Somerville, Mass – The twins are turning 10 and here we are in the middle of a global pandemic. I know I am not the first parent to confront this dilemma. But I *might* be the first parent to come…
Hiking at Blue Hills Reservation
Milton, Mass – Less than 10 miles south of Boston, Blue Hills Reservation is a 7000-acre state park with myriad opportunities for hiking, biking, swimming, and even skiing. The state park offers 125 miles of hiking trails (of which, the…
Harold Parker State Forest
Andover, Mass – We took our first pandemic field trip to Harold Parker State Forest. Unlike some other states, in Massachusetts, we are not stuck at home. At least not yet. State parks and some private reserves are still open…
Hot off the Press
Boston, Mass – Not one, but two Boston guidebooks arrived on my doorstep today, hot off the press. It seems like ages ago that I worked on the newest Lonely Planet Boston (7th edition) and Pocket Boston (4th edition). In…
Appleton Farms
Ipswich, Mass – Did I mention that I am going to climb a mountain next month? As part of my research for Lonely Plant Costa Rica, I will summit Cerro Chirripó (3821m). In preparation for hiking Costa Rica’s highest mountain, I…
Wachusett Mountain
Princeton, Mass – Fall is in the air. I have been dying to get outside and admire the changing leaves and breathe the fall air and move my body. It’s harder than it used to be to convince my kids…
Bunker Hill Monument
Charlestown, Mass – Daddio has been reading Nathaniel Philbrick’s book Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution. He admitted to me that he had never been to the Bunker Hill Monument, despite growing up in the Boston area and…
7 Best Day Trips from Boston
Boston, Mass — Boston is rich with historic sites, artistic venues, swanky restaurants and outdoor adventure. But if you can’t get enough, there’s even more to discover in the surrounding areas. Battle sites, beaches, colonial landmarks, creative outposts, and of course…
World Record for Swinging
Somerville, Mass – This is the kind of summer the twins have had. V spends hours a day — hours — at the playground. He often wants to run over there as soon as he gets up and we have…
Snowy Tree
Somerville, Mass – This is what my favorite tree looks like this morning.