Doug Cornelius .com

I finally convinced The Boy to get a paddle in his hands. We rented a double kayak from Charles River Canoe & Kayak on Commonwealth Avenue in Newton and set off to explore the Charles River.

It was beautiful day on the Charles. The trees were showing a few wisps of the upcoming colors of fall.

The Lakes District is formed by Moody Street Dam in Waltham. It impedes the flow of the Charles, flooding the low lying areas to create a power supply for the mill that used to operate at the base of the dam. The power need for the dam has long passed, but the dam stays in place, helping to control downriver flooding.

But rather than heading downstream into the Lakes District, we headed upstream to the dam at Newton Lower Falls. I figured it was time to start linking together some of my trips on Charles River.

Heading upstream from Charles River Canoe & Kayak gets you zig-zagg under the highway bridges of I-90 and I-95 and a railroad crossing. Other those massive intrusions, it’s a nice stretch of river.

Until you get to the old Grossman’s site in Wellesley. That site had sat vacant for years. Now they are finally re-developing the site. Unfortunately, they decided to cut down nearly all of the trees, bushes, and plants on the riverbank that abuts the site. The de-nuded slope is a disaster.

It was also close to our turn-around point. The water level was low and we scraped the bottom in a few places, finally forcing us to turn before we could see the upstream dam.

Along the way we got buzzed by a great blue heron. We payed visits to the dozens of turtles sunning themselves on the riverbank.

The Boy did very little paddling, but said he had a great time. Most importantly, he said he wanted to go again.
The yellow line marks our journey.

With all my decades living in Boston, I had never been to the Skywalk at the top of Boston’s Prudential Center. I had been to the top of the Hancock Tower next door. But that was ten year’s ago. Before they shut it down their observatory level for “security concerns.”

The Boy and I had some time to kill waiting for our next train home after the LEGO KidsFest at the Hynes. So I dragged up 50 floors to take in the stunning 360º view of Greater Boston. It is a stunning. Stunning enough to get included in the 1,000 Great Place in Massachusetts.

This past weekend, the LEGO KidsFest opened its tour Boston. They offered me a media pass as a GeekDad contributor.

Since I was there for GeekDad, my story about the day was published on Wired: GeekDad Visits Lego KidsFest. You’ll have to head over there to read about it.

For my “friends” I also published some pictures on Facebook of The Boy posing with some of the LEGO creations: LEGO KidsFest Boston 2010.

Mount Auburn Cemetery is America’s first landscaped cemetery. Apparently that distinction entitled it to two entries on the list of 1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts. Most of the cemetery is located in Watertown, though the entrance lies in Cambridge. That must be why only Cambridge claimed it.

Aside from the list-makers’ failures, Mount Auburn Cemetery is a magnificent place to visit. The cemetery is credited as the beginning of the American public parks and gardens movement. It was the first large-scale designed landscape open to the public in the United States.

I’m not sure I understand why they allow cars to drive on the cemetery’s road, but prohibit bicycles and motorcycles.

Given its stature, there are many prominent residents:

• Charles Bulfinch (1763–1844), architect
• Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), religious leader
• Fannie Farmer (1857–1915), cookbook author
• Felix Frankfurter (1882–1965), United States Supreme Court Justice
• Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983), architect
• Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–1924), art collector, museum founder
• Curt Gowdy (1919–2006), sportscaster
• B.F. Skinner (1904–1990), psychologist

I had never visited before and did so just to put another checkmark on my list. Even The Boy said the place was “pretty cool.” He wants go back there again and see more.

Franklin’s town common was established in 1787 as a place for the townspeople to let their cows graze. It was the local Congregational Church that first owned the land. They sold it to the town in 1868.

The common and its surroundings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The historic district includes the common itself and over 74 other buildings, objects, and structures.

The brick bandstand on the Town Common was dedicated in 1917 and contributed by the Hayward family.

It’s historic enough, green enough, and good enough to make it onto the list of 1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts.

I’m not sure what to say about this entry on the 1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts.

The sole entry for Holliston is the “Arch Bridge.” Is this really the greatest place in Holliston? It’s an unused bridge in a swamp.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good-looking bridge. At least is was. According to the Town of Holliston, the Arch Bridge is one of only three 8-arch bridges in the Commonwealth. It was constructed in 1847 from local granite.

If you happen to be in Holliston, take a turn down Woodland Street and admire the Arch Bridge as it spans the Boggastow Brook.

and dealing with the drunk cats…..

Head east from Harvard Square down Mass. Ave and you quickly arrive in Central Square. The section of Central Square along Massachusetts Avenue between Clinton Street and Main Street is designated the “Central Square Historic District,” and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 1990.

Now, like Harvard Square, it has made it’s way onto the list of 1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts.

That makes it greater than Kendall Square or Porter Square, since they did not make it onto the list.

It’s an intersection. Massachusetts Avenue meets Brattle Street. Life intersects with shopping, education, transportation, and red bricks. Lots and lots of red bricks.

Harvard Square began in 1630 as the Colonial village of Newtowne. In the early years of settlement, the future Harvard Square lay on the outskirts of the village. It was merely a passing for travelers along the Charlestown-Watertown path.

Harvard Square has grown along with the Harvard University.

Now, it’s one of the 1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts.

“Oh my god! I hit Tom Brady.” “Please let his knee be okay….” “It looks like the accident jostled his hair.”

From the ImprovAsylum.