With summer officially arriving two days ago, landlubbers’ thoughts begin to drift across Dorchester Bay to escape the heat and the humdrum. Thirty-four islands, all a short boat ride away, beckon.
A few, like Moon Island, which used to be under the jurisdiction of the town of Dorchester, are not open to the public, but most parts of the Boston Harbor Islands (BHI) National Park welcome thousands of visitors each year to explore historic sites, watch wildlife, do yoga, hike, kayak, camp overnight, and enjoy cultural programming.
The two “hub” destinations are Georges Island, a 30-minute ferry ride away, and Spectacle Island, which is only 15 minutes off the mainland. Shuttles operate between these two and other islands.
For many, immersion in all the pristine beauty of these reverse oases is adventure enough, but others need a specific activity to motivate a trip, and there are plenty of cultural and educational options to entice them.
A great introduction to the lure and lore of the BHI is happening this Saturday on Georges Island at 2 p.m. Frequent Globe Travel writer Christopher Klein will give a free lecture and book signing of his 2008 guide, “Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands: A Guide to the City’s Hidden Shores.”
If you can’t make it out there on such short notice to hear Klein’s tales of ghosts, shipwrecks, and battles, check out his one hour talk online at his website christopherklein.com.
Spectacle Island boasts a sandy beach (one of the few on the islands) that is supervised by trained lifeguards, the tallest hill on the Boston Harbor Islands, toilet facilities and drinking water, and tours by Park Rangers. On Thursday nights from June 30 through September 15, Jasper White’s Summer Shack caters classic sunset clambakes.
Sports fans may gravitate to the 19th-century-style baseball games played with the original rules and equipment at Georges Island’s historic Fort Warren. There’s a game this Sunday (June 26) at 11 a.m.
As 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, there is lots of historical programming at Fort Warren this summer. The parade grounds will come alive with period music and living history demonstrations, all day July 9, starting at 11 a.m.
Throughout July and August, City Stage Company, which performs at the Children’s Museum, will present the interactive kids play “Tall Tale of a Tall Ship” on Georges Island.
The anytime, never-fails-to-please option is the three-hour lighthouse tour. Passing by Long Island Light and Graves Light, visitors disembark at Little Brewster Island to experience the first lighthouse station in the United States, and the last to retain a Coast Guard keeper. Those in shape can climb the 76 steps (and two ladders) up to the Boston Light’s tower.
The most accurate calendar of BHI events is at bostonharborislands.org. Get your ferry tickets at the just-opened BHI Pavilion on the Rose Kennedy Greenway (near Long Wharf).
