Good Saturday

I had an unusually good day yesterday. It was pretty amazing in spite of the fact that I didn't have any expectations for things to turn out amazing. Here's what we did.

Things started out casual with Jen, Yero, and I driving down to Purgatory Chasm State Reservation for an afternoon of hiking. At one point, Yero commented, "What's it say about our society that we'd drive 50 miles so that we can hike two miles?" My answer-without-really-answering response was that sometimes Jen and I like to head into Downtown Boston and walk around the Common and Jen pointed out that getting away from the hustle-and-bustle of urban life had it's own allure. None of this actually prepared us for the chasm, though. When we arrived, we were greeted by a sign advising us that Good Fitness was strongly recommended for people entering the chasm. When I saw a group of jagged rocks and boulders that led us into a 50 meter deep canyon I thought, "Holy cow, this is awesome." Climbing 3 or 4 meters at a time was required to get through the mile long granite valley. At one point we played witness to a group of teenagers climbing out of a 20 meter cave pathway that they had crawled through (Yero tried it and his stature was too big to fit through). All the landmarks are also "Devil" themed, was adds to the allure of the journey we took. At one point we saw a guy climbing up and down a 70 meter section of vertical rock with climbing rope and carabiners and the whole deal. However, when I go back I think I need to make a point to wear looser pants and to acquire a camera bag that can get strapped to my chest so I can have both hands free to jump around more. Also, extra camera batteries would be clutch because the camera we bought died mid-canyon so when we eventually post the photos they will only tell half the story.

The second part of the day was just as good. We drove to the Nashoba Valley Winery to meet Matt, Shu, and Ida for some light drinking. For $11 each we signed up for the tour and got a couple bonus tasting tickets for good measure. In total, I sampled 10 different homemade alcohols ranging from dry white wine to a homemade India Pale Ale to a super sweet Peach Brandy called "Silk". The shop where they sell their wares enticed me to pick up a couple of bottles of Vidal Blanc and a couple bottles of After Dinner Peach Wine. These four bottles will undoubtably play some roll in future amazing moments.

And for what it's worth, I give both of these destinations two thumbs up. Despite being about an hour from the heart of Boston, they are well worth the drive.