In about a month, I will be heading off to the Universalist Convocation in North Oxford, Ma.
(still not too late to join us there - see http://nmuc.org/Convo/ ).
However, I will be there a few days before and after the Convocation and am looking for things to do in central Ma (or somewhere else reachable from the North Oxford area). Since I will be busy from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, Sunday Church visiting wont be one of the things - except for an evening service.....
any suggestions? (and yes, i am thinking of some of the typical UU tourist sites - but feel free to suggest them anyway).
sr
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"typical UU tourist sites" -- Remember that you can take the train into Boston! The UUA has info on where some of the U/U churches, old and new, were/are. Hosea Ballou's 2nd Universalist church merged with Arlington St. Church in 1967 -- still gives me a thrill when I walk by the building and know that the congregation can claim both Channing and Ballou as ministers, even though neither one preached in the current building.
You'll be about an hour drive away from Concord, Mass., which was home to Emerson, Thoreau, the Alcotts, Hawthorne. (Thoreau quit the Unitarian church and admired the town's Unviersalist minister -- the old Universalist church in Concord is now St. Bernard's Roman Catholic church on the town green.)
You'll be about two hours from the Independent Christian Church in Gloucester -- kind of a long drive, but surprisingly moving to visit. Gloucester itself is worth a daytrip if the weather's nice -- a working fishing port, great places to eat, romantic rocky coastline.
In Worcester, the art museum is small but excellent. While in downtown Worcester, it's worth seeing if someone would let you in to the sanctuary of First Parish Worcester -- a gorgeous building. (By the way, "Worcester" is pronounced Wostah, or Wistah depending on where you're from.)
One of my favorite trips in central Mass. in the springtime is to head up to Royalston and visit two waterfalls there -- Royalston Falls (http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/362_royalston_falls.cfm), and Doane's Falls (http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/299_doane_s_falls.cfm) -- you should be in central Mass. when the water flow is still high and the falls are most spectacular. Lots of gorgeous scenery in north central Mass., particularly around Quabbin Reservoir.
Thanks Dan, your comments make me seriously consider the long ride to Gloucester. I'll consider all your options. Thanks
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