Another Visit to Spectacle Island

Some of the Boston Harbor Islands are easily reached by ferry from Long Wharf near the New England Aquarium . The Harbor Islands are managed by a consortium of the National, State, and City agencies as well as by private entities. A visit to the Islands can make for an enjoyable, safe, and relatively inexpensive daytrip from Boston. The Islands are usually less crowded Monday- Wednesday and the boat ride to them is slightly cheaper. Once on one of the Islands, ferry service to another is free. But if you want to visit more than one Island in the same day, you will want to catch a boat from Boston at noon or even earlier.

I wrote about a visit to Spectacle Island in June 2006 of this blog. One year later the trip was even better than the last. The Harbor Express boats were on time and not too crowded. The Island was very clean with full amenities and the signage was clear and informative. My friend and I climbed to the top of the little knoll ( which is about 130 feet above sea level ) and had a beautiful 360 degree view of the harbor and the Boston skyline. The water was a little chilly for swimming at 61 degrees, but there were lifeguards and bathers in their suits wading into the water. Three and one half hours on Spectacle Island was just the right amount of time. It was really a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.