Dave here. In the comments for our post about The List, Becky pointed out that, compared to our previous blog, we have very few items about food. Why is this? Have we grown less lazy in the past month? Is food simply better in Minnesota? Have our tastes changed? We may never know the answer to this question (but one thing is certain: we are not less lazy).In fact, not only are there fewer sit-around-and-eat items on the list, there are some downright active and outdoorsy items – such as the Arnold Arboretum.
Located in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, the Arnold Arboretum is 265 acres of nature; specifically, amazing trees – mostly from North America and Asia. Since its inception in 1872, the Arboretum has been owned by Harvard. The arboretum was set up by trustees for the will of James Arnold, a whaling merchant (!) from New Bedford. The deed stated that the land was “for the establishment and support of an arboretum, to be known as the Arnold Arboretum, which shall contain, as far as practicable, all the trees [and] shrubs . . . either indigenous or exotic, which can be raised in the open air."We went to the Arnold Arboretum last weekend, for their weekly free tour. The tour was led by Bob, a volunteer who knew a lot about trees. He told us about where the seeds for trees were found (many of them were in Asia) and about how they got their names. He told us about when certain trees bloom and what their blossoms look like. Bob is awesome.
The Arboretum is open in the winter, and I personally can’t wait to take a walk through the beautiful landscape while it’s covered in snow. We’ll definitely come back throughout the summer and fall, too, especially since it’s so close to our house in Newton (and Lizzie’s office).Here’s to free and amazing things to do.
