Wayside Inn to Host Nobscot Hill "Blossom Day" Hike on May 22nd

A hundred and seventy years ago, Henry David Thoreau and his walking companion William Ellery Channing celebrated the arrival of spring by making an excursion to The Wayside Inn and Nobscot Hill. To commemorate this day, The Wayside Inn Foundation is hosting a special hike and optional picnic lunch on Saturday, May 22nd.

An 1853 entry from Thoreau’s journal and a section of Van Schaick’s (1939) Characters in Tales of a Wayside Inn titled “On Blossom Day Long Ago” both recount the visit and inspired the program. “With spring approaching, people are anxious to get back to in-person activities, but with a preference toward being outdoors,” said Katina Fontes, Education Coordinator for The Wayside Inn Foundation. “This seemed like the perfect time to organize a hike.”

Hikers will gather at Nobscot Scout Reservation. The excursion will be led by Thoreau scholar John J. Kucich and historian Brent Ranalli. “We feel fortunate to have found two Thoreau specialists to guide us on a historical journey through the landscape around The Wayside Inn Historic Site,” noted Fontes. “Like others, I look forward to learning more about Thoreau and his contemporaries while fully immersed in nature.”

Pre-ordered bag lunches will be available for pick-up at The Wayside Inn after the hike. Diners are free to take their lunches to their favorite outdoor location at the site and enjoy their meals picnic-style (blankets will be available).

The hike will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at noon. The cost is $20/person for Wayside Inn Foundation members ($25/nonmember). After the hike, an optional picnic lunch at The Wayside Inn is $10/bag lunch. Registration is limited to 25 participants. Participants must be at least 16 years of age, in good physical health, and able to hike for up to two hours. A rain date of May 23rd is scheduled. To register: http://bit.ly/BlossomDay21