Get outdoors this fall

By SHEILA BARTH

Essex County Newspapers

As summer fades and winter looms in the shadows, people rush to get that last gasp of fresh, crisp air and the outdoors. The North Shore is a great place to do just that, as it hosts a myriad of activities for families.

Polo matches are still in full swing every Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. until Oct. 14 at Myopia Hunt Club on Bay Road, off Route 1A in Hamilton.

The Charity Cup is played Sept. 16; the Frederick Ayer 4-6 goal finals, Sept. 23; the Porsche Cup, Sept. 30; the BMW Cup, Oct. 7; and the Last Chukker Cup, Oct. 14.

Admission is $10 and payable at the gate.

Bradley Palmer State Park, with 1,723 acres that span sections of Topsfield, Hamilton and Ipswich, (entrance located at Asbury Street, Topsfield), is open from dawn to dusk.

Roadways within the park are closed to vehicular traffic so skateboarders, pedestrians and hikers can fully enjoy all the park has to offer. Parking lots are handy and free of charge.

Forest and park supervisor Peter Carlson says there are miles of scenic walks and trails where visitors may hike through or view foliage. There are plenty of interesting foot paths, and while there isn't any launch for canoes or rowboats, Carlson says there are foot paths leading to the river where fishermen may launch a boat only a few feet away in the Ipswich River.

The grounds also contain a foot bridge that crosses over to Willowdale Forest, opening up 2,400 more acres to meander in, with 30 miles of trails.

At the end of September, the park intends to have a handicapped accessible trail along the river and to the footbridge.

At the seashore, the Mass. Department of Environmental Management and the Trustees of Reservations manage Halibut Point State Park located on Gott Avenue, (Route 127), in Rockport. It is open after Labor Day from sunrise to sunset.

The 56-acre park boasts scenic views high atop its craggy cliffs, which stretch from Crane Beach in Ipswich to Mt. Agamenticus in Maine and the Isle of Shoals on New Hampshire's coast line.

Trails lined with berries and wildflowers wind through the site, suddenly revealing the old granite quarry once used to make government buildings and streets in the Capitol and throughout the United States and Europe. Majestic cliffs stand taut against the rough tide and forming tide pools, teeming with tiny sea life such as starfish and crabs. When the tide washes away, and during the fall and winter, seabirds, including loons, grebes and ducks feast on offshore waters there.

The park's 60-foot fire control tower is now the visitors' center and has lots of history.

At Peabody-Essex Museum, a nature outing entitled Bog Walk and Hawk Watch will take place Sept. 15 (rain date, Sept. 16) from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Charles Ward Reservation, led by natural history curator Jane Winchell. The tour also includes a walk up Holt Hill, the highest point in Essex County, where birder expert Jim Berry shares the view and points out migrating birds of prey.

Bring your own picnic lunch to eat at this Trustees of Reservations property. Cost is $7/$5. For reservations, call (800) 745-4053, Ext. 3011.

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