New England Days 16-17, The Long Way to Logan

 Day 16

Saturday, October 23, 2021

     Both Karen and Paul had early things they had to do, so we said out good-byes and I backed out of heir driveway shortly after 9A.  Sitting on the passenger seat in a ziplock bag, a mini loaf of freshly made Snickerdoodle Bread.  Karen had cut it into easy to nosh slices.  And nosh I did.  It was gone my late afternoon.

   Today was all about the drive back to Logan Airport in Boston.  Google Maps says it should take me two hours and forty minutes.  I did it in fifteen hours.  I was in no rush, so I had plenty of time to explore.   This is from the gas station where I topped off the tank.  A good omen for the day.

     The GPS seemed to be sending me in circles, but eventually I wound up on I-84 and I-691.  That’s where I saw a castle like structure up on a hillside.  Curious, I pulled off in Meriden, Connecticut and pulled out the phone.  

      There’s a three and a half mile trail through the woods to the Castle Craig, or you can take the mile and a half drive. Today, I chose to drive.   Then this happened...

     So, back around the long way and through Hubbard Park, named after Walter Hubbard who gave the land to the city, along with the his tower.  The drive up is easy enough, once you figure out what streets are actually open.

     The view from above...

     Not bad.  I'm glad I looked up the mountain from the interstate at the right time.   From the drive back down...

      A few exits to I-681 and I-84 and it was off to Massachusetts.  Just before the state line, in the town of Union, there was a restaurant I had considered visiting.  The Travelers Restaurant  is an informal place, but it's walls are lined with books.  The cost of taking a few, a meal.  I seriously thought about a stop.  But, after noshing on bread, I really wasn't thinking food.  

    I did however, pull off the interstate in the town of Sturbridge.  I was looking for a place called the Bird Store and More.  It's not the store that intrigued me, it's what they have around back.  They claim this is New England's Biggest Cuckoo Clock.   It's not the World's Biggest, that record goes to the one in Sugarcreek, Ohio.  I really considered waiting fifteen minutes for it to chime.  But, then I would have missed an incredible, yet random encounter later in the day.

      I-84 merged with I-90 outside of town, still heading north-east.  I couldn't pass up a few stops in the town of Auburn. I found a small parking lot downtown, adjacent to the high school, where the Rockets were taking on Nipmuck Regional High School.  I could hear the football game play by play drifting in from the PA.

     Across the street, sits Goddard Park, in commemoration of Robert Goddard, an early pioneer in rocketry.  

     When I heard the announcer call the Two Minute warning in the game, I knew it was time to go.  I didn't want to get stuck in that traffic.  Instead, I drove out to Pakachoag Park and Golf Course.  Out by the Ninth Tee is the spot Goddard used for his rocket experiments.  

     

        This marker is close to the street, and out of the way. It commemorated Goddard's first use of liquid fuel in a rocket on July 13, 1960.   The marker would have been cool enough for me.  But, as I approached, there was a woman telling her kids how Werner Von Braun had come to Auburn to pay his respects.  She got to meet him, and still has a picture taken with him.  She told me about how this was all strawberry fields at the time.  Love those random encounters.

      Which brings me to the reason I came to the general Worchester, Massachusetts area.  I had come across a place called Purgatory Chasm State Reservation.  The name alone brought me here.  With all the stops, it was a little later in the day than expected.  But, all the trails here are pretty short.  

     It began easily enough...

     Through the middle of the park, is the chasm itself.  It's still easy to get through, as long as you don't mind scrambling on some rocks.  

       Feeling pretty good, I went back to the trailhead, and did the big loop through the woods.  

        I considered sticking around for sunset.  Instead, I headed to the town of Holliston, more accurately, their Police Station.  I could have easily spent a day here.  There's a rail trail that begins in town, and currently runs thirteen miles, with plans for eleven more.  Toss in a tunnel or two, and I'd be all over it.  

       Darkness fell as I approached town.  So, I made my one stop and moved on.  I was here to see a tree.  That's the town police station.  The sycamore out front was grown from a seed that was taken to the moon on Apollo 14.  

      By now, the bread was gone and I was thinking dinner.  I passed a few chain places, but stopped and walked towards a local Italian place.  Due to staffing, it's takeout only.

     So, sitting in their parking lot, I started looking for options between Holliston and and Boston.  One stuck out, 7th Wave Brewing, in the own of Medfield.  They were on my way and had food. 

 

     The ingredients for the beer are all locally produced and the flavors pretty unique.  The food was all pizza.  I would have preferred something different, but it was still quite good.  In the back room, they even had live music.

    If that wasn't enough, there were shelves and shelves of books.  Free for the taking.

      They closed at 9P, so it was time to move on. 

     Ordinarily,  I would have booked a room close to the airport.  Anything close was still over $200.  It seemed silly to pay that much for a couple of hours.  So, I took my time topping off the tank and picking up a coffee.  

     I turned the car back into AVIS.  Logan Airport is open 24/7.  But, no passengers are allowed in the gate area overnight.  So, I had some time to kill before security opened at 4A. 

     Luckily, I did find a place to sit, next to an electrical outlet.  After setting the alarm on the phone, just in case, I pulled out the tablet and started going through my trip notes.

Day 17

Sunday, October 24, 2021

    I'll give the Logan Airport TSA staff credit, the security checkpoint was open and ready to go right at 4A.  Even the Dunkin by the gate was open.  

    The flight took off at 6A and I was back, walking through the Atlanta Airport by 9A.  Sure, it made for a long night, but I was glad to be home.

David

10/2021

PS: I have a week off next month, but will probably just drive up to Mom's.   I missed the annual January trip to New York last year.  But, no one really knew if it was safe to travel last year.  This year, I've got the time and will be headed back.