Thoroughly enjoyable self-guided walk through this summer home to 19th century diplomat John Hay…read moreand his family. It is incredible how many gorgeous, welcoming mansions New England has, yet with a different wonderful experience every time. Hay House does not disappoint. This beautiful classic home looks out to Lake Sunapee, and features a rock garden, fairy tale stone gate where the roses grow, and access to everything from the children's rooms and bathrooms to the well-stocked butler's pantry. The best aspect of being self-guided is the freedom to go at your own pace, and appreciate the many details without having to stare at someone doling out long bios. Plentiful signs give you the ideal highlights of each room as well as relevant history, and you can admire the decor and architectural elements to your heart's content. We happened to be there for Artists' Weekend, where many painters were positioned in various spots on the lush grounds, painting their happy little trees. Live music was played on the porch, and it was a lovely environment for such an event. Landscaping and flowers vary with blooming times of year, and there are some nature trails around the grounds. The walk from the parking lot at the street, to the Hay house, is about 1/4 mile on the dirt/gravel road with a bit of a hill. There was another parking lot at the house itself, which we did not realize until we were hoofing it back. Restrooms on site. Beautiful venue for a wedding, which is something they do. Terrific site all the way around. Paired nicely with the Ice House Museum of antique cars about 10 minutes away, and lunch at Peter Christian's Tavern nearby.

Beautiful place to walk and explore. My only complaint is I wish the trails were marked a little…read moremore clearly, we took a wrong turn and had to walk back a ways. There was a long (unexpected!) beautiful stream, and it was the highlight of the whole place for me.

The Hadley Gardens opened in June 2022, so we were there around its second anniversary. I had no…read moreidea the garden was so new, as it looks mature and exquisitely landscaped. The gardens are named after Willis Dean Hadley, a Ferndale benefactor, and someone deeply committed to reserving native plants. I had thought maybe this was his Garden, since maintained after his passing, but no, it was a community project several years in the making. Although quite small, built on a former vacant lot, there are unique nooks and crannies everywhere that give you pause - you can spend a while here. Hadley had a whimsical sense of humor has seen by the Victorian dollhouse and other quirky touches here. Native plant enthusiasts especially will appreciate the wide diversity and beauty of natives on display. The miniature Fern Canyon is amazing. All very photogenic. Located on Main Street next to the Shaw House Inn.

A Saturday well spent…read more Hubby found this botanical garden in Massachusetts while looking for activities. It was a four hour (non highway) drive for us and while we had to fill up our gas (expensive, no doubt) on our way home, the bulb show itself was free of charge. They gave a suggested donation of $5. The campus is beautiful. They do such amazing job with their plants. Would love to explore Northampton again in the warmer months.

We've been members of the Botanic Garden of Smith College for ten years. Last year, I called to…read moreverify I could take pictures in the greenhouse on a weekday. But when I got there, not even 5 minutes pass when a woman comes in saying I'm aren't allowed to take pictures. I said I did get permission, besides that there were other people taking pictures at the same time as me. There were very few people there on a weekday morning. She argued that it was disruptive for others. I apologized and was almost ready to go, when she said nevermind, go ahead, and left me alone. I thought that was very odd, but then this year, while enjoying the spring bulb show, a class of possibly 20 five-year-old school children came through screaming, crying, ripping/pulling on the plants, with chaperones shouting to be heard. It was complete pandemonium and ruined the experience for us. This group was not asked to leave for 'disrupting.' I also don't appreciate the unilateral decision that was made (that is, no consultation of Botanic Garden members who contribute annual membership fees) to shut down the annual chrysanthemum show in the fall. They just sent a letter saying "they decided" to do other exhibits instead. I don't know what the fall botanical exhibit was that they did instead, and can't find anything online about what it was. The chrysanthemum show was an extraordinary event that was held annually since the early 1900s. If it had to be discontinued, it would be nice if the botanical exhibit that replaces it would meet or exceed that experience. Instead, nothing at all. Contributing members should be able to contribute their input when these decisions are made. We are a part of the campus community.

This site is acres of a private garden open a few days a month to public visits. What is unique…read moreabout this space is the instantiation of various gardens peacefully integrated with the surrounding woodlands. No cement divides, and that's pretty rare. Some paths wander into the woods, most wind around the various gardens. Excellent examples of using natural plants to the best advantage, granite embraces and a smattering of whimsical sculpture. Is it worth the ride? Yes, if you take a good two or three hours to relax and enjoy it. Note: use the instructions for your GPS on their web site.

From the owner: Distant Hill Gardens comprises fifty-eight acres of fertile high country land in the hills five…read moremiles east of downtown Walpole, New Hampshire. An environmental and horticultural learning center dedicated to inspiring and empowering children and adults to cultivate an intimate connection to the natural world through education and observation. We hope to inspire visitors to develop an ecological approach to working their land and to give them the tools to improve their landscape one plant at a time.

Always an excellent visit. Something knew to see, small animals are walked around and they teach…read moreyou a bit about each one. So relaxing to just take your time.

This place has been around since I was a child (30 now) and now I take my daughter. It's fun for…read moresure, but once you go, there's not really a reason to go back as you've seen it all. Pricing is okay, I personally think it's a little overpriced for it but they have to make money somehow. Seniors (65+) are $15, adults are $20, kids 3-17 are $10, kids under 3 are free. There are memberships/frequent flier passes available for purchase as well. Inside where the butterflies are, it is HOT. So head's up if you're bundled at all, especially come the winter months. The butterflies are absolutely beautiful, but I won't lie to y'all, it was kind of terrifying for me. Those butterflies will fly right at your face which personally, I do not find peaceful in the least. BUT, that's not saying it's not a fun experience because it absolutely is. I do love bringing my camera and taking photos of the butterflies and creatures. I wish they still had their little cafe. Every time I go it's closed/shut down. Would be nice to be able to enjoy some food and continue to support them after enjoying the butteflies!

Pros: Beautiful and varied garden spaces that are well…read moremaintained. Cafe has a large outdoor patio with gorgeous view. Gift shop has all kinds of cool and unusual items. Great place to do some holiday shopping. Dog friendly. Cons: Restrooms are outdated, not the cleanest, and kind of gross. Ticket prices seem a bit too high for the actual size of the property. Cafe is understaffed. Ordering at lunchtime was quite slow.

I'm surprised I didn't put a review up of it at the time. We had so much fun here. Parking was free…read moreand because the bf is a veteran admission was free for us and the kids that day, woohoo! The staff were all very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our time there very much and would love to come back again the next time we are in town.

It was as if it was a picture taken from the enchanted garden as you walk directly into the garden…read moreas it was hidden in the woods surrounded by trees and a very nice bog with charming Lilly pads. The price was right and my mom and I really enjoyed it. Nothing but peaceful all around.

Excellent little jaunt through the flowery woods on crushed gravel trails lined with many varieties…read moreof plants and blossoming flora. Possibly the best prize for labeling as many species as possible. So many gardens do not provide good and legible labels on their plants, trees, bushes, ferns, and flowers. This was joyfully, thoroughly well-labeled. As was the path itself on the loop trail. There is an additional outer trail you could take if you're channeling your inner Thoreau but we stuck with the anti-Frost and took the road more traveled. Stay on the path. Recommendations say you can walk the loop in 30mins. You probably could. But we found plenty to keep us oohing and aahing for 90 mins! Turtles, frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, and some fab funghi in the lily pond. Unique and colorful small flowers every which way. The trail has mostly small inclines here and there, but the hike at the end to return to the visitor center is a bit huffy puffy. While there were beautifully carved benches throughout other parts of the loop, there were no benches on this steepest part and there really should be at least one halfway up the hill. Take your time. Wear proper shoes, bring a water bottle. Small parking lot. Bonus gift shop, plant shop, and proper rest rooms.

When you feel blue and really need a pick up activity, this is the place to go. You will nature…read morecompeling, calling you, offering you that feeling of harmony and love that you were missing. This botanical venue is the largest in all New Englad. We are touchy to have it. Me personally I purchased the a manual pass with gives you two extra tickets for guests to use when you feel like. I find this venue a place for peace and tranquility a place were you can scape from the world and be in touch with nature. Can't wait to visit once more.

I wanted to pay a visit to the goats they have outside the botanical gardens so we ended up going…read morein to check out the holiday displays. The botanical gardens are much more spacious than I remember there are 4 different greenhouses with a wide variety of tropical plants, trees, a kid's play space, and an herb and vegetable garden. They even have a mini koi pond with some huge koi. Everything was decorated for the holidays with multiple christmas trees, several different train sets and poinsettias everywhere. One of the train sets has a model city that is supposed to look like Providence. I love model trains so this was fun to see. I do wish they had made the settings a little bit more detailed and realistic. Overall a very cool place and a nice retreat from the coldness of winter. It's very warm and humid in there so it really does feel like you're somewhere tropical. They have some truly gigantic monsteras, jade trees and elephant ear plants. Definitely inspiring for my home plant collection! I had no idea how huge some of these plants could get under the right conditions. I do wish there were more labels on the plants - we found some interesting trees (a fruit tree that was maybe papaya) but there was no sign to indicate what it was. Check it out - a fun, family friendly spot to go on a winter weekend. And don't forget to visit the goats on the way in!

#500 22 Sept 2024…read morePartly Sunny Warm 74°F The Berkshire Botanical Garden is a lovely sanctuary in the midst of the bucolic surroundings of Lenox / Stockbridge MA. There are many floral and plant species to enjoy, with various places on the small 24 acre site to sit and linger. Take an hour and indulge. *Entry: $18 for adults - $16 for seniors * Happy first day of Autumn!

My family and I really enjoyed these gardens There are so…read moremany unique gardens within the "garden". We started off seeing the art exhibit in one of the buildings. Then we moved on to the herb gardens (loved the lavender). The topiary garden is fabulous, plants shaped like anmals. My 2and favorite garden was the lillies. Plenty of free parking.

For a mere $15 cash you can access some pristine hiking opportunities. I have trekked these grounds…read morein all 4 seasons. Each has its own unique set of challenges and joys. Whether it is ice and snow with trax on or wet leaves on a steep incline, you can bet on a challenge. The most commonly used trail up the mountain is the 2 mile (one way), White Dot trail. It is well marked and easily followed. The elevation gain is rapid, as this is a shorter hike. The views are absolutely stellar from the summit. There is a small shop at the base and you receive a map upon entry with basic guidelines and trails. If you are into the outdoors, I highly recommend this spot! Laces up!

Things to note before reading this: 1) I'm a beginner hiker…read more2) My legs get me from point A to B but they are not strong once resistance is involved lol so leg day is always my biggest challenge and because of this... 3) I'm always the slow hiker of the group and I like to take my time I came here last year on a Saturday at the end of October. I went with some friends who have hiked this mountain before. I went into this hike without looking up what to expect, I knew it was going to be challenging but boy was I in for a surprise. I just went with what my friends who invited me said. So the parking at the first trailhead was full and found parking at the second trailhead (Gilson Pond parking), which is the Red Dot Trail, and was our group's first time doing. It was my first official mountain hike. The Red Dot trail was quite a challenge since it involved a lot of climbing once you got to the midway point. There was a boulder that took me a while to overcome and after that there was more to climb and "oh my God" (Janice from Friends voice) reactions to seeing these climbs. We started at around 9am and stopped just right below the peak at 12pm. One person in our group completed the hike and went up to the peak. We had breakfast as we experienced the view then we took the White Dot Trail back down and connected to the Red Dot Trail to get back to the Gilson Pond Parking Lot I think we got back to the car close to 3pm. It was a sunny 60-70 degree morning and I was mostly in a t-shirt throughout the entire hike but I needed my jacket at the peak because of that windchill and the cloud cover. I was sore everywhere for the next week. ---------- Fast forward to this October, my husband and another friend wanted to do a Fall/Autumn hike. I found a site with all the New England hikes and experience levels. I saw that Mount Monadnock was in the advanced category and I very proud of myself for doing it last year. Anyway they decided on Mount Monadnock the night before. I still had trauma from last year's experience so I did my research this time and we decided on the White Dot Trail. We went yesterday which was a Saturday on the holiday weekend. Clear sunny day. The parking for the White Dot Trail was full again and the park ranger at the gate said all 3 parking lots are full from reservations. So reservations are encouraged! We drove all this way and were determined to do a hike so thankfully he suggested we could do the Dublin Trail which is about the same distance to the peak as the White Dot Trail. The Dublin Trail trailhead is a first come first serve parking lot so it's free parking and there's a donation box for the park that is welcomed. Based on my research the night before, someone on Reddit said this is a nice trail for beginners and I can confirm that it is since I am still a beginner hiker. It was a gentler incline, it still worked my legs, than the Red Dot Trail with easier /moderate climbs. We started at 9am again and got to peak at 10:50am. We left the peak at 11:30 and got back to the car at 1:10pm. So roughly 3hrs roundtrip, including stopping to take photos on the way up and down- 4hrs including a break to eat. It was a chilly morning in the 60s, I started in 3 layers (tshirt, a winter running long-sleeve, and a thermal jacket) at the start and by 30 minutes in I was down to my tshirt. I was in a t-shirt for most of the hike, closer to the peak I had to add a layer. We were able to find a spot on the peak to shield us from the wind because it was ripping. I was fine in the two layers with the help of the shield of a rock from the wind but outside of that protection I needed my 3rd layer and cover for my ears. A layer with a hoodie would have been great but I didn't have that so I was glad I packed a winter head band to cover my ears. What was funny was seeing how much my white jacket puffed up from the wind, I felt like the Michelin Mascot. About 15 minutes on the way down I started to shed layers again. What a difference the temperature drastically feels between the peak and below the peak. One thing I loved about the time of month of this hike was how beautiful the ground was to look at, at the start of the hike. You spend so much time looking down on the ground on these kind of hikes because of the terrain it's such a bore. I tried to take a photo of how pretty the leaves on ground were but the photo still doesn't do it justice. I've never seen such tricolor foliage on the ground, it's always yellow or brown.