November 19th 2025: Company Lunch at Bay State Brewing Company, Worcester

 Today, I had a company lunch at Bay State Brewing Company in Worcester, where we got the Giant Bavarian Pretzel (Bavarian style pretzel served with stone ground mustard and house made beer cheese)

and the Clucking Cow (fried chicken sandwich topped with pastrami, pickle chips and melted smoked gouda) for myself.

Not a fan of pretzels, but my burger was pretty flavorful with crispy chicken to boot.

Recommended Places to Visit: Douglas

Recreation

Kids

Breezy Picnic Grounds and Waterslides
520 Northwest Main Street

Dams
Lower Hunt's Pond Dam
Cottage Street and Main Street

Beaches
Wallum Lake
End of Wallum Lake Road

Water Bodies
Whitin Reservoir
Wallis Street and Northwest Main Street

Badluck Lake
Southwest Main Street near Cedar Street

Mumford River Reservoir
7 Potter Road

Gilboa Pond
99 Gilboa Street

Dudley Pond
10 South Street

Hunt Pond
5 College Street

Weeks Pond
60 Depot Street

Museums
Douglas Historical Society
283 Main Street

Hiking

Recommended:
Douglas State Forest
~130 Wallis Street

Morse Pond
32 South Street

Chase Pond
~286 South Street

Oxford Fire Tower/Grassy Pond

End of Tower Hill Road, Oxford

Architecture

Monuments

Civil War Monument
North Street and Northeast Main Street

Ice Cream Lady
63 Main Street

Town Common
Common Street and Main Street

Places of Worship

East Douglas United Methodist Church
333 Main Street

St. Denis Church
23 Manchaug Street

Second Congregational Church
289 Main Street

First Congregational Church
3 Common Street

Historical Buildings
Mumford River Lodge

Depot Street and Cottage Street

Old Hayward-Schuster Woolen Mill
120 Gilboa Street

Town Facilities
Post Office
331 Main Street

Simon Fairfield Public Library
290 Main Street

Fire Department
64 Main Street

Restaurants

Tried:

Breakfast
The Picket Fence
338 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Egg and Cheese with Pastrami Sandwich


Dessert

Ice Cream Lady
63 Main Street

Recommended Dishes:

Chocolate Peanut Butter

Deli
Little Coffee Bean

299 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Hot Chocolate
Spinach Garlic Bagel

Recommended Places to Visit: Sutton

Recreation

Parks

Tricentennial Park
Blackstone Street

Manchaug Falls
Main Street and Manchaug Road

Wilkinsonville Unity Park 

7 Boston Road

Jacob Van Dyke Memorial Park

5 Hough Road

Camping
Sutton Falls Camping Area/Sutton Pond
90 Manchaug Road

Dams
Lackey Pond
South side of 55 Lackey Pond Road


Beaches
Lake Singletary
End of Tuttle Road


Water Bodies
Manchaug Pond
Torrey Road and Holt Road

Meadow Pond
North side of 55 Lackey Pond Road

Marble Pond
39 Marble Road

Woodbury Pond
96 Boston Road

Welsh Pond
113 West Sutton Road

Number One Pond
198 Town Farm Road

Tucker's Pond
391 Putnam Hill Road

Pigeon Hill Pond
419 Central Turnpike

Girard Pond 

26 Galaxy Pass

Sibley Reservoir 

102 Burbank Road

Cogan Pond 

56 Armsby Road

Schoolhouse Pond 

43 8 Lots Road

Adams Pond 

146 West Sutton Road

Arnold Pond 

236 West Sutton Road

Stevens Pond

3 Parker Road

Hiking
Recommended:
Waters Farm
End of Waters Road

Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
198 Purgatory Road

Sutton Reservoirs
502 Mendon Road

Thompson Pond/Town Farm Pond

119 Town Farm Road

Tried:

Shaw Farm
End of Shaw Lane

Recreation

Historical Buildings
Manchaug Mills
9 Main Street


Monuments
Town Common
Circuit Road and Uxbridge Road


Architecture
First Congregational Church
307 Boston Road

St. Mark's Church

356 Boston Road

First Baptist Church/Legacy Church
659 Central Turnpike

St. John's Episcopal Church
3 Central Street

St. Anne's Church

31 Main Street

Holy Spirit Episcopal Church 

3 Pleasant Street

Town Facilities
Town Hall
4 Uxbridge Road

Restaurants

Highly Recommended:
Western

Brickstone Kitchen

4 Worcester Providence Turnpike
Recommended Dishes:
Brick Steakhouse Burger

Tried:
Breakfast
K.P.'s Breakfast and Lunch
10 Providence Road
Recommended Dishes:
Corned Beef Hash
1 Egg with Homefries and Toast

Blackstone's Country Cafe (closed)
4 Worcester Providence Turnpike
Recommended Dishes:
Meat Signature Burrito


Schultzy's Place
3 Boston Road
Recommended Dishes:
Popeyes

Chinese

Peking Garden
3 Boston Road
Recommended Dishes:
Crispy Beef

Recommended Places to Visit: Oxford

Recreation

Parks

Treasure Land Playground

211 Church Street

Beaches
Carbuncle Pond
497 Main Street

Hiking
Recommended:
Hodges Village Dam
48 Howarth Road

Sacrarrappa Pond

End of Lovett Road

Oxford Fire Tower/Grassy Pond

End of Tower Hill Road

Water Bodies
Lowe's Pond
~6 Huguenot Road

McKinstry Pond
Waite Street and Forest Street

Sigourney Pond
20 Clara Barton Road

Texas Pond

149 Southbridge Road

Number 2 Pond

300 Sutton Avenue

Stump Pond

300 Sutton Avenue

Hudson Pond

60 Hudson Road

Museums
Huguenot Steamer No 1 Fire Museum
655 Main Street

Architecture

Monuments
Vietnamese War Memorial
Water Street and Main Street

Pig Bus (moved)
Southbridge Road and Leicester Street

American Legion Post 58

227 Main Street

Huguenot Fort Site

Fort Hill Road and Rhonda Rheault Drive

Places of Worship

St. Ann's Church
652 Main Street

Oxford United Methodist Church
465 Main Street

Grace Episcopal Church
270 Main Street

First Congregational Church
355 Main Street

St. Roch's Church
332 Main Street

Oak Hill Bible Church
40 Sacarrappa Road

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
49 Old Webster Road

First Baptist Church
693 Main Street

Sarva Dev Mandir
6 Main Street


Schools
Oxford High School
495 Main Street

Alfred M Chaffee School

9 Clover Street

Historical Buildings
Old Clara Barton Summer Home
28 Charlton Street

Town Facilities

Town Hall
325 Main Street

Oxford Public Library
339 Main Street

Restaurants

Highly Recommended:
Breakfast

Half Baked and Fully Roasted
578 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
The Crabby Benedict

Western
Oxford's Casual Dining
2 Millbury Boulevard
Recommended Dishes:
Steak Chimichurri


Italian

J. Anthony's Italian Grill
206 Southbridge Road North
Recommended Dishes:
Italian Wedding Soup
Corn Chowder
Pork Cannelloni

Tried:
Deli
Isador's Organics
261 Main Street

Recommended Dishes:

Demon BBQ Chicken

Chinese
Meiji Asian Cuisine

291 Main Street

Recommended Dishes:

Eggplant and Tofu in Garlic Sauce

Western
Whistle Stop

291 Main Street

Recommended Dishes:

Fall Harvest Chicken

Breakfast

N and J Donuts
315 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Maple Donut

Big I's (closed)
578 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
The Pirate


Carl's Oxford Diner
291 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Pastrami and Cheese Omelette

October 18th 2025: Hiking Across Towns in Oxford and Douglas

 Today, after passing through Sutton,

Jacob Van Dyke Memorial Park,
5 Hough Road

Stevens Pond,
3 Parker Road

We went on a hike to find the Oxford Fire Tower in Oxford, where the path we took from the end of Tower Hill Road is shown below in pink.

The tower itself was off limits though.

From here, we decided to take the path to get to Grassy Pond in Douglas. 

Pretty nice water body in the middle of nowhere.

October 16th 2025: Pho and Candy

 Today, we had a company lunch at Pho Sure in Worcester. This time, we got the Fresh Summer Rolls (shrimp and pork, rice vermicelli, shredded lettuce, mint and chives wrapped in rice paper, served with peanut sauce),

the Vietnamese Sandwich (stuffed with house made mayonnaise, pickled veggies, cucumber, jalapenos, cilantro, grilled chicken),

and I got the Seafood Soup (shrimp, fish cake and squid, with yellow egg noodles (topped with lettuce and fried shallot/garlic).

 

The summer rolls were just so-so, while the noodles and sandwich were not too bad.

After work, I brought the little one to Hebert Candies in Shrewsbury, 

this time getting the Chocolate Filled Pie Pop (Apple Pie)

and the Milk Chocolate Ice Cream Cone Pop.

The "apple pie" filling is actually made of fudge, which was a tad sweet, of course.

October 11th 2025: Second Day at Great Wolf Lodge, Ledyard CT

 Today, we started out with breakfast at David Burke Prime Steakhouse at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard CT, 

getting the Big Breakfast (3 eggs any style, two pancakes, home fries, bacon, toast).

Simple fare, but not bad actually.

Back at the Great Wolf Lodge for our second day, our little one had a ton of fun with the Wolf Pass,

and this time we got to do all the rides at the water park.

Lunch was at Wahlburgers back in the casino, getting the Chicken Tenders (with BBQ sauce) for the little one

and the Slider Flight (classic meatball topped with provolone and arrabbiata sauce. BBQ bacon with white cheddar, bacon, jalapeno, BBQ sauce and avocado spread, Crispy Chicken with bacon, tomato, lettuce and chipotle mayo).

Not too bad for relatively cheaper than our meals yesterday.

Dinner was at Guy's Kitchen and Bar,

where we got the SOUTHWEST CHOPPED (Crisp romaine, roasted corn, grape tomatoes, black beans, avocado, tortilla strips, chipotle ranch)

the Pasta Alfredo for the little one,

and the MOTLEY QUE PULLED PORK (Smoked pork shoulder smothered in Guy’s bourbon brown sugar BBQ sauce, Guy’s American slaw, pickles, yellow cheddar, crispy onion straws +donkey sauce on a garlic-buttered pretzel bun ).

Less ambience, but better for cheaper than our dinner yesterday. With that, an end to our water park resort vacation. Glad our little one enjoyed the time spent here.

October 10th 2025: First Day at Great Wolf Lodge, Ledyard CT

 Today, before checking into the new Great Wolf Lodge location in Ledyard CT, we were at the Foxwoods Resort Casino,

having lunch at Momosan Foxwoods by Morimoto,

where we got the Tokyo Chicken (steamed chicken, menma, chicken broth, ajitama and mushroom),

the Chef Morimoto Signature Roast Duck (House roasted 1/2 duck, flour tortilla, hoisin, apricot sweet chili, pico de gallo)

the Shrimp Tempura Roll (avocado and cucumber topped with tempura shrimp in gochujang sauce)

and the Karaage (japanese style fried chicken, sweet garlic soy).

The ramen and duck were just so-so, although the sushi and the fried chicken were pretty interesting concepts.

Our hotel for the day was pretty good,

but I'll save the fun pictures for tomorrow. Dinner was back at the casino at Hell's Kitchen,

where we got the baked macaroni & cheese (smoked gouda sauce, crispy prosciutto, chives)

and the price fixe menu, consisting of the pan-seared scallops (corn purée, braised bacon lardons, pickled shallots, chives)

the beef wellington (potato purée, glazed root vegetables, red wine demi-glace served medium rare) with shaved truffles

and the sticky toffee pudding (english toffee sauce, dulce de leche ice cream).

The rest of the food was pretty good, but I have to say the most famous dish, the steak, was underwhelming, the steak itself lacking in flavor, the sauce being too salty, and the pastry not being crispy. I think my other half did much better with her attempt a while back. Overall, not worth the price in my opinion. More of Great Wolf Lodge tomorrow!