http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW Travels and Journeys... Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:00:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 2006-2010 heather@heatherdugan.com (Heather Dugan) heather@heatherdugan.com (Heather Dugan) posts 1440 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW 144 144 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?feed=podcast Footsteps Travels and Journeys... Travel, outdoors, adventure, Heather, Dugan, stories Heather Dugan Heather Dugan heather@heatherdugan.com no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/08/13/trail-around-horn-pond/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/08/13/trail-around-horn-pond/#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:22:21 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=5718 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/08/13/trail-around-horn-pond/feed/ 10 1:02 Sharing one's regular haunts with a visiting friend is, for me, on par with cooking them your favorite meal.  A peek at the ordinary in ... Sharing one's regular haunts with a visiting friend is, for me, on par with cooking them your favorite meal.  A peek at the ordinary in a friend's life can be even more meaningful than hitting all the tourist high points because not only time is shared... the details of daily life are being shared as well. My cousin Laura took me around her Horn Pond walking loop when I visited her last spring in Winchester, Massachusetts.  The cool spring rain dampened everything (including us) and enhanced the stark beauty of the naked woods.  We walked and talked as cousins and friends do, winding around the shoreline, not really minding the occasional drips.  She held my umbrella when I needed both hands for a camera shot. We caught up at the more important levels that finitely timed conversations never fully permit. I have talked to her by phone, both before and since, as she walked this same loop.  I absorbed the details as we walked that morning, finally having a picture to go with our cell phone chats, and a running route that worked well during my stay with her and her husband Mark. View Horn Pond; Winchester, MA in a larger map Boston Vacations Look for posts from Puerto Rico and Vieques here in the upcoming weeks!  Lots of stories, photos and (unexpected) adventures! Boston, Heart-to-Heart, Running/Health & Fitness Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/05/10/a-fish-in-the-state-house/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/05/10/a-fish-in-the-state-house/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 14:00:23 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4706 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/05/10/a-fish-in-the-state-house/feed/ 2 1:26 Atop Beacon Hill on land once owned by John Hancock, the Massachusetts State House, built in 1798, features a 23-karat gold plated copper dome and ... Atop Beacon Hill on land once owned by John Hancock, the Massachusetts State House, built in 1798, features a 23-karat gold plated copper dome and a commanding view of the Boston Common.  While a wooden pinecone reportedly tops the structure in recognition of the city's 18th century logging industry, it is the fishing industry that has garnered the most unusual symbol.  A wooden fish, the Sacred Cod, hangs in the chambers of the House of Representatives.  Originally hung in the old State House, it has dangled from its present spot since 1895 (except for its fifty hours spent as a "codnap" victim in 1933) its head pointed approvingly toward the party in power. John Hancock, while known most widely for his flourishing signature on America's Declaration of Independence, was also the first governor of the state and a plaque stands at the former site of his residence next to the capitol building. The Bulfinch Entrance, facing Boston Common, commemorates the State House architect, Charles Bulfinch, who also worked on the US Capitol building and its grounds from 1918 - 1829. Boston, and indeed all of Massachusetts, is rich with Early American history, heroes and symbols.  I appreciate the slight whimsy represented by a fish dangling over its legislators. Coming up:  Cliff dwellings, climbs, and canyons in Arizona; more on Boston and Cape Cod -and some Midwestern surprises. Boston Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/05/06/uncommonly-lovely-boston-common/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/05/06/uncommonly-lovely-boston-common/#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 11:33:13 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4565 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/05/06/uncommonly-lovely-boston-common/feed/ 3 1:21 Boston wears the spring season well. Maybe it’s that the preceding winter season sometimes seems just a little longer than absolutely necessary, but ... Boston wears the spring season well. Maybe it’s that the preceding winter season sometimes seems just a little longer than absolutely necessary, but Boston in bloom is especially lovely and Boston Common, located southwest of the Statehouse, frames springtime especially well. As the oldest public park in the United States, the almost 50 acre tract has a colorful history that has included a British military encampment, public hangings, public rallies, and celebrations. At one time it was even used as a cow and sheep pasture. Today, the grounds are dotted with artwork, monuments and shade trees that invite lingering and lunchtime picnics for area office workers.  Adjacent to the Public Garden, a spectacular splash of nature within the heart of the city, the walkways of Boston Common are popular with joggers, walkers, roller-bladers and cyclists. The Frog Pond operates as an ice rink from November through mid-March. In the sweltering summer months it's more of an urban beach with seating at the edges of the wading pool and a spraying fountain for a quick cool down. It wasn't quite "beach" weather when my cousin and I walked through last month, but with blue skies and good conversation that didn't really matter at all. 15 Beacon and W Boston provide alternate urban hotel experiences within easy walking distance of the park and the Massachusetts Statehouse on Beacon Street. Boston, Running/Health & Fitness Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/29/zakim-bridge/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/29/zakim-bridge/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:56:15 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4778 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/29/zakim-bridge/feed/ 5 1:26 The towers of the Zakim Bridge straddle I-93 in Boston like two headless streamlined giants.  The Bridge is an impressive structure that compels interaction and ... The towers of the Zakim Bridge straddle I-93 in Boston like two headless streamlined giants.  The Bridge is an impressive structure that compels interaction and spurs you to drive it and be part of its stately elegance for at least a few brief 45 mph(ish) moments.  From beside the TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics basketball team, we had a great view of the bridge and its never ending streams of traffic. Its full and rather unwieldy name, the Leonard P Zakim-Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, belies its sleekness.  The cables that enable the bridge to withstand 400 mph winds and earthquakes of a 7.9 magnitude glow blue and white at night in conjunction with the illuminated towers that clearly resemble the nearby Bunker Hill memorial.  Part of the Big Dig project that included the construction of underground highways and which opened up 300 acres of land, rejoining Boston to its harbor, the bridge is named for Lenny Zakim, a civil rights activist and for the ordinary citizen heroes who fought on Bunker Hill. I had the fun of driving it on my way in to the Bunker Hill Monument and the Boston Navy Yard.  Yeah, I kind of missed my exit, but it was worth it to drive through that network of elegant alabaster cables. Boston Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/22/on-main-in-barnstable/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/22/on-main-in-barnstable/#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:27:50 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4661 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/22/on-main-in-barnstable/feed/ 4 2:18 Gaining glimpses into lives completely different than the one I lead in central Ohio is one of my favorite aspects in travel.  On the whole, ... Gaining glimpses into lives completely different than the one I lead in central Ohio is one of my favorite aspects in travel.  On the whole, the characters in these non-fiction stories consider themselves to be ordinary individuals in an ordinary existence.  Familiarity masks the magic and camouflages the charm.  Which makes it all the more fun when you meet someone like Joan Ellis of Barnstable, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. My leisurely drive along Massachusetts 6A with my aunt last month took us out of traffic and into the quaint little towns that mark one's passage onto the Cape.  We'd stopped for photos and fruit and were walking back towards the car when I was struck by a view Mrs. Ellis must see dozens of times a day.  She was unloading groceries but noticed me peering toward the twin Adirondack chairs perched at the end of the marsh that was her backyard and graciously invited us up for a closer view. Sheepishly, we asked how she handled what must be a constant stream of passersby.  Mrs. Ellis laughed that you'd better be comfortable with visitors when you live on Main Street and told us how she liked to prune the flowers along her front fence wearing one of those t-shirts that make the wearer appear to be sporting a rather shapely bikini. She lamented that the younger generation didn't even blink but that she got occasional honks from older drivers.  She was hoping for a better response on April Fool's Day the next week. The shingled house with a detached garage had been her husband's family home, and Mrs. Ellis shared a little of its history. The Barnstable County Courthouse across the street used to be neighbored by the county prison and a working farm with wandering cattle.  Prisoners once grew potatoes in the marshland I'd noticed behind the house.  Mrs. Ellis said that she was often asked if it didn't make them nervous to have the Courthouse's two cannons pointed directly at their home and allowed that it didn't worry her much when she knew they had the cannonballs, found by her husband as a young boy, safely stored in their cellar. Her main concern that afternoon as the spring season began was whether her hollyhocks would recover after an excessively wet winter and bloom in their customary profuseness along her Main Street fence. Cape Cod Heather Dugan no no http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/15/decorative-defects-on-beacon-hill/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/15/decorative-defects-on-beacon-hill/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:20:59 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4622 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/15/decorative-defects-on-beacon-hill/feed/ 4 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/08/ducklings-in-boston-public-garden/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/08/ducklings-in-boston-public-garden/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:45:05 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4572 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/08/ducklings-in-boston-public-garden/feed/ 6 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/05/whales-signs-of-spring/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/05/whales-signs-of-spring/#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:32:20 +0000 Heather Dugan http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/?p=4541 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2010/04/05/whales-signs-of-spring/feed/ 11 http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2007/10/09/the-bride-wore-flip-flops/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2007/10/09/the-bride-wore-flip-flops/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:05:56 +0000 Heather Dugan http://heatherdugan.com/blog/general-interest/the-bride-wore-flip-flops/ http://www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW/2007/10/09/the-bride-wore-flip-flops/feed/ 0 3:39 At around this time last year, two of my sisters and I flew into Boston for our cousin's wedding. We hung around Logan International ... At around this time last year, two of my sisters and I flew into Boston for our cousin's wedding. We hung around Logan International long enough for our uncle to fly in from Florida and then entrusted our lives to my sister Stephanie and streams of strangers with Massachusetts license plates. As navigator, I got a front seat in the rental car and the opportunity to be frightened first as my sister tackled the aggressive traffic. We were headed to Cape Cod. To this day, I have no real sense of the distance involved; only that the preceding plane ride was much shorter and minus the sudden brake slams. One of those "it'll bond ya or break ya" experiences... Stephanie displayed the heart of a Bostonian driver -impressive for a Midwest native- but when she almost clipped a garbage truck that didn't really care that she had the right-of-way, Kathleen and I took refuge in our cell phones. I texted her a photo of Steph hunched over the wheel. She shot back the terrified faces of the back seat passengers. I sent her a serene self portrait, leaning out the car window, my hair blowing in the smoggy wind. We were totally and unapologetically obnoxious, but it made the trip go a lot faster. Well, for us it did; probably not the case for Steph who could only endure my "smile!" admonishments with no real retaliation capabilities. Wish I'd gotten some video too... My extended family's get-togethers had been relegated to funerals the past few years, so the chance to celebrate together was especially sweet. -And to "play" in someone else's town is truly a vacation. There's something about being within someone's created living space that brings their essence added dimension: the funny books in cousin Holly's guest bathroom; the vision of "home" that my cousin Spencer and his wife are bringing to life; the eclectic yet graceful gathering of found and created treasures my Aunt Sue displays as living art in her home. I found myself inspired and renewed at every turn that weekend. The bride-to-be talked us into an Atlantic dip. Hot sand. Frigid sea. A sensory contrast that blasted my breath right out of me... Laura and I walked the beach and caught up on her new life, stopping to add to a couple of the beach sculptures created with "found objects" by passers-by. I felt very much enfolded in the "artistic" that whole weekend. From the sea glass artfully strewn across the top of my aunt's patio table to the sand patterns on the beach... Renewing. Refreshing... The wedding took place on a sandy bluff overlooking the vast Atlantic. The Beachcomber on Cahoon Hollow beach is a Cape Cod landmark. Live entertainment and an incredible menu make it the summer hang-out for beachgoers on the Cape. We just call it Todd and Holly's place. Hang-gliders swept the sky to the south of the wedding party. Laura wore flip flops and added a denim jacket over her wedding dress when the chill of autumn bit in. Mark's brother officiated; their kids shared words and music as their attendants. The sea sparkled as we wiggled our toes in warm sand. I love beach weddings. We reminisced about that wonderful weekend for weeks afterward, promising ourselves to get together more frequently because it's always so much fun!!!! Holly and my Aunt Sue have been here to Columbus a couple of times since. We talked about getting together this past summer, but schedules intruded. We'll keep trying, I hope. Seems silly that "life" so often gets in the way of Life... "Happy Anniversary Mark and Laura!" Better to Laugh..., Heart-to-Heart, Massachussetts, Seascapes Heather Dugan no no