Trails & Sails 2017

Sailor Crafts and Activities

Kids will learn Maritime History through activities and crafts in Salem Massachusetts!

Come to the Salem Maritime National Historic Visitor Center to imagine what life was like at sea as you rummage through the sea bags of a ship’s boy, a sailor, and a captain. Try writing your name using signal flags used to send messages at sea. Then, make a Sailor Valentine out of sea shells like the ones sailors would create for their loved ones back home.

When: 
Sunday, September 17, 2017, Noon-4pm (Open Doors)

The 17th Century Garden in New England

Learn about colonial gardens at Saugus Iron Works as part of Trails and Sails!

U. S. National Park Service hosts  a 45 minute slide lecture will be provided in the auditorium on gardens of the Colonial period, from early settlement until the time of the Revolution. The purposes of these gardens, popular garden styles and layouts, and a selection of popular and useful plants, will be among the topics discussed.

When: 
Sunday, September 24, 2017 1-3pm

Polo & Picnic

Myopia Polo match and picnic as part of trails and sails!
The sport of Kings, and YOU are invited! Thanks to the generosity of Myopia Polo, enjoy an afternoon of sport at the oldest active Polo field in the USA. Bring your own picnic and beverages -- prizes will be awarded for best presentation, food, and spirit of the sporting days of yesteryear! Look for your host, Essex Heritage Commissioner Forrester "Tim" Clark-- a former polo player--who will explain the game to you! Tim will be assisted by several current and past players who will give their own insights on this ancient and fascinating game.
When: 
Sunday, September 24, 2017, 1:30-5PM
Location: 

Historic Ice House Tours - Sundays

Tour Cape Pond Ice and chill wioth the coolest guys in town!

Chill with the coolest guys in town! Enjoy a cool visit to Cape Pond Ice Company, icing Gloucester's fleet since 1848. We were featured in Sebastian Junger's account of The Perfect Storm. Tours highlight the history of the ice industry, with vintage film of natural ice harvests. See first hand 300-pound block ice being made (up to 350 tons per day), fishing vessels taking on ice and ice sculptures being carved in our historic icehouse on Gloucester's working waterfront. Part of Trails & Sails.

When: 
Sundays, September 17 & 24, 2017 11am-Noon
Saturdays, September 16 & 23, 2017 11am-Noon or 1-2pm
Fridays, September 15 & 22, 2017 2-3pm
Location: 

Historic Ice House Tours - Fridays

Tour Cape Pond Ice and chill wioth the coolest guys in town!

Chill with the coolest guys in town! Enjoy a cool visit to Cape Pond Ice Company, icing Gloucester's fleet since 1848. We were featured in Sebastian Junger's account of The Perfect Storm. Tours highlight the history of the ice industry, with vintage film of natural ice harvests. See first hand 300-pound block ice being made (up to 350 tons per day), fishing vessels taking on ice and ice sculptures being carved in our historic icehouse on Gloucester's working waterfront.

When: 
Fridays, September 15 & 22, 2017 2-3pm
Saturdays, September 16 & 23, 2017 11am-Noon or 1-2pm
Sundays, September 17 & 24, 2017 11am-Noon
Location: 

Riverbend Open House

Ipswich River Watershed Association Open House at Riverbend as part of Trails and Sails!

The Riverbend Open House hosted by the Ipswich River Watershed Association will include games and activities for children and family geared towards teaching them about water use, the watershed, and the river. Guest will be able to explore the trails and gardens on the Riverbend property and participate in short paddles departing from the Riverbend dock. While guest may choose to bring their own kayaks/canoes/paddleboards they are invited to use the organization’s canoes and kayaks. Attendees should dress for being out of doors, bringing sunblock, water bottles and hats.

When: 
Sunday, September 17, 2017 2-4pm

Union Cemetery Scavenger Hunt

Take this self-guided scavenger hunt at Union Cemetary in Georgetown as part of Trails and Sails!

Learn about local history, gravestone carving and more in this fun and educational self-guided tour of Georgetown's historic Union Cemetery. Fun for the whole family! E-mail: info@georgetownhistoricalsociety.com for your scavenger hunt list and instructions, then drop by the Brocklebank Museum at 108 East Main Street, open Sundays from 2-5, to discuss your findings and enter for a chance to win some great prizes! Drawing is September 25th at 5 pm.

When: 
Sunday, September 17, 2017 10am-4pm
Sunday, September 24, 2017 10am-4pm

Cruising the Essex River

Take a guided tour of the Essex Marshes with Essex River Cruises for Trails & Sails

Essex River Cruises hosts a narrated sightseeing tour that winds down the beautiful Essex River aboard Essex River Queen, a pontoon boat. Explore the marshes and discover a habitat brimming with abundant wildlife and the changing landscape that supports it. Bring along your binoculars, cameras and sketchbooks! You're bound to be inspired!

When: 
Saturday, September 17, 2017 8:30-10 am

Kayak Tour at Parker River NWR

Paddle the waters of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on this ranger guided tour.

Join park staff from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge to see and experience the refuge’s salt marsh than from the cockpit of your own kayak! Join a couple of refuge rangers for a 2.5 hour meander through the marsh and learn about some of its fascinating natural and cultural history.

When: 
Saturday, September 23, 2017 1-3:30pm

New England Cradle of Aviation, Plum Island Airport Open House

W. Starling Burgess developed his piloting skills out of Plum Island Aerodrome

Come for guided tours of the Burgess Aviation Museum! Tours feature photographs, artifacts, and a diorama celebrating the 1910 flying field at Plum Island in Newbury – New England’s first – and the current Plum Island Airport. From April to August 1910, Marblehead yacht builder W. Starling Burgess conducted a series of increasingly successful test flights on biplanes he designed and built.

When: 
Saturday, September 16, 2017 11am-4pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our...
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Wednesday, January 21

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Thursday, January 22

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Owl Prowl Hike at Appleton Farms

Learn all about owls at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts for kids older than 12
Join us for a very special evening hike to see the owls who might be out and about in the dark winter woods and fields of Appleton Farms. This hike will take place along the trails of Appleton, known to have multiple species of owls. Before our hike, you’ll learn about wintertime nocturnal animals...
4:15 pm to 5:45 pm

Friday, January 23

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Winter Family Field Trip: Terrific Animal Tracking

Families will learn about identifying animal tracks at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts!
Mammals such as squirrels, rabbits and deer leave many signs that they are active in winter. Learn how to interpret the tracks and signs or clues of active animals in winter. Stay active and warm with a group challenge about hibernation. Conduct an experiment about snow insulation.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Kidleidoscope at Breakheart Reservation

Kidleidoscope is a program designed for preschoolers at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Come join our park interpreter for a story time and nature walk! Complete a small craft and explore the woods! Walks are gently paced and approximately 1 mile, though not accessible for strollers. Appropriate for families with children 3-5 years old. Meet at the Visitor Center.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Unraveling Winters Wild Tales - Animal Tracking for Families

Kids will learn about tracks and signs and how they can tell a story at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts!
Welcome to the wild world of animal tracking! Participants will learn how to identify animal tracks by focusing on key details such as number of toes, toenail impressions, and overall size of the print.
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Saturday, January 24

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Nice and Easy winter hike at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.
9:30 am to 11:30 am

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
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