Once you’ve visited Main Street Concord and are looking to rejuvenate body and soul you must visit the South Bridge Boat House where you can rent a canoe and travel down the Concord River. The views have not been spoiled by 200+ years of development. Concord has managed to keep the lands that abut the waterway utterly pristine. Birds are plentiful, the water at times resembles glass and the chance to open your senses to the natural world around… priceless. Traveling down the Concord River from the Boathouse can take up to a half day, so pack a lunch. You will wind and drift toward the Old North Bridge where there are several places along route available to bring your canoe ashore. Climb up onto the banks of the Old Manse or further down river, rest your canoe below the visually stunning hills of the Minute Man National Park Visitors Center. This excursion is a wonderful antidote to over-the-top travel fare.

Many summers ago, pre-children, several neighborhood friends, my husband and myself took a pontoon down river for a dinner outing. It was as if time stopped and we all just kicked back to enjoy the long moment. So come next spring, check schedules, commitments and stress at the boat house dock and step into a memorable experience.