IPSWICH!

Ipswich is a coastal town on the North Shore, with a long history of being a seaport for northern Massachusetts, as well as manufacture. The town looks very prosperous, and it's a fun place to be.

We got a little confused looking for the signs leading to the different towns, but we eventually came across a sign for Ipswich. I have been to Ipswich a few times, and all of those times have been pleasant. Ipswich is noted for having excellent schools, and excellent people. Lindsay and Jamaica told us that Marty's Donut Land was a good place to eat, and by the looks of it, I would have to agree! The Downtown Area of Ipswich was a very quaint and vibrant section of town. The buildings and architecture were very pleasant, and most all of the shops were open, and working. I also have a few good friends in Ipswich, and they're all wonderful people!

TOPSFIELD!

Topsfield is a town on the North Shore of Massachusetts, which is bordered by a total of SIX towns! Topsfield has a lot of history, dating back to the colonial period, of rapid progress and change; yet it maintains its old, and small town appeal with its architecture and atmosphere. Topsfield is also home to the Topsfield Fair, that I wanted to go to last year because the Village People were playing! Unfortunately we wouldn't have made it in time, seeing as I live about an hour and a half away, on a good day.

Our Adventure this time started here, where I met up with my friends Jamaica and Lindsay, whom I met last year. They were wonderful tour guides, who showed us their favorite spots on the North Shore, as well as sharing many stories about things they've done. In Topsfield, we stopped at the Topsfield house of Pizza, where there was a very small, but usable bathroom. It was a cozy little place. After that, we went to this place called the Willowdale Estate, located in the Bradley Palmer State Park, which was a beautiful house that is apparently used primarally for weddings. I got out of the car and we took pictures in front of the house, but soon after, someone stepped out to see what was going on, and then we just ran away. Topsfield, from my experience, was a quaint, and very green looking town.

LOWELL!

Lowell is the city in which I currently live and go to school. It was a key player in the American Industrial Revolution, producing textiles and other goods for much of the country. The city is home to many abandoned, and sometimes repurposed mills, scattered around the city. Lowell retains its mid-Industrial Revolution feel with its architecture and buildings, mainly in the downtown area. The Merrimack River runs as strong as ever through Lowell, almost acting as an artery that feeds it. Lowell is home to The University of Massachusetts Lowell, where I currently attend, and Middlesex Community College. I have far too many stories to do with Lowell, but most of them have to do with pure mischief, so I will keep it simple. One day I was walking back from my radio show in the snow, and I came across a very cold looking, snow covered man. His name was Adrian and he was looking for his girlfriends house in Dracut, but he couldnt tell the color of the bridge he needed to be on because it was a snow storm. I told him I knew where he needed to be and I walked him to the other bridge. He proceeded to tell me about his life and how he was going through a rough phase but he was making it, he just needed to figure out his life. And I told him that everything would be okay, and that the fact that he was living and breathing was a sign that he would make it. He was extremely glad to have found something warm in the heart of the blizzard, and he gave me a hug and left on his way. This was the first time I felt a strong connection to the city of Lowell.

PS, this picture is the most epic because Lowell is an epic city in my book.

Also, if you're looking for a fun and exciting trip into the realm of the unknown, try the Battambang Market located at 125 Church St. in Lowell. It's my favorite super market that sells a large variety of foods, including some wonderful Asian favorites and plenty of foreign foods for your pleasure! They also make their own food daily including egg rolls and wonderful vegan snacks including these cool waffle tacos that have rice and coconut inside. Sooo yummy! And my other favorite spot in Lowell is RRRecords. RRRecords was the very first noise record label in America, bringing many artists to this country that were unheard of before. Today its still a great place for noise records and tapes, and well as CD's and Records of many many other types of music, including a lot of rare vinyl presses of classic albums. I love this store so much, and one time while talking about doo wop and 60s girl groups, the store owner, RRRon gave me a 45 copy of "He's Sure The Boy I Love" by the Crystals! It was one of my favorite days! RRRecords is located at 219 Central Street in Lowell.

TYNGSBOROUGH!

Tyngsborough is a town that I end up passing through to get to anywhere in New Hampshire. It lies right on the banks of the beautiful Merrimack River. Tyngsborough shares a border with Nashua, NH, and has a funny story behind its mall. Now the Pheasant Lane Mall is a mall thats located mere feet from the Massachusetts border, with the parking lot lying halfway into Tyngsborough. The story goes that the mall was planned to be built with the retail side lying in Nashua, where there is no sales tax, and the food court lie in Tyngsborough, where the food tax is lower, making it a taxless paradise. But the Massachusetts government decided that if that happened, all the stores would have to pay taxes to Massachusetts, even if a majority of the mall was in New Hampshire. Then, when the mall was finally built, the state lines were incorrectly drawn up, placing a small corner of JC Penny in Massachusetts. Because of this, Massachusetts declared the entire mall to be subject to Massachusetts sales tax. In response to the Massachusetts government, the mall had the store carefully rebuilt, leading to the stores pentagonal shape, with the edge of the store mere feet out of Massachusetts. Thanks Tyngsborough!

DRACUT!

Dracut is a town just north of Lowell, sharing a border with the town of Pelham, NH. One of the first weeks of college, I got lost with my friend Harry and we wound up wandering Dracut at night. I was so suprised when we got to the sign, I didn't really know what to do. A few friends of mine hail from Dracut, and despite me currently living about a mile away, I haven't spend much time there. Nonetheless, Dracut is a cute little town.

CHELMSFORD!

Chelmsford is a town directly next to the city where I go to school, in Lowell. Chelmsford has the Walmart, and other good shops in the Drum Hill Plaza, but Chelmsford is home to something rather mysterious, The UMass Lowell West Campus. This is an abandoned campus that used to belong to Umass Lowell. I haven't been able to find any information regarding it, or any resources to investigate. It's a bit of a local legend among students here, as it looks exactly like the set of a terrifying horror movie. The buildings are beautifully built, yet they are overgrown with vines and plants, and the grounds have fallen into ruin. If anyone has any information it would be greatly appreciated.

GILL!

This picture was taken in front of the French King Bridge, connecting Gill with adjacent town Erving. It was windy and cold when we got there, and we had to cross the high way without getting hit! We entered Gill and saw the amazing Turner's Falls across the way. So we quickly crossed a bridge into Montague to take a look. Gill is another town in the northwest of Massachusetts that is cozy, cute, and has breathtaking natural views. The Connecticut River passing through Gill is a sign to behold, and the mountain views from the higher elevations in Gill are quite amazing.