Yup, we appreciated having a vehicle to travel back and forth while in the Boston area. It was our decision to stay in a hotel close to our brother's home, but the Dedham Hilton Hotel didn't have a complimentary buffet breakfast (cheap). We discovered a cute café on the way between hotel and their house in Westwood: Muffin House Cafe. Oh yeah, they served some really delish goodies.
Jimmy and I and Nannie and Bubba had two more days to spend with the family. 😊Wednesday dawned cloudy with a chance of (much needed) rain, but if any drops fell, I didn't see them. Clouds meant cooler temps, too, which was okay with us.
The younger generation was working or at summer camp, so it was just the six old farts that got to play. We decided to visit a place called World's End, basically a hiking area in Hingham, MA. A peninsula jutting into Hingham Bay, World's End is comprised of 400+ acres of spoon-shaped hills (called drumlins) formed by glaciers, so we had plenty of space to roam. Saw a number of birds, too, beginning with the Egret above.
Just like where Jimmy and I live, World's End had very little level ground -- it was either up or down. But we enjoyed the views of the bays and boats. It being a week day, we didn't encounter too many others. I imagine the trails might be crowded on weekends.
I love this picture of Rus and Anne walking down toward the water. Now 80, they've been married since 1971. You do the math. You have to admire these two (and we do) who have had a number of health issues in the past six years ... they're still getting Out and About. And also they have two of the nicest "kids."
We walked and talked, by two and threes, changing it up frequently. This mama turkey and her brood hightailed it up a hill when they saw us. She had either four or five young'uns.
We wondered if we'd get rained on -- check that sky! -- but the rain held off. I wore an over-shirt, but shed that as I started up one of those hills.
Anne and Nannie leading the way at this point. At a low place, a boggy area, I put on my shirt again, 'cause I got bit by skeeters. The park was home to so many stately, old trees, some even had name tags telling us who they were: Black Oak, Tulip Tree, Hophornbeam, etc. This is a very idyllic coastal park.
Looking north across the bay was Boston's scenic skyline.
We had quite a few steps on our fitbits by the time we returned to the car for our picnic lunch. We were hungry! After leaving World's End (very enjoyable), we drove a short way to Nantasket Beach, and a complete change of weather -- windy and chilly. There's Massachusetts Bay above, with a fairly decent surf. In fact, we saw a couple of surfers (in wet suits, of course, brrrr).
Dinner this evening was simple: Anne ordered pizzas, the guys picked 'em up, and we gobbled up slice after slice. We didn't stay too long, we were tired and returned to the hotel. Tomorrow is another day!
* * * * *
Thursday dawned a warm, blue-sky day. In our peregrinations about the area, we discovered another delightful breakfast spot, below. Brother, Rus, joined us this morning. Isn't the name cute?
When Rus and Anne asked us what we wanted to do during our time with them, we said, "We want to spend time with y'all and hug your necks." We didn't need to be entertained or "see" Boston -- we'd done that years ago. So, the six of us spent considerable time at the kitchen table, chatting and teasing and laughing. But, we're Nykvist's, and we can only sit so long, and then we go.
Rus and Bubba opted out, but the rest of us decided to take the "walking tour" of Dedham, one of the oldest towns in Mass, first settled by colonists in 1635. The boundaries of the town stretched to the Rhode Island border at that time, but it's considerably smaller now. The town has quite a history, worth a read in Google.
Prominent in Dedham is the Unitarian Universalist Church, above. Doesn't it look just like a New England church should? We met the Pastor on our walk and she graciously offered to let us tour the inside, below.
On the left are the front and back of the church. Sorry about the clarity. On the right are two shots of the floor. The grate, at top, is for heating (with stairs to below!), and the bottom pic shows the wide pine floorboards. A lovely old church, with a good feeling about it.
The homes in the historical section of Dedham post signs of the year they were built. The house above was erected in 1798. The beauty below, 1801. Well maintained and sturdy, they must have been well-built! They're typical of homes in the area. We saw lots more, but you get the idea.
Next was the old cemetery, dating from 1636, above and below. I didn't see any stones from those long-ago years, though that's not to say there aren't any; I'm sure the dates would've worn slap off by now. We did see some very old dates, as in 1700's.
Look at the gorgeous former jail, above, originally constructed in 1816. It's larger than it looks. This building has been turned into condos! Wouldn't it be a hoot to have a condo here?
Finally, we ducked into the Dedham Historical Society and Museum, a beautiful brick building on High Street. Inside we found a number of artifacts, like an iron Paul Revere bell cast in 1796, and an ancient round box containing spices. Quite a few pieces of Dedham Pottery (reproductions) were on display and even some for sale. All of us have a number of bunnies and plates. We didn't see everything, not nearly, but it wants more time and cooler temps. Regardless, t'was a nice afternoon walk-about.
This evening -- our last evening -- was kind of special. Dinner was at Bubbling Brook, just a mile or two from Rus and Anne's Westwood home. Nephew, Jon, worked there during summers when he was a teenager. It was a kid's hangout, but families came in droves for fried clams and/or ice cream (or both). It's a summer place, and we've all tried the ice cream flavors over the years. And so we met there again tonight, the six oldsters, plus Kris (missing Rob) and her two young'uns, Kyle and Anna, and big Jon, glowing in the sunlight at the end of the table. Lauren, and the two kids, Will and Lizzie, were at the Cape. Around the table, beginning with Rus, Jimmy, Kristen, Nannie, and Jon. Then Bubba, Kyle, Anna, and Anne. Fun times.
We said our heartfelt goodbyes, not many tears, grateful to have these past few days together. Too many years slide by without seeing one another, we say, so maybe we can do this next year somewhere else, maybe. Let's make it happen. Thanks to all of you for a truly happy visit. Love you all much.
That's it, then. At the airport, we parted from Nannie and Bubba who flew home American, while we climbed aboard another JetBlue plane bound for SMF (Sacramento). Our shuttle lady was waiting for us, thank goodness, and we hit the doorstep at 10pm Friday. Lasting almost four weeks, our three-part trip is over, and what a grand trip it was!
