A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

I think this picture sums up how much fun Spectacle Island was this week -- happy kids, happy staffers and a wonderfully cool Boston Harbor in which to swim.  With temperatures in the 90s, the water was the best place to be this week.

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of the summer, it's easy to get tired or frustrated after days spent in the hot sun with lots of kids.  Sometimes we need a simple, fun day to remember that's what All Access is all about:  kids having fun and doing something new!  I'd never had 5 little girls use me as their personal flotation device, but they loved it and I was happy to be a small part of a day they hopefully won't forget anytime soon.

Here's to another great week on the Harbor!

-- Carolyn

PS:  Here's a picture to brighten up your weekend!  Photo cred:  Bridget J. Foley.

One Last Fall Cruise to Spectacle Island

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s final fall cruise out to Spectacle Island was beautiful. Once again, a cloudy and cool morning gave way to a beautiful afternoon on the Harbor. My husband and I always enjoy when we get a chance to spend time on the island. The view of the city is wonderful and it’s a great place to picnic and enjoy being away from the busy city streets. Michael and I walked the North Drumlin Trail this time, because last time we came we didn’t get to this trail. Spectacle Island always grants the opportunity to meet new people and on the way down the trail, Michael and I met the Lindsey and the Peavy families from Dorchester and Norwood.

Michael and I on Spectacle Island (photo by Darrell Peavy)

Of the group, this was Malika, Hannah, Darrell, and Lanette’s first visit to Spectacle Island. They were enjoying exploring the island. Two in their group, Makiah and her friend Nyah, had been to the island before. They spoke with excitement about how they really enjoy looking for sea glass on each trip. Makiah and Nyah shared the excitement with Darrell and Hannah, showing them the best spots to collect sea glass. The kids showed me the glass they found on the beach. They thought it could be a piece from a teacup.

Clockwise from top left: Maliaka Lindsey, Lanette Peavy, Darrell Peavy,
Hannah Waters, Nyah Apperwhite, and Makiah Lindsey.

All the children played games on the beach and had a wonderful lunch on top of north drumlin hill. Malika Lindsey, Makiah’s mother, said that she “would recommend families to come to Spectacle Island because kids can enjoy the outdoors and families can use the place to picnic.”

Makiah, a sea glass scouting expert, shows off her find.

Everyone in the group had a wonderful time at Spectacle Island and can’t wait until the spring to go back on another adventurous search for sea glass with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay.


Camilla Fitzpatrick
Development/ Communications Intern

A Saturday on Spectacle Island

Friends and families boarded the Provincetown II on a cloudy Saturday morning and set off to the lovely Spectacle Island with friends at Save the Harbor. As the boat approached the Island dock, the clouds parted and sunshine lit up the sandy beach, grassy hills, and sparkling water. After capturing a quick group photo on the dock, kids sprinted to beach and up hiking trails to explore Spectacle's many treasures.

The entire group gathers on Spectacle's boat dock

The day was filled with leisurely walks on the beach, spectacular views of Boston and other Harbor islands from the top of the hills, and sea glass mosaic-making! There is nothing like the view from the Spectacle’s summit; this is a must-see sight for any Boston-lover.

Beautiful view of downtown Boston

The sea glass mosaic activity was my favorite part of the day. It was so entertaining to watch all the kids searching through the glass to find their favorite pieces then compiling them together to compose some beachy works of art. Some of the treasures included painted pottery, various colors of sea glass, and even old horse shoes! Katherine from Quincy found multiple treasures on the beach, including a crab leg, and used her sea glass finds to compose a tortoise!

Katherine proudly displays her sea glass turtle creation

Since the early 2000s, Spectacle Island has transformed from an unsightly trash site to an alluring public amenity as part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Park rangers continue to emphasize the importance of picking up trash and recycling, and the park even hosts composting toilets!

Elliot shares Spectacle's unique history with the group

Seeing Spectacle now, in 2012, it’s hard to believe how recent its transformation was. Spectacle offers a close but exciting getaway for people looking to spend a day on the beach. It is definitely a destination for those seeking to enjoy a unique perspective of our wonderful Boston Harbor.

Jacqueline Sussman
Policy Intern
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

Time Spent on Spectacle Island

Boston, from South Drumlin Summit

Nearly 300 people braved the wind and rain to board the Provincetown II for the trip out to Spectacle Island, yet no sooner had we docked than the clouds parted, giving way to blue sunny skies and a light breeze to cool us as we ventured about the island’s ample trails photographing the spectacular views of the harbor and skyline. The island is made up of two "drumlins" or little ridges. Amazingly, this beautiful spot was built of decades of garbage and the dirt and clay left over from the Big Dig. Talk about recycling!

Right to Left: Ellie, Maddie, and Patti

On the way down from the summit I met and picnicked with a wonderful family- Patti and her granddaughter Madison (or Maddie for short) along with Ellie, a Korean exchange student staying with them. Patti lives in Winthrop and she spends lot of her free time with Maddie, they enjoy doing things together like crabbing and fishing. We agreed to help Maddie on her search for the items on the scavenger hunt. While walking along the beach searching for a feather, Patti told me that in all her time living here she had yet to have the opportunity to check out Spectacle Island. She thought it was great that Save the Harbor / Save the Bay was giving her and Maddie the opportunity to explore the island.

Maddie finds sea glass 

As we diligently assisted Maddie on her search for other items on the scavenger hunt list- some sea glass (and boy is there a lot of it!), seaweed, and a whole shell among others; we also managed to do some good for this state treasure, collecting a shopping bags worth of trash from the shoreline. It’s amazing the things that can find their way down drains and across the harbor. We collected candy wrappers, a water bottle, and some small plastic trinkets. It should really make people think twice about what they toss on the ground or in the water.

Treasure hunting is best with friends!

  



The call came through the speakers letting us all know that it was time to board the boat again. We brought our sea glass and other relics into the ranger’s desk, you can’t take those treasures with you, they belong to the people. As the boat pulled away, leaving beautiful Spectacle Island behind, we all agreed that we would be back to this special spot just 4 miles, yet seemingly a world away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Boston.

- Camilla

Camilla Fitzpatrick

Communications and Development Intern

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay