A Haunted Halloween Hike in the Arnold Arboretum

We had a wonderful hike to the corners and heights of the Arnold Arboretum on a picture-perfect wintry, fall day. (We traipsed through several inches of snow, the first snowfall of the "winter", which has yet to begin!) Our hike took in Weld, Peters, Bussey, and Hemlock Hills. Along the way, Ed shared the history--gory at some points--of the Arboretum and its predecessor, Bussey Woods. The day ended with hot chocolate - with a shot of brandy to boot! :) - and cookies at the historic Loring-Greenough House (built in 1760), courtesy of Ed.  All-in-all, it was a great day!  Thanks to Ed for organizing - and for providing the snacks!

Each and every past Halloween has been: the dark of night, the shades of BLACK and of course, just plain SPOOKY.
TRADITION!.........TRADITION.......TRADITION!!!!

But not Halloween 2020.  Ed broke TRADITION!

All the fun was had in the bright light of day while we romped in the wooded trails (no tar roads for Ed!) within the Arnold Arboretum. The sky was the boldest blue without a cloud in sight!

We followed the snow which fell on Friday throughout the paths we hiked. However, with the mystic which lives within this park setting, it still proudly displayed to us many areas with the fullest pallet of fall colors. Each tree had its story, its origin and its unique leaf formations. Amazing!

And then there is.....the scene of the crime..............the Bussey Wood crime. Still an Unsolved Mystery. Ok, ok,.....a little SPOOKY!

But in the end, Ed was sweet to us all - Thank you Ed!

A Happy Halloween was had by all!

Come on along for a fun haunted fall hike through the always scenic Arnold Arboretum.  Beginning at the main entrance, our hike will take us throughout the entire preserve for about 4.5 miles.  As befitting Halloween, we'll visit some spooky sites, including Hemlock Hill, where we might sight the ghosts of the lost souls from the 1860s Bussey Woods murders, then we'll visit the Great Horned Owls in the spruce grove, followed by wandering through the ancient burying ground with its eerie, 300-year-old gravestones.  Spookiness aside, the Arboretum is a 300-acre treasure operated by Harvard University on land owned by the City of Boston.  It's a National Historic Landmark, and it's one of the finest examples of landscape design by Frederick Law Olmsted.  Please wear your good hiking shoes & warm layed clothes and bring a liter of water.  After our fabulous spooky hike, we'll head over to the nearby historic Loring-Greenough House where we can have refreshments (BYO) on the beautiful grounds.  We'll be sure to be safe and observe distancing guidelines and wear facial coverings when  needed.  Steady rain cancels.