Caitlin & Eric
Things To Do
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, MA, the "birthplace of basketball," this amazing 40,000 square-foot spherical building is filled with basketball history and. honors 400 inductees. You can visit the many interactive exhibits and test your own skills! (20 miles from Northampton)
Chesterfield Gorge
Chesterfield Gorge is a dramatic 70-foot rock canyon of rushing water which forms the entrance to an extensive natural recreation area along the Westfield River. Across the river, you’ll see stone abutments from a historic bridge that spanned the river around 1762, swept away by floodwaters in 1835. What can we say... it's GORGEOUS ;)
Mount Holyoke Range State Park
The 3,000-acre Mount Holyoke Range State Park features a 7-mile mountain ridge line and includes streams, wetlands, woods, and thickets. Visitors can explore more than 30 miles of blazed trails.
Smith College
Smith College is a private liberal arts women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, founded by Sophia Smith in 1875. It is the largest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite women's colleges in the Northeastern United States. Highlights of the beautiful Smith College campus include: - The spectacular Botanic Garden - Museum of Art - The newly renovated Neilson Library (designed by world-renowned artist and architect Maya Lin) You can find more information on each of these below.
The Botanic Garden of Smith College
The Botanic Garden serves as a living museum of plants native to New England and ecosystems around the globe. The Garden encompasses the 12,000 square foot Lyman Conservatory and Church Exhibition Gallery with changing educational displays, the Campus Arboretum (a level III accredited arboretum), and a variety of specialty gardens, including the Rock Garden, Systematics Garden, and Capen Garden. The outdoor gardens and greenhouses are open to the public. (Re-opens September 7th)
The New Neilson Library (at Smith College)
As the intellectual heart of the campus, the library celebrates learning and discovery. Renowned architectural designer Maya Lin’s vision has reimagined the building as a place of beauty, harmony, connection and community.
Smith College Museum of Art
The museum’s collection comprises more than 27,000 objects, representing the diversity of art and material culture across periods and geographies. (Re-opens August 27th)
Dinosaur Footprints
Catch glimpses of the hundreds of trace fossils visible in sandstone on this 8-acre wilderness in Holyoke recognized for its wealth of prehistoric footprints.
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
This museum, named after the author of the world-famous children's book, The Hungry Caterpillar, offers projects, talks, and exhibitions including a gallery of Eric Carle's original artworks.
Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail
The Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail is an 11-mile combination bicycle/pedestrian paved rail trail running from Northampton, through Hadley and Amherst, to Belchertown. Along the way you'll go over the Connecticut River on the Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge and see the beaver pond near the eastern end of the trail which is host to a number of different kinds of critters and birds including the great blue heron.
Springfield Museums
A quadrangle of art, history, and science museums, along with the newest: "The Amazing World of Dr. Suess Museum."
Mount Tom State Reservation
Mount Tom features wonderful views of the Pioneer Valley in west-central Massachusetts and was the inspiration for Whoville in the Grinch movie! The reservation has 22 miles of trails for all levels of experience and is also a great place to birdwatch--especially for hawks.
BREAKFAST & LUNCH RECOMMENDATIONS
Sylvester's Restaurant http://www.sylvestersrestaurant.com/ Hometown favorite for local-farm sourced breakfasts and lunches plus an in-house bakery! Jake's http://www.jakesnorthampton.com/ Lunch & brunch spot with an open kitchen known for seasonal, American eats & daily hash specials. Coolidge Park Cafe hotelnorthampton.com Located in the beautiful and historic Hotel Northampton, Coolidge Park Cafe serves lunch (and dinner) with a variety of delicious meals, including salads, sandwiches, and entrées, offering views of downtown Northampton while you dine. The Coolidge Park Cafe also offers outdoor dining. Familiars Coffee & Tea familiarscoffee.com Specialty Coffee and Tea shop in Northampton. Serving breakfast and lunch sandwiches and salads. The Roost roostnorthampton.com Quaint, rustic hangout with cafe fare, baked goods & beverages ranging from coffee to craft beer.
DINNER RECOMMENDATIONS
Northampton Brewery northamptonbrewery.com Fitzwilly's Restaurant www.fitzwillys.com Local Burger localnorthampton.com Eastside Grill eastsidegrill.com Spoleto's spoletorestaurants.com PIZZA: Roberto's Restaurant robertosnorthampton.com HIghbrow Woodfire Kitchen highbrowrestaurant.com Joe's Cafe Spaghetti & Pizza House joescafenorthampton.com INTERNATIONAL: Bueno Y Sano Northampton buenoysano.com Thai Garden thaigardennorthhampton.com India House indiahousenorthampton.com Bombay Royale bombayroyale.com VEGETARIAN: Paul and Elizabeth's paulandelizabeths.com