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.

Fun at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

We're always looking for kid-friendly hikes.  (Meaning, mostly flat, not too long, ones that loop around)   I also love to take advantage of our Mass Audubon membership.  So, when my husband said that he wanted to do a Father's Day hike, I suggested Broadmoor in Natick.  We had a truly lovely time.  The weather was great, the trails were totally doable for even my 4 year old's little legs, and we saw some fun critters.

Check out what we saw:

Maple Sugaring Season

We love maple syrup!  And March is maple sugaring season in New England.  There are lots of sugarhouses in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

Maple Weekend in New Hampshire and Massachusetts is March 22 and 23, with lots of sugarhouses having open houses so you can see what goes on behind the scenes.

Many of the Mass Audubon locations have maple sugaring events, too!  Note that advance registration is required for most of these events.  The following locations offer maple sugaring events:  Ipswich River, Blue Hills, Drumlin Farm, and Moose Hill.

But, my family's favorite place to go is Parker's Maple Barn in Mason, NH, just over an hour from Boston. The wait can be long on the weekends, but you can get tours of where they make the syrup, drink coffee and eat maple donuts, and browse their gift shop.  (The maple donut stand is only open on weekends, so that's my favorite time to go!)  The restaurant is cozy and the food is tasty.  I love their stuffed french toast, which varies depending on when you go.  The pistachio is the best!

Visiting Parker's Maple Barn has been a family tradition for us since before we had Isaac.  It's even more fun now that we bring him there!

Isaac learning about the maple syrup-making process.

Why join Mass Audubon?

View of the Sandy Neck Lighthouse from Long Pasture in Barnstable

One of the best investments I make year after year is a Mass Audubon membership.  A family membership is only $65 a year and it pays for itself quickly!

The location we frequent the most is Drumlin Farm in Lincoln.   You can easily spend an entire day there.  Not only is there the farm itself, there are also beautiful trails.  They are pretty flat and easy to do, so if you have a small child in tow the trails are pretty manageable.

Additionally, they have lots of educational programs where you can just drop in.  We've attended various programs to learn about ducks, touch animal pelts, and more.  They also have programs that you can sign up for in advance.  Many include working on the farm and cooking.  These require an addition fee, but members often get discounts.

Two other local Mass Audubon locations that I love are Moose Hill in Sharon and Broadmoor in Natick.   Both have nature centers and trails.  There are a few other local Mass Audubon locations that I haven't been to yet but are on my to do list:  Boston Nature Center in Mattapan, Habitat in Belmont, and Blue Hills in Milton.

Most of the other locations are close enough to Boston for a day trip.  There are a few North of Boston with excellent trails - and two of them also have nature centers.

Another reason I love my Mass Audubon membership:  when we go on vacation here in Massachusetts, we can take advantage of our membership while exploring a new area.   Whether it's the Berkshires or Nantucket, there's always a location nearby.  We've been to Felix Neck on Martha's Vineyard, Long Pasture in Barnstable, and my personal favorite:  Wellfleet Bay.   Wellfleet Bay has a really nice nature center, trails with spectacular marsh views, and all sorts of events like educational cruises for kids.  On our hikes, we saw turtles, frogs, crabs, and turkeys!

Our Mass Audubon membership is worth its weight in gold!  Going to one of the locations is one of our go-tos on a free day with nice weather.   It never stops being fun for us!