Spectacle Island

My summer weekends are pretty much all going to look a little like this:

With a little of this thrown in

There’s sunshine and blue skies and blue seas, a little bubbly, sandwiches, fruit, and dips. It’s a whole lot of fun but  not great blogging material at all, and as someone who hates reading/seeing the same thing over and over in blogs, I will spare you the weekly details.

BUT we are still on track to do lots of fun Boston area day trips, and this weekend we made our way to the first of several Boston Harbor Islands, Spectacle Island for some fun in the sun with great friends.

The dock staff at Spectacle were awesome, helping us newbies pull into dock and even making some pretty knots to keep us tied up. In addition to private boats, Spectacle can be easily reached by MBTA ferry, and it is a great day trip and escape from the city.

Spectacle Island has a varied history that included farming, a quarantine hospital, a glue factory, resort hotels and a garbage dump. The island was recently the receiving ground for excavated material from the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project. The site is being returned to the public for recreation as a park is constructed over the landfill. (http://www.nps.gov/boha/historyculture/facts-spec.htm)

The island offers a nicely groomed walking or running trail, lots of beautiful flowers and birds, and as the island with the highest point in the harbor, some fantastic views of Boston and the other islands. We caught Aer Lingus flying in (and waved, as we do every single time!) We hiked one of the trails and then grabbed some food before heading back to the boat to sun ourselves in it’s protected little harbor, away from the wind and the waves.

The island also offers a green visitor center with information about the island, shelter out of the sun, clean, nice bathrooms, and a Summer Shack snack bar. And in the summer, they have events such as Yoga for Kids, jazz concerts, clam bakes, and more. It really is the perfect place for a little stay-cation in Boston!

Our day ended on a not-so-great note, boating wise, but we were all safe- stressed and a little shaken-but safe nonetheless. Other than that it was the perfect way to spend a Saturday.

What kinds of things do you like to do on a stay-cation?