Category: Environmental
10 Places to Visit for Great New England Foliage
Pretty soon we’ll start seeing those gorgeous fall colors! As the temperatures start dropping and the leaves start changing it’s time to start planning those weekend adventures. Here are ten places to visit in New England to see some awesome fall foliage!
- Lake Winnipesaukee, NH
- Woodstock, VT
- The Kancamagus Highway in NH
- Maine’s Coastal Route 1
- Acadia National Park in Maine
- The Mohawk Trail
- Ocean Drive in Rhode Island
- Boston Common
- Route 6A Cape Cod
- Bethel, Maine
Enjoy the beauty of the season while it’s still here! Don’t forget to stop for cider donuts too because it wouldn’t be fall in New England without them!
How to Plan a New England Fall Foliage Trip
The leaves are already changing in New England and now is the perfect time to plan your day trips to see the foliage! Here are some great tips for planning a day trip this October.
1 – Plan your dates based on where you are headed.
Remember that foliage arrives earliest where elevation is the highest. Usually New England hits the peak foliage time during mid-October.
2 – Find the perfect spot.
New England offers lots of beautiful scenery including covered bridges, white churches and barns that look beautiful for foliage photography. Find some great places and snap some great shots for your Instagram!
3 – Bring the right footwear.
Hiking is the best way to see the most color. Wear your comfortable walking/hiking shoes so you can climb to some areas for the best views.
4 – Opt for a printed map rather than GPS.
Sometimes GPS doesn’t work in remote areas where the best foliage is. Also, a printed map is just more fun for a road trip!
5 – Stop for festive snacks.
Did someone say apple cider donuts? Hot apple cider? These are necessities for a foliage trip in New England and you’ll find plenty of farm stands that sell both!
End of Summer Bucket List
The long, sunny days of summer are dwindling! Before we know it the sun will be setting on our beach days and boat rides and the cooler temperatures will move in. Before summer ends make sure to take a look at this summer bucket list and check off as many items as you can…
1 – Visit a local New England beach
2 – Eat an ice cream from your favorite ice cream stand
3 – Toast marshmallows around a campfire
4 – Ride on a boat
5 – Go on a summery, nature scavenger hunt with your kids
6 – Hike your favorite trail
7 – Float down a river in an inflatable tube
8 – Make homemade popsicles
9 – Flip hamburgers on the grill (eat them with all the best summer fixings)
10 – Go camping under the stars
11 – Watch fireworks
12 – Drink an ice coffee from your favorite local coffee shop
13 – Visit a summer farmer’s market
14 – Water-ski or go tubing in a New England lake
15 – Make a salad with vegetables from your own garden
5 Summer Day Trips to Take in Massachusetts
Sunny, summer days are here and before we know it the crisp, fall weather will be sneaking in. There are still plenty of summer weekends left to take some day trips in Massachusetts. Check out these awesome places you can cross off your bucket list!
1 – Explore the wide-open shoreline of Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA. There are plenty of great seafood restaurants to stop at on your drive home to get a real taste of New England.
2 – Explore a submarine, battleship, and destroyer at Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA.
3 – Visit a living history museum depicting how life was in New England from 1790 to 1840 at Old Sturbridge Village (advanced registration required at this time.)
4 – Jump on a ferry and sit back to enjoy the ride to Martha’s Vineyard! You can access the ferry in Massachusetts from New Bedford, Hyannis and Falmouth!
5 – Take a beautiful hike at World’s End State Park in Hingham, MA – a beautiful area with wooded, natural beauty.
How to Celebrate Earth Day at Home
It may be cold out and we may be advised to stay at home, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate our Earth! Here are 5 ways you can safely celebrate Earth Day while social distancing and staying safe.
1 – Plant something. Remember our post last week about starting an indoor garden? If you haven’t already, today would be a great day to do so.
2 – Setup a recycling system in your home. You probably already have recycling bins but now is a great time to teach your kids about the importance of recycling and have them help you setup a system for recycling plastic and paper in your home.
3 – Receive a lot of catalogs in the mail? You’ve probably thought about cancelling those subscribtions but never had the time. Do it today! 100 million trees are cut down each year to produce catalogs and the majority are tossed in the trash.
4 – Teach your kids about Earth Day and do a fun Earth Day project with them. Have them draw a picture of what Earth Day means to them. You can frame their art work and hang it in your home (maybe above your new recycling center).
5 – Get outside (safely) and enjoy. It is cold today so bundle up! Whether you sit quietly on your porch/balcony or go for a quick walk it’s a great day to get some fresh air and appreciate our Earth.
5 Things to Do in Dover, NH
Whether you’re traveling to Dover this winter or waiting until the weather is warmer, there is plenty to do! Locals of Dover (including our residents at Princeton Dover Apartments) recommend trying these 5 fun things the next time you are visiting.
1 – The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire
2 – Bellamy River Wildlife Sanctuary
4 – Tendercrop Farm
5 – Hilton Park
Living at Princeton Westford Apartment Homes is Electrifying!
Living at Princeton Westford Apartment Homes just got a bit more electrifying! We are proud to announce the addition of two electric vehicle charging stations. These stations are available to you for a free charge! We appreciate the green movement and we’re trying to do our part with the addition of electric car charging stations!
The Series 6 EV charging stations are sleek, futuristic and have a compact design. Thankfully since we are in New England they are also rugged, weatherproof, and made to withstand the harshest elements for years of worry-free operation. Come check them out, located in front of the Princeton Westford Management Office.
Any of our residents driving an electric vehicle (EV) can pull right up and start charging at our SemaConnect EV charging station – you are not required to join SemaConnect in advance!
We’re so happy to see our residents enjoying this new amenity at Princeton Westford. Interested in learning more about what we have to offer? View floor plans, see additional photos and schedule a tour here!
5 Garden Plants that Keep Mosquitoes Away
Summer brings longer days and evenings outdoors. There’s nothing that can ruin a summer cookout more than the itching and scratching of mosquito bites! If you’re planning to spend time outside after dusk, try putting these plants in your garden to keep the bugs away…
1 – Lavender – Not only does it look beautiful, it smells great too! Another thing that lavender does is hinder a mosquito’s ability to smell. The leaves of this plant have natural oils that will keep your garden smelling fresh and the pesky bugs away.
2 – Marigolds – These annuals add beautiful color to your garden and they also deter mosquitoes, aphids, white flies, and squash bugs.
3 – Citronella Grass – Most people have heard of citronella candles but did you know that you can plant citronella grass directly in your garden? This plant is known as the most effective at repelling pests and is low maintenance. A must-have for your outdoor space!
4 – Rosemary – Rosemary is an herb that many of us are very familiar with, especially with cooking. Rosemary’s woody scent is what keeps mosquitoes as well as some moths and flies away.
5 – Basil – Another herb we use in our cooking, basil is also great at keeping mosquitoes and other bugs away. The pungent smell of any type of basil is powerful to keep mosquitoes from entering your space. Try planting some in pots on your patio and you can also use some for preparing dinner!
5 Ways to Get Your Outerwear Ready for Winter
There is already talk of snow in the forecast in New England so it’s (finally) time to start pulling out the winter jackets, hats and boots! In order to keep things organized and to make sure your gear doesn’t take up too much space, follow these tips:
- Start by washing your winter coats, gloves and hats and scarves after you pull them out of storage.
- Make sure you have matched all of your gloves and mittens and fold or tie them together to keep them from separating.
- Shop for a shoe tray if you don’t already have one. Clean a spot by your front door to place it so you can take off your wet, snowy boots without making a mess.
- Have baskets laying around the house? Use one for your gloves, one for hats and one for scarves to keep things organized. Put the baskets on a shelf in your coat closet.
- Pull your lightweight jackets out of the closet to make room and put them in storage. Hang your winter coats underneath your baskets for your cold weather accessories.
DIY Wednesdays Mosquito Repellent Mason Jars
Don’t let mosquitoes ruin your backyard barbecues this summer! Use this simple DIY project to keep them away!
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