Recommended Places to Visit: Sharon

Recreation

Events
Maple Sugaring Festival
293 Moose Hill Street

Berry Picking
Ward's Berry Farm
614 South Main Street


Cemeteries
Sharon Memorial Park
120 Canton Street


Museums
Modvic Steampunk House
36 Pleasant Street


Sharon Historical Society
16 High Street

Police and Fire Museum
1 School Street

Water Bodies
Gavin's Pond
Furnace Street and Gavins Pond Road

Mann's Pond
Billings Street near Deborah Sampson Street

Hammer Shop Pond
Ames Street near Cottage Street

Trowel Shop Pond
272 North Main Street


Beaches

Lake Massapoag
Massapoag Avenue and East Street

Sharon Community Center Beach
50 Dubinsky Drive

Hiking
Recommended:
Moose Hill Farm
396 Moose Hill Street

Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
293 Moose Hill Street

Tried:
Pierce Hill
Walpole Street

King Phillip's Rock
End of King Phillip's Road

Rattlesnake Hill
372 Mountain Street

Architecture

Monuments

Deborah Sampson Statue in front of Public Library
11 North Main Street

War Memorials
90 South Main Street

Places of Worship

Our Lady of Sorrows
59 Cottage Street

Temple Israel
125 Pond Street

Unitarian Church of Sharon
4 North Main Street

First Baptist Church
2 South Main Street

First Congregational Church
29 North Main Street

Islamic Center of New England
74 Chase Drive

Schools
Heights Elementary School
454 South Main Street

Restaurants

Highly Recommended:
Indian

Coriander Bistro
5 Post Office Square

Recommended Dishes:
Haas Ra Saag
Lamb Momos
Kulfi Badam Pista

Tried:
Italian

Pizza Market
376 South Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Steak and Egg Sub
Buffalo Mac and Cheese Pizza

Pizzigando Cafe
1 Pond Street

Recommended Dishes:
Chicken Buffalo Pizza
Chef's Salad

March 22nd 2015: The Maple Sugaring Festival in Sharon

After picking my friend up this morning, we headed to the Breakfast Club in the Allston area of Boston for breakfast.

I initially thought that it would be impossible to spend $40 here as required by my deal, but somehow we did, getting a large cup of Orange Juice, a Green Tea Tropical (Green tea leaves blended with sweet tropical fruits of pineapple & guava), a Banana Nutella Milkshake,

a Fresh Fruit Bowl,

the Atlantic Eggs Benedict (smoked salmon),

and the Fire Bomb Eggs Benedict (shaved sirloin, spicy hollandaise).

My milkshake was decently good, and the benedicts were actually pretty good, especially the spicy beef one.

After breakfast, we headed to the town of Sharon, where the Maple Sugaring Festival was going on at the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Unfortunately, as I had not bought tickets in advance, we would have to wait almost 2 hours for the next available tour, so we decided to head to Raynham to check out the interior of Wat Nawamintararachutis. The main door was shut, but thankfully we chanced upon someone leaving by a side door, and we were able to get in that way. Pictures I took of the interior, which was beautiful, follow.

after leaving the temple, we headed back to Sharon, in time for our tour, which meant walking on slippery snow covered trails or muddy ones to various stations in the woods.

The first one was about how sugar was discovered by the native Americans through the accidental boiling of sap mistaken for water.

The next station showed how tapping of maple trees is done, using a drill

and a specialized pail

to keep out deer and squirrels.

It was interesting to learn that sugar is stored in the roots initially during winter, then sent up the tree when temperatures warm up. In that time period before the buds start coming out, it is optimal to extract the sap then, because it becomes bitter after the leaves start sprouting with the introduction of other minerals into the sap. Also, the tree has to be of a minimum size to be able to survive the brunt of the sap extraction.

Next, we went to see how the filled buckets are carried,

and given samples of maple sugar to try.

Small but intense.

Next, the evaporating room where the sugar content is increased from ~3% in sap to 66% in maple syrup through the evaporation of the water content, which takes quite a while naturally.

It was interesting to note that the liquid has to be at 219F to be defined as adequately concentrated maple syrup, suitable for extraction.

It's just sad to know after all that work, 1 barrel of sap only yield 1 gallon of maple syrup.

With that, the tour was done. At this point, we realized that "Big Hero 6", which my friend had yet to watch, was still screening at the Sharon Cinemas 8 in town, so we seized the opportunity. My second time watching it, and still as good and funny a movie.

After the movie, it was time for dinner in Quincy, where we decided to check out the new place in town, Hakata Ramen, located at 673 Hancock Street.

I was disappointed at the ramen menu for only having 4 choices, despite the name of the place. 3899Nevertheless, we got the Hakata Gekikara Ramen (pork bone chili sauce soup ramen)

and the other only interesting item on the menu, the Eel Burger (with oshingo, avocado, lettuce).

The burger looked pretty simplistic, but it was really tasty, along with the purple sweet potato fries that came along with it.

With respect to the ramen, my friend felt it was the best ramen she has had, and it was pretty good in my opinion as well.

Overall though, the menu is overly simplistic, and the place is too small for me to give it a recommend. Feel free to check it out though.

After dinner, we headed to Yocha nearby for dessert, getting the Ying Yang and the Strawberry Madness (STRAWBERRY PUREE, DICED STRAWBERRIES, SLICED BANANAS W/ TAPIOCA & TOFU PUDDING).

My friend didn't like the sourness of the strawberry, but I actually thought it was pretty good. Still, she felt it was much better than at Sweet Kingdom in Allston, and way cheaper too.


With that, we finally called it a day to end a really fun day which actually only had the sugaring festival being planned.

February 1st 2015: Watching the Super Bowl with Friends

I started out this freezing morning with breakfast at Leggos,  a diner at 120 North Franklin Street in Holbrook, getting a cup of Hot Chocolate,

A Handmade Strawberry Crepe

And a Don's Tropical Pancake ( Raspberry and Mango).

The fruit in the pancake was a little sour,  but the Crepe was really delicious.

After breakfast, I headed into Abington,

Meetinghouse Corner,

33 Randolph Street

Hingham,

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,

379 Gardner Street

Rockland,

Hatherly United Methodist Church

Rockland Memorial Library

Channing Unitarian Universalist Church

Old Colony Post 1788, 22 Church Street

First Congregational Church

MountainOne Bank, 279 Union Street

Rockland High School

Trinity Episcopal Church

First Church of Christ, Scientist,

21 Franklin Avenue

First Baptist Church

Memorials, 242 Union Street

Comfort Inn

Memorials,

Union Street and West Water Street

Whitman

Whitman Hanson High School

All Saints Parish

Old First Baptist Church,

565 Washington Street

Whitman Town Hall, 54 South Avenue

Whitman Post Office

Mutual Bank, 570 Washington Street

Fire Department

Bostonian Shoe Lofts

First Congregational Church

Holy Ghost Church

Whitman Middle School

Cow Heads

and East Bridgewater

Crocetti's

Community Covenant Church

Union Congregational Church

East Bridgewater United Methodist Church

East Bridgewater Fire Department

Elmwood New Church, 20 West Street

East Bridgewater Public Library

St. John the Evangelist Church

Grace Bible Church

East Bridgewater Central School

East Bridgewater High School

Before heading to Easton to get some pizza from the Pizza Depot, getting the Ring of Fire Pizza (feta, Pineapple,  chicken,  jalapeños,  3 cheese blend)

And the Roman Bone In Wings.

The Pizza wasn't that good, and neither were the wings.

I decided to get more food from Pizza Market in Sharon, getting the Buffalo Mac and Cheese Pizza

And the Steak and Egg Sub.

Once again, Nothing special,  the Pizza tasting a little weird as well.

I had to wait a little for the Sharon Police and Fire Museum to open, but it was worth it, as it is the best collection of police and fire department stuff I have seen.

From here, I tried to visit the Little Red Shop Museum in Hopedale,

But it was closed today Unfortunately.

With that, I went to collect some pizza from Papa Gino's at 341 Cochituate Road in Framingham, then went to my friend's place for the rest Of the night To watch the Super Bowl. I'm really glad the Patriots won. Finally.