Category Archives: summer activity

Touring Boston – What to Know About Visiting Mount Auburn Cemetery with Kids

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Mount Auburn Cemetery was the first Rural Cemetery in the United States and it has been designated as a national landmark.  It also seems to be one of those places that shows up frequently on the “Must See/Things to Do in Boston” lists.

We decided to check it out and see what all the hype was about.  We went in early May, it was still jacket weather but the flowers were out and the greenery was gorgeous.

This cemetery is huge and it’s a very green a peaceful place to be.  Flowers and attractive bushes are everywhere and there are plenty of paths to walk along and interesting headstones to see.  As far as bringing kids along I thought it was great.  There was lots of space for them to move about, lots to explore and we weren’t getting in anyone’s way as we toured the area.  The chapel was gorgeous and we loved being able to walk around and enjoy so many amazing flowers.

We were also surprised to see some velociraptors there. We stumble unto a herd of 3, then realized they were calling to the rest of the herd a few paces over. Turns out there were around 10 of the beasties… alright they might just have been wild turkeys, but those suckers were giant, and the way they moved and called to each other… well they seem to be direct descendants!  We had to keep the kids from getting to close because I was sure they would end up getting their eyes plucked out or something. In any case, there is also a lot of wild life to be seen in the area.  We saw a flock of wild turkeys, chipmunks, bunnies, squirrels and the like.

Things to Note:

1) Parking/Admission
Free.  This area is really large and you can park just about anywhere along the trails, stopping when you find something you’re interested in exploring more.

2) Stroller Friendliness
There are paths that go every which way through the cemetery and if you wanted to bring a stroller you would be able to get around easily with it, but if you’re bring a toddler with you it might be easier just to let them run free and follow them through the headstones without trying to drag a stroller up and down the hilly paths.

3) Kid Friendliness
Totally kid friendly.  It mostly a nature walk that you can do at your own pace and you don’t have to worry about running into other people, though I believe Mount Auburn also offers a guided tour of the cemetery if you are interested.

4) Wildlife
We were able to spot a lot of interesting creatures while walking around the park, most notably a decent sized flock of wild turkeys, along with bunnies, chipmunks, squirrels and birds.

5) Plant Life
The greenery everywhere is amazing.  There are so many flowers, flowering bushes, trees, sweeping weeping willows, scenic ponds etc. that you can’t help but to enjoy nature as you explore the area.

Summary and Rating: ★★★★★

Five Stars.  I thought this place was beautiful and it was so nice to have so much green spaces after living in the city.  I loved that my son could explore and I could enjoy the quiet piece of the area as we walked around together.  If you’re looking for a nice outing, near the city, with free parking that you can do last minute this might be just the ticket.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Mount Auburn Cemetery
580 Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Phone: 617-547-7105
Website: http://mountauburn.org/

Hours: Gates open: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm;
Saturday 8:30 am – 12:00 pm for business, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm for information

Fantastic, Little Known, Cambridge Parks – 5 Things to Know About Dana Park (Includes a Petting Zoo and Drum Circle!)

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Dana park is a great little park and over the summer they have events going on all the time to make the park even more fun.  It’s got a nice green spaces, two different playgrounds – one for kids above 4 years old and one for kids younger than 4, a sand pit with an small water spout in it that makes it irresistible to sand lovers, a basket ball court, and a splash pad.  If you’re looking for a park that has it all this makes for a great destination.

Things to Note:

1) Parking
There may be street parking available, but there is not a dedicated parking lot for this park.

2) Splash Pad
This is a great intermediate age splash pad. The splash pad isn’t huge, but there are a few different levels of fountains making it fun for both toddlers and older children.

3) Sand Water Feature
My son loves playing in the sand here more than he likes just about anything else at the park.  There is a tiny little water spout that pours into the sand with a button that is easy for little hands to push.  Also the sand box is always loaded with community toys so my son has a blast filling up the little buckets with water and walking them around to pour them elsewhere in the sand.

4) Summer Fun
During the summer there are constantly new great events going on in this park.  There is a weekly craft day in the morning.  Each week there is also a drum circle where someone brings a bunch of African drums, sets them up in a big circle and leads any children who are interested through a mini drum lesson.  We also enjoyed a free petting zoo and carnival this past summer.

5) Day Care
It seems like there are often day care children using this park in the morning during the summer and they tend to be older children using the bigger 4+ part of the playground.  We didn’t find them to be overwhelming, but then again we were using the part of the playground for the very young.  In any case all the day care children disappear around lunch time so if you’re concerned about crowd control consider planning your visit a little later in the morning.

Summary & Rating ★★★★☆

Four Stars.  We have a ton of fun at this park, and it is obviously one of the more popular parks to attend during the summer.  It can sometimes be hard to find all the awesome events happening at the park over the summer but if you show up your bound to have a good time regardless.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Dana Park
Corporal McTernan and Lawrence Streets
Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone: 617.349.4640
Website: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/parks/parksinfo/Parks/danapark

Touring Boston – What to Know About Visiting Castle Island

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Because Boston is so far north a lot of the beaches have freezing cold water, even during the hottest summer months.  The water temperature doesn’t really matter if you just want some sandy space to layout in, but ice cold water is a lot less fun when you have young children who want to play in it, yet can hardly stand to keep their toes in the water.  Not that I blame them… we went to Revere Beach in late June and the water was so cold it was taking my breath away at calf deep.

We finally found a beach that works really well for both adults and children.  Castle Island (it’s no longer an actual island) is perfect!  There is free parking, a long winding beach, delicious food (see my post about Sullivan’s), a cool fort to walk around, lots of green space, a playground, and because the water here is in a bay, by mid summer the water is warm enough to actually get into.

We came enjoyed the fort and playground and ended up playing in the little beach near the playground.  It was shallow, warm and my son and I loved it!

Things to Note:

1) Transportation
Parking is free.  Castle Island is not super close to the “T” but there are bus lines that go to it. Also once you get there parking runs right along the ocean or if you end up parking in the lot it’s a short walking (minutes) to the fort or playground.

2) Water
The water here is in a big bay and tends to be a fair amount warmer that most of the other beaches in the area.  However like most of the other beaches around here the shells and rocks right at the shoreline are super rough and if you actually want to get into the water you and your kids will probably want water shoes.  I feel like I have fairly tough feet and I can hardly make it to swimming level.  Also there are pretty much no waves here, which is great for kids but lame for body surfing or boogie boarding.

3) Food
The only vendor really close to the water is Sullivan’s.  They sell classic American fair, hamburgers, hotdogs and the like at a fair price and they are delicious!  Also they are not open during the winter.

4) Fort
Fort Independence is a great big pentagon shaped fort with an awesome walking path around it.  It’s open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day for both guided and self guided tours. Note that guided tours are only available on the weekends.

5) Bathrooms
Yes, there are bathrooms on Castle Island with running water and flushing toilets.  The first few times I went all I saw were port-a-potties and I was not impressed.  Then I realized the actual bathroom are close the playground and they are much nicer and cleaner.

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  I think this is a great beach and it’s half way between a commercial and a rural beach.  Castle Island is a state park, but you still have the benefit of being close to the city and having a food option near you.  I love that the water is a little bit warmer here and that there are so many things to do in addition to going to the beach (which is my main drive)  the park is a blast and walking around the fort is really interesting with a great view.  Also you can’t complain about free parking!

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Castle Island
Castle Island
Boston, MA 02127

Phone: 617-727-5290
Website: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-boston/castle-island-pleasure-bay-m-street-and-carson-beach.html 

Touring Boston – What to Know About Kayaking the Charles River

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My husband and I recently celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary, and per my request, we headed off to the Cambridge docks so we could go kayaking as part of our anniversary date.

I have been wanting to go forever, but it’s super hard to make it happen with a toddler and I figured it would be even harder with both a toddler and a new baby.  Since I’m well into my 8th month of pregnancy I pretty much just sat in the front of the kayak, calling commands to my husband who paddled us around the river.  Perfect… and pretty good representation of where we are after 7 years.  🙂 To my surprise, my husband, who hates all things dirty and outdoors, loved the activity too.  We had so much fun being able to chat while we floated around our city.

Things to Note:

1) Price
We rented our kayaks through the Charles River Canoe and Kayak Company.  A double Kayak, like we’re riding in is $20/hour or $80/day.  They also have lots of different options including single Kayaks, Canoes & Paddle Boats.

2) Reservations
You don’t need one.  Just show up.  Chances are high that they’ll have something you can check out.  If you’re worried about it I’m sure you can call in advance to reserve one.

3) Process to Rent
I thought this would be a little more difficult than it was.  Pretty much we showed up, filled out a few forms, signed a whole bunch of wavers stating that we understood that death could be an outcome of this activity and that is just part of the sport… and took a quick mini quiz outlining the rules of the river.  The whole process took less than ten minutes, I don’t think they even looked at our waivers or checked that we actually understood the rules of the river before we were ushered off to get a life jacket and boat.  (You’ll need an ID and cash to pay for your rental)

4) Ages Allowed to Participate
I always assumed that this would have to be a couples only activity for us, but turns out you can invite the whole family.  They would have been fine having my toddler come along and we could have strapped him in to share a seat with one of us… but then you run the risk of a toddler getting bored and trying to go swimming in the nasty Charles River water…  In any case, know that young children are allowed to come.

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  We had a fantastic time getting to see the city from this vantage point and it was so much fun being able to talk while be out on the water together.  We went on a fairly windy day and were still able to paddle around without a problem, and on some days you can even rent a Kayak at the top of the river and paddle down to around Harvard and drop it off there, giving you a greater chance to experience the river.   This is one my favorite activities we’ve done to date and I would highly recommend it.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Charles River Canoe and Kayak Company
15 Broad Canal Way,
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142

Phone: (617) 965-5110
Website: http://www.paddleboston.com/
Hours: Vary by date and season, check the website for specifics http://www.paddleboston.com/kendall/hours.php

Fantastic, Little Known, Cambridge Parks – 4 Things to Know About Artesani Park and Wading Pool

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My favorite Boston park has to be Artesani Park.  This little gem is one of the few parks that seem to have all the perks; a river side view, a splash pad, a bathroom, free parking, on yeah… and a free wading pool complete with life guards.  Every time we’ve come here we’ve had a blast and left eagerly looking forward to coming again.

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free.  Parking is free. The splash pad is free. The wading pool complete with life guards is free.

2) Park Features

  • Free parking and a big parking lot
  • A public bus that drops off right by the park
  • A great splash pad (newly added 2015)
  • Two different gated mini playgrounds, one for young children, one for older children
  • Bathrooms and a shower
  • A river view/ river walk
  • A free wading pool with life guards
He was actually really happy, but impatient about having to wait for me to take a picture

3) About the Wading Pool

  • You have to take a shower before entering.  There is often a life guard posted at the entrance to enforce that this actually happens.
  • There is a limit to how many people can enter the pool at time, again this is enforced by the door guard on busy days (if the pool is full you can always hang out at the splash pad or parks and try again in a few minutes).
  • You need a proper swimsuit and if your child is not potty trained they will need a swim diaper.
  • There is no eating or snacking by the pool.
  • The pool is fantastic for people of all ages, there is a gradient entry so babies can sit at any depth that is comfortable and the pools goes to depth just above your knees.
  • There are different sized spray features in the middle of the pool keeping it interesting for older children.

4) Crowd Control
As you can imagine this is a pretty popular park, you can expect a decent crowd of people to be here any given day of the week and if you want quick entry to the wading pool I would suggest getting there when it opens.

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  This park makes for a fantastic summer outing.  The wading pool is awesome and I have as much fun there as my son does.  We usually start out swimming/splashing for a while, then leave and play at the parks for a little bit while we eat our lunch and if we have any energy left we run through the splash pad on our way to the car.  Artesani Park is a great alternative to the Frog Pond on those hot summer days.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Artesani Park and Wading Pool
1255 Soldiers Field Rd.
Boston, MA 02135

Phone: 617.626.4973
Website: http://www.bostoncentral.com/activities/artesani_wading_pool/p1940.php

Hours: June 27-September 7 Open daily 9:30 a.m.- 7p.m.