South Shore Mom

This year we are tossing our kiddie Halloween party tradition to the side for an overnight outing at the Keene, NH Pumpkin Festival. We had gone – pre baby – about 5 years ago. On that night, 27,000 Jack o Lanterns lined the streets. It really was something to see.

The festival includes a pie eating contest, a seed spitting contest and several food vendors with traditional fall favorites like apple pie, apple cider and kettle corn.

Lodging in the area is quite hard to come by. It is about a 2 1/2 hour trip one way from the South Shore. You may luck out like we did through a cabin/house rental for the weekend. If you find a B&B – make sure they are kid friendly….as some inns only take children if they absolutely have to.

It was sufficiently chilly in Keene on our last trip in October. I would recommend hats, coats and mittens.

Here are the Festival details:

http://www.pumpkinfestival.org/

The Marshfield Fair:

We went to the Marshfield Fair on Friday – as we do every year….to catch the Demolition Derby. This year, there were no handy newspaper coupons for the fair. The only discount you could catch on tickets was through a 1800 number – which we heard of AFTER the fair. We paid $3 to park plus the full price to get in of $10 per adult, kids under 6 free. We could not find a seat in the stands – so we waited by the fence for the crash and smash action to begin. Two rounds in, our 3 and half year old had enough – and we were sufficiently covered in mud splatter….but we LOVED it!

We walked around the fair and checked out the giant produce, the crafts, the games and the rides. Our son wanted to check out the Haunted Mansion ride…4 tickets a piece at $1.25 a pop. For the three of us, it would have cost an astounding $15 to do ONE ride – ONE time. For-get it! My son was appeased by being able to climb in and out of the National Guard Hummers and getting a small prize by playing a game. 

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Blue Hills:

I’ve been a whole fitness kick lately and we have been trying to be more active as a family. Today, we went for a hike at the Blue Hills. We parked at the Chickatawbut Road look out area (with the great view of Boston), had a quick picnic lunch and took a hike. This is not a stroller/jog stroller friendly place. Your child has to be steady on their feet and able to climb. There are no bathrooms. It took us about 25 minutes to climb up the hill to get a great view of Boston and mostly points west. It was a little tricky getting down as well. I would do this again and again.

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Castle Island:

I thought the hike would be enough for one day – but my son asked us to go to Castle Island in Southie. Castle Island was mobbed, so we had to park on a side street nearby. My son asked us to go on the tour of the fort, as he had once been before and wanted to show it to me. The tour is free, but really – and I have to be honest….and I usually like these kinds of things….it was excruciating. The tour guide was very good, however; we were the very last party in the group and the tour guide’s partner who we will call, “the Sweeper”….was just NOT good with children. My son – being 3 1/2 – picked up a few pebbles along the way and the Sweeper grabbed his hand and took the pebbles out and said, “NO ROCKS”….to which I replied to her, “I will do that – thank you”. I saw her to it to a few more kids…and it just irked me. We later went to the top of the fort. My son was just looking over the harbor with his hands on a fence and the guide woman came over and told me “no touching the fence….we fear impalement!”….seriously? If I had any fear he would be impaled…I *think* I may have swiftly addressed this issue with my son myself. She was on my last nerve. As we shuffled along with the group through the pea gravel, the Sweeper walked behind us to straighten the pea gravel. A family in front of us asked her when the tour would be over. The woman asked if they had a problem and told them that , “some children are very irritable”. Honestly, it was hard to concentrate on the tour guide with this Sweeper being so persnickity. My son found a lucky dollar bill and bought himself an American Flag from a very nice woman who passed on to me – that the Fort has a great Halloween event. I will look into that. 

We finished our walk around the fort and stopped for an ice cream on the way to the car. 

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And so – we are toast….and my son has been napping for 3 hours. :)

Don’t you just love when you think you have done it all – then you discover something new?

I was always curious about this really cool walking bridge I passed in Abington….but I was always on my way somewhere else and never could stop and check it out. 

Wednesday – on my way to yet another playground – I finally decided to stop and check it out. The bridge took me and my son over a pond and through a very interesting military entrance and into Island Grove Park. There were kids  - EVERYWHERE. I thought to myself that I must have just walked onto the grounds of a summer camp….and I kind of did. The park does hold a summer camp – the Busy Beaver Summer Camp.

I followed the path down to an area which I can only describe as a “swimming hole” and was so pleasantly surprised to find many many lifeguards, lots of floating piers, a snack bar and what I believe was a locker room area. 

My son was overjoyed – as the day was humid and the swimming hole was so inviting. I was not prepared with a bathing suit – but he went right into the water in his shorts. There were areas roped off from 2 feet to 6 feet and a swimming lane for serious swimmers. There was also a dock in the middle of the swimming hole and plenty of big shady trees to sit under. Bring your beach chairs.

I later discovered that the Island Grove Park swimming area is a “pay area”. Whoops! I inadvertently snuck in. It was so fun and so well taken care of….and so covered with lifeguards…that next summer, I will definitely get a membership.

More information here:

http://www.friendsofislandgrove.com/