Inspiring Places: Spectacle Island

“Treasures from the Tide”

If you’re a lover of sea glass (like us) then you need to take a little trip out to Spectacle Island.  Spectacle is one of the Boston Harbor Islands and also a National and State Park. This little island, with amazing views, holds many stories.

Only 4 miles from Boston it’s easy to reach by ferry. We usually get the ferry from Hingham but we ended up going into Boston and getting one out with the boys. The boat ride alone was an adventure full of beautiful sites:

You can see Castle Island over John’s shoulder above.

I usually take the boys to Spectacle at least once a year and we went out with Luke as part of our Staycation. The day we went was HOT. We packed a picnic lunch and ate under a large canopy shortly after getting off the boat.

Then it was time to explore!

One of the things we love most about the island is all the sea glass. I mean look at it all? Where John’s walking it looks like all rocks, right? Um, most of that is sea glass and pottery shards. It is breathtaking.

The island has such great history. It once was home to farmers, a glue factory, a resort hotel, a quarantine hospital and a dump. The garbage dump is what created the sea glass and shards but you can also find horses bones from the glue factory.

The visitor’s center offers an amazing history of the island along with artifacts. The island was revitalized into the amazing national park it is now. There are 5 miles of walking trails, a swimming beach, a cafe and amazing panoramic views of Boston.

It is one of my favorite places.

On this particular visit we caught a glimpse of the Roseway, an historic ship which is part of the World Ocean School. The Roseway splits its time between Boston and St. Croix.

The brown sails make for such a majestic site billowing against the blue skies and shimmering sea. We were mesmerized.

Another new discovery this time around was this installation art. It provided us with much needed shade and rest:

Just inside are amazing abstract art created with sea glass and pottery shards found on the island.

Each is so beautiful:

We lost track of time looking at these mosaics. They are just so beautiful and I love the composition. I’m not even sure which I like the best. What do you think? I love how the Hood Glass in the top has the date of 1938. I, of course, love all the blues but I really can’t tell you which I like the best.

If you’re looking for a fun spot to be inspired this is the place for you.

I always feel a sense of being at one with nature out here. So very beautiful.

We’re hoping to explore more of the islands this summer.

If you’re interested in seeing some more places we find inspiring – check out our inspiring spaces series. I’ll be adding more this summer!