Nice cream

Summer in Tritown: bike, hike, or double-scoop

by Sally Cragin

After a summer barbecue, consider a charming New England tradition: the evening jaunt for ice cream. There are some marvelous ice-cream stands scattered throughout north Worcester County, and no day is complete without a dollop of homemade ice cream teetering on a sugar cone. Family farms are on the decline, but there are still a few in the area -- your decision to buy ice cream and milk from these hard-working farmers helps keep an agricultural component to our New England landscape.

A recent entrant into the homemade ice-cream sweepstakes is Cherry Hills Farm's Udderly Delicious (826 Leominster Rd., Lunenburg, almost at the Leominster border, 582-9343). The views from the ice-cream stand are spectacular and include a sweeping panorama of Cherry Hills Farm. You'll have nearly 40 flavors to choose from, including sherberts. If you're further north, consider stopping at Brookside Ice Cream (Route 12, Westminister, 874-2695), where the frappes, milk shakes and ice-cream sodas are rich and nourishing. There's usually a calf or two on view, and if it's a hot, sticky day, you might get your arm thoroughly licked by these salt-loving baby bovines. Bring a camera, and be advised that portions are generous.

Other dairy products are available -- Brookside sells milk in the glass bottles, as does Stillman Dairy Farm (991 Lancaster Road, Lunenburg). Pick up a quart of whole, skim, one percent, "Creamline," or the ambrosial chocolate milk. Hollis the Mountain Man enjoys buying his quart of chocolate, and then sitting on the edge of the gravel parking lot to survey the sweeping meadows ringed with forest. Occasionally, the Stillman herd of chocolate milk-tinted Jersey cows wander into view. "Nothing like beating the heat by drinking chocolate milk and soaking up the scenery," he says. He advises that though it may seem prudent to drink your quart during one sitting, so you can get the four-bit deposit charge back, only the emperors of France had gastric systems designed for such a largesse of richness.

There are farms and then there are farms. Some farms sell their wares and welcome visitors -- others are designed for visitors and sell their wares. Davis' Farmland (off Route 62, Redstone Hill Rd., Sterling, 422-MOOO) offers "Family Farm Adventure," with a petting/milking area for cows and goats, and endangered farm animals, a hay wagon and pony rides. Other farms might not offer a chance to view livestock, but there will be plenty of farm produce to purchase, or to pick. Westward Orchards Farm Stand (Rte 111, Harvard, 456-8363) offers plenty of in-season fruits, and in July, you can pick your own blueberries. Down the road in Lancaster, pick strawberries at Deershorn Farm Store (Rt. 62, Lancaster, 368-7603), or browse in the greenhouse for plants and herbs, and vegetables. You can pick your own in-season strawberries, peaches, and blueberries at Lanni's Orchards (294 Chase Road/Route 13, Lunenburg). Around the corner at Dick's Market Garden (677 Northfield Rd.), you'll always find a wide variety of tomatoes and salad fixings, along with perennials and annuals.

In the west of Tritown, you'll find Hamilton Orchards, in New Salem (exit 16 off of Route 2, 544-6867). Hollis the Mountain Man usually visits in autumn, when apple fritters, doughnuts, tarts, and pies are in season, but you can pick-your-own blueberries and raspberries in summer. There's an orchard, animal pen, and breathtaking views of the rolling outwash plain. Several years ago, Hamilton Orchards was orphanage to a collection of full-grown Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, and there are usually goats and poultry to admire.

Days are long in summer, though the season itself is fleeting, so the temptation will be to pack a variety of activities into a weekend -- especially outdoor adventures. If you rock-climb, consider a trip to Crow Hill (Route 31, Leominster State Forest), where a choppy granite surface offers a variety of exciting climbing environments. And if you don't rock-climb, take a hike in the forest or on nearby Mt. Wachusett where a number of trails lead to the summit. Around sunset, you can see a twinkle off to the east -- that's the mirrored Hancock Tower in Back Bay, about 50 miles away. There aren't many places in New England where you can get a sense of perspective.

If you need to cool off after your exertions, ponds, lakes, and streams are plentiful. State parks include Willard Brook on the Ashby/ Townsend border(Rte 119, 597-8802), Lake Dennison in Winchendon (Route 202, 939-8692), Dunn Pond in Gardner (Route 101, 632-7897), Otter River State Forest, in Templeton (Route 202, 939-8962), and many others. Many of these offer campsites, fishing, and picnicking as well as swimming privileges for a nominal sum. Of course, state parks can offer "wild life" as well as wildlife, and if you prefer the latter, consider a visit to some local sanctuaries. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary (113 Goodnow Road, Princeton, 464-2712) was once a farm and now offers walks through pastures, and a red maple swamp. This is a terrific place for birdwatching and quiet contemplation.

Finally, don't forget the most exciting bicycle event of the season: the Longsjo Classic, in Fitchburg. More than 600 riders are expected to compete in time trials (July 3), lap racing (July 4), an 11-mile road race on Mt. Wachusett (July 5), and the "Longsjo Criterium," a .9 mile course for men (55 laps) and women (28 laps). This is the 38th Longsjo competition, named after Finnish American Olympian Arthur Longsjo, a Fitchburg lad who competed in Summer and Winter Games. Bicycling is an evergreen activity in Fitchburg, a city of many hills and bicycle-supply shops. Histor ians savor the fact that the most-famous bicycle-manufacturing plant in town was Iver Johnson's Gun & Cycle Works. Modern cyclists enjoy the winding hills of Fitchburg, many of which are well-wooded. Pick a state park as your destination, and pack your suit.

And if it rains? Plenty of art, culture, and local history in North County that will appeal to all ages. Fitchburg Art Museum (185 Elm St., 345-4207) and Fitchburg Historical Society (50 Grove St., 345-1157) are within walking distance of each other. Visit FHS first, and enjoy exhibits of revolutionary war-era artifacts and the treasures unearthed from the Spofford Garrison archaeological dig. Then walk down Grove Street to the museum, and enjoy art from around the world, and the permanent collection in the gorgeously reappointed Old Wing. The Gardner Museum (28 Pearl St., 632-3277) and Heritage Park Visitors Center (26 Lake St., 630-1497) explain Gardner's vibrant history (and present) as a furniture-making center.

Fruitlands (102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, 456-3924) is essential for connoisseurs of 19th-century New England history, with Shaker Museum, American Indian Museum, and the Alcott family homestead all on the same property. Bring a picnic, or visit the Tea Room -- a day at Fruitlands is always memorable.

Nota bene: Hollis the Mountain Man thinks all these outdoor activities are well and good but urges readers not to forget about the New England Menace, the mosquito. "You have several courses of action," he recommends. "Avon's Skin-So-Soft works for some, Cutter's works for others. The Nashaways liked a particularly silty mud daubed thickly on exposed parts. 'Course, not everyone can do what I do, which is keep a beard, wear long-sleeve shirts, and start drinking beer around dusk when they start to swarm." The beer doesn't repel the mosquitoes, Hollis explains, but it will make it more difficult for you to notice them.

Sally Cragin still looks aghast at people who order frozen-pudding ice cream.

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