Every month on GreenYankee.com, I visit and review free or inexpensive, eco-smart places to visit in the section I call "New England: Quick and Cheap."
Here's a sampling, for you loyal readers, that includes: a free, virtual, educational tour at the New England Aquarium; two local destinations; and a cultural day trip to a National Historic Park in New Hampshire with music and art en l'aire.
New England Aquarium
Traveling to some place new is naturally enticing. It puts us in touch with our historic pioneering spirits. But what if you want a brief respite in the comfort of home? The New England Aquarium may be your virtual destination. The folks there have created NEAq Insider, a series of mobile tours about the aquarium and the many fascinating sea creatures they house. You can download or stream the tours in a variety of formats to see up-close and personal all they have to offer. Go to neaq.org and type in "insider" in the handy search box.
PYO Smolak Farms
Smolak Farms — a 300-year-old New England farm with Pick Your Own orchards and berry fields in North Andover — offers something for everyone on 130 acres of historic farmland. The "family farm experience" includes a petting zoo, old-fashioned ice cream stand, home-made baked goods, and one of the most expansive orchards of antique apples in New England. Smolak Farms smartly offers seasonal, free activities, as well as a traditional hoe down, hayrides, and The Great Pumpkin Festival. It's also a destination for event planners and film crews looking for the perfect bucolic setting. When you go, check out the hilltop gazebo, a truly romantic site for many a wedding at dusk.
Picking your own harvest is about as good as it gets for a cost-effective outing. September is the time for peaches, heirloom tomatoes, and early apples. Later in September, the apples and pears are peaking, and by October, the fields are laden with pumpkins. Check the PYO schedule for details.
Fall Farm Activities
Sept. 11 and 12 - Weekend In The Country
Sept. 18 and 19 - Make Your Own Candy Apple
Sept. 25 and 26 - Children's Games and Activities
Oct. 2 and 3 - Children's Games and Activities
Oct. 9, 10, 11 - Artisans Fair
Oct. 16 and 17 - Great Pumpkin Festival - Trick or Treat Hayrides
Oct. 23 and 24 - Trick or Treat Hayrides
Smolak Farms is at 315 S, Bradford St., North Andover. 978-682-6332. www.smolakfarms.com.
Stevens-Coolidge Place
The Stevens-Coolidge Place, also in North Andover, is a stunning example of "the country place," when rural retreats were designed as places that integrated indoor and outdoor spaces that were meant to be lived in as well as admired. Formerly known as Ashdale Farm, it served as the summer home of John Gardner Coolidge — a diplomat who was descended from Thomas Jefferson and was nephew to Isabella Stewart Gardner — and Helen Stevens Coolidge from 1914 to 1962.
Gardens are free and open year-round, daily, 8 a.m. to sunset. For more information, call 978-682-3580.
The Stevens-Coolidge Place is just one of many fee-free reservations managed by the Trustees of Reservations, a nonprofit organization with a mission "to preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts."
They maintain over 100 properties on nearly 25,000 acres of land. More ideas for local day trips, hikes, family activities, and events can be found at thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/northeast-ma. Check out their volunteer opportunities, too!
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) created over 150 works of art, from exquisitely carved cameos to heroic-size public monuments. Works such as the "Standing Lincoln" monument and the Shaw Memorial, continue to inspire people today and his design for the 1907 Twenty Dollar Gold Piece is considered America's most beautiful coin. In Cornish, N.H., the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park is a lovely destination where art, music, and nature combine to soothe a hectic life. Be sure to visit the sculptor's home, Aspet, when you go. Sept. 25 is fee-free in honor of National Public Lands Day and Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park will hold its fifth annual Sculptural Visions event celebrating the many forms of sculpture.
Artists will demonstrate sculptural techniques, such as modeling with clay, carving of wood and stone, welding, assemblage and using paper to cast a sculpture. TIP: All National Historic Parks waive their entrance fee on this day every year.
Regular fees and hours: An entrance fee of $5 is charged for visitors 16 and over. The receipt is valid for seven days and may be used for re-entry to the park. During the open season from Memorial Day weekend through Oct. 31, the park buildings are open every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While the exhibit buildings are closed from November through late May, the grounds remain open.
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park is at 139 Saint Gaudens Road, Cornish, N.H. 03745. 603-675-2175. nps.gov/saga/index.htm.
David Zoffoli of Haverhill writes and maintains the Green Yankee website at greenyankee.com. He contributes this monthly column to The Haverhill Gazette.
