Off the Beaten Path: An Exciting Excursion to the Boston Harbor Islands
If you are in Boston for an extended vacation and are looking for something “off the beaten path” to do while you are in town, be sure to check out the Boston Harbor Islands national park area. This year, park visitors are able to explore the islands with the help of a new book: Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands: A Guide to the City’s Hidden Shores . Written by Christopher Klein and including a foreword from Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the 224-page book provides readers with historical vignettes and present-day portraits of each of the 34 islands in the national park area.
Out of countless recreational opportunities, Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands highlights the following ten experiences that visitors shouldn’t miss on the Boston Harbor Islands this year:
1. Scale Boston Light. Take a guided tour of the oldest light station in the country and climb the seventy-six spiral steps and two short ladders for a spectacular view.
2. Take a dip. Grab your bathing suit, towel, and suntan lotion and head to the sand and surf at Spectacle Island’s new life-guarded beach.
3. Wander Fort Warren’s dark passages. Explore the spooky tunnels of this historic fort that once held Confederate prisoners during the Civil War.
4. Pitch a tent. Camp out on the islands and catch unforgettable sunrises and sunsets in the shadows of the city skyline. Spend a night on Grape Island for the most bucolic setting.
5. Grab a paddle. Beginning kayakers can spend the afternoon exploring the Hingham Harbor islands, while experienced kayakers can brave the outer harbor to visit the Brewsters.
6. Scale Thompson Island’s ropes and climbing walls. Participate in one of Outward Bound’s programs and challenge your limitations by conquering the ropes course and climbing towers.
7. Pack a lunch. There are fantastic spots to picnic on all the harbor islands, but the picnic areas on Bumpkin and Great Brewster Islands offer unparalleled vistas.
8. Brush up on your fish tales. Fish populations are rebounding along with the harbor’s water quality. Striped bass, bluefish, flounder, and cod are among the fish that are biting.
9. Follow your feathered friends. Grab a pair of binoculars and try to spot some of the more than one hundred species of birds that frequent the Boston Harbor Islands.
10. See Boston in a new light. There’s no better view of the city and harbor than from Spectacle Island’s north drumlin. Private boaters can stay overnight at the marina—bring a chair for the Saturday night movies on the pier, or a blanket for the bonfire on the beach.
Those interested in learning more about the harbor islands should attend the author event on Spectacle Island on July 20, 2008. Christopher Klein will sign books and talk about the fascinating history of the harbor islands. Think: pirates, pilgrims, shipwrecked sailors, and prisoners of war. The public is welcome to attend this event, hosted by the Island Alliance on the beautiful Spectacle Island. Talks will be held at 1pm or 3pm, but make sure you stick around for the live jazz on the porch, or relax on the beach.
Date: Sunday, July 20, 2008
Time: 1pm and 3pm
Place: Visitor Center, Spectacle Island
Directions: Take Boston Harbor Islands ferry from Long Wharf to Spectacle Island. From the South Shore, take the ferries departing from either Quincy Shipyard or Hingham Shipyard. Check ferry schedules for times.
Contacts:
Spectacle Island: Park Ranger, 617-223-8666, Ext.205
boha_information@nps.gov
Ferry information:
www.bostonharborislands.org
Union Park Press: 617-423-0840
www.unionparkpress.com
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