For a small village just off the Mohawk Trail in western Massachusetts, Shelburne Falls packs lots in a little space. From a natural wonder and a reclaimed trolley bridge, to restaurants, a brewery, and even candlepin bowling, Shelburne Falls is a can’t miss visit! Bridge of Flowers Shelburne Falls is actually located in two different […]
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts Read More »
Route 32 travels from Keene, New Hampshire to New London, Connecticut. Recently, after exploring towns in western and central Massachusetts, I decided to take Route 32 home to Norwich, Connecticut from Royalston, Massachusetts at its border with New Hampshire. Not particularly thinking about writing about my journey, the photos I took were minimal. The journey is
Classic New England Back Roads: Route 32 Read More »
I’ve been living in Massachusetts for about 20 years. As in my home state of Connecticut, I’ve explored most towns in the state from North Adams to Provincetown, Ayer to Zoar. One area that is a bit of uncharted territory though is the north-central part of the state. Sure, most of the Pioneer Valley is
Brick & Feather Brewery and a View of Turners Falls Read More »
For whatever reason, around the age of ten or so, I came up with an idea of a restaurant choice randomizer. I wrote down on a piece of paper the names of around thirty restaurants in the Norwich, Connecticut area, cut them out, and put them into a wooden box. On half days of school,
The Box Pick: Brookside Cafe Read More »
Second, only to lobster, fried clams are the perfect New England summertime food. Although, the North Shore of Massachusetts is synonymous with the delectable fried delight. I’ve scoured my favorite fried clams in the region closer to me. With restaurants in Plymouth, MA, New London, CT, and Cape Cod, these are some of the best
Five Favorite Fried Clams Read More »
Iron & Wine, the stage name of singer-songwriter Sam Beam, has had an interesting and ever-evolving career since 2002’s debut, The Creek Drank the Cradle. With his hushed vocals and spare instrumentation, his sound recalled artists such as Elliott Smith and Nick Drake. Given the accessible nature and beauty of many of his songs, Iron
Iron & Wine and a Six Pack Read More »
What’s in a name? If you’re a body of water on the Webster, Massachusetts/Thompson, Connecticut border it’s a lot. When I was a kid, my father on occasion would mention a lake in Webster, Massachusetts, not far from where he grew up in northern Connecticut, as the longest geographic place name in the country. Lake
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg Read More »
In my continuous quest to find new and exciting places to take a walk during the pandemic, I came across Cato’s Ridge. Cato’s Ridge is a conservation area owned by the town of Plympton, Massachusetts. The loop around the property is about two miles in length. Plympton is a small, historically agricultural community in the
With all of the craft beer posts on Backyard Road Trips (especially since day trips are harder to take now), a friend (thanks Andy!) reached out to me about Athletic Brewing Company’s Run Wild IPA. At first, I figured that this was simply another IPA that I should try, but then he mentioned that it
Athletic Brewing – Run Wild IPA Read More »
To me, a hot lobster roll is perfection. I grew up in Southeastern Connecticut, so get outta here if you even think about serving your lobster roll cold or with mayonnaise! Adapting to lobster roll-life in Massachusetts was difficult. Even though the crustacean is thought of in terms of the Boston area, many of the
In Pursuit of the South Shore’s Best Lobster Rolls Read More »
