BIG E

I know all about fairs-local, county, state, etc!  However, I'd never been to a fair that brings SEVEN different states for one big exposition!  The Eastern States Exposition, otherwise known as The Big E, is a near three-week long fair that showcases all the wonderfulness of New England and its states. 

Brooke and I made our way to Springfield, MA on a Sunday, the very last day of the fair.  We were able to meet up with the Brown family and have some local guidance to the exposition.  We visited the Brown family's goats, watched some sheep shearing demos, saw the butter sculptures, walked through trade show buildings, and enjoyed the parade at the end of the day.

 The parade was one of our favorites as it was filled so many historically influenced groups.  Also, there were groups with music or candy and even floats that the people threw out bead necklaces! 

Besides the parade and other activities, B and I found the individual state houses to be super wonderful.  Each New England state has its own building that they can dedicate all of their specialties and products from their state in one place.  Rhode Island is known for clam chowder, Massachusetts Dairy Industry offers tasty soft serve ice cream cones for $1, and New Hampshire has some of the best Kettle Corn.  Because each state is rather small and they all have similarities, many of the booths offered comparable products.  However, each state also had very different selections to promote that were unlike the others! 

You can barely tell, but they are making the corn in this little gazebo in a big drum using a wooden paddle!

 One of the big differences about The Big E compared to fairs in the Midwest was the small part that 4-H, FFA and agriculture had during the exposition.  After combining seven states, one would think that there would be a plentiful of youth programs and animal projects represented.  There was a nice building dedicated to the animal shows and another for crafts, sewing, photography and other projects.  Agriculture and the youth of New England were represented, however, there could have been so much more! 

Of course though, B did find a great friend in this wonderful gal who'd just been freed from her heavy fleece.  W thought she looked best after her wool cut with bunny ears!

 Oh, and B and I milked one of the Brown's goats! 

It was a great day at the fair!  It was a new experience and definitely a fun one!!  

The Ocean

I grew up near streams, ponds, lakes, and rivers.  I learned about oceans in school, but I never really knew about the ocean.

Currently, I live on an island.  This island is bordered all around by the Atlantic Ocean.  If I want to get to the city of Boston, I must take a boat.  If I want to buy food or other supplies, I also must take a boat.  If you miss the boat, you don't get to leave the island until the next boat. 

Its a funny thing, this being surrounded by the ocean. 

Oh, and oceans have tides.  High tide.  Low tide.  Before now, I never thought of tides, but they can be so crucial to know about depending on where you live or what kind of work you do.  Here on the atlantic, tides come in and out about every six hours. However, the really crazy thing about tides is that they don't actually happen the same time everyday.  Yesterday high tide was around 11:00 AM and low tide was approxiametly 5:45 PM.  Today?  High tide: 12:15 PM  Low tide: 6:30 PM   

The wonderful things one can learn!  And about the ocean no less!

Around New England

Before August 30th, I had never been to New England.  This area of our country is filled with rich history, quaint towns, and beautiful scenery.  Over the past month, I have been able to enjoy so much of Massachusetts, just one of the states that make up wonderful New England.

One weekend I was able to take a solo drive to new places in MA I hadn't visited yet.  I stopped at Middlesex Fells, a reservation with loads of hiking trails and outdoor scenery.  Middlesex Fells is only about five to eight miles north of Boston, but offers a great woodsy setting. 

Along my solo drive, I meandered through many small towns such as Arlington, Lexington, and Concord.  A major difference between Wisconsin and Massachusetts is the location of the towns.  At home we have so much farm land and space.  It always seems to take at least seven to ten minutes to get to a different town, passing fields, pastures, and tree covered hillsides.  Here in the northeast, I drove continually from one town to the next without realizing I'd entered a new one!  The whole state isn't completely covered in towns, however, they do all seem to be interconnected in some way. 

I stopped at Concord, MA to visit the Minute Man National Park.  Being one of the major sites of the beginning of the American Revolutionary War and along the Battle Road, Concord is a well known historical place.  At the visitors center of the national park, I learned all about the happenings of 19. April, 1775 when British and American soldiers came head to head starting the fight for independence.  Not only is Concord important because of war history, it is home to author, Louise May Alcott.  I drove right past the home of the Alcott's as I made my way through town. 

Wachusett Mountain State Park is another wonderful place I've visited.  Just a little ways off of the major HWY 2, Wachusett Mountain is a peaceful refuge of trails and elevated views of the beauty around.  I only took a small walk up the mountain, but enjoyed it just as much as a day long trek.  There were streams along the trail, lots of trees, and a wonderful lake to view at from above. 

Even if I didn't have a special destination, driving around the middle of Massachusetts is as good as stopping somewhere.  The roads weave in and out of massive trees shadowing the way as well as continually going up and down large hills and valleys.  I can't wait for the colors to change, it will be completely breathtaking all around the northeast. 

Although driving around is great, I usually do have specific destinations and I ended up in the center of Mass in Amherst.  Over the past few years, my little sister has kept in contact with friends, A and W, she met through a 4-H trip out here.  I also know these friends of hers and they both go to school at UMass-Amherst. 

Amherst is this crazy little town.  It is really small.  But its got people everywhere!  Like so many towns out here, Amherst has a thriving downtown with many shops, cafes, restaurants, and local businesses.  A and I got ice cream, so tasty!  We also visited nearby Northhampton.  This town is filled with interesting folks and was so neat to walk around and check everything out.  They even had an Art's Night Out happening that we enjoyed!  After chilling with A, I met up with W and we headed out to get a taste of the nightlife.  Not much different than any other college town...chilling with friends, some dancing, late night pizza, and head back home!   

The center of the state was super, but then I headed southwest to Granville, MA.  This more rural area is home to no other than The Scoop.  W's family is the owners of this super tasty ice cream shop.  I got to enjoy the great ice cream, had some roasted pork, played with baby puppies, and chilled all afternoon.  It was a great time in southwest MA with delicious grub and fun folks to chill with!       

Returning to Boston, I was able to enjoy many more pretty views and sites along the road as I drove.  In one town I saw a lady riding her horse down the sidewalk towards downtown.  That was interesting for sure! 

Massachusetts is such a small state but seems to be filled almost to breaking point with fantastic place to go, things to see, and people to learn about!  I can't wait to see more!