MA Audubon's oldest wildlife preserve with over 2000 acres to explore. I had a little time prior…read moreto a concert and decided to take a quick walk in the woods to enjoy a little peace prior to the madness! Ample parking and clearly marked trails made it easy to navigate. I didn't get a chance to stop in the center as the doors were locked, but the facilities look great for all Audubon does. I did forget my spray and like a novice hiker went on the vernal pool loop which had average level of bugs that accompanied me during the loop. Great place to stretch your legs, leashed pets were a no go here for planning purposes, but don't fret they are allowed at neighboring Moose Hill Farm.

We had a lovely walk here! And my son really enjoyed the outdoor play area and the "path of books."…read more I don't love that they allow deer hunting, but I understand why (deer are destroying the plant life, and it's bows/arrows, not guns). If you're looking for a nice nature walk in the area, go here!!

Our daughter attended a one week session at the Art Smart Program this summer. As she is only five…read moreyears old, our expectations were mostly that she got to do something creative and fun. This program far surpassed our expectations and my daughter absolutely loved her week there. She completed a great number of projects and worked with a number of different mediums. The first day, she drew a portrait of Albert Einstein based on a photo. She worked with charcoal for the first time ever, and learned about using shadow to create depth. Another day she learned about vanishing points and drew an amazing street scene. She worked with clay sculpture, did boutique and tie-dye, made jewelry, learned how to blend and layer colors with watercolor painting, did a Warhol style self portrait, made a dream catcher, and made a doll of Anna from the Frozen movie. The studio extends outdoor also. They have built an outdoor nature studio in the woods where the kids spend some time each day. Here they incorporate natural elements into their creations, and my daughter made a beautiful fairy house out of 'found' elements such as moss, tree bark and small stones. This was all in five days and with all of that, they still found time to have snacks and lunch and to teach the kids some fun board games. The teachers were very good at letting us know how each day went. I think there were a couple of areas that could be improved. One day we forgot to send a bottle of water with my daughter. Our mistake. But it was not realized until after lunch and the meantime, she went thirsty all day. We would have liked the school to be a little more proactive, especially with young kids. The school's web site claims to offer early and late hours. I inquired about this. Donna, the owner, told me she would be there every day at 8am and that we could drop off then at no extra expense, so long as my daughter could do a quiet activity while she did setup. While that was very generous and helpful to us, the reality was that many days the first teacher did not arrive until well after 8am. We would have preferred that they setup some well defined ranges of before/after hours time. We would have gladly paid additionally for an early hour and not had the disruption to our work schedules. Overall though, we were very pleased with the camp, and my daughter is looking forward to attending again in the future!

Excellent summer camp! My daughter loves art and baking and this is the perfect summer camp for…read moreher! Can't wait to try the classes.

It is a very beautiful, well-maintained park I only walked a mile so far, on a pleasant summer…read moreday, but will go back.

Noanet Woodlands is another favorite woodsy area to add to my list (another recent favorite is…read moreanother Trustees property in Andover, the Ward Reservation). The two are somewhat similar with different color coded trails and a trail to reach a summit for the skyline of Boston (I didn't check that out here at Noanet Woodlands for this trip). I enjoyed coming here on the weekend: it was moderately trafficked (which I like so it's not *too* isolated), and easy/moderate trails (I prefer long, ambling hikes). The only thing is that the orange trail I took was a bit confusing/not super clear. The overall system does a good job, but I would be sure to download a map/have AllTrails active to ensure you don't end up in the wrong spot. I fortunately ran into some folks who helped me get back on track, but a heads up that it could get confusing as it did for me. Otherwise, a wonderful shady (important to know on hotter days) set of trails that I would recommend!

Was really excited at the prospect of fishing the Charles River. Got in touch with Greg and…read morereserved a date about 2 months in advance. I offered to make a deposit but Greg refused. Tried to get in touch about three weeks before the trip but got no response. This was a trip that was really important to me but Greg really let me down. I would avoid.

My boyfriend and I went out with Greg this past weekend for a 101/refresher on freshwater fishing…read more We couldn't have imagined a better experience! Greg is very friendly and professional and he's got a knack for instruction. Never overwhelmed us and never over-challenged us either. We caught lots of sunfish and a couple small bass despite it being a tough day for fishing - 80 degree water, very sunny, and very windy too! No question, we'll be booking again!

I stopped by to see what this air was all about and it looks like it's a very beautiful trail walk…read morewe could see a lot of wildlife and I ended up seeing a lot of turtles. There is a membership in general admission. Since we were just being nosy, we took a brief walk on the boardwalk to see what it was all about. It is very family oriented and if you love the outdoors, you will love this place.

One of Mass Audubon's best for kids, in my humble opinion. (we are members)…read more The staff present in the building were very helpful, kind, and informed (in that kind of nature nerd, yet cool kind of way) There are clean bathrooms (they are porter potty toilets, yes. But still clean on the exterior). The pathways have a significant amount of boardwalk all across the sanctuary, which helps with keeping my hyper child away from poison ivy and ticks to some degree. There is a seated area for picnicking. (though no recycle bins. odd..) And best of all.. Lots of crawly, jumpy, flappy, slimy things to distract and de plug your pandemic technology-plugged child for a few hours. To enjoy fresh air. Take in nature's beauty. To learn to sit in the discomfort of possibly being bored when not overstimulated every second. My inattentive child's highlights were: - learning about the semi-toxic slime of a slug - listening to the bullfrogs in rhythm - chasing his buddy down the boardwalk in the last stretch - drinking sweet lemonade and picnicking as reward for all that walking

Festivals are a lot of fun and affordable! Have become a yearly tradition for our friends and…read morefamily to attend!

We are big fans of the German Club in Walpole! The area reminds me of my favorite campground…read moregrowing up. The events are fun, the beer is incredible, and food vendors hit all of the cravings you might have when it comes to German festivals. Oktoberfest is the biggest event of the year and Weihnachtsmarkt in December is on point.

This camp was lots of fun! I got the pleasure of going because of a training activity for my…read moreCollege. Sheldon, Cam, and Birk in particular were amazing! Everyone seemed extremely nice. Super fun games and activities. Would do this again! And I definitely recommend!

Bringing hale down a few notches. Since the pandemic started, Hale has had to make up for funding…read moreby charging people a $10 day parking pass or a seasonal pass which was fine. Since then, they have operated at almost normal capacity and now rent out the main beach, run camps etc. I think they can let go of the parking fee or at least reduce it. They claim it's to pay for things like roads and services etc. well I haven't seen one road repaired in the years I've been going. Because of the parking fee I definitely go less. I went yesterday with my two young sons and a party rented the main beach. We were told we couldn't fish off the dock but then gave us a little time before the party started which was within minutes of us being there. The kids decided to play in the sand and shortly after was told they couldn't because of the "party". Another woman was way off to the end of the beach with a baby less than a year old, and she was told she couldn't be there. None of us were interfering with the party and it just felt wrong for a Saturday to reserve a whole beach area to a party. Especially when the party wasn't using the whole beach. They should coordinate that a little better to allow for the public to use a certain area during times like that. They had about 7-10 life guards there sitting under a canopy. Maybe that's part of the problem as far as funds go. They need to reevaluate. Took me a while to get ready for a short day of fishing with my boys. Loading up the car, cooler, walking to the area and basically leaving after 10 mins was a wasted day. I could of gone somewhere else and enjoyed the sun. Was frustrating. The place could also use some upkeep to the trails and landscaping to allow for more areas to fish from. I've complained about hornets nest near trails where I was attacked one time and nothing was done. Keeping clear paths allows for a clear view rather than heavy cover where you can't see snakes (which I've also encountered), and avoiding ticks. Just a few things to point out since my first days of experiencing Hale.

Adams Farm has 365 acres of town-owned land. The trails are well maintained and good for all skill…read morelevels. They include Lots of roots and rock gardens to play with. The trails are fast and flow through the trees.

This is a great place where you can hike, garden, and play volleyball. I holy recommend the trails…read moreas they are very well maintained.

The company I work for hosted a second annual apple picking event here. I came with my family and…read morewe were able to pick some apples, and enjoy some apple cider and apple cider donuts. They have multiple little green houses / tents, some of which you can rent out for events. Their apple cider was really good; it wasn't too thick, it was perfectly sweet, refreshing, and tasted like fresh apples. The apple cider donuts were the best I have ever had (they were freshly made, so that might've played a part). Some of the characteristics I loved about the donuts is that they were moist, the sugar on it wasn't overwhelming, and a great size. They also have some animals, mostly chickens. Some of them were roaming around outside their coop but most of them were living their best lives in their coop. As a lover of chickens, these seemed well fed and well taken care of which made me happy. You can walk around to get to the different types of apples, but they also did have a hay ride to bring you to a more central location. They have a good variety of apples, and for an additional cost, you can also pick peaches, pears, nectarines, and maybe some other fruits. I filled my 1/4 peck bag with about 8 apples, the bag was about 6 in x 8 in x 4 in. The apples were delicious, very few had pests which were noticeable at the time of picking, but most of them were good. I didn't get a chance to go in but I did peek my head into their store, which they do sell apples, apple products, and other goods. One thing I noticed that has improved is their parking. They had more space, but also someone directing traffic to parking spots. I would recommend this spot for anyone looking for a good fall activity.

Amazing fun friendly place!! GO! you won't be sorry!! They most beautiful greenhouse for any event…read moreyou could ever want to throw! You ask they accommodate! They make the host be able to actually enjoy there party! so attentive and kind!!

The School of Rock in Norwood is decent, but a bit expensive. Some of the teachers are average and…read morethe receptionist is rude, but my son has Joe in the Rock 101 class and he's great with the students. The School of Rock seems fun for the kids, and if they keep getting teachers like Joe, the school will only get better. I would still recommend it.

From the owner: School of Rock Norwood/Walpole provides both in-person and online music lessons for students of all…read moreages. Our programs, camps and workshops for toddlers, kids, teens and adults make learning to play music fun and create great communities of musicians. School of Rock is the leader in performance-based music education. We combine one-on-one drum, bass, keyboard, vocal, and guitar lessons with group practices. Students learn to play music from day one and put on live performances at local venues. Our experienced instructors are local musicians themselves who combine the performance-based School of Rock Method and programs with individual music lessons to get results for your student.