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Beyond Natick—we visit Ocean Edge Resort on the Cape in winter

December 29, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The weather has cooled off, but Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club on Cape Cod in Brewster extends a warm welcome to guests with a line-up of winter events and experiences available at the year-round resort. With its mid-Cape location (and just a sub two-hour drive from Natick), the 429-acre, 337-room resort is well-positioned for exploring Barnstable County.

Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club, Brewster

We were invited to visit the resort as part of a press tour to see what the area has to offer now and through the rest of the season. Our room and meals were paid for by Ocean Edge. What we found was plenty to keep us occupied during our two-night stay—two indoor, 86-degree heated pools, each with an adjacent (even warmer) whirlpool, were available to guests; four restaurant options; and plenty of experiences were on tap. Ocean Edge recently has created a Director of Fun position, and when I tell you that Brandon brings on the energy, believe it. “I used to be a cruise ship director for 11 years,” he told us. “So I really learned there how to keep activities going. Plus I love seeing everyone having a great time, and I can’t sit still until they do. Even then, I can’t sit still.”

Coincidentally, the first person we met in taking part in an Ocean Edge activity during the trip was…a Natick resident.

Read more.

Filed Under: Beyond Natick, Entertainment, Travel

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Beyond Natick—a sculpture trail in Park Hill Orchard in Easthampton

November 17, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The apples and pears have all been picked at Park Hill Orchard in Easthampton, Massachusetts, but activity on the 80-acre farm hasn’t come to a stop. Through the end of November visitors can tour the grounds, where trails meander among 30 curated, large-scale sculptures and art installations placed in harmony alongside the farm’s fruit trees. Nearly 100 artists applied to participate in the 6th biennial Art in the Orchard show, a juried event which is expected to attract about 25k visitors by the end of its 4-month run.

park hill orchard public art

Park Hill Orchard is open dawn to dusk every day through the end of the month, and experiencing the sculpture trails is free. So if you’re looking for a safe, relaxing and enriching road trip for the family, we highly recommend taking the 1 hour and 45 minute drive from Natick to Easthampton. The farm stand is open and selling the bountiful autumn harvest as well as baked goods, coffee, and a cider slushie that you should not say no to. There are bathrooms onsite.

The first Art in the Orchard show came about in 2011 when orchard owners Alane Hartley and Russell Braen, eager to have their farm play an active part in the local cultural economy, joined forces with Easthampton gallery owner Jean-Pierre Pasche. Pasche had always wanted to recreate an outdoor sculpture exhibit like the one set in meadows near his hometown in Switzerland, and so a community partnership was born.

park hill orchard public art

Today the project is supported by over a dozen local businesses and donors, a host of volunteers, and has been recognized by the Massachusetts Cultural Council with one of its three annual Gold Star Awards as an exemplary community arts event out of more than 5,000 projects funded annually by local cultural councils statewide.

Special programs such as music, moonlight walks, dance, theater and more are put on throughout the duration of the exhibit. Check their website for more information.

park hill orchard public art

During our visit we saw family groups, friend groups, and on-a-date types like us, all enjoying the 2 or so hours it takes to wander the paths. Park Hill Orchard welcomes those who need help with accessibility by making available an ADA cart driven through the orchard by good ol’ Hank. Rides are available through November 28th for those who use wheeled devices or have trouble navigating the uneven terrain. Availability is Monday-Thursday, 2pm-5pm; Friday and Saturday, noon-5pm. No appointment is necessary.

park hill orchard public art
park hill orchard public art

 

park hill orchard public art
park hill orchard public art

Not tired yet? Mt. Tom State Reservation and its many trails is in nearby Holyoke. If you go, just remember to keep an eye on the clock. A pair of irresponsible types we know had to sprint down the mountain before park rangers slammed the gate shut at 4pm. Let’s not name any names.

PLACE: Park Hill Orchard, 82 Park Hill Rd., Easthampton, MA 01027
EXHIBIT: Art in the Orchard, open dawn til dusk. Free.
FARM STAND: Open 10am-dusk

Picnicking encouraged. Plenty of tables available.
Bathrooms onsite.
Dogs on leashes allowed.

Filed Under: Art, Beyond Natick



Enjoy craft beer, learn about clean energy at Exhibit ‘A’ event

October 5, 2021 by Admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED CONTENT: Interested in clean energy? Like having fun? Join the MetroWest Clean Energy team and installers ACE Solar; New England Ductless; and Achieve Renewable Energy, LLC.; for a fun night at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company on Thursday, October 7. Learn more about about solar, air source heat pump and ground-source heat pump solutions for your home.

Local installers are sponsoring this outdoor event and will be providing free meal tickets for clean energy guests. Volunteers will be available to help talk through potential proposals. There will also be a raffle and you could win a super-cool Jackery solar-powered portable generator.

Sustainable Natick event

EVENT: Clean Energy Brewfest
DATE: Thursday, October 7th
TIME: 6pm-8pm
LOCATION: Exhibit ‘A’, 81 Morton Street, Framingham, MA

EXHIBITORS: 
Ace Solar;
New England Ductless
Achieve Renewable Energy

Filed Under: Beyond Natick, Education, Environment

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Beyond Natick: Visiting Block Island during shoulder season

September 25, 2021 by Bob Brown 5 Comments

Block Island in Rhode Island swells from a community of about 1,000 year-round residents to become a summertime playground that hosts up to 20 times that during the peak season months of June, July, and August. We took advantage of our ability to visit for a 3-day September stretch during what’s known as shoulder season to experience this popular spot for the first time.

While Block Island temperatures hovered in the low 70s most of the time, strong winds and often gray skies made for less of a beach vacation and more of an exploring one. We biked, hiked, ran and walked the beach, visited lighthouses, shopped, came across interesting wildlife and domesticated animals, had a great view of a sailing regatta, and just missed most of the action planned for the island’s first Pride celebration that spawned rainbow flags seemingly everywhere.

All in all, the trip was a success. I even finished reading a book I started back in January, so it must have been a relaxing getaway.

Block Island, The National

 

We took the ferry from Point Judith, R.I., a sub-2-hour mid-morning drive from Natick. For the price of about $20 round trip for the regular 55-minute ferry, plus $7 per bike, we were off. (Impatient types can hop on the 30-minute high-speed ferry for about $50.) Parking cost $10 per day across the street. Overall, the process was smooth.

We walked just around the block in Old Harbor to our B&B, the Blue Dory, a charming old house at the start of Crescent Beach that earns a mention in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (under the Block Island section).

Block island

Given that the island was relatively quiet during our stay, noise outside our B&B was toned down, too. We were serenaded nightly by a singer with a regular gig across the street at The National, a hotel and restaurant with seating around fire pits in the back. He really knew how to cover James Taylor, Bob Dylan, and more, so we didn’t mind.

We had our first meal during our visit at The National, sitting on the front deck, which was mostly full and had a friendly buzz going at lunchtime. I took advantage of a buttered lobster roll and didn’t regret it. The menu also listed lobster roll with mayo, so all the bases were covered.

block island lobster roll

We didn’t have a bad meal during our stay, and found most of the restaurants on our list to be open despite the summer winding down. Other places we where we dined:

  • The Oar, where we sampled their seafood, infamous (and strong) mudslide, and grabbed a great view of the sunset from the New Harbor section of the island. The Oar has a fun tradition of honoring wedding parties with customized oars that decorate the restaurant and bar.
Block Island, The Oar
  • DeadEye Dick’s, another New Harbor restaurant, where we were initially mistaken for sailors sidelined by too-strong winds to take part in a regatta around the island (and there we were thinking wind was good for sailing). On our ferry ride back to Port Judith we luckily later caught the regatta in action, with dozens and dozens of boats taking part (or are they yachts asks the non-sailor?).

Nice view from ferry of regatta around Block Island pic.twitter.com/zMVO3BL4TG

— Natick Report (@NatickReport) September 19, 2021

  • Poor People’s Pub, one of those “Natick could use one of these” places, where we ate outside on picnic tables and hit the Shazam app more than once to capture songs from their playlist. Lobster & corn chowder and a burger hit the spot for us at this casual setting.

Block island

  • Bethany’s Airport Diner at the island’s airport is a classic cozy diner run by locals and offering menu items such as plate-sized pancakes. Unfortunately for us, the rain and fog that day nixed our plans to watch planes take off and arrive.

We made our way around the island largely by foot and bike. Dedicated cycling paths aren’t one of Block Island’s offerings, so you need to share the road with cars and mopeds, and that’s easier to do during the off-peak season given the reduced traffic. Still, within 10 minutes of our arrival I saw a woman wipe out on her bike, and possibly break her wrist. I was among those who helped her to the sidewalk to await an ambulance.

We hit the big sights, including lighthouses on the north and south shores. We walked from our hotel to the Southeast Light, a brick and granite structure. One thing about going off-season is that sights like this have more limited access, with tours only available on weekends.

Block island

From the lighthouse we walked down the road a bit and then down 141 steps to get a better look at the dramatic 200-feet high Mohegan Bluffs.

Block island

We took advantage of some of the island’s many dirt roads for shortcuts and to make our way to the waterfront, which is much more wide open to the public than beaches in some other northeastern vacation destinations. In walking down a dirt road called Beacon Hill Road we stopped at a bench to watch the action at a beautiful farm populated with ducks, chickens, cats, goats, and even a horse that peeked out of a barn just before rain drenched us during a hike on the nearby Greenway trails.

Block island

Block island

While not exploring the island’s natural beauty, one of us (not me) hit some of the shops, some of which were out of stuff (a pottery shop) and others of which were offering great end-of-season deals.

While Block Island isn’t that far away from Natick (friends more adventurous than us make a day trip of it), it felt like a legit getaway. It was definitely one of those trips we’ve been meaning to check off our list, and are glad we did.

Block Island North Light

 

Block island

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Filed Under: Beyond Natick, Travel

Beyond Natick: Ribbit the Exhibit at Elm Bank Reservation

July 20, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Things have really started hopping over at Massachusetts Horticultural Society with the installation of Ribbit the Exhibit, running through Sept. 7 at The Gardens at Elm Bank.  Nineteen whimsical 4 – 7 foot copper frog sculptures depicted by North Carolina artist J.A. Cobb have been placed throughout the 36-acre property. There’s Cora the Local Garden Enthusiast in the Bressingham Garden, gleaming metal watering can in hand; Emerson, A Morning Person, relaxing on a bench with a cup of coffee; Edward the Treefrog, perched in a tree, of course; and the rest of the engaging and amusing crew. Each frog comes with a backstory—just look for the nearby signs.

Elm Bank Reservation at Mass Hort

Every large-scale sculpture in the traveling exhibit takes the metalworker up to 4 weeks to complete, and he crafts them one at a time. The work on Ribbit The Exhibit starts in the studio, but it doesn’t end there. Once a public garden books the frogs for an exhibit, Cobb personally delivers the pieces by truck, loading, unpacking, and supervising the installation of each sculpture. Don’t take him to be a micro-manager, though. Cobb leaves it to the staff at each garden to decide where to place his sculptures. Early on he found trying to site each frog perfectly in a garden he didn’t know was a waste of time when there was already a group of people on hand with strong artistic opinions. “The staff already knows these gardens like the back of their hands, and they do a great job with placement. They nail it every time,” he said.

Cobb’s artistic ability lay dormant until he was 42. The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill graduate had majored in business and did not take any art-related classes beyond the most basic UNC requirements. Graduation led to a job in corporate sales, where he worked for 21 years until burnout set in. But from the ashes of burnout came the rays of an epiphany—the artist’s life would be his path forward. Once Cobb traded in his three-piece suits and starched shirts for jeans and a t-shirt, he never glanced back.

Elm Bank, Andy Cobb, artist

What started as an exhausted former exec fiddling around with some clay and copper has led to a vibrant dream career that keeps Cobb in the studio six days a week. He and his wife JoEtta and their rescue pup Charlie live in a small village on the Atlantic Ocean. The waterfront location with its natural habitat for herons, shorebirds, and other coastal creatures provides Cobb with plenty of inspiration. Although his amphibians are pure fantasy, Cobb says, “I hear over and over at gardens ‘it looks like they belong here.'”

“Ribbit the Exhibit has been a massive hit with families this summer” Mass Hort President, James Hearsum said. “There are 19 sculptures altogether and in every area of the Garden, so just finding the complete set is a fun challenge. Each one has a unique personality and shares important information about the garden, the importance of our local ecology and global environmental issues. It is important to visit soon – they are all hopping back home after Labor Day, so don’t delay your garden visit.”

It’s looking like Mass Hort simply can’t do without Cora. The organization has been in talks with Cobb to leave her behind when the exhibit ends. Cobb only has a hard time letting go “…if if I think they won’t be taken good care of. Then I won’t let go of them. But I know Cora will be taken care of.”

Elm Bank Reservation at Mass Hort

Hundreds of his frogs and other creatures have found permanent homes in pubic and private gardens throughout the United States, England, and Canada. “Not only do I do the exhibits,” he says, “but I have yet to be able to turn down a commission. After 25 years, the greatest thing to me is making people happy. If I can work with someone to produce something that makes them happy every single day, then that’s as good as it gets. I’ve got five commissions going right now.”

Cobb’s first large, whimsical frog was patterned after Toad from Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s book, The Wind in the Willows. Other famous figures he’s frog-ified are Degas’ Little Dancer sculpture; ballroom dancing greats Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers; Grant Wood’s American Gothic; and more.

Cobb hand draws each sculpture, then cuts out the pieces from 16-ounce flat sheets of copper. After the cut lines are drawn on the copper, he hammers and folds the sheet into the 3-dimensional image he has planned, much like origami. The pieces are then assembled by using a metal-joining process in which two or more pieces are joined together by melting and flowing copper into each joint. This brazing process, along with assembling the pieces around a steel armature, gives the sculptures the strength to last for decades. Cobb says all of his sculptures are built to last and, once completed, require little to no further maintenance.

Elm Bank Reservation at Mass Hort

“My first Ribbit Exhibit show was in 2008,” he says. I was trying to make a living selling sculpture, but in 2008 the economy had tanked. Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville had seen some of my sculptures and asked if I could do an exhibit in the garden. I was looking for exposure. They said I should bulk up the size of the show and bring sculptures to other gardens.”

Cobb took that advice and now typically has exhibits going at two gardens at any given time. Some of the gardens his frogs have appeared in are Dow Gardens in Michigan; Reiman Gardens in Iowa; The Morton Arboretum in Illinois; Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina; Harry P. Leu Gardens in Florida; Airlie Gardens in North Carolina; and Mounts Botanical Gardens in Florida.

At 68 years of age, Cobb has no plans to retire. He just enjoys what he does too much to let it all go. His artist’s creed: “Whatever you’re doing, have fun. If it’s not fun, I will quit.”

Ribbit Exhibit is included with daily admission to The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA. $10 for adults, free for ages 12 and under. Free for Massachusetts Horticultural Society members.

More at Mass Hort:

  • In September Mass Hort will unveil a “Virtual Reality Contemporary Art Experience” as part of a global consortium of 12 top botanical gardens, led by Jerusalem Botanic Garden.
  • As a little extra, Mass Hort knows that many families missed out on their annual tradition of visiting the Festival of Trees last year. The Festival will return in November 2021, but for all the little (and not so little) boys and girls who cannot wait to see the model trains, the train room will be opened for “Christmas in July” from Sunday, July 25 through Saturday, July 31. The train room will be operating 10am-5pm and is free after normal garden entry fees.

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Filed Under: Art, Beyond Natick, Gardens, Outdoors

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