This Fun-Day we ventured south to the Blue Hills Reservation to climb to highest peak in the Blue Hills chain (not the highest peak on the East coast south of Maine, as JR thought he read). It was a perfect day for hiking-- mid-60s and partly sunny with a slight wind. The trees around Boston have finally decided to bloom, and the hills were a gorgeous spring cornucopia with bright shades of green pink, white and purple.
Our adventure started with a quest to find ingredients for a picnic lunch. We wanted a fresh, crusty loaf stuffed with good quality cheese and maybe some sliced turkey, and so we went to a nearby fancy grocery store to seek something out. While we didn't end up getting that, we tasted some delicious samples
(including a vichyssoise soup and blueberry/peach tart), and we got some fresh fruit and potato salad.
Then we found a very old and special place called
Bent's Cookie Factory. G.H. Bent, it turns out invented....... CRACKERS! Incidentally, Bent also created and supplied the Union Army with their delicious (or maybe nasty) hardtack crackers. We got a HUGE roast beef sandwich and a box of Pilot crackers-- apparently traditional clam chowdah crackers. Even though hardtack crackers brought us the word cracker, they honestly looked pretty unappetizing.
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| Mumpus at Bent's Cookie Factory |
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| Grumpus pointing toward the Bay |
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| Beautiful leaf JR found |
We made it to Blue Hills-- which for thousands of years were the home of the local tribes that give this state its name- Massachusett means people of the hills. Parking was tight, and it was definitely the most crowded we've seen any trail so far, which is understandable as most of our hikes have been in sub-optimal -- but adventurous -- wintery and muddy conditions, but today it was actually nice.
Unfortunately, Allie had the old lady legs from a yoga-class-turned-boot-camp Thursday morning, which meant that she walked with a stick and a distinct hobble that elicited comments of encouragement from several fellow hikers. Many of the hikers issuing words of encouragement were on the older side with pot-bellies, which made us realize just how painful Allie's gait looked. Of course we tried to hike the "strenuous" skyline trail-- which was gorgeous, especially when we picnicked on one of the peaks, but it probably wasn't the ideal path for the temporarily indigent Mumpus. Nonetheless, she persevered like a true tough and adventurer - and as a reward we saw several really cool birds and Allie even found a genuine clear quartz crystal !!
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| My crystal! |
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| wooooow |
We spent a long time observing various species of birds, leading us to fear that we are becoming Junior Ornithologists, just as Allie is becoming a Junior Geologist. We know it sounds really lame, but birds are cool!
After reaching the peak, we ran into a very cute Chinese family that was somewhat lost. Feeling chivalrous, Grumpus tried to help them figure out how to get off the mountain, but without his compass we was of little help. A few minutes later we encountered a woman who was afraid of heights and stuck. She needed help, so JR pulled her up a steep part of the rock face and she continued on her way.
Allie's old woman legs started acting up on the way down the hill and both of us began to loathe the day when we walk like old people because we are old people -- not because of a yoga class. We had to devise a method, so JR ended up going down first and then gently helping Allie down by holding her under her armpits (think a parent helping a child jump into a pool). Eventually, we finished the hike!
After the hike we went to Fresh Market, where we are becoming regulars, and bought some delicious burgers. A little drive, a little burger eating and a few glasses of wine later, our adventure had come to an end.
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