From the banks of the Concord River to the meadows and forests of Great Brook Farm and Foss Farm, Carlisle is a small, rural, community-focused town that borders Acton, Concord, Bedford, Billerica, Chelmsford and Westford. It might be hard to imagine a town without a stoplight located just twenty miles west of Boston and only eight miles from Lowell, but Carlisle takes pride in being such a place. With one restaurant and one bank, Carlisle is a step back in time to a simpler era. Here, Old Home Day and school-sponsored spaghetti dinners are common, and family activities tend to center around school sports, church activities, the playground or the ice cream shop. Carlisle offers other lifestyle benefits for families, too, including a peaceful natural environment, privacy, and an unhurried pace that is hard to come by nowadays. Take a drive through its winding country roads to discover why more than four thousand residents happily call Carlisle home.
Lunch at a Locally Famous Country Store
Start your day in Carlisle and pick up lunch at Ferns Country Store (8 Lowell Road). Located in the village center, right at the Carlisle rotary, Ferns has been a mainstay in town since 1844. It has been profiled in local newspapers and television programs like Chronicle over the years, and recently entered under new ownership, complete with store renovations. Despite these changes, they remain the same at their core: a New England country market that offers coffee and pastries, fresh deli sandwiches and sides, a large wine and beer selection (as well as a tasting room), flatbread pizza in the evenings, convenience foods and local eggs, breads and granola, and much more.
Frequent sponsors of town-wide events, Ferns hosts art shows and live music on Friday nights. For larger affairs, they offer full catering, as well. The extensive menu includes a full range of Boars Head deli meat sandwiches, pressed paninis, and Ferns’ classics, such as lemon tuna salad, German bologna, Italian meatball and pastrami. Their signature sandwiches vary from the traditional New England Cranberry Bog turkey sandwich to the Blazing Buffalo chicken wrap. In addition, they offer a wide variety of soups and stews, including chili, and fresh made salads. Those with dietary restrictions should check the availability of gluten-free bread, but those following a heart-healthy diet or the Feingold Diet can order the items noted as such on the menu.
There is plenty of seating inside, but part of the fun at Ferns is taking your food outside to eat on their patio or front porch and people watch; Ferns is a popular stopping point for bicyclists, hikers, tourists and residents alike.
Art, Books, and Community
Just across the road sits the Gleason Library (22 Bedford Road), Carlisle's public library. Since Carlisle is so rural, the library tends to be the center of many community events. Depending on the time of year, you may see the Great Pumpkin Spectacular, gingerbread house making, and, in past years, visits with Santa on the Polar Express. Be sure to check their events calendar for a wide range of events and activities for every member of the family (all family-focused library events are also added to the Macaroni Kid Event Calendar). Every two months, Gleason hosts art exhibitions in a variety of mediums and are also proud to host the annual Carlisle Elementary School art show. Their children’s room is a mix of well-curated children’s books and a variety of toys, including a train table and craft activities. On weekends, the library is open until 1:00 PM on Saturday and closed on Sundays, so after enjoying lunch at Ferns, head on over to see what’s new and fun at Gleason.
A Castle in Carlisle
The kids will love playing at Carlisle Castle, a charming and unique playground just behind the library and near the elementary school. To get there, stay parked at the library and walk down the lovely wooded path and up to the playground.
There is also a separate parking area in front of the playground on Church Street for easier convenience. Imaginations can run wild here, thanks to the combination of two play areas. The first, and largest, is the wooden play area with secret hiding places, lookout points, tire stairs, slides and more.
The second area offers newer playground slides and climbing structures, as well as plenty of opportunities to swing. Carlisle Castle is a nice opportunity for parents to sit on the benches under the towering trees and admire the colorful foliage while the kids explore. When it’s time to leave, follow the cock-a-doodle-do’s back to your car and say hello to the roosters in the backyard of the residence adjacent to the library!
Explore a Working Dairy Farm
No visit to Carlisle is complete without a visit to Great Brook Farm State Park, an 1,000 acre park and active dairy farm with hiking, cross-country skiing, mountain biking and horseback riding trails—twenty miles worth, to be exact. For a nominal fee that is well worth the money spent, Great Brook Farm has a visitor’s center that offers free guided tours, full restrooms conveniently located right at the parking lot, and plenty of picnic tables along a grassy hillside and pond to relax or eat at. In fact, there is so much to do here that it is easy to spend a few hours exploring.
Most kids won’t be able to hold off on visiting the farm animals or the seasonal ice cream stand that sells its own delicious varieties (59 and counting!). Head up the hill first, visit the adorable rabbits in their cage along the way, and bring plenty of quarters with you so the kids can feed the friendly goats.
After getting your fill of pigs and cows, head indoors to learn all about life on an active dairy farm while you appreciate the fruits of their labor with an ice cream cone. Later, embark on a walk or lengthier hike along the tranquil trails and paths that lead you through thick pine and hardwood forest, sweet smelling meadows, and even to remnants of Native American and English settlements. Keep an eye out for the riders on their beautiful horses meandering along the trails (and the manure that is underfoot!).
Other outdoor options: Foss Farm on Bedford Road (Route 225) for the diverse wildlife that call this area along the Concord River home; canoeing/fishing along the Concord River at the Bedford Road (Route 225) boat ramps.
Other ice cream option: Kimball Farm ice cream stand on Bedford Road (Route 225) for a wide variety of ice cream flavors (seasonal).
Carlisle is a small but mighty town, one that is not interested in becoming a major hub for commerce but instead prefers preserving its rural ways and traditions since the 18th century. A visit to Carlisle is the chance to slow down and appreciate the way life once was. From a historic farm to the simple pleasures of a playground and library, to a lunch best enjoyed outside on a cool autumn day, Carlisle is a delightful town to explore for an afternoon.
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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