Stodder's Neck Location: Weymouth/Hingham. Driving: Off Route 3A; heading south, an immediate left after crossing Back River Bridge. (If you pass Lincoln Plaza with a huge Stop & Shop on your right, or the Hingham Shipyard on your left, you've gone too far.)

Farther south, beyond the Back River Bridge, is Stodder's Neck, a serene, well-landscaped MDC property. This is a prime perambulating spot on Sunday afternoons, especially for folks with dogs.

Pull into a fair-sized parking lot at the park's edge and behold an estate-like realm of green overlooking the pleasure boats in Hingham Harbor. A circular path leads through a grassy park with abundant cedar, birch, and fruit tree plantings. From atop a windswept hill, there's almost a 360-degree view, including glimpses of Boston's Back Bay.

Published in the Boston Globe Calendar's 1999 Wandering New England issue.