BLACKSTONE, MA — Attorney General Andrea Campbell is suing a Blackstone septic services company, alleging that the company dumped untreated waste into wetland areas owned by the town.

The lawsuit filed against several companies under the umbrella of Marchand Environmental alleges that the company violated the state Wetlands Protection Act and Massachusetts Clean Waters Act, among other laws.

According to Campbell, the company illicitly expanded its 25 Elm St. property using wood waste and construction debris, and then used those areas to dump untreated septic waste. The waste then seeped into wetland areas, which protect some of Blackstone’s drinking water wells.

“[T]he Defendants dumped septage from the pumping truck into a large wood pile, resulting in septage seeping into wetland resource areas. In addition, the complaint alleges that the Defendants’ trucks leaked septic waste directly onto the ground, resulting in dangerously high levels of fecal coliform bacteria contamination from human waste in wetland resource areas on Blackstone’s property,” the lawsuit says.

The company’s property abuts the Southern New England Trunkline Trail and Harris Pond, which flows into the Blackstone River near the Rhode Island line.

Campbell is suing for civil damages, but also to force the company to clean up the contaminated wetlands.

It’s easy to get there. The trailhead is a stone’s throw off of I-93 and just a few miles down the road from Waterville Valley Resort, but you still feel immersed in nature.

The hike starts in a beautiful hardwood forest before opening up to the first stone ledge, where the views begin in earnest. There are tons of photo opps along the way. Then, you’re hiking on exposed rock, home to all kinds of lichen and other sensitive alpine species. There are some fun rock scrambles on this segment of the trail — nothing too crazy, but it keeps things interesting. Between peak one and peak two, you drop into an enchanted evergreen forest, and then you’re up on another long spiny rock ridge, before dropping back down into hardwood forest below.

AMANDA GOKEE

Down on the farm

Beech Hill Farm is a great place to get a scoop of ice cream during the warmer months of the year, while checking out the barnyard animals that live there. The farm is on a picturesque hillside in Hopkinton that’s also home to calves, piglets, lambs, baby goats, donkeys, chickens, ducks, and rabbits. It feels like a real farm and smells like one too. The ice cream is delicious — 75 flavors that are all made in New England.

There’s also a walking path on the grounds. A one-mile trail passes one of the northernmost stands of Giant Rhododendron in New Hampshire, a flowering evergreen shrub, and a corn maze in the fall. And if you’re still hungry, the farm sells pasture-raised beef, pork, maple syrup, and eggs, as well.

The farm is now owned by Robert and Donna Kimball, and it’s been in their family for nine generations, which makes it one of the longest-running family-owned and operated farms, according to the family. And the next generation is already continuing that legacy: Nate Kimball is working with his grandparents to help operate the farm, after getting his degree from the University of New Hampshire in Integrated Agriculture and Business Management.

The homestead was originally built in 1800 and was renovated in the 1990s to make space for events, the ice cream barn, and other visitor areas.

AMANDA GOKEE

Tour the State House

If you find yourself with weekday free time in Concord, swing by the gold-domed State House for a tour. Wander the halls yourself, or see if Virginia Drew in the first-floor visitor center can set you up with an expert guide.

The grounds outside are dotted with historic statues and markers, and the halls inside display more than 100 battle flags, plus massive portraits and murals at every turn. But the building is more than a museum: It’s the nation’s oldest State House in continuous use — and there is a lot going on.

All under one roof, visitors can see the House and Senate, Governor and Executive Council, and Secretary of State’s office, where candidates add their names to the presidential primary ballot every four years.

The two centuries of history that plaster the State House walls serve as backdrop for the history that continues to be written there everyday. Yet there is something delightfully mundane and accessible about the whole experience.

I once saw a family from Texas take a guided tour on a whim. They paused outside Governor Chris Sununu’s office and got a personal greeting. “Hi, I’m Chris,” the state’s chief executive said to them, stopping for a quick photo under a portrait of his father, former Governor John H. Sununu.

My parents didn’t meet any Sununus on our guided tour last year, but we had a blast learning about civics and history. To make the most out of your visit, I’d suggest calling the visitor center, 603-271-2154, ahead of time since Drew’s team juggles school tours as well.

STEVEN PORTER

Sip local wines

My in-laws absolutely loved sampling locally made fruit wines, meads, and ciders at Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery on Meredith’s Main Street when we explored the Lakes Region last fall. We went for the guided tasting of seven 1-ounce pours paired with cheeses and chocolate, then stayed for lunch as well.

I’m not the biggest fan of sweet wines, so I was relieved to find some samples to be pleasantly complex. Their blueberry wine, for example, drinks like a jammy red. I’ve given away a few bottles as gifts (and kept a few more for myself).

You can often find popular Hermit Woods products at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet locations throughout the state — including their refreshing sparkling hard cranberry apple cider — but the in-person experience in Meredith offers more variety, with indoor and outdoor spaces that invite visitors to linger. So it’s well worth stopping in.

New Hampshire has more than 40 wineries and distilleries statewide, plus more than 100 breweries, so check the state’s travel and tourism website and the Brew NH beer map to see what tasting rooms are nearby.

STEVEN PORTER

Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee. Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.