I’m a Florida girl who moved to New England to ensure I
would see snow, (yes, I’ve seen quite a bit!), but I fell in love with the
rocks and hilly terrain that make up southern New England, and I have never
left. My enjoyment is perhaps a little
different from that of many people because paralysis in my right foot and ankle
have challenged me to find outdoor places I could visit and enjoy safely.
My professional work
as a personal historian has taught me to create books—initially for individuals
wanting to share family stories with the next generation. Now, with the
publication of two walking guides to south central Massachusetts, I’ve written
for a wider public. At first, “easy walks” for me were simply an assortment of
local places that my family and I enjoyed visiting for short walks. I found many
pretty spots; some offered views, others were simple loop trails around ponds,
and still others were railtrails whose paved or crushed stone surfaces allowed my
husband and me to ride our tandem bike. Two books later, I’ve catalogued 25
contiguous towns and 65 trails in south central Massachusetts. I’m still seeking out Easy Walks to enjoy and
share with others. Here are a few of my favorite places near where I live.
Hopedale Parklands, Hopedale, MA
Hopedale Parklands combines the things I love best—history,
water views, and easy walking. One hundred years ago, the town of Hopedale
finished a carriage road around Hopedale Pond, creating a place for area
residents to get out and enjoy the outdoors. The carriage road is hard-packed
gravel, not paved. The wide path is a little rough in a few spots; there are boulders
of various sizes along the way, with lots of spots to get great views of the
pond as you travel through the woodland that surrounds the area.
