The Charles River Bike Path has numerous noteworthy points. On foot, one might choose to visit Norumbega Park in Auburndale (on one end of the route), the Boston Science Museum (on the other end of the route), or the Esplanade (in between); however, on a bike, the opportunities are much broader. In Cambridge, the Charles can get you just a few hundred yards from the center of Harvard University. Only a few miles down the river, one will quickly recognize the Great Dome of MIT. The field in front of it is a popular place for a picnic. With a bike, you can visit all of the sites in one day!

I love the juxtaposition of nature and city-life along the Charles. I like to bike slowly along the river so I can enjoy the views, often adorned with sailboats and rowers, and the flora and fauna (especially now, with the trees blooming with white and pink flowers). I also like to check out the surrounding architecture, from bridges like the Weeks Footbridge to buildings like the Genzyme Corporation, with its shiny blue-green windows and tall, brick peaks. The Charles is surprisingly beautiful at night as well. Many of the bridges are lit and become stunning features above the water. Unfortunately, the entire bike path is not lit, and without a proper bike light, riding at night can be dangerous because of the scattered potholes and presence of other travelers. (By Boston law, you could be fined if you are not using a bike light after sunset or before sunrise).

The Charles River Bike Path is where urban life and nature come together in a beautiful way.

You’ve probably heard about this one: moss grows thicker on the north side of the tree. This tip is handy if you live in the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere, otherwise it might not do you any good. Moss grows thicker on the north side because it grows better in shade; this side, in the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere, receives the least amount of light. However, if you’re in a thick forest, all sides of the tree will receive the same amount and that quick trick won’t do you any good.

If you don’t have a compass but you have a watch on you, that can be just as useful. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the first step is to hold your watch horizontally. Then, rotate the watch until the hour hand is pointing towards the sun. South will lie exactly halfway between the half hand and the numeral twelve on the watch. (If it is a digital watch you will have to imagine where the hour hand would be on an analog watch.) From this, you can determine the other three points of the compass you have created from your watch. In the Southern hemisphere, the same first few steps will lead you to the North rather than the South.

RunThePlanet.com encourages avid hikers to take advantage of the expansive outdoors that our planet has provided for us. For more navigation tips, you can read their article “Outdoor Navigation Tips” that explains a method of finding North without a watch. There are also methods to keep course with clouds so you don’t need to know your cardinal directions at all! Know a way out of the woods before you go in.

The Institute is a privately owned, but publicly open, land that is nearly 140 acres. The founder, engineer and innovator Paul Andrew purchased the area in 1996 with the idea of placing sculptures throughout the landscape, based on a previously founded love of nature and art. Fortunately, there was a sculptor already living there, John M. Weidman. In 1998, they co-founded the Andres Institute of Art.  It quickly grew to encompass large permanent sculptures, but also has smaller sculptures that come and go.

Each year, the Andres Institute of Art invites artists from around the world to come and design their own art during their annual symposium. The artists are paid a small amount, but their true reward is being allowed the freedom to place their art on the park wherever they please. They are provided with the tools and materials, thus all they need to bring is their own creativity. You can imagine that this symposium brings great results.

The Andres Institute of Art is open to the public every day of the year from dusk to dawn. There are trails that take just 15 minutes, such as the Picnic Trail, the Halfway Trail, the Headwall Spur Trail, and the South Way Trail, while others can take up to an hour, such as the Summit Loop Trail and the Parkway Road Trail. Many decades before, the Big Bear Mountain was used for skiing, and just like its former slopes, the trails range from easy to difficult. If you are in the area, it is definitely worth a visit, and if you ever come back, it is worth another one. The views around the park change drastically with the changing of the seasons, and the sculptures themselves change, coming from different artists, new and familiar.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s many railroads were constructed to connect cities around Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Nashua River Rail Trail was once the Hollis branch of the Boston and Maine Corporation railroad. Probably due to the rise in automobiles, many of these plans were abandoned, and many of the lines that were completed stopped running. The Hollis branch saw its last run in 1982 and was purchased by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in 1987. Mass Highway worked to convert the track to a 10-foot wide paved surface that officially opened as the Nashua River Rail Trail on October 25, 2002.

This trail is really perfect for a leisurely ride or stroll because it is incredibly flat due to the requirements of the trains that formerly passed through. No motor vehicles are allowed, thus the atmosphere is generally quiet or bubbling with casual conversations. Because the trail is wide, those looking to ride quickly can do so without endangering other travelers.  From Dunstable to the Groton Center there is an additional five-foot-wide gravel equestrian path.

The official access points to the trail are Ayer Center, Groton Center, Groton Sand Hill Road, and Dunstable (which is right on the border of Hollis, New Hampshire). It can feel quite accomplishing to travel it end to end, and you can reward yourself by stopping for some ice cream in Pepperell. The trail offers many scenic overlooks and rest stops. The foliage season is around the corner, and this is a particularly wonderful time to appreciate the landscape that the Rail Trail has to offer. This trail is great for groups of family or friends but equally satisfying for any individual. For a pleasant afternoon outdoors, the Nashua River Rail Trail is the perfect solution.