Autumn Excursion 2016: Ipswich, Massachusetts
On October 16th, the Fellows, coordinators, a few host families, advisors, interns—and even two Fulbright Fellows currently studying at BU—traveled to Ipswich, Massachusetts for a day of apple picking, a New England-style clambake, and a stroll on Crane Beach.
Ipswich is a small town of 13,000 located on the North Shore, the coastal area between Boston and New Hampshire. The North Shore is known for its rocky coastline, wetlands, beaches, and natural harbors. It is also an important historical, cultural, and economic region of Massachusetts, which has been prominently featured in the literary works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, H. P. Lovecraft, T.S. Eliot, and Robert Lowell, among others.
We began our excursion with a tour of Russell Orchards, a century-old fruit farm and winery that has been owned and operated by the Russell family for the past two decades. Our mode of transport across this 120-acre farm took place by hayride—first out to the apple trees, where each of us picked a bagful to take home, and then to an area where farm animals are raised. Along the way, Patrick Russell provided an informative overview of farming in New England.
After a bit of shopping in the orchard store, we headed off to the Ipswich Clambake restaurant, where some Fellows enjoyed their first-ever taste of fried, fresh New England seafood. Aly Jafferani of Pakistan and Mounia Diyane of Morocco said it was the best meal they’d had in the U.S.!
We then visited Crane Beach, a 1,234-acre conservation and recreation property that features a four-mile long beach, sand dunes, and a pine forest. Crane is among the world’s most important nesting sites for piping plovers, an endangered bird that inhabits the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and Canada.
Strolling along this large, pristine beach was a wonderful way to conclude our autumn sojourn.
Nadia Daoudi, one of the Fulbright Fellows who accompanied us, shared the following reflection: “My daughter and I felt just like part of the cohesive group of Humphreys Fellows. There was a warm atmosphere, cheerful ambiance, and above all, very good organisation. I hope to share, before I return home at the end of November, another moment like this one.”