help to improve mood during the grim winter months.
6. Going outside: Make the most of your daylight hours by taking a walk somewhere pretty before it gets too cold.  
7. Star-gazing: Go out and check out some fall constellations without staying up past your bedtime. Download an iPad app if you are as clueless as I am. Or go out and see the Leonid meteor shower on November 17th.
8. Playing Manhunt: Manhunt is a variation of hide-and-seek played in the dark. If your neighborhood is safe or you have a campus or park to play in, gather a bunch of friends. One person is "it," the Manhunter, and all the other players hide. Pick clear boundaries and keep it safe with rules about legit hiding spots. Pick an ending time so the champion isn't left hiding all night long. 
9. Making a night of it: Have a fall party combining several of the suggestions above. Or check out these other fall party ideas for kids or adults
10. Going to bed early: Round up your loved one or someone friendly and warm and enjoy some early evenings. The busy holiday season is coming, and soon spring will be here. Before you know it, you'll be busy with all kinds of parties and engagements. Take this opportunity to hibernate a little while you have the chance.