Category: South East

Parks in the Southeastern region, Cape Cod, and the Islands of Massachusetts

Myles Standish Monument State Reservation

June 16, 2019 Cloudy/Showers

This was a fun and short excursion for the kids. If you’re in the area visiting Plymouth, it’s well worth your time to head for this tower that commemorates Myles Standish, the military leader of Plymouth Plantation. It’s a 116 feet tall granite monument and was built on Captain’s Hill, the highest point on land that was once owned by Myles.

Once inside the reservation, a long driveway through woods leads to an opening and the hill and monument come into view.

You can go inside and climb the iron staircase up 125 steps, all for free. And when we visited a park ranger sat just inside, happy to answer your questions. Although the stairs are winding and tight, only only one other climber was descending as we rushed up (with the adults huffing a bit).

The views of the surrounding area are lovely and encompass parts of the original Plymouth Colony. Several directions look out over water, as with this view to the east.

This was a fun activity and you get quite a workout. A good addition to your Plymouth plans.

  • A quick diversion for the kids with rewarding views at the top. I think it’s well worth a visit.
  • Nice view from the top.
  • It is a mini attraction, so don’t expect a lot. Only go here if you have other, bigger plans for what to do afterwards.
  • There was a lot of steps but that was a good thing.
  • I like the view at the top. It looked beautiful.

For more information: Myles Standish Monument State Reservation official site

Cutler Park Reservation

June 2, 2019 Sunny

We went on this lovely, short walk in Newton today. It’s hidden just behind Kendrick Street, beyond some generic office buildings of PTC. Although we lived in the area many years, we never took this loop.

The trail is a wide gravel path with plenty of shade from overhead trees and immediate views of what seems like a pond. On our visit, several clumps of flowers stood in the shallow waters and a father and son fished.

In the wooded section of the loop we traversed a narrow path and came upon a short wooden bridge, and a mysterious concrete dome that looked like a buried Christmas ornament. The kids enjoyed scrambling around.

The Mystery Dome

On our return we marched out to a view of the pond and noticed two swans with their young children. The papa swan chased a Canada goose across the water, skimming just feet over the surface.

Although you’re just steps from roads, office parks, and the buzz of Newton, parts of the trail are quite serene and quiet. We saw kayakers enjoying the water, with greenery all around. Only an old brick tower peeking over the skyline reminded us how close we were to the bustling town.

Cutler Park was a lovely walk if you’re looking for a quick getaway and river scenery, without a lot of driving.

  • This walk is a great urban escape. I really enjoyed the wide, shaded path, and beautiful scenery. There is some road noise from I-95, but overall a worthwhile hike.
  • The Heart Healthy Trail is gentle and very easy. Many dog walkers. The Blue Heron Trail is noisy as it’s too close to I-95.
  • The hike was nothing special. Don’t waste your time. Consider going to locations such as Niagara Falls or New York, or even Boston, where there are much better things to see.
  • The hike was good but there were a lot of other people there.
  • I like what we saw – the beautiful lake.

For more information: Cutler Park Reservation official site