World's End

Recently we hiked to the World's End. No, not the actual world's end, rather a nature preserve of the south shore of MA. It was so beautiful.


Since it was father's day, there were lots of families hiking together. One exciting thing I noticed about our family compared to others is that we have moved into an unencumbered phase. For the four of us, we carried one backpack with a picnic lunch. Three of us alternated carrying the load. I saw so many families with multiple kids in backpacks and strollers, with lots of equipment. There was even a woman pushing a stroller with a wooden bicycle on top. The kids were walking.


It felt so easy and like a milestone of our kids' independence. And speaking of independence, my son is now off on a three week bike trip with a dozen other 9th and 10th graders. Their chaperones/counselors are about 22 years old. They are biking 450 miles in three weeks going from the North Shore of Massachusetts to the top of Cadillac mountain in Acadia National Park. They carry all their own equipment, cook for themselves and don't call home. I am so excited for him, and can't wait to see how this experience helps him grow.


One other thing about kid's growing older, they get very reluctant to have their photo taken.


Just a bit more info about World's End. Over the past century it has been one of the most threatened landscapes in MA. In the late 1800's it was slated to become a suburban environment with 163 homes. Fredrick Law Olmstead designed the carriage roads that he hoped would draw crowds to buy. It was never built. In 1945, it was considered for a United Nations Headquarters. In 1965, there was a proposal to build a nuclear power plant.

Now the area is protected by The Trustees of Reservations, the oldest statewide land conservation and historic preservation organization in the country. You can see some wind turbines from parts of the shore. I'll take that!