1) The "color" photos posted on your personal Picasa page and
2) Read the two first stories (if you have the best travel writing book) and write a very short summary of them, saying what the angle is in each one. Quote a passage you like from both and say why. Bring in a hard copy of this -- it doesn't have to be longer than four short paragraphs -- to turn in.
FOR THURSDAY:
WRITERS: On Thursday, the writers' blog assignment is due in which you work in pairs, with one person reporting on the other person's tour of a favorite place.
Screaming, chanting, swearing... at UMass Hockey, nothing is sacred. Everything can be heard, from giving the the other team players the surname "sucks!" when their starting roster is being called, to the ear-splitting singing of jock jams every time there is a goal.
The bright lights that coat the ice cause the players to pop out of the action and ramps up the intensity of each play. If it is your first time going and you are a student I highly recommend you sit in the student section or else you may find yourself wondering what all the commotion over on the other side of the rink is. If you are not a student, prepare yourself. You haven't seen hockey like this since the Canadians adopted it as their national sport.
At the end of the game, with lost voices and tired bodies, the students shuffle off to their respective dwellings. A sense of community leaves regardless of a win or a loss. Love it or hate it, this staple of UMass will be a tradition that will be passed on for years to come.
There is a door in the basement of Tobin Hall. This door, unlike other doors on campus, has no handle. A special card swipe rests on the exterior wall near the right side of the door . One must have special card access to enter.
"One day, in a rush to get to class, I took a short cut through the basement of Tobin Hall," said former UMass student, Ed McCorkindale. "What I saw there surprised me. A man dressed in what looked like a space suit walking down the hall," said McCorkindale.
Ed, like many of us, had heard all the roamers about UMass's crazy secret animal testing, monkeys locked up in basements somewhere on campus, strange noises coming from Tobin Hall at random hours of the night. Never however, did he suspect any of it was true.
That is until he stumbled upon a locked door in the basement of Tobin hall. Ed then began a search for truth. What he found, will shock you.
A few years back, an animal rights organization called Animal Liberation and Speciesism, filed a Freedom of Information Act request from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The organization is campaigning to "Stop UMass Amherst From Primate Testing." Animal Liberation and Speciesism are a group of concerned citizens, "working to end the primate experimentationat UMass Amherst."
All is quiet in the Campus Center at quarter to noon. The few people scattered throughout the silent room keep glancing up at the clock nervously, as if they can feel it coming. Minutes later, in a synchronized frenzy to gobble up the remaining bits of their food while stuffing laptops into backpacks, they exit hurriedly before it arrives. What, might you ask? Well, at precisely 12:05, a hoard of students will overflow the front doors like a pack of animals just escaped from the zoo (no pun intended). After all, it is The Hatch on a Wednesday afternoon.
Instantly it becomes like a game of musical chairs. Everyone darts around in a mad rush to find the best table and one of the first spots in line at the place of their choice. But the one that's unfailingly busy within seconds is the Pita Pit.
I squeeze into the back of the line, and as it inches every so slowly towards the cash register the smell of grilling meats becomes apparent. It is mouthwatering, and students crane their neck to catch a glimpse of how much longer they'll have to wait. For the majority of everyone, including myself, this is probably the first meal of the day. Pounding the snooze button one too many times in the morning doesn't allow a spare second to grab a granola bar much less cook a three course breakfast before rushing to Bartlett.
By now my stomach is grumbling. I can hear the workers clanging their metal spatulas on the grill, simultaneously flipping chicken breasts and dicing steak. I watch them in amazement and someone takes my Ucard out of my hand, swiping it hurriedly so I'll move faster in the assembly line. A girl nods at me and wipes the sweat off her forehead. "White or wheat?" she asks with exasperation. I smile at her sympathetically. At this point the smell radiating from the grill is absolutely irresistible. Here at the Pita Pit, which offers a refreshing twist on your regular old sandwich, the possibilities are endless. Fresh veggies, assorted cheese, and a wide range of sauces; you name it, they have it. In a wave of rapid hand motions the girl adds my selected ingredients to the pita; a dash of hot sauce there, a sprinkle of cheddar there. Before I can blink my eyes, it's wrapped and ready to go. I grab a bag of chips and wrestle others for a spot at the soda fountain, eager to go back to my table and satisfy my rumbling tummy. It makes a steady "ksshhhh" sound as the foamy Sprite fills my cup.
Finally I'm able to sit down. My friends are halfway through their meals already. But as I unwrap the white paper and sink my teeth into the juicy pita, admiring all the different flavors, I think to myself, "This was so worth the wait."
Have you ever crawled out of your dorm on a mucky, freezing day, walked to class and almost puked upon entering because of the vile smell radiating around campus. Yep, if this has happened to you, then you know the smell I am talking about: soy sauce. After any winter storm the beautiful white snow is no longer beautiful and the appeal of walking through a winter wonderland is no longer appealing because of the nauseating smell left lingering in the air and the heinous brown color of the snow. Apparently this mixture is used to prevent ice from forming, hence the salt, but really, soy sauce? Is it necessary to ruin all things fun about snow storms by rendering kids unable to breathe and see because of the horrific air and aesthetic pollution. A few sources have said that this mixture is actually not soy sauce but either way, what is the difference? It still smells and looks disgusting. The soy sauce-esque mixture is no doubt a distinguishable UMass wintertime atrocity.
As the frazzled hair and sweaty faces in any ID photo taken after a summer UMass campus tour might suggest, we have one hell of a hill. A trip home to the mansion-like brick dormitories at the top of Central is much like summiting a mountain: it requires forethought, preparedness, practice, and perhaps even frequent breaks. Those with the good fortune to live in Brooks or Wheeler hold a comfortable spot at base camp, and even those in Greenough, Chadbourne, and Baker can often manage without sherpas, but it is the unfortunate freshman who must climb the daunting slope of The Hill in humid Amherst springs and icy soy-sauced winters to reach Van Meter or Butterfield.
While the other treacherous terrains at UMass lie closer to the center of campus (the brick-spitting library, for example, or the wind tunnel surrounding it) to be traversed daily by most of the student population, The Hill is a trial particular to the inhabitants of Central and Orchard Hill, thereby setting this residential area blessed with altitude even further apart from the rest of campus. Once one has braved the hill at least twice daily (to return from class, and to return from meals), it is common for the denizens of Central and O-Hill to never want to leave the dorm again. This phenomenon has even spawned a Facebook group: “Sometimes I Don’t Do Stuff Because of The Hill”.
However,in addition to the sweat, tears, pain, and isolation brought on by living atop the hill, there is one perk: the well-toned Butterfield Butt.
Going into my freshman year, I was unaware of such a day until a Friday rolled around. It was roughly 12:10 p.m. when I arrived at Franklin Dining Common. Unlike the other days of the first week, this day possessed an eery calm. Little did I expect what was about to happen next. I wait for a friend for roughly minutes and within those minutes, it was like being a scary movie with bionic zombies racing to a feast. Shocked, I asked a passerby heading for the line to get in what was going and she responded in awe of my naive question, “FINGER FOOD FRIDAAAYYYYY!!! Duuhh.”
Fridays may have been pizza day in elementary school but fridays at UMass are reserved for a whole realm of delicacies... finger foods. There is nothing more that gets the UMass student population more excited for the end of every week (aside from no classes) than the simple pleasures of stringy mozzarella sticks and saucy chicken wings. Students can spend hours snacking on plates and plates of unlimited sticks and wings to the point of getting a “food baby” ( When one must stick his or her stomach out after excessive consumption of food because it hurts... really bad... making him or her appear to be pregnant).
The finger foods are so popular that students living off campus without meal plans nearly beg their on- campus friends for a guest swipe to pass through the gates of deliciousness (one perk of living in a dorm). Early afternoons on these days are the busiest you will ever see in a UMass dining common and they rarely run out of food! Taco Tuesdays have nothing on Finger Food Fridays.
There's something to be said about the amount of ducks residing on the UMass campus. Whether these birds are giving swimming lessons to their chicks in the campus pond, basking in the bright sunlight on the lawn, or causing a scene in front of Bartlett Hall, their presence is simply unmistakable. As adorable as the ducks may be - waddling around from place to place as though they, too, are students at the university - what I like most about them is probably the sound they make. The gentle swishing that resounds when they, all at once, decide it's time to take flight. The subtle paddling in the murky UMass pond water. But mostly, for some inexplicable reason, the overwhelming amount of quacking that can be heard throughout the day has become a sort of pick-me-up song during each of my journeys to class. It's a nice little soundtrack. The ducks' conversations with each other sound important, as though they really have a point to get across. As the quacks get louder, the drama between them builds. When a large group of ducks is getting excited all at once, it sounds as though they are laughing at some joke that only they are privelleged enough to understand. We are on the outside.
Just when you think you're out of the rain, the wind hits you. I'm talking about the tunnel in Southwest. During my first two years at UMass, I lived in Southwest and had to walk through the tunnel that brings you into the center of campus by Garber Field. This tunnel is actually a stone bridge that cars drive over to get to the visitor's center and other central locations on campus, but for Southwest residents, it's often the tunnel of death. It's essentially a wind tunnel. It basically sucks all of the wind out of Southwest and if it's strong enough it can actually push you along or pull you (depending on which direction you're walking). So if it's snowing or raining and you're unexperienced with this thing, you get excited. Yay! I can get out of the rain/snow for a minute or two...then BAM! Icy-cold wind in your face and you're not so excited anymore. If it's cold outside you might slip and fall on ice and if it's raining during the fall, the wet leaves are sometimes even more dangerous than ice itself. The Southwest (wind) tunnel is a legend. But it's something that, with a couple year of experience, you can definitely get the hang of.
As a professor of mine recently noted, "Marijuana is a plant of the earth. Who are we to deny people what the earth has given to us?" The people of Massachusetts may be on to something.
So might the people of Connecticut, though unfortunately, our elected officials have yet to similarly step on board. Whereas our governor recently vetoed a bill that would have relaxed state penalties regarding the possession or use of marijuana, especially for medicinal purposes, Massachusetts state law has declared possession or use of the substance to be no more than a minor civil offense, not to be put on a criminal record, and subject to no more than a one hundred dollar fine.
This might explain the sickly sweet smell that pervades the hallways of certain UMass dormitories throughout the weekend, oftentimes mingled with the scent of copious amounts of Febreeze and the occasional Glade plug-in. Unlike the stench of cheap beer and cheaper liquor, this former scent is accompanied neither by unfortunate episodes of non-residents vomiting on our (carpeted) dorm hallway floors, nor by inexplicable bursts of hysterical crying or group efforts to try hauling a semi-unconscious stranger into the shower to at least rinse out his or her hair and clothes. Instead, its a scent that typically heralds the inevitably numerous group hugs in the hallways or night-long marathons of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and C-SPAN. Lounging around with a super-sized bag of Doritos and watching Animal Planet suddenly becomes a far more appealing plan than the idea of getting up, dressing up, and going out. Why not hunker down, break out the stores of snack foods, and crowd a solid two dozen people into one unfortunately small dorm room because, really? Just pass the chips, "Growing Up Giraffe" is on.
Living at UMass Amherst means learning the term "ZooMass" from at least somewhere on campus. Most people who have heard of UMass have learned to attribute it with a party atmosphere, where the norm is to secede all cares and celebrate youth and fertility from time to time. With the campus having a reputation around the locals as (for the sake of politeness) a merry place to be, ZooMass is a title that defines all of the laid back and carelessly joyful aspects of life at UMass.
If there is one thing ZooMass students know how to do, it is being themselves. There are all kinds of people on campus; geeks, hooligans, frat boys, divas, mature adults, shy international students, almost every kind of person one has the potential of knowing in one's own lifetime. All of these people have their own way of relaxing and having a good time; and it is the coming together of these various forms of young gaiety that give ZooMass it's known title. Given that sometimes things reach levels of chaos that cause the order of society to disintegrate, most of it is to be taken in good spirits, with every intent to simply forget the troubles of growing up and, if only for a short time, live life to the brink of both destruction and creation.
At orientation, new freshmen cluster around the soft-serve machine like bees around the hive. It can be found at all four DCs on campus: Berkshire, Hampshire, Worcester, and Franklin, and it is one of the most exciting aspects of college life. Sure, there are salad bars, stir-fry stations, deli bars, omelets, international cuisines, and freshly baked desserts, but the soft serve machine is a novelty that brings out the inner child in otherwise mature college students. It is one of the wonders of college dining and a staple of the college student's diet.
Even with a selection of hard ice creams, nothing can compare to the light, creamy taste of soft-serve, in classic flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, and twist, as well as strawberry, coffee, french vanilla, peach, banana, and eggnog. And the fun doesn't stop there! There's a whole bar of toppings to choose from, including fudge sauce, caramel sauce, butterscotch sauce, m&m's, reeses pieces, oreo crumbs, chocolate chips, butterfingers, heath bar, and chocolate and rainbow sprinkles. Ice cream sundaes are the perfect way to finish off any meal. Walk into any DC, any time of day, and you will undoubtedly witness someone eating soft-serve with all the fixin's.
While casually meandering through campus in the heart of winter don’t be surprised when the wind engulfs you, stealing the breath from your mouth, throwing your hair into the air and pushing you along the concrete path. Don’t worry a tornado has not hit UMass, you are simply passing W.E.B Du Bois library. This 25 story rectangular structure which towers over campus can cause such wind gusts that it is necessary to prepare just to pass through campus. One night my freshman year in the dead of winter with a temperature in the teens and a wind chill that left me struggling to breathe I attempted to walk by the library. As I came around the corner I felt the wind sucking me in and I took refuge in my hood pulling it over my face while keeping my head low. When I made it to the other side without being sucked in I learned the power of the W.E.B Du Bois wind tunnel. Fortunately I have never had to pass the library in such arctic conditions again but have continued to see umbrellas flipped inside out and heads bowed to avoid the wind while taking this path through campus. The wind continues to blow during this journey but many students have learned to come prepared with a durable hood and hairbrushes for the thousands of people whose hair falls victim.
"You just came from Frank, didn't you," my friend turns to ask me, her face distorted in a kind of disgusted but sympathetic expresision. Sheepishly, I smile and confirm her suspisions, leaning my head down to smell the sleeve of my coat. Franklin (or Frank to those in the know), one of the four main dining commons on campus is easily one of the most avoided, despite its relative convenience, due to its distinctive odor. For those who have never entered the building located at the base of Central and across the street from the Fine Arts Center, this scent is something along the lines of old lady breath mixed with wet dog in stagnant air. I am confident that students twenty years ago smelled the same thing when they ate there. Currently under construction, I am hopeful that the smell will disappear once renovations are complete. However, until that time I will have to resort to Fabreezing my jacket and washing my clothes after visiting Franklin for any period of time. Just do yourself a favor: don't go right after you shower. You will just need another after your visit to Frank.
The best place for a Friday brunch after a Thursday night uptown is Burger 101. Nothing is better than the anticipation of biting into a succulent burger and seasoned fries with just enough salt to make my mouth water just talking about them. The aroma cannot be mistaken upon entering the Hatch. It is a smell that puts McDonald's and Burger King to shame. The real fresh meat cooking to perfection on the grill (not previously cooked and warmed up later to order) is worth the wait. The first bite into the burger is so tender the meat could be cut with a fork. And the gooey melted cheese whether cheddar, american, or swiss has yet to fail as the final touch to a perfect burger.
My very first night a Umass was spent peering out of the cell-like window of my dorm room in Central and scanning my eyes across the brick and cement buildings until my eyes rested upon a light show of bright neon pinks, lime greens, deep, blood reds, and soothing ocean blues. The dorm room faced the Studio Arts Building and looking out at the bright multi-colored lights that occupied the main atrium became part of my nightly ritual. When the sun set my window became a portal through which I could leave the harsh, white, flourecent light of the dorm hallways, the smell of disinfectant that leaked from the bathrooms next door, the cold, industrial cement of the walls and witness a synthetic version of the Northern Lights. I took comfort in the way the lights would dance around my room, slowly fading from one color to the next. Something about that cycle of changing color would make my muscles relax, my anxieties dissipate, and my eyelids would begin to grow pleasantly heavy. Umass has offered me a lot of things, but one of the first was a night light the size of a building.
UMASS is like any other campus during the day, at night it shines. Literally the campus shines with the lights from classes, dorms, the library, and other buildings. It sets itself apart with the luminescent lights on the studio arts building and the new gym. The light change and glow giving the campus color as shifting footsteps from those on the night shift of classes are leaving. The campus sounds with the wind, a chorus line singing down the hall and band playing in what you'd expect to be an abandoned building among other things. I enjoy the campus more at night than during the day, you can even drive through it without waiting half an hour for freshman to cross every intersection. The defining sound of Amherst in general is the center where bustles of people press the walk sign to cross the road and it echoes a chirp you can hear a block down. UMASS/Amherst is beautiful at night.
We discuss photo terminology and blog leads. Next up:
Everyone: For Thursday, a blog post on an iconic/classic UMass sight, sound (PVTA busses' whale-like cries?), smell, taste or tactile experience. Don't forget to post COMMENTS on other people's posts.
Writers: Bring in a travel article about Sicily to discuss.
Photographers: By next Tuesday: Open your own free, online photo account and post photos that have COLOR as a "first subject."
Milton is the tpye of town that adults love and kids hate. That is, until they start driving. Milton is a suburban town located less than 10 miles south of the heart of Boston, and is part of the Greater Boston area. Milton itself does not have any malls or major restaurants - it was a really big deal when a Dunkin Donuts was finally put in the center - but it takes only about 15 minutes to get to the South Shore Plaza in Braintree or the nice theatre with the comfy seats in Randolph.
If you want to do something in Milton, you can go to school. There are schools everywhere...13 of them to be exact. We have six public schools, a bunch of private schools such as Milton Academy, Delphi, and Fontbonne, and Curry College. If you ever feel the need to learn, hop on over to Milton. There's a lot to say for the public education here: from sports to the arts, we've got it all.
One of the most popular(and somewhat famous) locations in Milton are the Blue Hills. At the base of the hills you'll find the Trailside Museum and a wildlife refuge that houses otters, deer, wild turkeys, a red fox, and other woodland creatures. You can then work your way up the hill on a refreshing hike - there's a bike path, too! Once you're at the top, you'll find the castle that looks out onto the Boston skyline and all of the South Shore. If skiing or boarding is more your cup of tea, the Blue Hills skii area is opened from October to March every year.
A lot of my friends from out of town get frustrated with the fact that Milton has no "drive-thru" restaurants. If you want Starbucks, you're getting out of the car. So when you want to be lazy, just go get gas. All of Milton's gas stations are full serve, and the prices are actually lower than any of the surrounding towns!
Tons of famous people live/have lived in Milton, and it's always cool to check out their houses. Some notable residents include Jordan Knight (I used to make sandwiches for him at my old job), Dana Barros of the Celtics, T.S. Eliot, George Bush Sr., Orioles pitcher Rich Hill, the Howard Johnson, Governor Deval Patrick, and many others. We have some pretty nice houses!
Oh, Milton was also voted the #5 best place to live in the United States in 2009 by Money Magazine and Boston Magazine. (It was #7 in 2007.) So check it out!!
Few people know that the tomb of Abigail Adams lies in a building nestled between a Subway sandwich shop and a nail salon. Sounds weird, right? But Oddities like these, and much more like them, are true of Quincy, Massachusetts; a metropolis of Greater Boston that constructed itself around its historical treasures over time.
Established in 1792, what began as one of the first settlements of the United States is now home to almost 90,000 people. As with any city, the sense of natural beauty gradually disappeared when never-ending construction projects transformed it into a massive concrete jungle devoid of color. Yet, Quincy’s national gems, including the United States’ first commercial railroad and Dunkin Donuts; look as pristine as ever, as if their immense value protects them from the graffiti and smog. The city's oldest graveyard lies directly in front of the Red Line Train station, which makes visiting a unique, and loud experience. A busy rotary was constructed around the saltbox houses of John Adams and his son John Quincy, and I'm sure the tour-guides have permanent sore throats from yelling over the loud honks and whizzing of traffic. It's a city of contradictions, perhaps a little odd to the tourist's eye but that is exactly what sets Quincy apart from other cities. Old and new is a theme seen everywhere, even in its demographics. Over roughly three centuries, the original population of entirely white British settlers has given way to a melting pot, in a sense. North Quincy has largely become an Asian-American neighborhood, and the shopping district there evidences as such, so much that many citizens have nicknamed it “The New Chinatown.” The many businesses cater to the Asian community, including a Chinese supermarket and a myriad of Asian influenced restaurants.
Still, Quincy has luckily retained much of its old fashioned All-American appeal. The city is still home to the nation’s longest running Flag Day Parade,and every spring children still decorate and gather round Maypole Hill, a place where pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated in drunken revelry. It’s longstanding traditions like these that make the city of Quincy truly special, and the experiences are just as sweet today as an apple pie coming out of your relative’s oven generations ago.
Photos courtesy of Google.
Here's a link to my personal Flickr with the abstract photos.
There is nothing more energizing than a community who's sense of excitement can be felt in the air. White River Junction, VT is a historically rich town that is undergoing one of the largest cultural rebirths in New England today.
With many buildings and storefronts being built in a time of steam locomotives, there has only been room to grow in recent times. A large artistic community has swept away the downtown filling the vacancy with niche shops and a broad range of restaurants and cafes. No worries though, you can still get a taste for the tracks at The Vermont Railroad Museum, located in the heart of downtown.
You can start off your day by having a traditional American breakfast in the Polka Dot Diner, whose size and shape are of an old train car. Trot down Main Street to the Main Street Museum, where a small collection of oddities that lays claim to hosting Elvis's Gallbladder can be found. Follow that up with a trip to the Tuckerbox Cafe, where you can sit in real cow hide chairs, drinking lattes out of large ceramic mugs, reminiscent of a more classic era in espresso.
Talk a walk around the corner to find Revolution, a high class used clothing store that offers not only a large vintage selection, but a whole line of custom designed clothing. If you are lucky enough you may even be able to catch one of their seasonal fashion shows at the Tip Top Cafe, an upbeat American bistro who's building was once a large bread factory .
While taking in the feeling of community that this town has to offer, be sure to check out the main building of The Center for Cartoon Studies, where you can see student's work on display. This is one of the only art schools in the US that focuses on the medium of Cartoon Art. You will gain a whole new vision and respect for cartoonists after seeing some of the amazing works in this unique learning institution.
Whether you are arriving to the beauty of the snow and the sound of the last trains rolling in or the warmth of the sun and the scent of the trees, this colorful Vermont town opens it's arms to visitors with its vibrant sense of renewal. It is the perfect getaway for a weekend trip that will keep you busy, allow you to relax, and leave with a sense of wonderment that will trace throughout your following days.
Horseheads, NY—Where nature is the highlight! by Katie
The town I grew up in located in upstate New York on the Pennsylvania border and nearly two hours from any major city, is unknown to most people. After hearing the name, Horseheads, I usually get a laugh and then “What?!” Horseheads does not have much to offer in terms of trendy malls, high rise buildings, and other sought after qualities of today’s booming metropolises, but it is a place of quiet natural beauty. Surrounded by rolling hills in the Finger Lakes region, the town offers a laid back atmosphere with friendly people who appreciate nature without much urban excitement.
Summer days growing up revolved around Seneca Lake, the largest of the eleven Finger Lakes. The days would float by while on a boat, water skiing, tubing, and swimming. With friends who owned cottages I spent most waking moments at the lake surrounded by the plush green rolling hills spotted with vineyards. Now that I am twenty-one I have been able to take advantage of fall in the Finger Lakes region where people from all around the world come to enjoy the foliage and visit the 35 wineries that surround the sparkling waters of Seneca Lake. Packages are offered throughout the year featuring special events at the wineries as well as limousine service to cruise the 38 mile shoreline and enjoy multiple wine, champagne, and beer tastings without worrying about driving.
At the base of Seneca Lake in the town of Watkins Glen, just 15 minutes up the road from Horseheads, lays many family activities. The town which is known for its tourist rush in the summer has a State Park where natural beauty is defined as water crashes through the side of the cliff. The park has hiking trails along the gorge following over 19 water falls ranging from 3 to 60 feet high. Watkins Glen is also home to an International Raceway which hosts all sorts of race events including NASCAR every summer.
A trail connecting Horseheads and Watkins Glen has recently been completed giving people the opportunity to walk or bike over 15 miles each way. In the winter many people enjoy numerous outdoor sports such as cross country or downhill skiing and tubing. Although Horseheads is “in the middle of nowhere,” the area is surrounded by natural beauty with plenty to do for adventurous and nature loving soles.
Middleton is a small town of 8,000 residents tucked on the edge of Massachusetts’ North Shore. Named for being the half way point from Salem and Andover, it is a prime location for flexibility and spontaneity for a family. It is sandwiched in between two major high ways and only 20 minutes from Boston, Salem, the home of the Witch Trials, quaint seaport Newburyport, and to the nearest beach. You may even bump into some past and present Boston sports players including Boston Red Sox Coco Crisp, David Ortiz, John Tudor, and Boston Bruins Tim Thomas. P.J. Axelsson, and Sergei Samsonov who own homes in Middleton.
The older residents may not have ‘r’s’ in their speech but the town does hold the key ingredient to a successful trip... Dunkin Donuts. With four Dunkin Donuts to choose from, your travel plans can be calculated without missing your daily (or hourly) fix of caffeine to keep you running.
Begin the day at the Danvers-Middleton border Dunkin Donuts on Route 114/ Main Street. May I suggest a caramel latte with a turbo shot and an everything bagel toasted with cream cheese to kick start the day in high gear? You may want to fill up because the first stop is Farnsworth Landing on the Ipswich River, the town’s most popular kayak launch. The river winds through some of the North Shore’s most beautiful wetlands and farms. In some places, it has narrow and shallow waters through grassland so the best time to of year to kayak the Ipswich is spring or early summer to avoid an impronto “land-ho”.
To reward yourself after a morning of physical activity, continue down Main Street to the area’s famous Richardson’s Ice Cream for over 50 flavors like Apple Crisp, Green Monster, and Candy Shop. The Richardson Family has been a vital part of Middleton’s agricultural history since 1695, owning most of the farm land in the town. Today, the family farm has become a favorite destination for ice cream since 1952. Dairy bars, restaurants, and grocery stores throughout New England sell Richardson’s ice cream but the original dairy shop, cow barns, and factory can be found right off of Main Street.
Once you are done licking you ice cream and visiting the cows, Golf Country is right next door. It is home to two miniature golf courses, a driving range, and outdoor batting cage. If you’re feeling confident after a round of mini-golf, the Middleton Golf Course, a 18 hole Par 3, is down the street. It is a great course for a spontaneous round but it tends to get busy in the summer so if you have your heart set on a round, make a reservation in advance.
You really can not visit Middleton without taking in the Richardson’s many pastures which can be found throughout the town, including a few feet from the golf course. Enjoy the rolling hills, vast yellow wild-flower meadows, white wooden fences, and mellow cows from the porch of Sol Bean Cafe with their signature(and deliciously nutritious ) smoothies of nearly any fruit combination you can think of. If you plan on visiting in the fall, this is an enchanting location to view New England’s beloved foliage. This activity may have to be taken inside after a rainy day. Rain +Cow Pasture=Unpleasant Smells
Looking for some entertainment, history, or caffeine re-fuel before you head out of dodge? Then keep trekking down Main Street to historic downtown where you will find a band stand, the oldest building in Middleton, and a Dunks (if you can't wait for the next one at the end of Main Street). During
the summer months, the Memorial Hall Band Stand hosts weekly evening concerts and daytime festivals, including but not limited, to Middleton Idol and a festival to support Middleton’s environment. During Halloween, the town gathers for the annual Pumpkin Festival that is celebrated with haunted hayrides, pumpkin carving, costume contests, and free apple pie and ice cream from Richardson’s!
There is not much to see in the main square but, there are a few consignment shops and salons. If you are hungry, Middleton has 6 pizza shops to choose from and one is right (Google)
in the square! If you are looking for a nice walk to cap off the day, a trail around the town reservoir sits behind the Flint Public Library in the square. With very few houses surrounding it, the 3 mile walk around the reservoir will be sure to show you the beauty of Massachusetts' woodlands.
That is Middleton! Now no worries, no matter what direction you decide to head in to get out of town, whether it be to Andover, Topsfield, Danvers, or Lynnfield, you will hit one of the four Dunkin' Donuts to take for the ride. Finish it off with a soothing french-vanilla ice coffee.
Of my various hometowns, perhaps the most unremarkable is the one in which I spent my teenage years, the one in which I have spent the least time, and the one of which I am nonetheless the most fond. The town of Ridgefield, Connecticut is more often than not recognized by neighboring towns’ reputations rather than its own. It is truly, as I said, a markedly unremarkable town; for a teenager, its only significant feature is the lack of any significant features. The most frequented establishment is Dunkin’ Donuts. The town hangout spot is Starbucks. Why the interest in coffee shops? I’m not even sure that there is one, aside from the fact that there are almost no other places for nearly 25,000 townspeople to gather and socialize. The town website offers a link of the top 100 things to do and places to go in Ridgefield: of those, only three items can actually be done and only two places can actually be visited within the town boarders. Of those activities, three involve visiting museums, and of those places, two are museums. And so, the coffee shop rendezvous are oftentimes not only the last but also the only viable option for local teenagers.
Few others in town tend to get together in such a fashion. A considerable portion of the Ridgefield community’s adult members is far too transient to sit for a long chat over a cup of coffee. There are three varieties of people well acquainted with Ridgefield, Connecticut: ones who travel through it daily on their way to work in Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, or New York City; ones who choose to live there because of its close proximity to Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, or New York City; and those who did not quite choose to settle there, but do so only because they cannot afford the costs of living in Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, or New York City. This is largely due to the fact that even while Ridgefield’s median home value of roughly $750,000 is over twice the average value of other Connecticut residences, it pales in comparison to the average housing value of $1,650,000 in neighboring New Canaan, or $1,500,000 in neighboring Darien (City-data.com). In fact, the relatively affordable housing prices prompted developers to break ground for a condominium complex now known as Casagmo, located downtown, which sprawls over Ridgefield’s few sites of historical significance—the land on which the Battle of Ridgefield was fought during the Revolutionary war. Aptly named, the land is indeed one of jutting highlands and sloping lowlands, of glacially-formed ridges, and roads that are not only narrow but that also wind and curve and not infrequently take sharp, ninety degree turns in poorly signed areas.
Aside from its close proximity to a number of financial hubs, a large number of families are drawn to Ridgefield for the sole purpose of benefiting from the school district. Ranked 3rd best high school in the state, the 1,600+ students at RHS constantly perform well above average on standardized tests, including the more than 92% of students who score 3 or above on the over 800 AP tests that are taken by RHS students annually. With over 65% of the student body participating in school athletics, RHS sports teams have won 11 conference and state championships in the past 2 years alone, and boast a number of All-Conference, All-State, All-New England, and All-American award recipients (Wikipedia).
For lovers of the arts, Ridgefield may also hold some appeal. It is home of the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, and the Ridgefield Playhouse, the latter of which has hosted acts such as Blues Traveler, Arlo Guthrie, the Moscow Boys Choir, Brandie Carlile, among others. Eugene O’Neill once lived and wrote here, as did Howard Fast and Maurice Sendack. Poet Ira Joe Fisher currently lives and writes here, right down the street from my home, sometimes in my family’s kitchen.
If you like history, you’ll love this town, for what could be more historic than a New England town older than the U.S.itself!
Between the ages of nine and twelve, my family and I lived in a small suburb located on the northern outskirts of the city of Hartford, CT. While living in Windsor, a very historic and culturally rich town, my family and I rented a beautiful home for the thirteen months out of the three years we lived there. Though the four bedroom house in which we lived, was much too small to occupy a family of seven, my father rented our home, so that his children would have the opportunity to grow up on the “good side” of town.
I remember the day my family and I moved in. All I could think about was the neighborhood I left behind in Plano, Texas-- where I had spent my early childhood years. But as our car slowly began to travel down a narrow, windy mysterious private lane and a beautiful big blue house appeared on the left, my heart sank, and I forgot all about life in Texas!
With a small lake in the back, and rolling hills in the front, 203 Harness Lane, stole my heart at first sight!
A child’s fantasy-- I spent my days climbing trees, and roaming forest grounds bare-foot.Occasionally, my neighbor and best friend, Cara Naylor and I, would pick blackberries from the hill top and bring them back to her placeto make what we swore was the most delightful blackberry jam ever!
During the winter months of the year, bundled up in our thick coats and oversized gloves, Cara and I would spend hour’s ice skating across the frozen lake which stretched across our backyards to the end of the street. With runny noises and pink cheeks, we’d end our day with a cup of hot chocolate at her place. After our exchange of secrets, story telling and tree carving in my favorite pine tree, we'd finally attempt some homework. Back then, days were never-ending--I would stay out in my baggy, tattered jeans from sunrise to sunset, in the town of Windsor.
One thing that I particularly loved about Windsor was that it was a very family oriented town. The town would hold annual fairs and carnivals in which families from all sections of town would attend! I loved seeing my friends from the opposite end of town in my neighborhood for the Northwest Park Country Fair, and enjoyed traveling to there’s for the Shad Derby!
Welsh Park.
Courtesy of Brendan O'Rourke.
“I think every kid from Windsor explored the river banks at Welch Park and stumbled across this view at some point.Remembering it is nostalgic, to say the least,” said Brendan O’Rourke, a former Windsor resident.
Welsh Park, one of Windsor's many public parks, offers its residents outdoor basketball and tennis courts, baseball fields, a playground set and a nearby public swimming pool.The Poquonock Market, a family run business, was walking distance from the pool and was the only place in town where you could purchase ice cream for 50 cents and airheads for ten! Did I mention the Farmington River flowed directly behind
the park?
Windsor was settled in 1633, making it older than the United States itself.
Located just five miles north of Hartford, Windsor covers a 31.1 square mile area right on the beautiful Connecticut River.
Windsor is conveniently located at an equal distance between New York and Boston. The Town is only minutes away from Bradley International Airport and is also located on a main-line railway that runs between Boston and New York. The
Connecticut Turnpike, the Massachusetts Turnpike and the New York Thruway are also easily accessible.
Though rich with culture and ethnic diversity, Windsor is also a very racially segregated town. About ten years ago, many middle class black families began to move out of the city of Hartford, into the town of Windsor, (as the town and city share a close border.)
As black families began to move into the town of Windsor, many white families began to flee. Property values then dropped, making homes in north Windsor more accessible to low income families, further driving down property values and potential tax revenue.
This systemic process is known as white flight and has occurred in a number of cities and suburbs across the U.S.
Restrictive racial covenants, and discriminatory housing markets have prevented blacks from moving into Poquonock— Windsor’s predominately white, upper-middle class neighborhood.
Windsor’s population according to Wikipedia, was estimated at 28,778 in 2005.
The racial makeup of the town is as follows:
White 65.12%,
African American 27.09%,
Native American 0.16%,
Asian 3.14%,
Pacific Islander 0.03%,
other races 2.09%, and
2.38% from two or more races
Hispanic or Latino of any race are 4.98% of the population.
Windsor High School, Windsor’s only High School, has 1471 students. The schools’ demographics for 2004-2005 were:
Black 46.2%,
White 41.1%,
Hispanic 8.8%,
Asian 3.8%, and
Native American 0.1%
Interestingly—though Windsor has a white population of 65.12%, only 41.1% are enrolled in Windsor’s public school system. Most white families send their children to one of the many private schools in Windsor or the surrounding area. Thus, 60% of Windsor High School is non-white.
The quality of public education in Windsor has declined substantially over the years, as Windsor’s most affluent and politically influential individuals vote to have their tax money go towards maintaining the Poquonock section of Windsor, leaving out funding for most public schools in Windsor, including Windsor High School.
For a period of about 100 years (1830-1930), woolen mills and paper mills located on the Farmington River in the Poquonock section of Windsor provided over 500 people with jobs.
(Google Images.)
Historically, Windsor's economy rested on tobacco farming and brickmaking. There was at one point, more than 40 brickyards in the town of Windsor. The last one vanished in the 1960's. The first tobacco crop was planted in the mid 1600’s. Today, amazingly-- many of the acres still stand, producing what Davidoff, a Swiss maker of luxury goods company referred to as “A nice Connecticut wrapper.”
In the 1970’s, Winchester was ranked as one of the top fifteen suburbs in the nation by the US Census. A sleepy bedroom community located just a fifteen minute train ride from Boston, it has changed little over the past few decades.
(Google Images)
With its quaint downtown, brick sidewalks, the common, and Wedge Pond, Winchester exudes classic New England charm. The town has fought the presence of chain establishments, and therefore most of its commerce is centered downtown, with unique restaurants, shops, bakeries, and boutiques. On a trip to Winchester center, D’Agostino’s deli, bakery La Patisserie, and Thai restaurant It Rains Fishes are can’t misses. Nick and Lizzie’s is a favorite shop among kids, and upscale boutiques French Lessons and Mad About Shoe merit a visit, even if only for window-shopping.
As one of the more affluent suburbs in the Greater Boston area, the median household income is over $100,000 and the average home price is approximately $800,000. Only 2.8% of residents are below the poverty level, compared with 9.9% in the state of Massachusetts (Citi-Data.com).
Winchester attracts many young families, as well as those who have lived there for generations. The pride and joy of Winchester may well be its school system. With five elementary schools, McCall Middle School, and Winchester High School, Winchester offers an excellent public education. Winchester’s public schools consistently rank near the top for MCAS scores. Winchester High School has over a 99% graduation rate, and approximately 85% of graduating seniors go on to four-year colleges (NEASC).
Winchester is a close-knit, family-oriented community, with annual events such as Town Day and the ENKA Fair. In the summer months, many residents unwind at the Country Club, the Boat Club, or the Swim and Tennis Club.
This small town of approximately 20,000 residents (2000 census) has had no shortage of famous residents, including cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, and Governors of Massachusetts Edward Everett, Samuel W. McCall, and John Volpe.
