Update: We’ve moved to the beach at the entrance to the wildlife refuge parking at parking lot 1 because the parking lot area at Sandy Point was full. Paul is wearing a green shirt and Shou-Ching is wearing a red shirt. We’ll be near where the board walk from parking lot 1 enters the beach.
Just a reminder: today (Saturday) is the day of our meet-up. We’ll be on the beach at the south end of Plum Island between 4:30 and 6:30, and will share food, chat, walk, wade in the ocean, read, and play with whoever cares to join us.
If you come and are looking for us, feel free to call my cell phone: 617-576-1753.
It’s a nice place to spend a summer Saturday. The beach is located within a wildlife refuge that has walking trails through salt marshes and dunes. (We’ll do some walking before heading over to the beach at 4:30.) Nearby is Newburyport, a scenic town with an abundance of restaurants, art galleries, and shops.
What It Looks Like
We visit Plum Island about 3 times a year to walk in the wildlife refuge and picnic on the beach. Here are a few pictures from past trips.
Here’s the beach:
The water is a bit cold for swimming but fine for wading.
There are hiking trails, some of them boardwalked, through dunes and salt marsh:
They have facilities for aerobic exercise:
And resistance exercise:
There is wildlife:
If you care to you can hunt for clams:
Directions
The easiest way is to take exit 57 from I-95, which is Rte 113, and proceed through Newburyport onto Rte 1A south. Near the Newbury town line turn left onto Rolfes Lane; there will be a sign for Plum Island. At the end of the road turn right; when you’re on the island turn right again. You’ll have to pay $5 to enter the Parker River Wildlife Refuge. Proceed south on the refuge road; the beach is in Sandy Point State Reservation on the south end of the island.
via this link:
Yay! Really looking forward to meeting you both, Paul, and the any of you that show up. If I bring my book, will you mind signing it?
Hi Ellen,
Yes, of course we’ll sign books!
Wish we could be there. Have fun all.
Sounds like a lovely plan. Wish I could be there
too. 🙂
Lovely, simply lovely. Wish you all a great, good time!
Best, KKC 😀
We flew over Plum Island on the approach into Logan this afternoon. Hope y’all are having fun!
Welcome home, Emily. Shou-Ching and I had a great time. Ellen and her friend Deanna stayed until sunset touring the island with us. Weather was great but hot – a good day for the beach – I actually swam in the 63 degree ocean, which I’d never done before. The island looks more beautiful every time I go.
There were some greenhead flies, as balticblue warned us, but they were only a minor nuisance.
Yes, a great time. Thanks so much Paul and Shou-Ching for meeting us and for the hospitality of rice crackers, seaweed and rice! it never tasted so good on a beach before. Can you believe we just got home (12:30). Traffic was awful – single lane at 2 mph for hours.
Let’s do it again sometime!
Those horseflies were a nuisance for sure! wow. Never experienced anything like that before.
Hi Ellen,
Ouch! Sorry about the traffic. Next time, the site will be closer to you.
It seems like the problem with the greenhead flies was too much standing in one place while we talked. Hong who kept moving hardly had any bites; Shou-Ching had maybe a dozen; I had two dozen. All below the knee. I guess they like being close to the ground.
I managed 😉 was way worth it. Both Deanna and I really enjoyed our time with you and Shou-Ching. You guys are super awesome!