|
|
|
|
|
Bedford, Mass., an Underrated Classic New England Town 
Article and photos by Eric H. Bedford, Mass., never quite gets the accolades that neighboring Concord and Lexington do -- no surprise, given the American Revolutionary war roots of those two famous towns. For those unfamiliar with the true personality of Bedford, did you know that... The downtown section reflects the classic look of a New England town center? Contributing to this Norman Rockwell-like scene is the First Parish Church with its tall white steeple overlooking the large town common, a group of small, locally-owned stores and large, historic Colonial homes on tree-lined streets? Nothing fancy, but it is sure "New England!" Close to Bedford Center is Bedford Farms (18 North Rd.), a wonderful year-round ice cream stand landmark, with very fresh-tasting ice cream flavors including ginger, chunky chocolate pudding, Milky Way and Grapenut. Right next door to Bedford Farms in Dalya's Restaurant featuring delicious American and Mediterranean cuisine in a casual, upscale setting for lunch and dinner. The Minuteman Bikeway starts/ends here? It's a fantastic 10.5-mile bike trail -- with walkers, cyclers and inline skaters -- that passes through lovely, rural and suburban sections of Bedford, Lexington, Arlington and Cambridge. The trail's railroad past on Loomis St. features a rail car that once operated on the branch and the Bedford Frieght House, a perfect place to buy drinks a snacks. More trails connect with the Minuteman Bikeway, including the Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail (largely unpaved; paved near the Loomis St. train depot area). The Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge features 12 miles of freshwater wetlands and amazing scenery along the Concord River? Although Concord has the majority of hiking trails, about 692 acres are located in Bedford. Wildlife abounds on the Concord trails, including red-winged blackbirds, Great Blue Herons, water snakes, leopard and bull frogs, marsh wrens, swallows, swifts, muskrats, and various colorful species of dragonflies. For more on Great Meadows, log onto Bedford's Great Meadown web page. The Bedford Public Library, on Mudge Way, showcases the oldest complete flag known to exist in the United States. This was the first U.S. flag flown during the American Revolutionary War! If vacationing in the Concord-Lexington region -- or if looking for a few Boston area day trip activities -- we recommend visiting Bedford, a truly underrated jewel of a town!  The Narrow Gauge Railroad trail is an offshoot of the famous Minuteman Bikeway |
|
|
Information from VisitingNewEngland.com comes from our editorial staff. Advertisements do not influence the articles and points-of-view on VisitingNewEngland.com, unless otherwise specified. Rates and event dates are subject to change. We recommend calling your New England destination first before setting out on the planned itinerary. Home
| New England Vacation and Travel Feature Stories | Connecticut Travel
| Maine Travel
| Massachusetts
Travel | New
Hampshire Travel | Rhode Island Travel
| Vermont Travel
| Best New England Cities, Towns,
Villages |
Privacy Policy
| Site Map | Contact Us | Copyright, VisitingNewEngland.com 2001- . All rights reserved. |
