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Arthur may be out looking for the next best roller coaster, and this
blog has been discontinued. Thanks for visiting and happy travels!
 September 19, 2007Winnetu's Vineyard Haven
Posted by mablogger2 at 04:50 PM September 13, 2007Set sail for the North Shore
On the water side of the offerings, there will be whale watches and schooner sails in Gloucester, river cruises in Essex, and kayak tours in Newbury. Some events will focus on food, including a tour of the Cat Cove Marine Laboratory in Salem to learn about aquaculture, a visit to Valley View Farm in Topsfield to see how goat cheese is made, and a wagon tour of Arrowhead Farm in Newburyport to talk with the folks tending the crops, poultry, and beef cattle. Among the many other Trails & Sails things to do, some will explore architecture, the area's Great Marsh, and Colonial-era history. Essex County Trails & Sails: A Weekend of Walks and Water Photo: Arthur Levine, 2006. Licensed to Boston.com Posted by mablogger2 at 03:31 PM September 10, 2007Go behind WGBH's front line
WGBH Open House Photo: WGBH Boston Posted by mablogger2 at 04:31 PM September 7, 2007Eat, drink, and be corny at fall food festivals
Posted by mablogger2 at 12:55 PM September 5, 2007Salsa-, er, mango-tinged music in Lawrence and Haverhill
Posted by mablogger2 at 12:52 PM August 31, 2007Nantucket views as clear as a bell
Posted by mablogger2 at 07:37 PM August 27, 2007Brimfield's antique show is an antique itself
Posted by mablogger2 at 09:58 PM August 24, 2007Damn this (Cape Cod) traffic jam
Photo: Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Posted by mablogger2 at 02:06 PM August 22, 2007Newburyport shop has timeless appeal
Posted by mablogger2 at 04:08 PM August 18, 2007Vampires not invited
North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival Photo:Garlic and Arts Festival Posted by mablogger2 at 10:43 AM     This blog is a feature of explorenewengland.com. It is not produced by
writers and editors of The Boston Globe. Questions or comments? E-mail us.
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Unlike the smaller, more staid Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard has a broader and richer palette of personas. It's a short distance from Edgartown to Oak Bluffs, but the elegant, tidy captain's homes of the former feel a world apart from the honky-tonk arcades and bars of the latter. The Vineyard's patchwork character becomes even more apparent when you toss in its whimsical gingerbread houses, the dramatic Aquinnah Cliffs, Menemsha's busy fishing port, and the funky Taylor/Simon musical vibe. Similarly, the Winnetu Oceanside Resort is hard to pin down. Sure, it's an upscale hotel with spacious suites, stunning ocean views, and a sophisticated dining room. But any illusions that it is a stuffy, hushed place are quickly shattered when a vintage fire truck, complete with a crew of squealing kids, comes barreling through the property. The Winnetu is equally adept at pampering discriminating vacationers and engaging the Pampers set.
With its rich history, beckoning coastline, and many sights, there are scads of fun things to do throughout the towns north of Boston. Don't believe me? Skedaddle to the area from September 28 to 30 and you will indeed discover scads--over 150, to be exact--of events during the annual Trails & Sails celebration. Dozens of organizations, in conjunction with the Essex National Heritage Commission, will be presenting a wide variety of events loosely based on the theme, "A Weekend of Walks and Water." Best of all, none of the events will cost you scads of cash; in fact, through the generosity of the participating organizations and sponsors, they will all be free. 
WGBH, the folks that deliver public television to Massachusetts (and make never-ending pleas for donations; how many tote bags and umbrellas can one viewer possibly use?) has a new home in Brighton and will be throwing open its doors for a public open house this Sunday. It's a rare opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes of the PBS powerhouse that not only broadcasts public TV, but produces an incredible array of renowned programs such as "Antiques Roadshow," "Nova," "American Experience," and "Frontline." It is also the home of WGBH Radio and its eclectic mix of news, jazz, classical music, and other programs. The open house, which is free, will include guided tours of the TV and radio studios, meet and greets with Curious George, Arthur (the cartoon character, not me), Buster, and Ruff Ruffman, refreshments, and plenty of live entertainment. The swanky new complex will include a 30-foot-tall jumbo screen on the side of its building that will display video images and messages to distract drivers along the Mass Pike. Hmm. Do you think WGBH might insert subliminal donation pleas?
Summer is unofficially over, so it's time to put away the flip flops, boogie boards, and sand pails and return to serious...eating. There are a number of festivals around the state geared to a variety of gustatory delights. Want to indulge in some sweet corn on the cob? (And hasn't the local corn been especially savory this season?) How about some finger-lickin' ribs? Or, perhaps your tastes run more to scallops? Hit one of these events and gorge yourself on a favorite food; or hit all of them and think of it as one huge, never-ending buffet.
Do you think you know Latin music? If your knowledge of the genre runs from Charo to Ricky Martin, then you don't know coochee-coochee. Maybe it's time to go to school. The whole la vida loca of Latin music will take center stage when Northern Essex Community College celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of concerts and special events. The fun kicks off on Friday, September 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. with Mango Blue (what a delicious name for a group!). The band will perform what it describes as Afro-Latin and World music. The eight-member group (pictured) plays its own compositions and blends a spicy brew of jazz, R&B, funk, and, of course, Latin rhythms.
Passengers aboard Nantucket-bound ferries catch sight of a lovely white church steeple as the ships approach the island. While it could hardly qualify as a skyscraper, the church does rise above all of Nantucket's other buildings. In addition to providing a welcoming beacon to arriving ferry passengers, the church's leaders realized that the steeple's height and location could offer folks on the island a wonderful vantage point from which to view Nantucket. So, during the warmer months, the First Congregational Church allows guests to climb up its bell tower and take in a 360-degree overview of Nantucket.
I've never quite understood the appeal of collecting antiques--or anything for that matter. The idea that something has "value" because it is rare just doesn't resonate with me. I guess I'm more attuned to the practical function, and occasionally the sentimental value, of items. If you, however, are among the legions that enjoy antiquing, you owe it to yourself to check out the phenomenon that is the Brimfield Antiques Show. Long before eBay, folks seeking to fill out their collections or hunt for bargains have been converging on this tiny rural town in the middle of Massachusetts. After nearly forty years, it has evolved into what its organizers describe as the largest antiques and collectibles show in the nation. 
With colleges and public schools starting their fall schedules earlier, Labor Day weekends on Cape Cod generally haven't been quite as crowded as they were only a few years ago. Still, there's bound to be a tumult next weekend, as visitors indulge summer's last gasp with a final frenzy of swimming, fried clams, ice cream, and mini-golf. I'm predicting it'll be a whole lot easier getting on to the Cape than it will be getting off for the holiday weekend. Since the "flyover" opened in place of the rotary at the Sagamore Bridge a few months ago, inbound traffic to Cape Cod on Fridays has usually been a relative breeze. Cars whiz--OK, maybe "trot" is a more apt description--past the spot where the dreaded rotary used to turn mild-mannered drivers into raving lunatics, and cruise onto the bridge that takes them over the Cape Cod Canal. Just as motorists get lulled into a false sense of, "Hey, this thing really works!” however, the return trips have inexplicably turned into nightmares that have stalled drivers dreaming about the bad old days of the rotary. It doesn't seem to matter what time visitors make the departing trek on Sunday (or in the case of Labor Day weekend, Monday); it's a parking-lot crawl for the last few miles leading to the bridge pretty much all day, and it's worse this post-flyover summer than previous years. Likewise, it doesn’t seem to matter when people arrive on Friday; it's typically clear sailing all day. Does this make any sense? There is the same number of lanes heading in both directions. All of those cars got onto the Cape. Why can't they get off? Perhaps motorists spread their arrival times between Friday, Saturday, and in the case of day-trippers, Sunday morning, but then leave en masse on Sunday. Whatever the reason, I'd advise those of you who are planning a last-hurrah Cape Cod trip this Labor Day weekend to finish up your clams and ice cream and get the heck off the Cape on Sunday.
You don't have to step into Fowle's to step back in time. The sentimental journey begins outside the shop on State Street in downtown Newburyport. Its evocative neon sign (hawking soda and cigars) and its hand-lettered, faded, Art Deco sign are simultaneously nostalgic and warmly inviting. The left half of the store offers a generous array of newspapers and magazines, while the right half is a cozy restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch and features a handsome counter with stools. The two halves equal a wholly unique place in our twenty-first century world.
The tiny Western Massachusetts town may be called Orange, but the smell in the air on the weekend of September 15, will be anything but sweet citrus. The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival, an ode to the stinking rose, will include music, entertainment for children, nature walks, hayrides, artists and craftspeople, and, of course, lots and lots of garlic. Chow down on garlic sausages, corn with garlic butter, and--gag--garlic ice cream. Learn the basics of garlic growing and other agricultural pursuits. And participate in unique events, including a garlic and egg toss, a tug of garlic, and, OMG, a raw garlic eating contest. With healing arts demonstrations, such as Qigong Therapy and Tai Chi, there will be a funky, as well as a stinky, vibe at the festival.
