Evergreen Berry Farm (Watertown, Conn.): Off the winding roads of Rt. 63 and Bassett Road exists a berry mecca called Evergreen Berry Farm. Since 1979, owners and farmers Bob and Cathee Alex have turned the once abandoned 28-acre farmland-wetland parcel into a home for beautifully organized rows of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.

When you arrive at Evergreen, you receive a quart container with a ribbon to tie around your neck to make picking easier along with a plastic bag-lined gallon container and an optional wagon to tote around your kids and/or buckets. Once you start picking, you can't stop! The plants look amazingly healthy (a testament to the farm's strong commitment to conservation and stewardship), and, although you can't make a pig of yourself, you can taste your way through the rows and appreciate the different varieties of blueberries.

I left with a criminal amount of blueberries, but plan to go back for more ($2.09/lb, is an amazing price for P.Y.O. low-to-no-spray blueberries, especially if you're freezing for the winter [a.k.a. not buying expensive fruit from the store during the off-season] or canning). I highly recommend that you go to Evergreen Berry Farm - it's an excellent summer activity for both kids and adults.

**EVERGREEN BERRY FARM: 435 Bassett Rd., Watertown, CT; (860.274.0825) - visit the farm's Web site for hours and more information on berry availability.