Spectacular

We had gorgeous weather in the Boston area today, so we decided to take a ferry out to a couple of the islands in Boston Harbor. Our first stop was Spectacle Island which has a fascinating history. Up until a few years ago, and for the previous 150 years, it was basically a garbage dump in one form or another. In the early 1990s, with the start of the Big Dig, excavated dirt was taken out to Spectacle Island under the condition that the project leaders clean up the island and make it a public park.

Today, the island is the model of environmental friendliness: the ranger station is solar powered, the vehicles are electric, and the toilets are composting. Ironically, there are no trash cans on the island, and visitors must take their own trash with them when they leave. We had a lovely picnic on a grassy hillside and observed a variety of birds and insects that make the island their home. We hiked beautifully maintained trails through fields of wildflowers, and at the top of one hill, we came upon this view of the city of Boston. It's almost impossible to believe that this spectacular view is from atop an old garbage heap.