Sleds Away: Elm Bank (Winter Redux), Wellesley, MA

Sydney comes prepared for the elements with his game face and his board. I think he won.


Elm Bank Reservation
900 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA

Sure, I reported on Elm Bank in the height of the summer when the flowers of the Massachusetts Horticultural were in full-bloom. But one of the simplest pleasures of living in New England is how radically the seasons can change the face of a place. As we turned in to the bridge entrance over the Charles tributary Sydney and I didn't even recognize the place in its new blanket of snow. (In fact he didn't believe me that we were at Elm Bank, even though he and mommy come here regularly and the kid has the memory of an elephant). Grandma from Jane Brett's The Mitten would never have sewn us the white ones on this day, as the wind made little snow devils across the field.


It's been a dadventure extravaganza this week; cross-country this morning, downhill the day before, skating, museums, Playtown, etc. What was possibly left to do in this winter wonderland? Whoops, we forgot to go sledding! It might have been 20 degrees and 35 mile an hour winds, but Sydney never noticed. He held on to that sled like he was preparing for the Vancouver 2010 games, (we can only hope!) The pitch was perfect for a future luger. Only a run with dad on board ended in a face-full of snow and promises of Bakery on the Common's hot chocolate fairies dancing through our heads.