Trails & Sails 2017

Sailor Crafts and Activities

Kids will learn Maritime History through activities and crafts in Salem Massachusetts!

Come to the Salem Maritime National Historic Visitor Center to imagine what life was like at sea as you rummage through the sea bags of a ship’s boy, a sailor, and a captain. Try writing your name using signal flags used to send messages at sea. Then, make a Sailor Valentine out of sea shells like the ones sailors would create for their loved ones back home.

When: 
Sunday, September 17, 2017, Noon-4pm (Open Doors)

The 17th Century Garden in New England

Learn about colonial gardens at Saugus Iron Works as part of Trails and Sails!

U. S. National Park Service hosts  a 45 minute slide lecture will be provided in the auditorium on gardens of the Colonial period, from early settlement until the time of the Revolution. The purposes of these gardens, popular garden styles and layouts, and a selection of popular and useful plants, will be among the topics discussed.

When: 
Sunday, September 24, 2017 1-3pm

Polo & Picnic

Myopia Polo match and picnic as part of trails and sails!
The sport of Kings, and YOU are invited! Thanks to the generosity of Myopia Polo, enjoy an afternoon of sport at the oldest active Polo field in the USA. Bring your own picnic and beverages -- prizes will be awarded for best presentation, food, and spirit of the sporting days of yesteryear! Look for your host, Essex Heritage Commissioner Forrester "Tim" Clark-- a former polo player--who will explain the game to you! Tim will be assisted by several current and past players who will give their own insights on this ancient and fascinating game.
When: 
Sunday, September 24, 2017, 1:30-5PM
Location: 

Historic Ice House Tours - Sundays

Tour Cape Pond Ice and chill wioth the coolest guys in town!

Chill with the coolest guys in town! Enjoy a cool visit to Cape Pond Ice Company, icing Gloucester's fleet since 1848. We were featured in Sebastian Junger's account of The Perfect Storm. Tours highlight the history of the ice industry, with vintage film of natural ice harvests. See first hand 300-pound block ice being made (up to 350 tons per day), fishing vessels taking on ice and ice sculptures being carved in our historic icehouse on Gloucester's working waterfront. Part of Trails & Sails.

When: 
Sundays, September 17 & 24, 2017 11am-Noon
Saturdays, September 16 & 23, 2017 11am-Noon or 1-2pm
Fridays, September 15 & 22, 2017 2-3pm
Location: 

Historic Ice House Tours - Fridays

Tour Cape Pond Ice and chill wioth the coolest guys in town!

Chill with the coolest guys in town! Enjoy a cool visit to Cape Pond Ice Company, icing Gloucester's fleet since 1848. We were featured in Sebastian Junger's account of The Perfect Storm. Tours highlight the history of the ice industry, with vintage film of natural ice harvests. See first hand 300-pound block ice being made (up to 350 tons per day), fishing vessels taking on ice and ice sculptures being carved in our historic icehouse on Gloucester's working waterfront.

When: 
Fridays, September 15 & 22, 2017 2-3pm
Saturdays, September 16 & 23, 2017 11am-Noon or 1-2pm
Sundays, September 17 & 24, 2017 11am-Noon
Location: 

Riverbend Open House

Ipswich River Watershed Association Open House at Riverbend as part of Trails and Sails!

The Riverbend Open House hosted by the Ipswich River Watershed Association will include games and activities for children and family geared towards teaching them about water use, the watershed, and the river. Guest will be able to explore the trails and gardens on the Riverbend property and participate in short paddles departing from the Riverbend dock. While guest may choose to bring their own kayaks/canoes/paddleboards they are invited to use the organization’s canoes and kayaks. Attendees should dress for being out of doors, bringing sunblock, water bottles and hats.

When: 
Sunday, September 17, 2017 2-4pm

Union Cemetery Scavenger Hunt

Take this self-guided scavenger hunt at Union Cemetary in Georgetown as part of Trails and Sails!

Learn about local history, gravestone carving and more in this fun and educational self-guided tour of Georgetown's historic Union Cemetery. Fun for the whole family! E-mail: info@georgetownhistoricalsociety.com for your scavenger hunt list and instructions, then drop by the Brocklebank Museum at 108 East Main Street, open Sundays from 2-5, to discuss your findings and enter for a chance to win some great prizes! Drawing is September 25th at 5 pm.

When: 
Sunday, September 17, 2017 10am-4pm
Sunday, September 24, 2017 10am-4pm

Cruising the Essex River

Take a guided tour of the Essex Marshes with Essex River Cruises for Trails & Sails

Essex River Cruises hosts a narrated sightseeing tour that winds down the beautiful Essex River aboard Essex River Queen, a pontoon boat. Explore the marshes and discover a habitat brimming with abundant wildlife and the changing landscape that supports it. Bring along your binoculars, cameras and sketchbooks! You're bound to be inspired!

When: 
Saturday, September 17, 2017 8:30-10 am

Kayak Tour at Parker River NWR

Paddle the waters of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on this ranger guided tour.

Join park staff from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge to see and experience the refuge’s salt marsh than from the cockpit of your own kayak! Join a couple of refuge rangers for a 2.5 hour meander through the marsh and learn about some of its fascinating natural and cultural history.

When: 
Saturday, September 23, 2017 1-3:30pm

New England Cradle of Aviation, Plum Island Airport Open House

W. Starling Burgess developed his piloting skills out of Plum Island Aerodrome

Come for guided tours of the Burgess Aviation Museum! Tours feature photographs, artifacts, and a diorama celebrating the 1910 flying field at Plum Island in Newbury – New England’s first – and the current Plum Island Airport. From April to August 1910, Marblehead yacht builder W. Starling Burgess conducted a series of increasingly successful test flights on biplanes he designed and built.

When: 
Saturday, September 16, 2017 11am-4pm
Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic

The Annual Hampton Beach, NH Master Sandsculpting Competition 2025
The fun starts when 200 tons of imported sand is dropped on Hampton Beach and the “Grady Bunch” starts pounding up the sponsor site. The entire area is illuminated for night viewing through June 23rd. Watch Greg Grady and “The Grady Bunch” build a mammoth Sand Demo Site. 
7:00 am to 11:00 pm

StoryWalk Series at Maudslay

“Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser Storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Enjoy this pre-school StoryWalk® at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time in nature! “Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser is featured in this StoryWalk Series. Younger kids will love this gentle, richly illustrated children’s nonfiction book aimed at preschool–third grade...
7:00 am to 8:00 pm

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Kidleidoscope

Kidleidoscope at Maudslay State Park is a chance for preschoolers to explore the park, enjoy a story and make a craft!
Maudslay State Park has created this program for their youngest crowd! The park interpreter will lead a weekly nature themed preschool aged program that involves a story time and outdoor exploration of Maudslay trails and gardens! 
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Gloucester Juneteenth Festival

The Gloucester Juneteenth Festival is presented at the Cape Ann Museum by the North Shore Juneteenth Association
Join the Cape Ann Museum at Gloucester City Hall to celebrate Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. 
11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Salem Farmers' Market

The Salem Farmer's Market bring the goodness of local farm to downtown Salem!
The Salem Farmers' Market brings fresh local produce and other foods from North Shore farms and other local resources to downtown Salem every Thursday at  Bentley Academy Charter School!
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Cow Connection at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for Cow Connection in Ipswich Massachusetts
Immerse your family in the heartwarming experience of being up close and personal with one of our favorite farm animals – cows! Cuddle, brush, and sit with our hand-raised cows at Appleton Farms. Visit our scenic and historic farm and enjoy Family Cow Connection session with our two Jersey Dairy...
4:15 pm to 5:00 pm

Salisbury Farmers' Market

Salisbury Farmers Market is a great source of local produce.
The Salisbury Farmers' Market offers a vibrant community experience with a variety of fresh, locally sourced produce, unprocessed honey, farm-fresh eggs, and maple syrup. Enjoy music, local market creations, and engage with local farmers. The market also features monthly craft markets, cooking...
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Friday, June 20

StoryWalk Series at Maudslay

“Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser Storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Enjoy this pre-school StoryWalk® at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time in nature! “Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser is featured in this StoryWalk Series. Younger kids will love this gentle, richly illustrated children’s nonfiction book aimed at preschool–third grade...
7:00 am to 8:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic

The Annual Hampton Beach, NH Master Sandsculpting Competition 2025
The fun starts when 200 tons of imported sand is dropped on Hampton Beach and the “Grady Bunch” starts pounding up the sponsor site. The entire area is illuminated for night viewing through June 23rd. Watch Greg Grady and “The Grady Bunch” build a mammoth Sand Demo Site. 
7:00 am to 11:00 pm

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Yoga for Kids at NSCM

Yoga for Children during at North Shore Children's Museum in Peabody Massachusetts
In Miss Shelleys yoga class for kids, the focus is on making the practice fun, interactive, and age-appropriate. The class includes warm-up activities, teaching yoga poses through storytelling and games, and incorporating music, props, and visuals.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Music Together - Friday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm
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