Picture this. An absolute stunner of a day in mid-April. Low 60s, not a cloud in the sky, gentle breeze. It was time to take a walk. My son wanted to watch TV instead, but I dragged him out with me. The first strike occurred when I made him get into the car. He always figures a walk in Plymouth (MA) is most certainly a foot-only trek (or being carried on my shoulders) through the downtown or the waterfront. This wasn’t. I was excited to venture to Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, a new property in Plymouth owned by Mass Audubon, which consists of reclaimed land that was once cranberry bog.
Eventually he was okay with the whole idea of driving for a walk, even if we were staying in town. Plymouth not only has the distinction of being the largest town in the Commonwealth area wise, but is also chock full of trails and nature preserves. Danny and I attempted a walk with friends last year at Tidmarsh, but were only able to walk three quarters around the initial pond. Who knew that in hindsight that was progress.
That’s the joy of kids though. My intentions were for Danny and I to be grand explorers. Lewis and Clark? Vasco de Gama and Ferdinand Magellan? Indiana Jones and his father played by Sean Connery? Lamothe and Lamothe, there’s a certain ring to it! In reality our adventure was an even shorter than our trip last year, but traveling with kids always presents a bit of a wild card.
Our adventure was running smoothly as we left the parking lot. Although he was wary of the first puddle we encountered, he soon learned to love being hoisted over the muddy parts. “Alright!” I thought, here we go, time to explore great outdoors. He was intrigued by the image of the river otter and owl that we saw on the sign on the way in.
After practicing his best Chuck Norris hi-yahs atop a flat rock with a stick as a nunchuck, we finally spotted the pond. The trip was going smoothly! He was even running down the path at Tidmarsh when all of a sudden he encountered the banks of the pond. A splash was heard as he threw his first rock into the water. A larger splash as the second broke through the surface of the pond. Then he found a small stick and was excited over the fact that it floated. After a few more he excitedly threw in his own stick. The one that he used as a nunchuck earlier.
“I miss my stick” is all I heard for the rest of our walk. Tears poured over him while he knelt in the dirt, mud spots caking on his sweatpants.
Although our walk through Tidmarsh was abbreviated from my initial idea, the joy of traveling with kids is that even though the goal of “seeing it all” was far from met, it was still a special trip. Danny truly enjoyed each nook and cranny of the path except for missing his stick. Climbing over fallen trees, jumping over puddles and sitting to enjoy the pond, this was his idea of exploring Tidmarsh. I enjoyed it too. Being able to watch the vegetation begin to bloom as spring blossoms and the pure joy on his face (followed by the pure sadness about losing his stick) was all part of my Tidmarsh experience, at least for today.
Overall, Tidmarsh, this 481 acre parcel of land owned by Mass Audubon, is a welcome addition to the public land of Plymouth. It is the largest such reclamation project of its kind in the northeast. Do yourself a favor and visit it. Maybe you’ll reach farther destinations than I did, but hopefully however far you get, it will be as memorable as my trip.
Go explore your own backyard!
