Ok, so this is one of my regular haunts-the Shell Point Beach on Onset Bay. It's nice because if you get there early, you can park for free all day long. If you get there late, you are probably going to find yourself crawling up and down the sidestreets to find a parking spot.
There are many reasons why I love this spot. For one, the beach is kept very clean and well-maintained. The only problem I had with it until this year was its lack of lifeguards at the shellpoint end. However, problem has been remedied as of now. They have a lifeguard by that end of the bay!
There is plenty of room, this end of the beach rarely gets crowded, as it seems it is mostly frequented by locals who know about this hidden gem. As for the tourists, they tend to park down by the pier...where I believe you have to pay.
There are no bathrooms at this end, so go before you show up! If you are adventurous there are some woods...but the nearest bathroom is a hike.
Also, depending on the tide, there is a bit of a dropoff. There are warning signs posted. My kids know the "up to your waist" rule, but if you are with small children who tend to venture off fearlessly...or can't read...watch them closely because it gets deep all of a sudden. Now don't get me wrong, it's shallow for a ways out, but once it gets deep you will soon find yourself in over your head.
My directions go something like this: From Cranberry Highway head towards Onset Beach, go past the pier, keep going until you see a little statue of a chef and take a left...follow that to the end and take a left. Parking lot is on your right.
Ok, so my directions are lacking in clarity but it's one of those things you know how to get to...but can't explain. Look up Atlantic Ave, in Onset, MA. That will get you there.
Ashton's favorite thing to do there: Hunt for hermit crabs. He is the ultimate shell-point crabber. Once he found a hermit crab I proclaimed to be a grain of sand, until it proved me wrong by sticking its legs out and scurrying across his hand!!
My favorite thing...Mellina's Sandwiches. Look for the girl carrying the sign. It is bright yellow, you can't miss it. She will give you a menu to order a delicious sandwich or panini from...and voila it is delivered to your beach spot in no time. She walks up and down the beach, so keep an eye out for her if your picnic is lacking something. Then stop at Nana's ice cream and candy for a cone on the way home. It makes for the perfect day.
So, if you want a nice day in the sun for free, check this spot out. Bring the sunscreen, as it is very sunny and bright. Bring a couple of quarters because there are about 10 ice cream trucks that frequent there. I mean, I would say that they were the same one coming back again and again, but one is blue and some are white-so I know there are many.
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Best Beach for only $7....Horseneck
Drive down Route 88 in Westport for what feels like an eternity, and hit the beach. Not just any beach, but Horseneck Beach in Westport, MA.
I woke up on the first day of my kids' summer vacation feeling adventurous. I was content going to Onset beach for the millionth time, but I felt we should do something special. I said to my husband "It's kinda far, but let's go to Horseneck." He said, "Sure!"
So while he got directions and I loaded the car, we contacted my best friend to see if she wanted to come along. In our two-car caravan loaded with a total of 6 kids between the ages of 8-11 and three adults, we made our way to Westport. After we got on Route 88 I thought for sure we were lost. Finally we pulled into "The Back Eddy" and asked a fisherman if we had missed something. Nope. It was about 1/2 mile further.
First things first, you aren't lost. If you drive down 88 you will eventually hit the beach, you have no other choice it is pretty much the end of the road. You are greeted by teens who collect your $7 parking fee and you head to the ample parking lot. (You can check out a free day pass at your local library). The bathroom facilities appear gorgeous. They advertise showers, but only the little foot-wash spigots were in working order. The bathroom is an environmentally friendly, water-free facility. The toilet material goes down into a composting tank underground. So, basically, it's a giant, fancy port-a-potty. It's cleaner than a port-a-potty...much cleaner.
My all-time fave beach until this point in time WAS Old-Silver. Don't get me wrong, Old-Silver will be mentioned in a future blog as soon as I make it there. It still is nostalgically my favorite beach in childhood memory. However, it is very crowded and pricey to park. Horseneck has two miles of beachfront. It only costs $7 to park. It is gorgeous.
After I doused the kids with sunscreen, they were off and running. The waves were huge, but not overpowering. The water was warmer. The scenery was gorgeous. The sand is soft and fine like Old Silver but this beach is immaculate. A man drives down with a tractor and picks up trash with one of those grabbers. There are dumpsters to throw your trash away. Cops are on patrol throughout the day, driving a cruiser around on the paved walkway. You feel safe and sound.
The only complaints my kids had were that:
a)no floatation devices including boogie boards, state regulations for safety (fine with me)
b) they frown on catching crabs, as it is part of the state park...granted Ashton treats each crab with love and care, but some little boys prefer to rip their legs off
I highly recommend this little bit of heaven at the end of Route 88. It is well worth the drive and makes for a great day at the beach!!
I woke up on the first day of my kids' summer vacation feeling adventurous. I was content going to Onset beach for the millionth time, but I felt we should do something special. I said to my husband "It's kinda far, but let's go to Horseneck." He said, "Sure!"
So while he got directions and I loaded the car, we contacted my best friend to see if she wanted to come along. In our two-car caravan loaded with a total of 6 kids between the ages of 8-11 and three adults, we made our way to Westport. After we got on Route 88 I thought for sure we were lost. Finally we pulled into "The Back Eddy" and asked a fisherman if we had missed something. Nope. It was about 1/2 mile further.
First things first, you aren't lost. If you drive down 88 you will eventually hit the beach, you have no other choice it is pretty much the end of the road. You are greeted by teens who collect your $7 parking fee and you head to the ample parking lot. (You can check out a free day pass at your local library). The bathroom facilities appear gorgeous. They advertise showers, but only the little foot-wash spigots were in working order. The bathroom is an environmentally friendly, water-free facility. The toilet material goes down into a composting tank underground. So, basically, it's a giant, fancy port-a-potty. It's cleaner than a port-a-potty...much cleaner.
My all-time fave beach until this point in time WAS Old-Silver. Don't get me wrong, Old-Silver will be mentioned in a future blog as soon as I make it there. It still is nostalgically my favorite beach in childhood memory. However, it is very crowded and pricey to park. Horseneck has two miles of beachfront. It only costs $7 to park. It is gorgeous.
After I doused the kids with sunscreen, they were off and running. The waves were huge, but not overpowering. The water was warmer. The scenery was gorgeous. The sand is soft and fine like Old Silver but this beach is immaculate. A man drives down with a tractor and picks up trash with one of those grabbers. There are dumpsters to throw your trash away. Cops are on patrol throughout the day, driving a cruiser around on the paved walkway. You feel safe and sound.
The only complaints my kids had were that:
a)no floatation devices including boogie boards, state regulations for safety (fine with me)
b) they frown on catching crabs, as it is part of the state park...granted Ashton treats each crab with love and care, but some little boys prefer to rip their legs off
I highly recommend this little bit of heaven at the end of Route 88. It is well worth the drive and makes for a great day at the beach!!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Two movies for the price of one...and the food is so much cheaper
Our adventure Friday night brought us about an hour away from our home in Middleboro, but it was well worth it. Our destination: The Mendon Twin Drive-In, one of the few drive-ins left standing in the area.
So, movies there start at sundown; or somewhere between 8:45-9 p.m. My husband and I figured that we should probably get there pretty early in order to get a good spot. We armed ourselves with bug spray, chairs, water, chips and a portable stereo. I told my kids to take a nap because we were going to see "Toy Story 3" AND "The Karate Kid."
It took us about 45 minutes to an hour to get there. When we arrived the lot was already getting packed, and it was only about 8:00 p.m. The aisles are filled with people in lawn chairs, kids playing catch and frisbees galore. We parked our car with the rear end facing the screen, and put our chairs out. Kids were doused with bug spray and then they took off to make new friends with kids around us. It was great, not once did they whine "Is it time for the movie to start yet?" because there was so much to do.
Our "neighbors" offered to buy bug spray off of us in return for a beer. I declined, but offered them the bug spray for free instead. Last year, we forgot the bug spray. Let me tell you, BUG SPRAY IS KEY!! So while we got to know the neighbors my son played football pass and instead of hitting his target...hit a shiny new Audi. Oopsies. Make sure the footballs are SOFT. Nerf balls are a good idea.
When the movie finally started, we all settled into our lawn chairs to watch the double feature. It was a beautiful clear evening. It did get chilly around 10, so I highly recommend bringing a sweatshirt and maybe even blankets.
I would say about half of the people left after the first movie, and it is still worth it even if you don't think you will make it through both films. At $20 per carload it is a mere $5 per person for my family of four if we stay for one movie. That is a savings of $2.50 per ticket (vs. Regal Cinemas prices). If we stay for both movies, that cuts us back to only $2.50 per person. That is unheard of these days!!
Not to mention the savings at the snack bar. You can make a night of it and come early for a picnic dinner, bring your own food. The prices at the snack bar are very reasonable also. They offer all different foods, including sandwiches, burgers and dogs. My husband came back with 2 large popcorns, loaded nachos and a fry for $15.
This was an amazing evening. The sheer ambiance of being there, at the drive-in is an experience all should enjoy. You even get a trash bag on the way in and you can leave it in your parking spot when you leave, our friends in Mendon pick it up for you.
So make sure you check it out if you want an inexpensive adventure but remember:
1. bugspray
2. blankets
3. soft footballs
4. chairs
5. no radio necessary...it doesn't really pick up the signal, just use your car stereo
6. ARRIVE EARLY!!
So, movies there start at sundown; or somewhere between 8:45-9 p.m. My husband and I figured that we should probably get there pretty early in order to get a good spot. We armed ourselves with bug spray, chairs, water, chips and a portable stereo. I told my kids to take a nap because we were going to see "Toy Story 3" AND "The Karate Kid."
It took us about 45 minutes to an hour to get there. When we arrived the lot was already getting packed, and it was only about 8:00 p.m. The aisles are filled with people in lawn chairs, kids playing catch and frisbees galore. We parked our car with the rear end facing the screen, and put our chairs out. Kids were doused with bug spray and then they took off to make new friends with kids around us. It was great, not once did they whine "Is it time for the movie to start yet?" because there was so much to do.
Our "neighbors" offered to buy bug spray off of us in return for a beer. I declined, but offered them the bug spray for free instead. Last year, we forgot the bug spray. Let me tell you, BUG SPRAY IS KEY!! So while we got to know the neighbors my son played football pass and instead of hitting his target...hit a shiny new Audi. Oopsies. Make sure the footballs are SOFT. Nerf balls are a good idea.
When the movie finally started, we all settled into our lawn chairs to watch the double feature. It was a beautiful clear evening. It did get chilly around 10, so I highly recommend bringing a sweatshirt and maybe even blankets.
I would say about half of the people left after the first movie, and it is still worth it even if you don't think you will make it through both films. At $20 per carload it is a mere $5 per person for my family of four if we stay for one movie. That is a savings of $2.50 per ticket (vs. Regal Cinemas prices). If we stay for both movies, that cuts us back to only $2.50 per person. That is unheard of these days!!
Not to mention the savings at the snack bar. You can make a night of it and come early for a picnic dinner, bring your own food. The prices at the snack bar are very reasonable also. They offer all different foods, including sandwiches, burgers and dogs. My husband came back with 2 large popcorns, loaded nachos and a fry for $15.
This was an amazing evening. The sheer ambiance of being there, at the drive-in is an experience all should enjoy. You even get a trash bag on the way in and you can leave it in your parking spot when you leave, our friends in Mendon pick it up for you.
So make sure you check it out if you want an inexpensive adventure but remember:
1. bugspray
2. blankets
3. soft footballs
4. chairs
5. no radio necessary...it doesn't really pick up the signal, just use your car stereo
6. ARRIVE EARLY!!
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