Welcome to the Arlington Outings Club, sponsored by Ciclismo Classico. Please click here to RSVP for these expeditions.
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Looking to escape the playground to enjoy the wealth of farms, parks and
nature and bike paths in the Boston area with your kids? Last year¹s Hardy
School outings were a huge success and we are excited to open them up to the
Arlington Community of Families with kids of all ages.
We will be getting kids and parents together for informal and fun after
school and weekend outings to the dozens of wonderful nearby places like
Drumlin Farm, Habitat, Walden Pond, The Middlesex Fells, Apple picking, Bike
Riding on the Minuteman path, Great Meadows & Mt Auburn Cemetery. We have
planned a 2-3 hour outing each week and longer events on weekends. For
midweek outings, the time frame will be from 2:30-5:30.
The best part is that it¹s FREE and there is no weekly commitment. Come
whenever you can. The goal is PURE fun, learning and wanderlust...kids and
parents enjoying the outdoors together!
I welcome volunteers to lead outings and to share ideas for local outings
that families may enjoy.
Below is a list of outings and dates. Please RSVP if you think you will
attend so we can look out for you!
This month's Outings (Stay tuned for regular updates)
November 8th Great Meadows in Lexington
Come enjoy the final colors of the gorgeous foliage season. We will enjoy
an hour hike around the lovely Great Meadow in Lexington.
http://www.foagm.org/ . We will follow one of the rambling trails that
circumvents the meadow.
What: Meet at 2:45. We will finish at 4:00
Where: The playground behind Waldorf School, 739 Mass. Ave, Lexington
Waldorf School is just west of Pleasant Street and Wilson Farm. The school
is behind the East Lexington Branch Library and the Follen Church.
More about Great Meadow:
Arlington's Great Meadows is a 183-acre parcel of land located in east
Lexington. It is the largest piece of undeveloped land in the
Arlington/Lexington area. It is part of the Mystic River watershed. Once
a glacial lake, it is now a wet meadow surrounded by uplands created by
glacial outwash. Great Meadows was purchased by Arlington in 1871 to serve
as a supplementary water storage area, but was only briefly used for that
purpose. However, it remains a valuable buffer against flooding in the
area.
Arlington's Great Meadows has long served as public open space and is a
popular recreational spot, particularly since the opening of the Minuteman
Bikeway on its southern border. It also provides a home for local
wildlife. To date, 56 species of birds have been found nesting in Great
Meadows, 12 species of amphibians and reptiles live there, and 251 species
of plants grow in the wet meadow and uplands. Last summer's Biodiversity
Days survey of the area recorded nearly 400 species of plants and animals
in the Great Meadows area.
Because it is situated between two schools, the Waldorf School of Lexington
and Lexington Christian Academy, Arlington's Great Meadows is a valuable
resource for teaching children about nature and the environment. The
Citizens for Lexington Conservation organizes annual bird watching and
geology walks in the Meadows.
Friday November 9th Dance Outing at Dance Friday
Interested in taking your whole family dancing? We will be giving Dance
Friday (in Watertown) a try this Friday. Join us! What is Dance Friday?
Dance Friday is an event where people of all ages, backgrounds, and
abilities can express themselves through movement to music. We offer an
atmosphere of acceptance, friendship, and trust. We guide our freedom of
Expression by a committed respect for the physical and psychological safety
of others. Dance Friday is a community drawn together by a shared delight in
dance and the recognition and respect for the value of life.
http://www.dancefriday.org/gettodf.htm
Saturday November 10th. 3:00‹5:00 CULTURE: Decordova Sculpture park and
visit to Trainscape Exhibit. 12 miniature, imaginary worlds connected by a
working model railroad. Decordova.org. Admission Price
Monday November 12th
TWO events! 11:00‹4:00. MT MONADNOCK HIKE. Mt Monadnock is a classic family
hike (and one of my favorites) It is only 1.5 hours from Boston. With its
thousands of acres of protected highlands, 3,165-ft. Mt. Monadnock was
designated a National Natural Landmark in 1987. There are 40 miles of
maintained foot trails, many of which lead to the bare rock summit through
unique alpine vegetation. Unsurpassed 100-mile views to points in all six
New England states are the reward for a climb. A magnet for hikers,
Monadnock is said to be the second most frequently climbed mountain in the
world, after Japan's Mt. Fuji.
Meet at the visitor center at 11:00 AM
http://www.nhparks.state.nh.us/ParksPages/Monadnock/Monadnock.html
Hike at Ipswich Wildlife Sanctuary 11:00‹3:00
Meet in Parking Lot
ttp://www.massaudubon.org
php
Ipswich River, Mass Audubon¹s largest sanctuary, offers more than 10 miles
of interconnecting trails that invite you to explore the forests, meadows,
and wetlands. Canoe along eight miles of the Ipswich River that run through
the sanctuary and camp on Perkins Island, located a half-mile up the river
(members can rent canoes from May through October). Members can also rent a
cabin that is conveniently located close to the sanctuary¹s office and
program facilities and sleeps four. In April, listen for the chorus of
American toads and pickerel frogs. Watch for river otters, painted turtles,
and great blue herons at various times throughout the year. Climb the
drumlin and esker, landscape features created by a glacier 15,000 years ago.
Huge rocks and exotic trees and shrubs that were part of a former arboretum
provide an adventurous walk along the Rockery Trail. This sanctuary has the
following universally accessible facilities: Restrooms, Barn, Education
Center.
Thursday 11/15 2:45-4:30. HIKING and FORTBUILDING IN THE FELLS. This is
the perfect introduction to the Outing Club. We will head to the Middlesex
Fells, http://www.fells.org one of my favorite local places to play and
explore in the ³wild². It is only about 5 miles from the Arlington, yet
parts of it feel like you are in Southern NH. They have a great web site,
lots of events and activities. There are lots of great places to start
from, the kids like the hour loop that starts at Bellevue Pond goes up to
Wright¹s tower ( great view of Boston) and winds back down to Bellevue Pond
and ends at the Panther Cave.
Thursday 11/29 HIKING: WALDEN WANDER. 2:45‹4:30 WALDEN POND We¹ll walk
around the pond and enjoy the final fall foliage. We will meet on the beach
of Walden Pond between 2:45 and 3:00 then walk around for an hour or so to
be finished up before 5:00. http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/wldn.htm
FREE
Thursday 12/6 Menotomy Park 2:45-4:30
Come enjoy this local treasure. http://www.friendsofmenotomy.org/
Stay tuned for December events including our 11 annual Jingle Ride!
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