Johnny’s List of Quirky Boston Events: 08/21/05

08/21/05 by

Last week, I went whitewater rafting in Maine through Crab Apple. It took three hours to drive up there but it was totally worth it. I got a sense they can add people without any advance notice, especially midweek. They have motel rooms for rent or you can camp over locally the night before. Then you arrive at Crab Apple at 8:30am, get a safety lesson, and go in a boat with 8-10 people for 2-3 hours. The guides are a lot of fun, we got to splash people, fall in the water, swim around, and I would totally do this again. We stayed over two nights — they have a hot tub, yum — and went rafting two days. We didn’t do it but on the way up to Maine or on the way back you could totally do kayaking or hiking or the beach. Highly recommend.
Friday I headed to my favorite amusement park, Davis Farmland, in Sterling MA. They have a petting zoo which is not just for kids, which is the largest breeding zoo for endangered animals in the US. You can get a hayride and pet the donkeys. Kids can ride a pony or hug a baby goat (don’t worry hand sanitizers are everywhere). Bring a swimsuit and enjoy the water spray ground. My favorite part though is the MegaMaze, which takes about 90 minutes. It’s New England’s largest maze, made from a corn field, which I used to help work on. This year’s theme is superheros and they have some great games inside the maze adding some pizzazz. You definitely need to check this out. Go in September to catch the petting zoo, but the maze is open through October, and you can go apple picking there too. Davis Farmland has really turned the corner, they are now large enough that you can spend 3-4 hours there easily, and it’s really worth the trip. Highly recommend. The maze is open August-October but the zoo closes in September I believe.
I’ve also just been to the Marshfield County Fair, in Marshfield MA, Aug 19-28. If you’re a city person like me, it’s like visiting a foreign country. There is a whole community of agricultural fair people who love animals. They have judging and exhibitions of cows, sheep, pigs, rabbits, dogs, basically every animal, plant, or bakery food possible. I would avoid the cheap and expensive carnival rides and food though. Parking was much easier than the Topsfield Fair and just $5. You gotta love the campy to enjoy this fair. The fair runs to August 28th. Marginally recommend.