Hales Brook Trail, Marion

Been wanting to check out this trail too, which is located in Marion.  I wasn't planning on doing the whole thing but I wanted to hike as far as a rock outcropping which the trail guides all say is pretty cool to see cause it's just this giant rock in the middle of the woods with few others around.

Like I said, I'm a sucker for boardwalk-type trails.

Looks like an alien face in the reflection

Or a skull.  Or a ghost.

Russell took his time while I went ahead.  I'm a fast walker.  Comes from years of living, working and vacationing in cities.

I ended up going far ahead of him and would just meet up with him on my way back.  

When I saw 'rock slab bridge' on the trail map, I wasn't expecting something this small and unimpressive.

I knew I was very close to this rock outcropping....and I came upon this.  Multiple huge trees across the trail.  Under most circumstances I would have clambered over them and continued on, but as we had a rather ambitious trip coming up and the last thing I needed was to twist an ankle, fall and wreck myself.  I had no choice but to turn back. I'll have to try again next spring.

I probably did about 2 miles round trip and it was a very quiet and peaceful walk.

Gettin' My Kicks on Route 6

Did you know that Route 6 stretches from Bishop, California all the way across the USA (3,205 miles) to it's terminus at Provincetown?  Around here, it was the main route to New York before the interstates were built in the 1950s.  What I refer to as 'The Mid Cape Highway' is 6. It's also known as 'The Grand Army of the Republic Highway".  You can read about the history of the highway HERE.

Last year when we were helping my youngest stepson look for a car, we took 6 from Wareham out past New Bedford and I really enjoyed the ride.  I made a mental note to make sure that I planned a photography road trip.  We also drove right past that cool part of Fairhaven I was in last summer with my cousins when we went to Fort Phoenix.  The original plan was to go as far as Fairhaven but Russell suggested I continue into New Bedford to check out the historic waterfront.  I've always thought of the cities of SE Massachusetts as horrible, run down, crime ridden blips along I-195, and parts of them are.  But the bits off 6 are still pretty nice.  Not as kitschy as Rte. 66, but still has some cute places.  

I ended up shooting 210 pictures, mostly of the amazing architecture and old homes, plus tons in the New Bedford Whaling Museum.  I missed a few kitschy buildings on the way down there so I shot in places like Marion & Mattapoisett both going and coming.  In an attempt to break these down into viewable posts, I have condensed the pics from Marion & Mattapoisett as one entity.  The future posts will be of Fairhaven and New Bedford, respectfully.  Those of you who are my FB friends can view the album in its entirety over there.

Headed out from Wareham

Sadly there wasn't much to take pics of in Marion and I missed the road to the lighthouse, which is actually in Mattapoisett anyway!

I had to cut out the Chinese restaurant next door!  This is so delightfully retro.

Mattapoisett seems to have a seahorse theme.

It's a little crooked because I was driving and shooting!!

Technically this McDonalds is in Fairhaven.  Not sure if it's a new restaurant built to look old, or really one of the first ones.  I could only find some info on that old 'Speedee' logo which was used from the late 40s till 1967 when Ronald McDonald became the mascot of the franchise.

You don't see many of these oldies so I had to stop and get a snappy.  I did not, however, get anything to eat there because, well, Ew.

I am already planning a Mattapoisett 'do over' because of missing the lighthouse.