This was a rather interesting find for me. I was in the area for donuts, but I stayed for the…read moreRosary Beads. I had done a search on Yelp for obscure things in the state of Massachusetts, and this came up. With only one Yelp review at the time, I was impressed that it even showed up on my search. Nonetheless, I was already in the area, so I figured I had to stop. The beads themselves are giant boulders chained together. If you go up the little hill by the prayer cave, you can see the "Rosary Beads" a little better from the vantage point (with the exception of some overgrown trees.) There is plenty of parking on-site, and the grounds appear to be taken care of. There is even a donation-based section where you can light a candle for someone. Even if you're not necessarily religious, it's worth the stop to walk the grounds and see what it's all about.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! 5 STARS! The Largest Rosary Beads in the World…read moreare located in Holliston.MA about an hour or so drive from Boston. These are part of the Secret Hidden Gems of America that most people have never heard of & have never been to before. This place is so unique; there are some 23 beautiful peaceful acres to explore here in a nature setting . This place combines a bunch of different things together including religious artifacts, a President, the US Military, an Outdoor Walking Trail, a Church, a Pond & Gardens. Now If that's not the most unusual flavor profile you've ever heard of - I don't know what else is? If you drive by Our Lady of Fatima Church you would probably just think it's just another church & wouldn't pay it too much attention at all. That would be a Big Mistake. You can't see what's hidden behind the trees just driving by. First pull your vehicle into the Free Parking Lot. You can't bring food in here. There is a separate place right out in front next to the Free Parking area with Free Picnic Tables so you can eat there. There is a modern church with lots of 60'sish architectural detail including a unique shaped building with skinny stained glass windows. There is also a gift store that you should check out as well. Then you will start your walking journey on the road with The Blessings of Peace to You sign. Travel past The Way of the Cross, the lighted candle stations, Mary & the Children of Fatima scene etc. Then you will see The Largest Rosary Beads in the World measuring a whopping 950 feet long. That's not a typo - 950 feet long. They are made out of giant boulder rocks that were taken from building the I-495 highway. The granite boulders are joined together by giant thick steel chain links that are painted sky blue. It was commissioned by missionary Reverend Oddo Galeazzi in the 1950's. Walk all around the Rosary Beads along the path & you will see different sizes & shapes of the round rocks. There are prayers & dedication plaques on the rocks too. Then follow the rocks all around the road you will see a large green grass field. In the center of the field is yet another Mary & the Children of Fatima statue scene. Then proceed back around to the beginning & follow the chain that goes up the hill. On the side of the hill you will see a staircase; ascend the stairs. You will see several statues as well as a Giant cross of Jesus. Turn & you will see the blue chain link that is attached to a Large blue anchor. A sign is posted saying this is Dedicated to the 35th President of the United States - John F. Kennedy by the US Navy. Most religious statues or artifacts produce a solemn & introspective feeling in people. These Rosary Beads produce quite a different feeling. When people see these Giant Rosary beads & walk along the trail their eyes lights up & a big Smile appears on their faces. It's pretty Cool! Imagine- they made Giant Rosary Beads out of Giant Boulders with Chains. From the hill, you can view the Rosary Beads from a whole different perspective & get a panoramic view of the whole property. There's a lot of exploring to do here so be sure to check out the whole place inside & outside. This is a place of worship & reflection & meditating so be respectful. There is no Fee but it costs a fortune to maintain this place. Please make a donation in the offering box in the front. People who like religious places will love it here. Also people who aren't necessarily religious but just like offbeat, quirky, unique & unusual spots will also find this place quite Amazing. WHAT A GREAT PLACE & IT'S ALL FREE! It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Perfect day for a cemetary stroll. Very peaceful with some graves dating to the 1800s. The tower is…read morerather impressive. Would love to see it's twin in Ireland some day.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! This is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of…read moreAmerica that most people have never heard of or been to before, If you love Castles, Towers & the Fairytale Rapunzel or the Disney movie Tangled then you'll be excited about our journey today. It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to the 1890's in the town of Milford MA about an hour outside of Boston. We've landed at this Beautiful Irish Round Tower that conjures up images from a bygone era. The Tower looks like it has been plucked from medieval times from thousands of miles across the Pond in Ireland. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Father Patrick Cuddihy envisioned an Irish Round Tower as the centerpiece of a new cemetery when the land was purchased in 1890 for the Catholics of Saint Mary's Parish in Milford. Travelers from all over the globe spend thousands of dollars & travel to Ireland to see The Irish Round Towers. There is one Irish Tower in particular called The Devenish round tower & is located in County Fermanagh on an island located on Lower Lough Erne Lake. The Round Irish Tower in Milford is almost an exact replica with the same look, design & height as the The Devenish Tower in Ireland. It is made out of Granite from the Milford quarry. It stands tall over the graves of thousands of Irish immigrants who were buried in the cemetery. They are laid to rest in an Irish setting that mimics the architecture & land of Ireland. You might wonder why did Fr. Cuddihy build this tower? The answer can be found in his obituary "It may be folly - yet when you and I have passed away, the Irish in America will make a pilgrimage to the Irish Round Tower at Milford." Now although it was very popular in its day this has now fallen completely under the radar. Now just about everyone has heard of the German Fairy Tale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm, but have no idea that a Rapunzel like Tower even exists here in America. The Milford Round Tower was the only one of its kind in the whole USA for decades & only a few Irish Towers in the whole world even exist outside of Ireland. In 2003 The Tower at Castleton Lyons Farm was built in Kentucky to be an exact replica of the round tower at the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary Ireland. So now there are 2 Irish Round Towers in the US. The Milford one is well over a hundred years older than the one in Kentucky. It represents a unique granite architectural wonder that pays tribute to Father Cuddihy vision of an Irish Tower in America without going overseas. The 1978 East German stamps of Rapunzel look just like the Devenish Tower in Ireland & the one in Milford MA. I have posted the stamp pictures for you to see too. Just so you know the door to the Tower is locked so you can't venture to the top! In addition, behind the Irish round tower there is a small pond & benches with pine trees in the background that makes a peaceful place to pray, meditate & explore the grounds. On the other side there is a mysterious cave like structure that resembles a catacomb. Across the street there is a public park and free parking. You really wouldn't expect to see an Irish Round Tower or a Rapunzel Tower at a cemetery, but that's where it is - a True Hidden Gem. To make it really worth your trip in the area check out The Moon Tree a tree that went to the Moon & The Largest Rosary Beads in the World both in Holliston. All of these are Freebies as well. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Covered Bridge Lane is a new subdivision in the Town of Wayland. The developers cutesy idea, to…read morehelp sell his development of over priced over sized cookie cutter houses on postage stamp lots, was to build a covered bridge over the stream which would help promote the "semi rural" feel of the town. Knowing that "semi rural" was the buzz word that would make town officials swoon. The developers then put up "private way" signs, discouraging riff raff like me from driving over this bridge and taking photos. I'm guessing my tax dollars pay for plowing and other road maintenance. As far as covered bridges go, this one is 100% new and modern. But was tastefully done so it kinda looks like it has been around forever. I'm trying to remember when it was built. My guess is it's around 5 years old. So 2012.

According to local legend, the founder of Middlesex University was traveling through Ireland and…read moresaw Lismore Castle. He was so impressed with the castle that he asked to bring it back with him. The owners denied his request. He then asked for the blueprints, only to be told no again. Not one to be stopped, he had drawings done of the outside of the castle. The Castle in Waltham was constructed based on these drawings. This is now Brandeis University and "The Castle" as it is called, was first used as an administrative space as well as a dining hall. It was used as a dormitory until the building was condemned and later partially torn down to make room for a new building. Some of the benches outside of the dormitory neighboring Usen Castle are made from materials of the demolished structure. The remaining part of Usen Castle is closed to visitors. Only the coffee house inside the castle is open to the public. Still, it's cool to check out the exterior if you're nearby. [Review 15210 overall, 712 of 2021, number 1073 in Massachusetts.]

We had an amazing time visiting this school house. The scenery was beautiful and the area was…read morewell-kept. The surrounding area was serene and beautiful. I can't wait to come back and enjoy the view.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! THIS IS THE MOST FAMOUS SCHOOL IN THE WORLD…read moreTHAT YOU NEVER KNEW REALLY EXISTED. Every kid from 1-101 has learned the Mary had a Little Lamb nursery rhyme. It goes Mary had a Little Lamb it's Fleece was white as Snow & Everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go. It followed her to school one day etc. Well, this is the School in that famous classic story that Mary attended. This is part of the Secret Hidden Gems of America that most people have never heard of or been to before. The tiny red schoolhouse is called The Redstone School & was built in 1798. Mary Elizabeth Sawyer was the Mary in the story born in 1806. Rebecca Kimball was the School Teacher. John Roulstone wrote the first 12 lines of the Classic. Sarah Josepha Hale completed the work. The building originally stood in Sterling Massachusetts. It was moved by Automobile Kingpin Henry Ford in 1927. When you talk about Old School this is the Original Old School! There are Plaques on the rocks outside that give you more information about the nursery rhyme. The Schoolhouse itself is open weekends only from May- October on Friday Saturday & Sunday from 12- 4:45 PM & is FREE! Unfortunately when we went it was closed but you can still look through the windows & check out the inside. Well I'll have to catch the inside the next time around. Go next door & visit the Martha Mary Chapel an all white picturesque church that appeared in the Matthew McConaughey film with Jennifer Garner & Emma Stone "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past". Also visit across the street there's the Grist Mill ( a great place to picnic), The Waterfall, The Pond, The Glacier Rocks from an Ice Cap 18,000 years ago. Also check out The Old Barn Farm Stand where they sell plants, local honey & other products & The Inn itself has lodging, a restaurant & a bar. What a Great Spot! It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

I think it's awesome, but my husband's reaction was: "it's not Downton Abbey or anything."…read more LOL. It's still pretty cool. Parking is $3 and there's a lot of great trails. It's not Downton Abbey, but it's worth $3 and an hour of your time!!

Free Art museum at Wellesley?? Yes please!…read more Davis museum is a quaint little museum tucked inside the Wellesley campus. VERY limited parking (Guestimate: enough for 6 cars.) Clean, modern. White walls, cement stairs and an elevator. They have a Monet! I only has 20 minutes to quickly wander and take in a little art. I quickly asked the guys at the check in deck and one offered to take us around. He started with showing us numbered/limited edition prints of Keith Herring and Picasso. Then he took us to Monet. After Monet, we just wandered, quickly. I got to walk by each piece and I loved the column/stained glass room. Overall, a great little place to visit.

Visited the Davis yesterday. Awesome reinstallation. African sculptures next to Roman ones, so…read moreyou can think about how different cultures represent the human body and why they even made these works of arts. Fascinating. I spent an hour watching Gordon Matta-Clark videos. Very cool! I'm looking forward to two Indian exhibitions this Spring - so will take a trip back when the weather gets nicer so I can wander around the beautiful campus as well. There happened to be a reading by Nigerian author Chris Abani and Cuban author Achy Obejas - so caught that after touring through the museum. WOW! Intense stuff. And it was all free!

We stopped in to visit John Adam's home after he became the second US President. The home had been…read morein the Adams family for several generations before being turned over the National Park Service. They provide an excellent tour but you must get your ticket at the visitor's center.

Our flight to Tampa was canceled Tuesday night. By the time we knew we'd be here to sightsee, tours…read morewere sold out. Instead we toured the grounds on our own! I think a tour would have been better - 5 stars - but on our own we saw a lot, and with the walking tour on the National Parks app, we learned a lot about our surroundings. That made this 5 stars. Next time we come, we'll book the tour and use our National Parks Pass to save money.

Great place to relax or run or just have a walk around…read more The total round trip of this park is 1.3 miles. One can bring their dogs too, it's a great place for socializing with other pet owners. I found that this place is hardly ever crowded and hence a lot of parking is naturally available. Recommend for runners!

Really great park! Went here to enjoy a bagel sandwich and take a walk in the sun on a beautiful…read moreday! It is well maintained, so pretty clean and peaceful. The tree memorial for the 9/11 victims from the area was beautiful and a nice way to honor those folks in the community. There is alot of open grassy area to sit or play - a few benches along the trail, and a handful of picnic tables. If you want to sit out though, you probably want to bring your own chair. The walk was nice - very flat area without really any hills and the trail is paved, well defined, has mile markers, and is wide. It's a little over a mile, so if you're short on time you can get a quick walk in otherwise you can do a few laps to get in extra mileage! I did see there was a little playground area as well and a gazebo! There was actually a small ceremony happening when I was there. Another sweet thing to note, there is a senior living home on the trail, so it was lovely to see some elderly people out getting sunshine and enjoying the park too! Definitely recommend checking it out if you want to get outside and have a nice place to go!