The Benefits of Zipping Outside of the City

City life can be exciting to the point of exhaustion; sometimes it’s nice to venture beyond the concrete jungle for some r&r, even if it costs to do so. It’s not like there are too many cheap options for city fun anyway, so consider springing a little for a road trip.

Compared to commuter rail and buses, Zipcars are a reasonably priced way to travel outside of the city, especially with a bigger group to split expenses. Over the 4^th of July weekend, I traveled to Western Mass with a friend in the hopes of visiting the Eric Carle Museum. Roundtrip bus tickets to Amherst would’ve set us back just over $50 each—basically the cost of the car for the day.

Now you see the benefit of recruiting as many friends as possible to venture out with you; with a big enough group, you can afford to keep the car out for as long as you like!

We actually didn’t end up visiting the museum, since we got lost on the way. But, taking advantage of having the car for a few more hours, we decided to check out some other places we stumbled upon while cruising. After getting lunch at a hokey but fun 1950s diner (pictured above; not sure if that misspelling was intentional or what), we got some fresh air in a beautiful stretch of trees we nicknamed “the forest,” bought wine at a hole-in-the-wall liquor store, and visited a farm to buy cheap fruit (cherries at $1.99/lb, I kid you not).

Hopefully we’ll make it to the Carle museum later this summer—and while we’re out there it only makes sense to check out other interesting spots in the area. Here’s a taste of what Western Mass has to offer city slickers who want out for a day:

1. Get Food. In addition to fabulously fragrant candles, The Yankee Candle Flagship Store features Chandler’s, an award-winning restaurant known for having one of the best wine cellars in New England and hosting a range of events for all ages.
2. Get Cultured. Western Mass boasts of several museums. Besides the aforementioned Carle, you can visit the Historic Deerfield Museum, the Emily Dickinson Home and Museum, or Old Sturbridge Village (which features all kinds of reenactments of New England life circa 1790-1840).
3. Get Lost. If you prefer a less-structured day, consider hiking in the Mount Holyoke Range State Park or shopping in Downtown Northampton (or “NoHo,” for those in the know).

Now that you know how financially feasible and fun a road trip can be, it’s just a matter of finding the right day (or maybe whole weekend) to get out there.

T-Accessible Outdoor Fun

Most large cities have public transportation systems, and Boston's is likely far from the best. You might feel isolated without a car when you first move here, but--if you can ignore the crowds, urine-scented tunnels, and sweltering hot T stations--there are plenty of fun places the MBTA can take you for a couple of bucks on your CharlieCard or a $59 monthly LinkPass.

The commuter rail, buses, and ferry give you more options than you might think. But those take time, so let's explore more fun, free/cheap, and local options for these last months of summer.

Blue Line
After last year's summer of rain, the heat has been unexpected. The good news is that the T goes to the beach. Four stops on the Blue Line--Orient Heights, Suffolk Downs, Beachmont, and Revere Beach--are within a mile or two of Constitution Beach (East Boston), Winthrop Beach, and Revere Beach. You might have to do some walking or take a bus, but they're still easily accessible.

There might eventually be a casino at Suffolk Downs, too, considering dog racing has been banned, but we grad students don't really need to be throwing money away... right?

Orange Line
If you take the Orange Line down to Forest Hills (which is in Jamaica Plain), you'll find the Arnold Arboretum: 265 acres of gorgeous trees, shrubs, flowers, and other green life, open to exploration from sunrise to sunset every day. And it's free.

On the other end of the Orange Line, you can take a bus from Wellington Station to Middlesex Fells, which offers 2,575 acres of trails suitable for hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, and picnicking.

Green Line
If walking, jogging, or dog-walking is more your style, look no further than the Chestnut Hill Reservation. Although you cannot swim in the reservoir itself, the Reilly Rink and Pool is nearby. To get to the reservoir, take the C line to Cleveland Circle, the D line to Reservoir, or the B line to Chestnut Hill Ave.

The assorted Green Line trolleys run to Brighton, Brookline, and Newton, so they're a good bet if you just need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city proper for a few hours.

And what about the Red Line? Your best bet there is to get off anywhere between Kendall/MIT and Davis and just walk around. Check out the Davis Square LiveJournal for ideas, but Somerville and Cambridge are, in general, rich in culture, shopping, and community.

For something a little closer to home, be sure to check out Shakespeare on the Common. Each summer, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company puts on a free Shakespeare play on Boston Common. This year's selection is Othello, and it runs from July 28 to August 15. Show times: Tue-Sat: 8PM, Sun: 7PM.

You should give yourself at least an hour to get anywhere on the T. You can subscribe to free T Alerts via email, text message, or Twitter to find out if there are any significant delays. Regardless, though, Boston's transportation system allows for much more freedom and enjoyment than one might assume. Maybe, one day, we won't even miss our cars. Maybe.