Short but sweet little paved walking path along the scenic Merrimack River. A few sculptures, a few…read moreplaces to stop in for a bite or a drink, and plans to extend the route as time goes on. For what it is -- a half mile or so paved riverfront path -- it is a nice spot with several entrances along Middlesex/Pleasant/Elm Streets. You can extend your own walk by going over the Main St bridge and walking along the river behind the Merrimack Street businesses. It is a good start to a good trail that will only get better as it grows. The official Team Haverhill description: "The Bradford Rail Trail is a half-mile path running along the Merrimack River between the Basiliere and the Comeau Bridges. In 2008, the City purchased the land compliments of a state grant and a donation from the Greater Haverhill Foundation. The City and the Friends of the Bradford Rail Trail, a volunteer group, created the path for pedestrians, cyclists, joggers and other non-motorized users. The Trail includes a variety of features, including benches, historical and educational markers, and a beautiful mural called "Wildlife in the Merrimack River Watershed" installed on the Arthur Sharp Building. The official opening took place on June 24, 2017. The Art Walk includes 5 sculptures along the trail for the public to enjoy."

This is a great trail. I've taken it from Lowell all the way to Sudbury. We're at connects to MA…read moreCentral Trail. St Sudbury you can extend your ride/hike on Central Tail all the way to Marlboro. Once you're out of Chelmsford the trail is paved and smooth. There are a lot of frost heaves and roots that affect the ride in Chelmsford. Enjoyable and mostly shaded ride

Big fan of the Bruce Freeman! I actually took the Commuter Rail to the West Concord stop to hop on…read morethe trail, bonus points for accessibility! The path was nicely maintained and not too busy. On the way back from Lowell, I decided to ride all the way home to the city. I was able to mainly take back roads and trails (Bruce Freeman to Reformatory to Minuteman), which was very cool! I'd definitely come back again.

My only disappointment today is that I didn't time travel when I touched the monoliths…read more In all seriousness though, super cool spot to visit and spend a few hours walking around. Would recommend gym shoes, but I made it around just fine in sandals in case you forget some. Everything is clearly marked and labeled and I wish we lived closer, I can guarantee my husband and I would be visiting all the time. Looooooved the gift shop, and the alpacas at the end are adorable. Def going to have to drive up for the next solstice for sureeeee.

The overall experience is good, liked the short movie explaining the site; must wear good walking…read moreshoes because of uneven ground. As far as the picnic tables, they were in very bad shape and need updating; also the picnic area is full of weeds and not attractive.

Was such a beautiful day today so I decided to go visit the Robert Front farm in Derry Nh and I'm…read moreglad I did what an amazing and beautiful place. The farmhouse is closed for the season but the old farm out back is quite the adventure walking on the trail and reading his poems and living on the farm the inspiration from living on the farm. Wonderful poem's along the way the sounds of birds squirrels just being in the nature of it all. What a time in America The cold winters weren't easy and yet we fortunate to have the Robert Frost farm here in New England

Was a beautiful day so we started with the walk around the estate. Every so often there would be a…read moremarker with information about Robert Frost and one of his poems. Unfortunately we arrived too late for a tour of the house, but those in the barn were very informative. Strongly encourage a visit if you are close by.

It is always a beautiful day to visit this place! I stopped the other day after work for an…read moreafternoon stroll on my way home.

Beautiful gardens and when they offer yoga among the flowers it is amazingly peaceful and joyful!read more

Pam was amazing! She made our stay wonderful. The view was…read moregorgeous and it was fun watching the boats and water

Fires lights and…read morecoasts The town of Newburyport has a long ship building and nautical history, mostly because of it's location right on the Merrimack River. The river empties in to the sea and is wide enough for some large ships to go into Newburyport. Unfortunately the river can also be very treacherous. Lots of huge storms, fog and currants turns the lovely river into a real killer at times. Many ships have been lost trying to get into Newburyport. So the good people of the town decided that something had to be done to make it safe. At first huge bonfires were lit to help guide the way up the river but that proved less than satisfactory. So in 1873 a lighthouse was construction at the point where the river narrows into the town. In fact two lighthouses were built. Having two lights was once thought to make things easier for ships to judge angles and distances but frequently proved to just makes things more complicated. The idea was to have a small one in front and then a taller one in the back to contrast the first light. With the fog and other variables it never worked quite as well as advertised and the idea soon fell out of use. The front range lighthouse in Newburyport is small, only about 25 feet tall and right next to the river. It originally had a 6th order Fresnel Lens that was later removed. It served it's purpose of guiding ships into the town until it was deactivated in 1961. It still is a very cool looking little light but is frequently neglected and ignored because of the looming presence of the much taller rear range light just a few hundred feet away. The light is now part of the Coast Guard Station and is blocked off by a fence. But nice views can be had if you go right down to the river and peer around the fence. Don't try to actually go on the CG property, I learned the hard way that they don't like that. It's a little light but one that did it's lighthouse duties for decades. Survived all kinds of storms and everything else nature could throw at it. It's no longer is active but still a cool part of the maritime history of Newburyport.

Exeter is such a beautiful town there's always something interesting to see/do within walking…read moredistance. Stop in any number of great restaurants to grab a bite to eat or a beverage. I love it here!

Pretty cool little place. Had a very nice clear day to enjoy the short hike. I will definitely…read morebring the family to check this place out

A lighthouse for the…read more birds The area around Cape Ann is a treacherous place indeed and a whole lot of ships have been lost over the centuries. So it is natural that a whole bunch of lighthouse would be built here. The very first light on the small 2 acre Straithmouth Island was back in 1835 but was a poorly constructed pile of junk. It was rebuilt in 1851 but the fierce storms and wild winters soon took a toil on that one too. So in 1896 the present 37 foot light was built and a small 6th order Fresnel lens added. Over the decades all lighthouses were automated and many, like this one, declared redundant and were closed. The little island ended up as private property until 1967 when the island and lighthouse was donated to the Audubon Society. It is now a bird and wildlife sanctuary and is off limits to humans. The light and the few remaining buildings got hammered and damaged in the Oct. 1991 "perfect storm" but the little lighthouse preserved and survived. It can now be seen closely by kayak or from certain points in Rockport and the twin lights of Thatcher island can be seen from certainly angles. Not a tall light and not an exceptionally old light. But it is a tough little guy that managed to survive everything that natural and man could throw at it.