Conant Brook Dam ~ Monson, MA

The Conant Brook Dam is located in Monson MA. It offers a small parking lot with no sanitary facilities. There are a lot of trails at this Dam available for hiking, dogs on leashes, and horse back riding. Hunting is allowed during posted seasons. Caution should be taken as logging does occur here. We spotted a possible young copperhead snake basking among the debris off the trail. Would be wise to stay on the trails :). More information can be found on the link below.

Conant Brook Dam

Lucy Stone Childhood Homestead ~ West Brookfield, MA

In West Brookfield, MA there is an almost forgotten place of American History. The birthplace of Lucy Stone was an accidental find in a trip looking for family ancestors. The old farmhouse must have been quite a large one as the stone foundation still exists. Charred remains still lie under the lush vegetation that has grown in the ruins. Lucy Stone was an amazing woman who fought for all women to have rights. There is a nice little web page with some information on Lucy Stone here: Lucy Stone Homestead Directions to the site are on this web page as well. The area surrounding the site appears to be run by State Fish and game and hunting is allowed so be careful during those times of the year.

Rock House Reservation ~ West Brookfield, MA

The first photo journey we will take you on is Rock House Reservation. A little gem of a state park. The formations are from glacial movement and the kids thought it was a great place to hike and explore. The man made pond gives the perfect walk for any age really. Parents need to carefully supervise their children while on the rock formations. Pine needles made the edges slippery and my blood pressure a little high. This park has no entrance fee and adequate parking. There are no sanitary containers.

Rock House Reservation Trustee Site

Packing for the Family Trip

It may seem like common sense of what to pack for on a vacation, but sometimes hopping in a car for a day trip seems to take as much effort. We like to travel so that we aren't stretching the wallet too far. Having a larger vehicle takes more gas. Having a larger family takes more food. We always have everyone grab a filled water bottle before we leave. We bring a back pack filled with snacks such as cracker packs, fruits and sandwiches. Make sure to take the bug spray!!! If you plan to hit any of the swimming holes bring your towels, blanket, tanning lotion and toys. A change of clothes for the kids is a good idea as well as the 'sand' locally is not like beach sand. Bring your camera! There is so much beauty in New England. When I navigate with the kids I stop to take pictures of anything I think is appealing. When my husband navigates he is destination bound, and I am usually empty of cool pictures. :) Bring your map just in case. I really like mapquest to get driving directions. I can say it honestly hasn't failed me yet.
OK! Ready for the photo tour!? Oh wait.., everyone use the bathroom before we leave!!

Roaming New England

I named this blog Roaming New England because as a family that is just what we like to do. We are a large family by today's standards, 6 in all. To travel with 4 children can be a challenge and a reward. All at various ages and stages they have differences of what to do and how to do it. Of all the things we try to do it is the travelling around to new local State Parks and outdoor destinations that end up being the biggest hit. Yes, at first our teenager groans and grumbles at having to bare through sitting in a car with his *gasp* family. Yes, our youngest huffs and puffs over the thought of physical labor (ie; walking). And yes, our two middle boys fight over who will sit where. But after we get them packed and in the van and on our way everyone soon settles in. We have found many wonderful spots through out New England. We hope to find many more to come.