Monday, June 1, 2015

Blue Hills Reservation

How have I lived around Boston for over 11 years without going to the Blue Hills?

On Memorial Day, Isaac and I finally went to the Blue Hills Reservation and the Trailside Museum, part of Mass Audubon.  The Trailside Museum has all sorts of animals, including an otter, deer, owls, and lots more.  They also offer lots of educational programs.


Take the red dot trail to see the observation tower.  It's very rocky (see picture above) and pretty steep, but my 5 year old did it without a problem.


That's the observation tower.   Some of the kids were calling it a castle!  There are also tons of picnic tables around, so it's a fun spot to enjoy a picnic lunch after making your way up the trail.


The view of Boston from the top of the tower.  Isaac thought that was really cool!


After all that hard work hiking, we got some well-deserved ice cream from the museum.  The museum is stocked up with snacks, ice cream, and drinks.  


Before we left, we participated in a ponding activity.  The path around the pond is usually closed off, but if you go when there's a ponding activity, they'll bring you inside.  There were a bunch of turtles that we saw, just hanging out!


Then we saw this giant bullfrog on the banks of the pond.


The kids were given nets and they could scoop up stuff from the pond to see what they could find.



Isaac was in awe of all of the tiny little tadpoles that we found in the pond.  The ponding activity was really well-done and fun for all ages.

We can't wait to go back!

For nonmembers, it's $5 adults $3 children (2-12) $4 seniors (65+), but getting a Mass Audubon membership is a great deal and pays for itself in no time if you're an outdoorsy type.