Not a day goes by that I don’t see an Emerson or Thoreau quote on Instagram. “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”; “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”; and one of my favourites:
Concord, Massachusetts is home to one of the largest collections of Americana in the country, along with artifacts from distinguished writers and thinkers during the American literary renaissance. Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Alcott, all called Concord home.
For this reason, John and I planned a day trip to Concord from Boston when we were visiting the East Coast last spring. He’s a fan of American Revolutionary history and I’m a fan of American literature and the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century — and it was a nice break from all the craft beer and baseball.
This New England town has so much history, and we barely scratched the surface, but here’s what we were able to do in one afternoon:
Getting to Concord from Boston
We were staying in Downtown Boston, right near the Boston Common. We took the Red Line T from Park Street Station to Porter Square Station (15 minutes, using our $16 7-day Charlie Tickets). At Porter, we upgraded our transit ticket and hopped on the purple Fitchburg commuter rail line, getting off at Concord (35 minutes).
Concord Museum
From the train station we walked for 15 minutes to get to the Concord Museum, passing Emerson Playground, Thoreau Court, and Walden Street. Entry to the museum is $15 for adults and it includes admission to their six-gallery exhibition and their seasonal exhibits upstairs (The Art of Baseball was on when we visited).
Founded by English settlers in 1635, Concord was the first inland town in Massachusetts, an advanced outpost of Puritan civilization in an area occupied by Native Americans for centuries. Over a century later, as the site of the battle of April 19, 1775 between Minutemen and Redcoats at the North Bridge, Concord was the birthplace of the Revolutionary War. In the mid-nineteenth century, the community became the center of an intellectual revolution that remade American literature and thought. Concord was the site of Henry D. Thoreau’s experiment in independent living at Walden Pond and the base from which Ralph Waldo Emerson preached his philosophy of self-reliance.
The museum contains national treasures like the famous lantern hung in the steeple on the night of Paul Revere’s ride in 1775, the contents of Henry David Thoreau’s house at Walden Pond, including the desk on which he wrote “Civil Disobedience” and Walden, and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s study, where he wrote his influential essays and met with other distinguished writers and thinkers during the American literary renaissance.
Alcott House
From the Concord Museum you can walk over to Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, home of “Little Women”, which is accessible only by a daily guided tour. It is located just half a mile from the museum so it’s easy to visit both in the same day.
Emerson House
Ralph Waldo Emerson House is across the street from the museum (300 feet away). In this home, Emerson raised his family and composed his most important written works, including the final draft of his groundbreaking essay Nature in 1836 and Self Reliance in 1841.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
After stopping at the Main Street Market & Cafe in the centre of Concord for some lemonade, we walked up to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to pay our respects to some great American authors.
The cemetery is a 15 minute walk from the Concord Museum, and about 8 minutes from the market. Walking past houses, each with a plaque out front to tell you just how much history was contained within, we headed uphill to the gates of Sleepy Hollow. This is a pilgrimage that many people around the world have made before. A sign off the parking lot directs visitors to points of interest, including Authors’ Ridge, where we were headed.
Surrounded by trees, on a ridge above a ravine drop-off, we walked up a set of stone steps and found the final resting place of Louisa May Alcott’s family, the Thoreau family, Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne, and more. Offerings of pencils and pens were left at the headstones of Louisa, Nathaniel, as well as at the base of a small stone, no taller than a book cover, that simply said: “Henry”.
Just below the ridge was a rough marble boulder, as tall as me, featuring Ralph Waldo Emerson’s gravestone. It was adorned with coins from others who had visited before us.
Old North Bridge
Departing the cemetery, we walked for 20 minutes over to Minute Man National Park.
We passed the Concord Battleground, the Old Manse, and went right up to the Old North Bridge where, on April 19, 1775, the American Revolution began. It is where the first shots were fired between the British red coats and the colonial militia (Minute Men) and where Emerson coined the term: “The Shot Heard Round the World.”
Next time we visit:
Getting Around
We loved the train adventure, and our transit cost was $11.15 each for the day, but next time we’ll get a ZipCar or rent a car for the day so that we can get to a few more places in Concord that we couldn’t reach on foot in the amount of time we had. There are bike tours available in Concord but from what I have found online, they no longer offer rentals with the tour packages, which would otherwise have been perfect for us.
Walden Pond
We missed the Emerson-Thoreau Amble, which takes you from from Heywood Meadow on Lexington Road to Walden Pond, basically between Emerson’s house and Thoreau’s cabin. Cutting through woods, wetlands, and fields, it opened in 2013 and I just didn’t know it was there until we got home. We should have walked this path between the Concord Museum and Walden Pond, as I previously thought the only way to get there was via the Turnpike, but of course there would be a walking path here. It’s 1.7 miles long (2.7km).
Other activities John and I got up to in Boston were touring the Harpoon Brewery, sipping morning coffees while walking around the Common, drinks in Harvard Square, eating cannoli in the North End, and taking in a Red Sox game.
Night hikes along ice-filled canyons, airline deals, cheering on world-class athletes, and mid-mountain dining are all featured in this month’s set of stories on SnowSeekers.ca.
SnowSeekers BC Snow Stories for January 2016
I get to write alongside a talented (and adventurous) team of influencers and story-tellers on SnowSeekers.ca and here are some of our highlighted stories this month:
I dare ya – or, how two friends took up the “ski ‘em all” challenge
Typical huh? Two buddies on a chair lift arguing over who has skied more places. But the competition went further. When Ted Allsopp and Greg Scott realized they could challenge each other to ski all of BC and Alberta, the dare was on. Did they ski them all? Can you? Check out the story of lifetime pals and the SnowSeekers Challenge here »
The Banff top five must do list
Sleds, skis, bikes, sloppy kisses and headlamps. That just about sums up the action packed list of “must do’s” of Banff. You’ll want to try crawling through caving near Canmore, hiking into an ice covered canyon or, riding fat tire bikes. But who are the sloppy kisses from? One word…”Woof!” Find out how to sign up for any of the adventures here »
Johnston Canyon at night is brilliant adventure
Hiking in the mountains in the daylight you are surrounded with sights to navigate your way. But what if someone turns out the lights and sends you through icy Johnston Canyon with only a headlamp? Jody Robbins found out two things; it’s not that hard to see in the dark and the trees smell better. Smell better? Better read the hiking by headlamp story about find out why »
Is it raining in the Fraser Valley? Head to Manning Park!
I revisited Manning Park Provincial Park to discover how much more there is to do during winter. Only 3 hours from a soaking wet Fraser Valley you can ski, skate, tube and toboggan under a bluebird sunny sky. Yes, it’s true. Find out more from my adventures through the winter playground »
Cowbells and Canmore
Canmore is hosting the annual Winter Carnival from February 1st through March 13 but this year it’s the World Cup Edition! World Cup Biathlon and World Cup Cross-country events are heating the trails at the Nordic centre in February and March. That means it’s time to haul out the cowbells to cheer on international athletes and the dogs. Huh? Yup, the annual Kid and Mutt race on main street will pack in the spectators at the carnival. Find out how you can participate here »
Whistler Blackcomb leaves “Hot doggin” for the slopes
Chef Wolfgang Sterr thinks the guests at Whistler Blackcomb deserve more than cheese dogs and fries. With over 6,500 forks set for lunch or dinner at 17 locations dotting the two mountains, Chef Sterr is “stirring” the pot and creating amazing cuisine to fuel the patrons. Here you can find out what to order next time you dine at Whistler Blackcomb »
Pacific Coastal Airlines says, “NO!” to baggage fees
You guys in BC are so lucky. Pacific Coastal Airlines can drop you and your skis close to over 20 ski destinations throughout the province without charging for baggage fees. Check out why this carrier “flies under the radar” yet ranks as the sixth largest airline operating at YVR. Then, decide where you want to fly for the best pow in BC »
Powder Matt finds its all “Wells” at the end of the road
Follow Powder Matt as he discovers how the town of Wells offers more than just the end of the road. Fresh bread, fresh tracks and friendly trail guides are on the list. Learn about Wells and the road less travelled here »
Follow SnowSeekers.ca on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news, updates, inside tips, and information about how adventurers of every kind can enjoy the snow in BC.
Vancouver has a collection of unique attractions and museums, focusing on everything from anthropology and biodiversity, to shipyards and sports. Included on that list is the Vancouver Police Museum, which is located in the old city morgue. It features organizational history, crime-solving gear, artifacts, mystery stories, and even an autopsy room. This weekend you can check out their permanent collection and their latest exhibition at a free open house.
Free Open House at the Vancouver Police Museum
Where: Vancouver Police Museum (240 East Cordova St)
When: Saturday, January 16, 2016 from 11:00am to 2:00pm
Bridging the Gap: Vancouver’s Youth and the Law is the latest exhibition at the Vancouver Police Museum. It explores how crime trends, changing legislation, and policing practices have come together to create a very Vancouver story. Students were invited to contribute in the form of an artwork that conveys the topic of ‘Youth and the Law’. They were asked to reflect on their interactions or connections with police and the law (positive or negative experiences) through artistic expression such as paintings, drawings and photographs.
Learn more about the Vancouver Police Museum, and their movie nights and walking tours, on Facebook and Twitter.
The 22nd annual Victoria Film Festival (“VFF”) invites you to bring your eyeballs to theatre screens around BC’s capital city to celebrate feature films and enjoy cinematic events February 5-14, 2016.
Victoria Film Festival
The Victoria Film Festival is Vancouver Island’s largest and longest-running film festival. Celebrating 22 years, VFF screens over 100 films over 10 days, with a selection of films from local, Canadian and international filmmakers, the Festival offers a variety of films for every taste.
Special program highlights include: Canadian Wave, French Canadian, Indigenous film, South Asian and World Perspective, the Festival brings the world to Victoria. There is also the Arabian Nights art exhibit taking place throughout the festival at the Bay Centre.
Passes Now on Sale
You can gift a taste of the 10-day festival with the 5-voucher package for $50 or there’s the 10-voucher pack for $99, perfect for couples that will be trying the festival for the first time. The Film Pass gives you entry to every regular screening, including Sidney, for $149. If you’re a Sidney or North Saanich local, there’s also the Sidney Pass that gets you into all the Sidney films for only $109.
Win a Victoria Film Festival Getaway
Thanks to VFF, one lucky Miss604 winner can get whisked you away from Vancouver to Victoria in style for the film festival on Valentine’s Day weekend. The prize includes:
Here’s how you can enter to win:
VFF annually assembles an impressive and entertaining selection of feature films, acclaimed filmmakers and cinematic arts events to fête the greatest story telling medium of all time. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter for the latest festival updates.
I will draw one contest winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. Prize cannot be exchanged for other dates and must be used the weekend of February 13 & 14, 2016.
Update The winner is @Char_K23!
