As you swelter through another workweek this summer, you might find your thoughts turning to the moment when you can escape the grating indoors for the great outdoors. Chances are, your wandering brain will take you hundreds, maybe even thousands, of miles from where you sit–until reality brings the whole happy exercise to a halt. Maybe you have kids to consider, or you’re concerned about money, time, or your oversized carbon footprint. And you get tired just thinking about sitting in traffic trying to leave the city on a Friday.
So why not set off on an adventure closer to home?
In many of the East Coast’s major metropolitan areas, 19th century planners gave fresh air and recreation a boost by creating public parks amid the hustle and bustle. And where they left off, their successors have picked up, reinventing once-industrial lands as recreation sites for all ages. Biking in Manhattan? Hiking in Philadelphia? Kayaking in Washington, D.C.? Yep, you can do all that and more–and usually at little to no cost.
This summer, consider exploring the natural wonders in your own urban backyard. Here are a few places to start.
Boston: Harbor Islands National Recreation Area What you can do there: Just a 30-minute ferry ride from Boston’s waterfront lies an urban playground like no other: the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The attractions in this 34-island chain range from Spectacle Island, a former dumping ground for the city that now boasts more than 5 miles of hiking trails and a solar-powered visitor center, to Georges Island, home of the Civil War-era Fort Warren. Hiking, nature walks, swimming, kayaking, and camping are all available at various locations, but it’s the organized events that really make this collective destination worth a visit: from ranger-led hikes to vintage baseball exhibition games, from lighthouse tours to science talks to fishing clinics, Boston Harbor is positively bustling in the summertime.
Visitors should be aware that this is a working harbor—cargo ships are ubiquitous, and if the wind blows just so, the city’s sanitation plant makes its presence known. Still, a voyage to the islands will make you feel like you’re a world away. For the last few years, the AMC Boston Chapter has run “Escape to Grape” sleepovers on Grape Island; muses Family Outings Committee trip leader Valerie Paul, “The beauty of Grape in particular is that it’s a kid-sized kingdom. It’s ideal for kids in the 7- to 10-year age bracket who can more or less run free on the grassy paths, climb trees, skip stones, pick berries, and invent games with little parental intervention or concern.” This year’s trips will be July 18-20 and August 8-10. AMC’s Youth Opportunities Program also plans regular outings to the islands, including an overnight on Bumpkin Island this July 24-25.
Discover great adventures close to home. Photo by Sherman Moss, Jr.
