Urban Exploring

This adventure was at a distillery that was abandoned over 25 years ago. The twenty-some buildings that once distilled & packaged whiskey were locked up and left alone to crumble. Almost thirty years later, nature has taken back parts of it and there is some seriously cool exploring to be had.

Not all of the buildings are open, but a few are. Remnants of the past included old bottling machines, labels, calendars, time punches and instruction manuals.. the list goes on and on.

Nature coming back..

Lonely chairs in a dark & empty warehouse.

Coca-Cola bottle, circa 1978.

Disclaimer: Not desiring to do anything in the wrong, I researched this place and the surrounding grounds heavily before we went. To the best of my knowledge, I am fairly certain the park is now owned by the State Game Lands. At least that's what I gathered from looking at maps and reading a few things. We didn't pass any no trespassing signs, and we didn't do anything except take a few photos and wander around. Happy exploring!

A Day in Gloucester, MA

 Our last full day in Massachusetts we spent in the sweet little town of Gloucester. We snagged a Groupon deal for a whale-watching trip at a great price (over half off!) and drove up above Boston to grab our boat. We had beautiful weather the entire time we were camping, and this day was no exception! 

 The entire trip was between 3-4 hours, with about an hour each way of motoring out far into the ocean to where the whales actually were.

 ..but we found them! They were huge! 

 Tay & Andrew :)

 The pictures don't really do the whales justice in reference to their size. 

 The boat ride was great as well. We sailed past a castle, two lighthouses, lobster-men & more! 

We rode with Captain Bill's, and we enjoyed it immensely! I'd recommend their trips if you're in the Gloucester area and want to see a few really big fish. ;)

Did you miss a post? Catch up on our adventure in Massachusetts with:

Boston Harbor Islands & Inner-city Boston

Boston: The Commons & Museum of Fine Arts

For our second day in Massachusetts, we took the metro to the Boston Commons for a full day of exploring the city. It was a gorgeous day to wander around, eat good food, and learn up on American history.

We picnicked in this park for lunch, it was lovely. :)

I love cute doors.

We walked (almost) the entirety of the Freedom Trail. I had walked it before on a previous trip to Boston, and I just love how it weaves you through the city.

The Old North Church, where Paul Revere hung his famous lanterns. Although it should be noted this is not the original church, it was rebuilt since then.

I can't help but love the old cemeteries dating back into the 1700's, they're just so full of history.

The Charles River, marina, and the Bunker Hill Monument.

We ended up back where we began, the Boston Commons & Public Gardens. I had one thing on my agenda for the day: ride the famous swan boats. We all agreed it sounded like fun, so we took a cruise around the pond in the gardens. It was cute and lovely all rolled into one. :)

This is where Mama and Papa Quack lived.. if you've read Make Way For Ducklings, that statement will make a lot more sense. :)

We spent probably an hour just relaxing in the garden and enjoying good company. It's nice to travel and adventure without a tight agenda. :)

Our last stop for the day was the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Taylor & I both enjoy art museums, but the admission price was pretty steep. However, we found out they offer free admission after 5 o'clock on Wednesdays, so off we went!

Chuck Close is one of the favorite artists!

.. and that was our wonderful day in Boston. :) We also had some delicious seafood for dinner before arriving back at our campground at a late hour. I lovelovelove this city. Boston is just the right mix of history, modern fun, great food and the ocean.

You can look at more of our adventures in Massachusetts like: Boston Harbor Islands & Gloucester Whale-Watching