Side Trips from Boston - Boston 2009 - page 246

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Pretend you're Henry David Thoreau and take to the Concord River. The South
Bridge Boathouse, 496-502 Main St. ( & 978/369-9438 ), just over half a mile
west of the town center, will rent you a canoe for about $13 an hour on week-
ends, less on weekdays.

Moments

The park is open daily, year-round. A visit can take as little as half an hour for a
jaunt to the North Bridge (a reproduction) or as long as half a day or more, if you stop
at both visitor centers and perhaps participate in a ranger-led program. The rangers
suggest beginning your visit at the Minute Man Visitor Center (see “Lexington,”
above), which is closed in the winter. Alternatively, start at the North Bridge Visitor
Center , 174 Liberty St., off Monument Street ( & 978/369-6993; www.nps.gov/
mima), which overlooks the Concord River and the bridge. A diorama and video pro-
gram illustrate the battle, and exhibits include uniforms, weapons, and tools of colo-
nial and British soldiers. Park rangers are on duty if you have questions. Outside,
picnicking is allowed, and the scenery is lovely, especially in the fall. The center is open
daily from 9am to 5pm (11am-3pm in winter) and is closed January 1 and Decem-
ber 25.
To go straight to the bridge, follow Monument Street out of Concord Center until
you see the parking lot on the right. Park and walk a short distance to the bridge, stop-
ping along the unpaved path to read the narratives and hear the audio presentations.
On one side of the bridge is a plaque commemorating the British soldiers who died
in the Revolutionary War; on the other is Daniel Chester French's famed Minute Man
statue, a photograph of which is in the color insert at the beginning of this guidebook.
Walden Pond State Reservation The conservation movement started here,
in a small wooden structure where a misunderstood social activist moved to “live
deliberately.” A pile of stones marks the site of the cabin where Henry David Thoreau
lived from 1845 to 1847. Today the picturesque park is an extremely popular destina-
tion for walking (a path circles the pond), swimming, and fishing. Although crowded,
it's well preserved and insulated from development, making it less difficult than you
might expect to imagine Thoreau's experience. Call for the schedule of ranger-led
interpretive programs. No dogs or bikes are allowed. In good weather, the parking lot
fills early every day—call before setting out, because the rangers turn away visitors
once the park reaches capacity (1,000).
Visitors Center: 915 Walden St. (Rte. 126). & 978/369-3254. www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/walden. Free admission.
Parking $5 (cash only). Daily 8am-sunset. From downtown Concord, take Walden St. (Rte. 126) south, cross Rte. 2,
and follow signs to the parking lot.
Museums & Literary Sites
Concord Museum Just when you're (understandably) suspecting that
everything interesting in this area started on April 18, 1775, and ended the next day,
this superb museum sets you straight. It's a great place to start your visit to the town.
The History Galleries explore the question “Why Concord?” Artifacts, murals,
films, maps, documents, and other exhibits illustrate the town's changing roles. It has
been a Native American settlement, Revolutionary War battleground, 19th-century
intellectual center, and focal point of the 20th-century historic preservation movement.

Kids