Well… I’ve been living here for almost 6 months, and I really like this small town, I’ve taken a lot of pictures and went to see some orchards and a small lake… but is there anything else to do here, or near? is there any important landmark or a “must see” place? Any idea will work…
I’m from the next town over.
Overall, there ain’t much. Well, Boston and (especially) Worcester aren’t so far away that you can’t visit the city occasionally to see a show or Museum or whatnot.
As for landmarks, hie thee to Concord. All the history you’d ever want is practically in your backyard. Like 19th Century American literature? Check out Fruitlands in Harvard. It’s Alcott’s home. A great view and a few little museums. Don’t miss nearby Concord too, for Walden, and Emerson’s home, as well as the Revolutionary battlefield. I think Stow has its own historic schoolhouse, but I may be misremembering.
As you know, it’s a really small town. In Winter most folks head to Wachusett mountain for the skiing, or just find a nice sledding hill. Check your Town Hall for a map of hiking trails and local attractions.
I seem to recall a pair of substantially better than average public golf courses.
Most f what I was going to suggest has been taken – It’s a great place for apple picking in the fall. I just skied acusett last week. Fruitlands is an ineresting trip.
I don’ think I’d call Concord and Lexington “nearby”. If you’re going to go that far, go to Worcester and see the Art Museum. Go to the Ecotarium (science museum and zoo). Drive to Sturbridge Village.
I, too, live in the Greater Stow Metropolitan Area. I am close by.
Very, very close by.
There isn’t all that much to do in Stow itself if you don’t play golf (I don’t). If you haven’t already been you should try Nancy’s Airfield Cafe at the Stow airport…just follow the signs. It is easily the best place to eat in town. The Stow town forest is nice for a walk or cross country skiing or snowshoeing in the winter. As you know there are several orchards which are good for pick-your-own apples and pumpkins and such in the fall.
Nearby Maynard has several good restaurants for a town its size: two Thai, one Indian, one Korean, several pizza places, one terrible Chinese place and one good Chinese place (that’d be the Oriental delight on Waltham St.). There is also a good seafood place (The Quaterdeck).
Maynard has a small theater company: The Acme Theater Company. I went to one of their productions and enjoyed it…what they lack in budget and production values they make up for in enthusiasm. Maynard has a small movie theater as well.
The nearby town of Acton also has a company: Theatre III. I haven’t been to any of their productions but they are probably in the same league.
Someone mentioned skiing at Wachusset which is a good time. If you don’t want to drive that far Nashoba Valley is in nearby Westford. They also now have snow tubing.
I don’t consider Concord and Lexington to be that far away, probably because I drive PAST them every day to get to work. In addition to all the historical stuff already mentioned Concord has part of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in it…it is a great spot for birdwatching, especially in the spring and fall.
Also in the fall is the Bolton Fair in nearby Bolton MA. You should go at least once, my wife and I really enjoy it and now my four year old son does too.
Someday the Assabet River Wildlife Refuge will be opened. It is a former military area that covers parts of several towns, including Stow. The area was turned over to the US Fish and Wildlife Service several years ago but unfortunately there were a number of environmental and safety issues that needed to be addressed before it was safe for the public to be allowed in, and USFWS didn’t always have the budget it needed to meet all of its obligations.
In the same vein there is the Assabet River Rail Trail which when it is completed, will be a paved bike/skate/walking trail which will follow an old railway line from Marlborough through Hudson, Stow, and Maynard into Acton. I’ve ridden on some of the other paved rail trails in our area and they are a real treat. In this case state budget woes have delayed the project for several years but it does seem to be moving forward.
Any other questions. feel free to ask. I had no idea there were people on this board so close by in real life!
Heck, I’m just thrilled to find that there ARE folks on this board from my state! 
I’ve lived in MA for 7-8 years … Waltham, Brighton, Brookline, Framingham, North Chelmsford, and back to Brighton. I grew up in upstate NY, in an area much like the Stow area, but Boston’s just such a great city, I need to be close to it.
How about a Boston-area DopeFest? Anyone? Anyone?
Remember that it could be worse and you could be in Stow, Ohio.
What’s wrong with that place? It seems decent enough.
TheMusicMan there are more than a few people here in Mass.: tanookie, Salem, Achernar, Robot Arm, I know I’m forgetting a bunch…
I was going to say Davebear but he doesn’t seem to have posted lately…does anyone know if everything is o.k. with him?
There is also Legomancer who lives out near Springfield but also doesn’t seem to be especially active lately.
If you are interested in trying to organize a Dopefest I would start a thread on the subject. That usually brings 'em out of the woodwork.
Yup there are some MA dopers… Pamipoo set us up with a mailing list through Yahoo
here.
I’m so flipping far north that I’m almost a NH doper. Our dopefests haven’t taken off too much thus far but I am always hopeful. I will keep my eyes on MPISMS for festival plans!
Since you’re on the state line…
RainKing What towns/cities are near Stow? The name rings a bell, but faintly. Remind me, and maybe I’ll come up with suggestions. (I was born a masshole, you know.)
Buy yourself one of those red Universal Map Guides. That should show you the quickest way out of town… 
How’s winter treating you?
(Doper formerly of MA)
Stow is bordered by Acton, Maynard, Sudbury, Bolton, Harvard (town of), Boxborough and Hudson. It is 24 miles from Worcester and 26 miles from Boston according to Yahoo! maps.
Not exactly Excitement Central.
Do they still have that bowling alley with the little bowling balls and candlesticks for pins?
I just heard that the Acton Bowladrome is shutting down. 
Their website doesn’t mention it, I’ll have to ask the friend who told me. I learned to bowl there. BTW, candlepin IS bowling, not those silly big bowling bowls…
In summer the roads around there are great for biking. There are some excellent loops through Harvard, Acton, Stow, etc.
I’m in Arlington now, but I grew up in Acton.
I, too have heard that the one in Acton is closing down but the one in Stow, which was closed briefly a few years ago has been thriving since. I imagine the closing of the Acton one might even push a little extra business their way.
You native New Englanders are such a trip. Those “silly big bowling balls” ARE real bowling, as far as the rest of the world is concerned.
Mass Dopers are notoriously antisocial…we never get together, and when we make plans to, they almost always fall through. We also take forever to make decisions.
Having said that, who’s up for another Boston dopefest?