{"id":575901,"date":"2026-08-21T13:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T13:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/575901\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T13:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T13:28:10","slug":"gbh-daily-free-ride-summer-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/575901\/","title":{"rendered":"GBH Daily: Free Ride: Summer house"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83c\udf02Slightly cooler, with a chance of showers and highs in the 70s. Sunset is at 7:36 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Today we have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-06-18\/free-ride-discover-hidden-gems-by-commuter-rail-this-summer\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Free Ride<\/a> first: an activity that isn\u2019t quite free (Don\u2019t worry, it costs $3.) Before we get to that though, a quick reminder: early voting for the Sept. 1 primary starts tomorrow across Massachusetts. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/politics\/2026-08-14\/massachusetts-elections-2026-everything-you-need-to-know-to-vote\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">GBH\u2019s Sara Hassan put together this handy voter guide,<\/a> which you can use to determine who\u2019s running in your district, how to check your registration and more.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re in Boston, Chelsea, Revere or Winthrop, one of the more contentious races on your ballot will be the contest for Suffolk District Attorney. GBH\u2019s Amanda Keane covered a candidate forum this week where each of the three candidates \u2014 current DA Kevin Hayden, former DA Rachael Rollins and attorney Linda Champion \u2014 had an hour to make their case to voters. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-08-20\/rollins-bashes-hayden-repeatedly-in-forum-for-suffolk-da-seat\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">You can find Keane\u2019s recap here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Four Things to Know<\/p>\n<p>1. As lawmakers in Massachusetts negotiate the specifics of a bill that would allow police officers to arrest people who commit acts of violence against health care workers, advocates for people with disabilities said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-08-20\/disability-advocates-worry-about-unintentional-harm-in-bill-to-protect-health-care-workers\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">they worry about the bill\u2019s unintended consequences.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Take Susan Senator, whose 36-year-old son Nat Batchelder has profound autism. He lives in a group home and has a hard time communicating when he\u2019s stressed, which means he will sometimes try to injure or bite himself. Senator said she worries that, if he\u2019s around people who don\u2019t know how to communicate with him, the situation could escalate into criminal charges under the new bill. \u201cThere\u2019s all this potential for misunderstanding and tragedy,\u201d Senator said.<\/p>\n<p>2. The 2028 Democratic National Convention will come to either <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/politics\/2026-08-20\/boston-among-three-cities-on-democrats-short-list-for-2028-presidential-convention\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Boston, Denver or Philadelphia.<\/a> The convention, at which Democrats will formally nominate a presidential candidate, is set for Aug. 7 through 10, 2028.<\/p>\n<p>DNC leadership will announce which city they pick later this year, and Republicans have already announced that their 2028 convention will take place in Houston.<\/p>\n<p>3. Archeologists searching the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill in Charlestown recently found new remnants that may date to the battle fought there 251 years ago: gun flints, musket balls, and the remains of a trench built by soldiers fighting for American independence just hours before the battle.<\/p>\n<p>They also found what Boston city archaeologist Joe Bagley describes as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-08-20\/archeologists-uncover-new-artifacts-and-details-about-the-battle-of-bunker-hill\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201ca very large wig curler.\u201d<\/a> \u201cThe British soldiers that were there, the King\u2019s troops, they were actually required as part of their uniform to have a white wig,\u201d he said. \u201cSo these men that were camped out in this fortification that they took over after the battle were having these wigs probably on makeshift stands that they were then having to curl the hair so that they could be presentable as the King\u2019s troops if they ever had to present themselves or join a battle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>4. Bridgewater\u2019s team <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-08-20\/bridgewater-little-league-balances-fun-with-big-business-at-little-league-world-series\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">will compete in the Little League World Series tournament this week<\/a>. They lost their first game against Bayonne, New Jersey, 2-1, and are now balancing the series with spending time with the best young baseball players from around the world until their next game Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the bus ride down, it was like letting the boys know you\u2019re one of the 10 teams left in the country,\u201d manager Tim Zackrison said. \u201cYou know, you\u2019re one of 20 teams left in the entire world. That\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"NEWS_Newsletter_series_banner_CR14703_1200x235.png\" width=\"960\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.grove.wgbh.org\/dims4\/default\/97a98c0\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1200x235+0+0\/resize\/960x188!\/quality\/70\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6f%2F5d%2F1bce0cc74dcc966e5b3eb71d61b7%2Fnews-newsletter-series-banner-cr14703-1200x235.png\" loading=\"lazy\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxODhweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijk2MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n                Bill Miller<\/p>\n<p>                GBH\n            <\/p>\n<p>This is a web edition of GBH Daily, a weekday newsletter bringing you local stories you can trust so you can stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/newsletters\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up here!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Free Ride: Bravo to Waltham\u2019s summer houses<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"A greenhouse full of plants.\" width=\"723\" height=\"542\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.grove.wgbh.org\/dims4\/default\/fc10ec4\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/723x542!\/quality\/70\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffe%2F53%2F7addf1be478c98e872a6725d02fc%2Fimg-3718.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NDJweCIgd2lkdGg9IjcyM3B4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    A greenhouse at the Lyman Estate in Waltham, August 2026.<\/p>\n<p>\n                Gal Tziperman Lotan<\/p>\n<p>                GBH News\n            <\/p>\n<p>Welcome to Free Ride, your weekly guide to a $0 day trip. Remember:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-03-30\/mbta-to-cut-cost-of-monthly-commuter-rail-passes-by-half-this-summer\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> the MBTA Commuter Rail is fare-free every Friday this summer<\/a>. As each weekend approaches, I\u2019ll invite you to take a break and find some nature, art, science, fashion, music and more \u2014 all for $0 (or as close to free as I can get).<\/p>\n<p>Imagine you\u2019re a wealthy Bostonian living in the 18th or 19th centuries. The expected thing to do with your riches was to buy an estate away from the city, where you and your family could spend summers and enjoy many acres of greenery and relative solitude.<\/p>\n<p>We are, of course, not robber barons of the Gilded Age, but 21st-century Commuter Rail riders looking for cheap ways to spend our Fridays. Today we\u2019re heading to Waltham to explore some of these estates and their gorgeous grounds so we can get a little bit of that fancy experience on the cheap.<\/p>\n<p>Take the <a href=\"https:\/\/massbytrain.com\/lines\/fitchburg\/\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fitchburg line<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/massbytrain.com\/stations\/waltham\/\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Waltham<\/a> and walk about 20 minutes to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.historicnewengland.org\/property\/lyman-estate-greenhouses\/\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lyman Estate\u2019s greenhouses.<\/a> The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.historicnewengland.org\/property\/lyman-estate\/\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">estate itself<\/a>, now owned by Historic New England, has a $15 admission fee. But the grounds and greenhouses are free to wander. The greenhouses have signs telling the story of Theodore Lyman, a Boston merchant who bought this land in 1793 and designed it to look like an English manor. These are some of the oldest surviving greenhouses in the country, once used to grow produce and flowers from warmer climates. I found a lovely cactus collection and pink, papery bougainvilleas.<\/p>\n<p>Up the street is the entrance to <a href=\"https:\/\/stonehurstwaltham.org\/\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stonehurst,<\/a> the home of lawyer and philanthropist <a href=\"https:\/\/stonehurstwaltham.org\/new-page-2\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Robert Treat Paine<\/a>. Paine was born into wealth \u2014 his great-grandfather, also named Robert Treat Paine, signed the Declaration of Independence. The younger Paine spent a lot of his life working on social causes. He bought this land to use as a summer home and got the biggest names of the time involved in the construction: architect <a href=\"https:\/\/olmsted.org\/colleagues-firm\/henry-hobson-richardson\/\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Henry Hobson Richardson<\/a> of Trinity Church in Boston designed the home, and Emerald Necklace designer <a href=\"https:\/\/olmsted.org\/frederick-law-olmsted\/work\/\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Frederick Law Olmsted<\/a> planned the grounds.<\/p>\n<p>Today the property belongs to the city of Waltham. I rang the doorbell, paid a $3 fee, and got to walk around the estate. Most rooms are no longer furnished, though there\u2019s a study stocked with a heavy wooden desk and books. The part I found most charming was two wooden doors upstairs. Members of the Paine family marked their heights on the doors for decades. There are tick marks, names and dates spanning generations.<\/p>\n<p>Like this Free Ride?<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-06-18\/free-ride-discover-hidden-gems-by-commuter-rail-this-summer\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Share it with a friend and tell them to subscribe to GBH Daily for more.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And remember: if you take any of these trips or have your own Free Ride ideas to share, I want to hear from you! Send me a note at daily@wgbh.org.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\ude0eMore free rides:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-08-14\/gbh-daily-free-ride-riding-the-rail-trails#:~:text=Free%20Ride%3A%20On%20the%20rail%20trail%20in%20Newburyport\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">On the rail trail in Newburyport<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-08-07\/gbh-daily-free-ride-a-whale-of-a-time#:~:text=Free%20Ride%3A%20A%20whale%20of%20a%20time,-Welcome\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A whale of a time in New Bedford<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-07-17\/gbh-daily-free-ride-the-sole-of-history\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The soles of history in Haverhill<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wgbh.org\/news\/local\/2026-07-10\/gbh-daily-free-ride-beach-day\" class=\"Link\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A $0 beach day in Rockport<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"logo-gbh\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.grove.wgbh.org\/resource\/00000185-e551-d942-afb5-effd98ba0000\/styleguide\/assets\/icons\/logo-gbh-news-bug.390e1493c21784a8e058a88d04852181.svg\" width=\"125\" alt=\"GBH logo\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                    GBH Daily<\/p>\n<p>Your essential daily newsletter delivering trusted news, local insights, ways to connect, and can&#8217;t miss programs from Boston and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf02Slightly cooler, with a chance of showers and highs in the 70s. Sunset is at 7:36 p.m. Today&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":575902,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[156,157,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-575901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-music","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=575901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=575901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}