Hedges Pond and Football

We found a new spot in Plymouth!  It's called Hedges Pond Recreation Area.  It used to be a camp but the town has taken it over and it re-opened this past July.  They cleaned it up and now it has walking paths, a small beach on the pond, a playground, picnic tables and bathrooms.  It's great because the pond water is warm and clean and Callie loves to swim in it! She honestly just wants to just swim (it's like she actually thinks she can swim!) and gets mad when we try to hold her back.  We discovered this pond this past week and we've already been 3 times.  It's great if we only have a little time and don't want to go out to the ocean.  Here are some pics from our trips to Hedges Pond!

Callie is loving the water!

Callie and Cullan.

Cullan loves the water too!

Callie - trying to swim!

She thinks she is a fish...

The picnic area and playground.

The beach.

Callie marching around the beach.

Callie and Cullan, pooped after the afternoon at the beach!

And, as a bonus - pics of Callie and Andrew at the South Shore Outlaws football game last night! (The Outlaws won! Woohoo!)

Andrew and Callie - 8/2011

Andrew and Callie - 8/2010

Plymouth Long Beach

Another favorite spot of ours is Plymouth Long Beach.  When we first moved to Plymouth we would go to Plymouth Long Beach most weekend mornings to have some coffee, relax and enjoy the ocean.  Then we heard that you could get a 4x4 sticker to drive further out on the beach.  We bought a 4x4 sticker last year but I was never able to go out because I was pregnant and then we had a newborn! Well, we got our 4x4 sticker this year and we have been taking full advantage!  We usually drive out to the area that is called "day parking".  We back our truck right up to the beach, unload our stuff and enjoy the day (or evening!).  We have also gone out past the "crossover" which gives you better access to more of the beach.  As of right now they are only letting 35 cars out there at a time. And, the road to get out there has parts that are really soft sand and can be hard to drive on, but it's beautiful and worth it to go all the way out!  When it's low tide, there are tide pools out past the crossover.  This is where we set up our chairs and gear because the tide pool is only about 6 inches deep and is pretty far from the ocean so Callie can splash in the water and run around in the sand and we don't have to worry about her running into the ocean.

Long Beach is a great spot and it's only about 15 minutes from our house.  It's only open to Plymouth residents (and out on the point, it's only Plymouth residents with 4x4 vehicles).  And another bonus - it's FREE! (Well, kind of free - we had to buy our 4x4 permit which was about $45.00 - but after that initial investment, it's free!).

 Some pictures from Long Beach:

The cars backed up to the beach at "day parking"

The ocean from the beach.

Nelson Park

One of our favorite places to go is Nelson Park in Plymouth, MA.  It's a great place that has recently been re-done.  The park has a playground, splash pad, a small beach and walking/biking trails through the woods.  It also overlooks the ocean and Plymouth Harbor.  There are trees to provide shade and a large lawn that is perfect for spreading a blanket for a picnic!  Nelson Park is also FREE and is not restricted to Plymouth Residents.  While there are a lot of pro's to Nelson Park, there are a few con's too:

• Parking
• Parking is limited and Nelson Park is so popular that the lot fills up quickly.  However, the turnover of cars in the lot is pretty good so if you just do a few laps around the lot you can usually find a spot
• If you can't find a spot in the lot at the park, it's a short walk from downtown Plymouth and there is plenty of parking there.. 
• Crowded
• Because Nelson Park is such a great spot, it's almost always crowded.  It's tough for Callie to keep up with the big kids on the splash pad and some of them can be aggressive.  We try to go early in the morning or on a nice warm evening after dinner so the crowd isn't too big.  

 Here are some pictures from Nelson Park!

The view from the park: 

Andrew and Callie playing on the splash pad!

An old one of Callie on the swings at the playground back in the spring.














If you're ever in the area, Nelson Park is definitely a great place to check out!