Escape: Wagons North! (Or At Least SUVs)

For this coming weekend, we recommend changing counties. Now, now. It’s not all that dramatic a suggestion, considering that the southern end of Essex County can be found only a handful of miles from Melrose.

But why do it, you ask? Simple: Trails & Sails. This Friday through Sunday will be the second weekend of the annual event organized largely by the Essex National Heritage Commission, and the agenda is packed. Feel like a casual, guided walk through marshes and woods teeming with wildlife? Try the Old Eastern Marsh Trail Walk in Salisbury. More in the mood for some direct communing with nature? Then the Powow River Blessing is for you. Closer to home, the beach seining demonstration (hint: it involves a great big net) in Salem will allow you the opportunity to work with marine biologists knee-deep in North Shore waters. And those are just three of the more than 100 events (many of which won’t cost you a penny) stretching from almost the NH border down to Swampscott and Lynn.

While some events require reservations, many don’t. Use the event's official site to plan a casual itinerary, then print out the Passport to Trails & Sails. When you head on up to Essex County, take the Passport with you and cover it with stickers from at least 10 of the weekend's events to qualify for raffles on everything from REI goodies to locally-produced treats.

Oh, and did we forget to mention the circa-1802 gossip tour and the tattoo history sessions this Saturday? Whoops. Better go check out that Web site for yourself, after all.