The town of Bedford is a bit like the middle child in a family, often overlooked yet quite deserving of its own recognition. Wedged between the historically significant towns of Concord and Lexington, Bedford’s northern border touches Burlington, with its huge commercial and business center, while its western edge backs up to the quiet, rural town of Carlisle. Although Concord and Lexington get all the fanfare for their respective roles in the American Revolution, Bedford also shares some bragging rights: the Bedford Flag is the oldest known intact battle flag in the United States. It was carried by Nathaniel Page’s Minutemen to Old North Bridge for the Battle of Concord on April 19, 1775, and is now on display at the Bedford Free Library. To request a viewing of this important piece of American history, visit the circulation desk where, for a deposit such as your driver’s license, you will be given a magnetic key that grants access to the secured room.
It could be easy to overlook Bedford if all you know is the main route through town, Route 62. Lined with shopping centers and restaurants, as well as the Town Hall, and, further set back, the library and schools, this hub of activity belies the Bedford that runs just behind it. We begin our day-long excursion at the Bedford Depot located on Loomis St.
You Can Have Your (Cup)Cake and Eat (Pizza) Too
It is like a dream come true—a one-stop shop of comfort food heaven: that type of cheesy, delicious, no-frills pizza you crave when you don’t feel like the big to-do of a sit-down restaurant and, for dessert, a smorgasbord of cupcakes that sets your mouth watering. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it storefront located at 65 Loomis Street, Express Pizza has been dishing out straightforward Italian fare for 30 years to their loyal customers in and around Bedford. Parking is either on-street or just across the street in the lot for the Bedford Depot. We decided to stop at Express Pizza first for an early lunch because my 6-year-old son can sniff out pizza from a mile away. Plus, the idea of a pizza and cupcake shop was just too intriguing for us to delay visiting.
I’m always appreciative when a restaurant considers their customers with food allergies. In this case, I was happy to discover that Express Pizza offers gluten-free pizza, which meant I could enjoy it, too. We all raved about the tomato sauce, which is homemade and very slightly sweet. Express Pizza also carries calzones, wraps, subs, full dinners, and an impressive selection of side dishes including my childhood favorites, pizza rolls and jalapeno poppers. They make the pizza dough fresh daily, and my husband could taste the difference. Seating is very limited inside, though there is a small table and chairs outside in front.
Before taking our food to eat at the benches across the street, we ogled the cupcake case known as Bedford Cupcakes. Cupcakes and cake pops are available in indulgent flavors like butter toffee crunch, cookies and cream, lemon filled, carrot cake and fudge sundae. Bedford Cupcakes is the brain child of the current Express Pizza owner, who is also the pizza shop founders’ daughter-in-law. My son devoured his lemon cupcake while my husband gave an enthusiastic thumbs up to his vanilla treat. Both sides of the restaurant are a popular choice for catering, too, so the next time you want to organize a simple yet tasty party or event, check out Express Pizza/Bedford Cupcakes to get it all covered.
Other food option at Bedford Depot: Short Stop Café for a variety of coffee drinks, pastries, breakfast and limited lunch items. Closes early on the weekends; check their website before visiting.
Explore a Train, Then Ride Your Bike
The Bedford Depot, located at 80 Loomis St, is a historic spot dating back to 1874 along what was the Reformatory/Lexington/Bedford & Billerica Branches of the Boston & Main Railroad. The Freight House is from 1877 and now houses a well-stocked gift and snack shop/information center. After the railroad was taken out of commission after a bad snowstorm in 1977, the Freight House was used for storage until 1999, when it was sold to the Town of Bedford as part of the Depot Park Project. In 2008, renovations and preservation efforts began on the Freight House, while the surrounding area was transformed into an attractive park-like setting with period-style benches, lush landscaping and cobblestone walkways. A vintage Boston & Main railroad car rests to the side of the Freight House and has been turned into a fascinating museum of both local and national railroad history. Entry is free, and the well-preserved newspaper articles, daily schedules, tickets and equipment all provide an insightful look into railroad culture from the 1800s up to present day.
Kids will love the chance to explore this decommissioned train car and glimpse what it might be like to be a real engineer or conductor.
After stepping back in time, step out of the train car and hit one of three rail trails that now converge here—the Reformatory Branch Rail Trail from Concord Center; the Narrow-Gauge Rail Trail from Billerica; and the Minuteman Bikeway from West Cambridge. The Reformatory Branch Rail Trail is unpaved and crosses through woodlands; mountain bikes are suggested. The Narrow-Gauge Rail Trail is a mix of asphalt and stone-dust, and again, mountain bikes or hybrids are suggested. The Minuteman Bikeway is probably your best bet with children; this trail is 100% paved with asphalt and wider than the other rail trails, at 12 feet, allowing plenty of space for kids to go at their own pace while the experienced cyclists move past. If biking isn’t your speed—and after pizza and cupcakes it may not be!—the Minuteman Rail Trail is also ideal for a leisurely walk. Bring the kids back during the winter for some cross-country skiing or snowshoeing; the rail trail is a popular spot for these fun outdoor activities, as well.
Visit an Old-Fashioned Country Store and Farm
Climb back into the car after your bike ride for a quick half-mile trip up the road from Bedford Depot to Chip-In Farm, located at 201 Hartwell Road.
This family-owned and operated farm has been around for more than 75 years and is everything you expect a good old-fashioned country store/farm to have:
- A petting zoo where kids can feed vegetables to the animals
- An adorable country store with abundant produce, their own beef, famously fresh eggs, small gifts and a wide selection of penny candies that harken back to our childhoods
- Farm program for preschoolers
- And even goat yoga birthday parties!
Open year round, every day, from 10 am to 6 pm, Chip-In Farm is a jewel of a destination that kids will love to explore while parents can stop by for all the ingredients for their next meal as well as a few treats to make it extra special, like pecan brittle, fudge and even surprise candy bags.
Medicinal Springs, Blueberry Bushes and Majestic Oak Trees
A health resort in Bedford? In the 1880s, it was all the rage for wealthy families from Boston and New York City to venture out to Fawn Lake, a 12-acre pond located on the western border of town off of North Rd/Route 4 at 89 Sweetwater Avenue. Fawn Lake was known for its medicinal springs purported to bring about vitality and good health. Although it was a farmer who turned Fawn Lake into a health resort when he noticed his cows produced better milk after drinking the water, it was actually the Pawtucket tribe of Native Americans, some 100 years earlier, that came from faraway places to fill up their bottles with the water, declaring it to be “medicine.” Whether true or not, it's a beautiful place -- richly hued water full of fragrant lily pads, blueberry bushes overflowing with berries, and towering old white oak trees lining the path on the left side of the lake.
The environment is interesting and varied here; play a game of nature scavenger hunt with the kids and see if they can identify a Great Blue Heron, a black-capped chickadee (the state bird of Massachusetts), blueberry bushes (but don't eat them unless you're absolutely certain they're blueberries!), bullfrogs, trout, Canada geese, and more! Fawn Lake is surrounded by extensive conservation land and meets up with a town-owned rail bed that eventually connects to the Minuteman Bikeway. A walk around the pond takes approximately an hour; be sure to bring bottled water and always perform a tick check before leaving the area.
Time for Dinner (And More Dessert!)
Head back towards the center of town to the intersection of Route 62 and Route 4 and stop at the small plaza housing Holi Indian Restaurant and Bar and Bedford Farms Ice Cream. Holi serves up outstanding Indian cuisine that rivals any of the Indian restaurants in Boston or, in my experience, New York City. This family-friendly restaurant offers a vast selection of Indian staples such as rich and creamy chicken tikka masala and melt-in-your-mouth tandoori chicken while also carrying more exotic dishes like lamb boti kabob, baigan bhartha, and, my personal favorite, dosa, which are thin lentil crepes filled with spices and a choice of either potatoes, vegetables, chicken or paneer (a mild Indian-style cheese). There are plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options to choose from at Holi, too, so all members of the family can enjoy their dinner with peace of mind. The prices are reasonable for the amount of food you receive, including complementary naan bread, and they also offer a full bar.
It’s a difficult decision whether to enjoy traditional Indian desert at Holi—gulab jamun is a popular warm dish flavored with rose-sugar glaze—or venture directly next door to Bedford Farms Ice Cream. Voted the Best Ice Cream Shop in the Boston Area in 2018, Bedford Farms offers more than 60 flavors of fresh-made, locally sourced ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet in just about every flavor imaginable, from vanilla heath to rum raisin to good ol’ chocolate chip. Founded in the 1880s, Bedford Farms enjoys the distinction of being Bedford’s longest continuously running business. Whether it’s an ice cream cone after a delicious Indian dinner, an ice cream cake or pie for a birthday, or a run-of-the-mill Tuesday, a trip to Bedford Farms is never a bad idea.
You’ve indulged in pizza and cupcakes at lunch; explored an historic train depot; biked a rail trail; fed pigs and goats at a farm; hiked around a historic lake; relaxed over a leisurely and delicious dinner; and savored the best ice cream in the area. A day spent exploring all that Bedford has to offer is one that is full of unexpected discoveries, sweet treats, and truly wonderful memories for the whole family.
Other ideas for family fun in Bedford:
Learning Express Toys & Play has an indoor playspace and toy store
Bedford Center Playground and Bedford Library
The Edge Sports Center offers drop-in indoor toddler play time and public skating
Springs Brook Park offers swimming and recreation for Bedford families (non-residents may visit only with a non-resident membership)
Born and raised in Boston, Kathryn Camgemi now lives in West Concord with her husband and their young son. A writer of both fiction and non-fiction for thirty years, she has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and Reader's Digest, among others. She has been secular homeschooling her son with additional needs for four years and strongly believes all children can succeed given the right environment. She writes periodically about their homeschooling journey at http://www.ahomeschooledlife.wordpress.com. You can also find her at her Facebook page, A Homeschooled Life.
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