Slayton Tower, Melrose MA

We plan most of our trips out in advance, but sometimes it's fun just to take off blindly for a place you know very little about. This was our visit to the Slayton Tower, where we made the three hour round trip based on not much more than seeing a picture of it online, and thinking it looked pretty cool. We did know it was located on a golf course, but whether it would be locked from entering, or whether the property itself would be off limits to the public, we had no idea.

Slayton Tower is located at the Mt. Hood Memorial Golf Course in Melrose, Massachusetts, but the first thing we learned is that this is actually the Mt. Hood Memorial Park and Golf Course, and that a public trail system surrounds the course. We parked just north of First Pond, where a kiosk told us how to skirt around the greens to reach the tower. Since this was December and no golf was being played - plus the fact we somehow took a wrong turn and ran out of trail - we cheated across the grass and after about fifteen minutes found ourselves climbing the high point of the park, where the tower came into sight.

But before climbing up there were a few things we wanted to check out first. In a nearby sitting area is a memorial plaque and bench honoring Major Doak A. Weston USAAF. In 1945, the B-25 bomber Weston was piloting began breaking up in mid-air. Heroically, Weston was able to keep the plane aloft long enough for his entire crew to escape by parachute, then he sacrificed his own life by crashing the plane upon this very spot, purposely away from a nearby school and houses.

As evidence that not all humans have a soul, Weston's memorial was defaced with spraypaint several years ago. Happily, it has been perfectly restored.

We also found what we believe are remnants from the days this land was privately owned - this pair of fireplaces sitting in the trees about fifty feet from each other.

Then it was on to the tower. The front gate was open, although a padlock indicated it must be locked at certain times. Round and round, we climbed our way to the top.

During WWII Slayton was used as a lookout tower for German U-boats in the Boston Harbor. Today, if your camera has a decent zoom, you can get a pretty good picture of the city's skyline.

This is a tempting time of year to stay sprawled out on the couch with a Netflix lineup and thick blanket, but when you have such cool places to explore as the Slayton Tower, it's a little easier to get outside and brave the cold during these winter months here in New England.

Photo Courtesy of a Nice Young Lady With Her Two Boys

Links:
Mt. Hood Park Website