Central Massachusetts has lots of rural and historic things to see and do

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Art Packs a Punch at WAM

The Worcester Art Museum at 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester, is acclaimed for the quality of its collections. European and North American painting, prints, photographs and drawings; Asian art, Greek and Roman sculpture and mosaics and Contemporary art. The collection is organized geographically except for Western prints, drawings and all photographs which are organized by medium and Contemporary Art which is defined as the international art of the past ten years in all media. Forthcoming exhibits include In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color, through March 2012, and Flora in Winter, through January 2012. Lots of ongoing activities include children’s art experiences, tours, talks. A café and museum shop provide a place to rest and refresh and a place to find mementos of your visit. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, but hours vary. Phone: 508-799-4406.

Candles, and Yet More Candles

Move over, Yankee Candle. A new candle emporium has entered the neighborhood. Kringle Candle, at 220 South Street (Route 5) Bernardston founded by the son of one of the founders of Yankee Candle, is offering a new player in the destination candle shopping experience. Kringle produces all-white candles – intended to blend with any décor – in a range of fragrances. Many candles are offered in reusable bowls or jars that can serve later duty. Related products include air fresheners, apothecary jars, floating candles, crystal pillars, kitchen canisters and spice jars, tea lights, votives, and potpourri. The property has a Farm Table Restaurant and a Christmas Barn, ensuring a full day of shopping fun for candle fiends. For more adventure, spend a day trolling between Kringle Candle and Yankee Candle, just a few miles down Route 5. Open daily, with extended hours for the holidays. Phone: 413-648-3077

Central Mass is Johnny Appleseed Country

Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman in 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts, was a pioneer nurseryman who introduced apples to large parts of the Midwest. Today’s Johnny Appleseed Trail in north-central Massachusetts runs along Route 2 between the Freedom Trail and the Mohawk Trail, or from about Turner’s Falls at the western end to Lancaster at the eastern end. The warm-weather months are a perfect time to explore this region of farms, orchards, and beautiful small towns. Start if you can at the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center on Route 2 West in Lancaster. It’s chock-full of helpful brochures and locally made crafts, books, jams and jellies, gifts and souvenirs. Detailed information is plentiful at the visitor center or its website. Phone: 978-534-2302.

Chalk Transformed by Artists

Whether you are looking for chalkware rabbits, Santas or other holiday collections, Vaillancourt Folk Art has been recognized around the nation for its detailed, hand-painted figurines, ornaments, and other collectibles. Vaillancourt Folk Art, at 9 Main Street in Sutton, is the original company to produce Chalkware figurines using antique chocolate molds. Available around the country in department stores, museum stores, catalogs and small mom-and-pop shops, Vaillancourt Folk Art creates that special gift that will be handed down for generations. Phone: 508-476-3601.

Early American Dinner Cooked on an Open Fire

The Salem Cross Inn at 260 West Main Street in West Brookfield hosts a series of 1700s-style feasts, prepared on the open hearth of their fieldstone fireplace. Relax by the fire or lend a hand as dinner is prepared in Colonial style. Stir the chowder as it bubbles in our cast iron cauldron. See your prime rib, roasted "to a turn" over the only known Roasting Jack still operating in America. Or, while dinner cooks, browse the extensive collection of Colonial and Federal period American antiques. The menu includes savories, New England chowder, prime rib, rolls and muffins, roasted potatoes, spinach pie, squash, apple pie. Fish entrée available during Lent. Dates in 2012: January 8, 15, 21, 22, 29; February 4-5, 10-12, 18-19, 25-26; March 3-4, 10-11, 17, 31; April 1, 7, 14-15, 21, 22, 28. Phone: 508-867-2345

Follow That Dinosaur!

Where is the best place in the world to find dinosaur tracks? In the Connecticut River Valley, according to the owners and operators of Nash Dinosaur Track Site and Rock Shop at 594 Amherst Road in South Hadley. The tracks in this quarry were discovered in 1933 and the land was bought in 1939 by Carlton S. Nash. Since that time the land has produced thousands of dinosaur tracks that have been sold to museums and private individuals all over the world. The site is one mile from where the first dinosaur tracks in the Connecticut River Valley were found in 1802 by a farmer named Pliny Moody. Visitors can enjoy a walk in the quarry to see where the dinosaur tracks are excavated, then tour the rock shop. The quarry is open from April 1 until the first snow fall of the season. Phone: 413-467-9566.

Handcrafted Beer, Bottled in the Bay State

The founders of Wachusett Brewery, at 175 State Road East in Westminster, ditched careers in engineering and biology to found the Wachusett Brewing Co. in 1993. Wachusett Country Ale was introduced the following year. Tours of the brewery are offered Wednesday to Saturday starting at noon. Your tour guide will give you a brief history of the brewery and walk you through the operation. Children are welcome, but may not taste beer. The tour and the tasting last for about 1 hour, and tastings are limited to two 2-ounce samples. Phone: 978-874-9965.

Icons, the Old, Russian Way

Enjoy beautiful artwork and learn about the religious traditions of old Russia at the Museum of Russian Icons at 203 Union Street in Clinton. The collection includes more than 400 Russian icons and is one of the largest private collections outside Russia. The collection spans six centuries, and includes important historical paintings dating from the earliest periods of icon writing to the present. Collections include images of St. George and the Dragon, St. Paraskeva, Christ the Pantocrator, Elijah, St. Nicholas, and John the Baptist. Open daily except Mondays. The museum fills a 150-year-old former mill building. Phone: 978-598-5000.

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Courtyard Is Home to
Tower Hill’s Winter Garden

Tower Hill Botanic Garden, at 11 French Drive in Boylston is opening a new Winter Garden, situated in a semi-enclosed courtyard reminiscent of an Italian villa. Protected from wind and extreme temperatures, the Winter Garden is a showcase for plants that are at their best during the winter months, featuring exquisite bark, structures, berries, or evergreen needles. An intricate water feature in the center of the courtyard, Domitian’s Pool, is designed to function in winter. The Limonaia or Lemon House has a cathedral-like interior of the Limonaia. This room expands the display of non-hardy plants. The Limonaia will house the garden’s collection of camellias and citrus plants. Open year-round, daily, except major holidays. Phone: 508-869-6111.