New England – Page 20 – Blondie Birdie

Ghost Hunting…

October 13, 2017by Ashley DeLarge2 Comments

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! For those of you who are superstitious- be extra careful while you’re out and about today! As for me? Well, after work- I’ll be heading out with friends to catch honorary screenings of the first two “Friday the 13th” movies at Rocky Woods Reservation in Medfield.

Speaking of Medfield, by the way…

One of my favorite places to visit in Massachusetts (and it’s only about 45 minutes away from me)– is Medfield State Hospital- a long abandoned former mental institution that was first opened in 1892 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Although the interiors of the numerous buildings spread out across the area are off limits due to asbestos and hazardous conditions after decades without routine maintenance, the grounds are still open to the public for those looking for a unique place to go hiking, biking, or- as my most recent OOTD post proves- want a semi-creepy backdrop for photos.

I’ve gone up to the grounds countless times over the years, and I’ve found that this time of the year is usually when it’s the best to visit- and not just because the place is pretty spooky- but because it’s not too hot (or too cold!) to be spending a significant amount of time outdoors, and even though much of the area is overgrown- the bugs aren’t nearly as distracting as they are during May or June, for example.

Usually when I’m visiting- I’m the only one there. On a couple of occasions I’ve been one of maybe a handful of visitors- but Medfield State Hospital is almost always eerily quiet- so imagine my surprise when I went up to take a look around with friends this past weekend and was greeted by an entire Boy Scout Troop who were camping on the grounds overnight as part of a Halloween-themed excursion.

(Side Note: That’s actually an insanely cool idea and I wish I’d thought of it!)

The kids were very sweet and were thankfully respectful of the buildings. Although they were all running around during the entirety of our stay- not once did I see them doing anything potentially dangerous or destructive. They actually carved Jack-o-Lanterns to place on the exterior steps to a few of the former wards and administrative buildings- which added a little something extra in a few of my pictures. It was pretty cool.

There are security personnel on-site 24/7 who do occasional drive-bys to monitor the property- and even they seemed excited about the appearance of a few unexpected pumpkins scattered around.

If you’re ever in New England- this is definitely a neat place to drop by. Just make sure you bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes and a fully charged camera/phone with you!

And now, it’s time to get some work done. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

– Ashley –

October Sky

October 9, 2017January 14, 2018by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Good almost-afternoon, everyone (I slept a little late today!) I can’t believe my vacation is coming to an end and tomorrow morning I’ll be back at work bright and early- ready to play catch-up on all the calls and e-mails I’ve missed while I was taking a much-needed break. As anxiety-inducing as that thought can be- I’m looking forward to seeing my co-workers again and being productive- especially since I’ve been pretty lazy these past few days!

While today will consist of keeping out of the rain, binge-watching some TV shows I’ve fallen behind on, baking cookies (and maybe enjoying a bubble bath!), I spent most of my vacation outdoors- hiking trails in places like Sudbury, Medfield, Concord and Rutland- just to name a few. The weather has been a bit unpredictable lately- some days were overly humid and sticky while others were more cool and refreshing- but regardless of the temperatures, the leaves in my section of New England have pretty much reached their peak color for the season- so to say I’ve had the best views during my days off is an understatement!

Here’s a small gallery of some of my favorite photos I snapped along the trails:

Fall in Massachusetts really is something you have to experience for yourself. The photos (and even my descriptions of how wonderful it is) simply don’t do it enough justice. It has to be witnessed first-hand for the beauty and the magic to really make sense- especially to those who aren’t from around here.

With Halloween approaching, I have a few “scarier” events coming up with my friends over the course of the next couple of weeks that I can’t wait to post about- and I’ve been actively putting together my costume for the year- but it was nice to stop and enjoy some simple, pumpkin, foliage & apple cider-filled relaxing days before horror movies, haunted houses and getting doused in fake blood make their long-awaited comeback.

Here’s to a good week!

– Ashley –

Witch, Please…

September 13, 2017by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Last week, I had taken Friday off from work so I could drive up to Hampton Beach for their annual Seafood Festival and attempt to get a head start to beat traffic, parking, etc. Unfortunately- I hit a pretty tight bumper-to-bumper snag on the highway that threatened to set me back considerably time-wise. It looked like a lot of people had the same idea as me!

Not wanting to spend the majority of my Friday stuck in my car or struggling to find a parking spot under $20 near the boardwalk (spoiler: it’s impossible), I re-routed to spend the afternoon in Salem, Massachusetts instead- and while I didn’t get an oversized platter of crab cakes like I’d initially planned- I still had a lovely time!

Salem is a beautiful town- maybe one of my favorite places in Massachusetts- and it’s filled with so much history, gorgeous scenery, incredible restaurants/bars and a LOT of bizarre tourist traps. Tons of people flock there come October to get in on the Witchcraft and Witch Trial-related activities given the spooky spirit of the season (say that five times fast)– but I find that it’s usually more stressful than necessary to try and navigate anywhere near the place around Halloween. I prefer visiting during the “off” season, instead- and I highly recommend it to any tourist thinking of dropping in. Save your cash and your sanity and soak in the history and sights when it’s much less crowded!

Anyway, while I was in town- I stopped by the outdoor Witch Trial Memorial, right next to one of the oldest cemeteries in my state that is open to the public for viewing and visitors. There were a couple of tours going on courtesy of a nearby museum- but it wasn’t that busy and I managed to really take in the experience without interruption or distraction.

Following a quick sandwich and a coffee at one of the local cafes (and successfully managing to dodge vendors who approached me offering to read my palm or throw sage on me for a pretty penny)– I headed a few miles north to Wenham, Mass- where I made a stop at Tendercrop Farms to stretch my legs. I ended up marveling at some of their produce and strolled through an endless field of sunflowers while I was there and a rainstorm was approaching from a distance- which made the afternoon feel a little more thrilling as the clouds rolled in.

I managed to snap a couple of photos before it started sprinkling out and I had to jog back to my car to keep my camera (and my Elantra’s interior- since I had left my windows rolled down!) from getting wet- but my brief time there was so pretty. I’d love to go back and pick a pumpkin in a few weeks!

Although my day didn’t go quite as planned- it was still an adventure and I’m glad it took the turn that it did. The unexpected stops during an unscheduled journey can sometimes be the most fun and exhilarating- and I started compiling my Autumn playlist while I was on the road, too- which I should have up and ready to go by this coming Friday! Most people know how much I love putting together seasonal soundtracks- so it’s been a lot of fun for me to pick and choose the songs I wanted to use from a whole bunch of new releases from some of my favorite artists!

I’m heading into work now to get my mid-week tasks done before I prepare for a belated-birthday dinner/party for my little niece tomorrow night with my family- so enjoy your Hump Day, everyone! We’re almost to the weekend!

– Ashley –

Mountain Air and Maple Lattes…

September 6, 2017by Ashley DeLarge1 Comment

Good Morning and Happy Hump Day, everyone! With Labor Day and my taking this coming Friday off to jump start a long-overdue “Girls Only” weekend with my mom- I’ve been more than a little busy at work with trying to get everything done and wrapped up neatly since it’s a pretty short week for me at the office.

This past weekend was completely relaxing and maybe a little indulgent, however. My best friend Sean and I headed a couple hours North of the city to stay at the White House Inn overlooking the absolutely picturesque and rustic Wilmington, Vermont for an evening. Built in 1915 as a Summer home to a lumber baron- the house was spacious, beautifully furnished, and had breathtaking views of the Green Mountains (when it wasn’t pouring rain or foggy outside, of course!) It also had a hidden staircase (you can watch my video of it HERE on my Instagram!), a wine cellar and an old vault that was available to view. When Sean and I weren’t outside taking in nature- we were roaming every inch of the house we had access to.

The inn is associated with a ski resort a few miles away that offered a spa and fitness center for guests. Although Sean and I dropped by to utilize the facilities and take a look around (another beautiful building, by the way! I don’t ski but I’d love to see it in the Winter!)– any hard work put into achieving or maintaining fitness goals was thrown right out the window by the amount of food we ate during our stay!

We had headed into the small and quaint Main Street area of Wilmington a couple of times- including one stop on Sunday evening to have an early dinner at Dot’s Restaurant– but most of our face-stuffing took place back at the inn. Not only did I have one of the best breakfast sandwiches of my life on Monday morning before we headed back into town and then eventually returned to Boston- but Sean and I split two desserts (since we couldn’t make up our minds!) late Sunday evening that blew my mind. Tempura chocolate cake AND lemon & lavender pavlova. Absolute heaven. I’ve been looking for the recipes online on and off since we got back!

To close out the weekend, Sean had wanted to go antiquing to find some items for his bedroom that he’s currently updating/remodeling. With maple lattes in hand- we hit up a couple of spots in downtown Wilmington to browse some of the local goods and see if we could find anything with a cool history behind it.

Sean ended up walking away with a pretty nice picture frame he plans on fixing up and putting on display after he’s found an appropriate replacement painting for the one that had originally been inside the frame- and I found a book of poetry from 1886 that I plan on giving to my mom since she’s an even bigger fan of antiques than I am. I know she’ll find a good spot to show it off to her guests.

Overall, I had such an amazing time- and even though I ate way too much- I returned home feeling refreshed and relaxed and ready to get back to work. I am head over heels in love with the White House Inn- and with Wilmington, really- and I’m hoping to return again later on this Fall to take a longer look around and maybe stay a couple more nights since no ghosts or ghouls surprised me while I was trying to sleep. I’m sure the views of the mountains are even more gorgeous when the leaves start to change colors!

And now, I’ve got to dive right into my cases for the day.

Have a good Wednesday, everybody!

– Ashley –

Surf’s Up…

June 21, 2017by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment

Happy First Day of Summer!

I’m celebrating the Summer Solstice with an ice cream party at work today, but before I go crazy with the toppings- I wanted to share some details from my weekend!

Father’s Day has, obviously, not really been the same for me since my father passed away in the Summer of 2012. While I admire and always send my love and best wishes to all awesome dads everywhere on such a wonderful and well-deserved day of appreciation- it goes without saying that I miss my own dad very much. I fully admit that I get emotional from time to time when I think about him- and this past Sunday was no exception. I had a good cry- but I didn’t let it ruin my day.

My dad would have wanted me to push through any sadness and make the best out of my day- just like he always did- and what a beautiful, sunny and warm day it turned out to be! The weather this past weekend was originally supposed to be on the rainy and cloudy side- but by the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, the temperatures were soaring and the sky was clear. I headed up to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (one of my dad’s favorite spots to visit) to soak up the sun and the sand- and I arrived at the coast just in time for high tide and some pretty big waves.

I’m not a good surfer by any means- but I do give it my best on occasion. It’s a really fun and challenging hobby I hope to master someday- although Sunday was not that day. I got knocked off of my board more than once (okay- I got knocked off of my board a LOT) before I eventually retreated to the rocks to watch some other enthusiasts give it their best shot.

When the tide eventually started crashing dangerously close to where I had stored my gear- I took a quick drive along the water to grab an Almond Joy ice cream cone at one of my favorite spots, The Beach Plum, and then started to make my way back towards the city.

This weekend is going to be spent at another beach (again!) with friends, but overall- I had a really good Sunday. I think my dad may have been there in spirit- at least it felt like he was- and I hope he enjoyed the day as much as I did.

– Ashley –