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A Two Day Trip to Northampton, Massachusetts

by Ian Aldrich

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_{Photo Credit: Ian Aldrich}

After the birth of our son my wife and I made a pact to incorporate more rituals into our family life. Travel factored into a lot of it. Day trips and weekends certainly, but also midweek excursions; one or two night trips that would get us out of the house without thrusting us into the thick rush of fellow Saturday or Sunday tourists.

My wife went to college at Mt. Holyoke in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and spent a considerable amount of her non-classroom hours exploring nearby Northampton. For years we'd put off visiting the city, but when it came time to pick destination for our newly created post-Christmas jaunt, we finally decided to make good on all the talk. Okay, I admit it holds a certain advantage other places can't match. Like free built-in babysitting in the form of a sister-in-law who lives in Northampton. But other things called to us, too. The gluttony of bookshops, quirky stores, and a United Nations like gathering of restaurants. I swear, Northampton is the only place where it's just taken for granted that yes, it is no big deal that a Tibetan restaurant is sandwiched in between a bank and a salon.

You can understand the pull, right?

Our visit began smack-dab in the middle of downtown at the Hotel Northampton, which first opened its doors in 1927.

Our room looked out onto King Street and the nearby Calvin Theater. If you look closely you might be able to see my one-year-old son banging on the window. It's one of his favorite hobbies.

Our room's balcony provided us with an incredible view of the hotel's foyer.

Once we settled things in our room, we bundled up again and explored the downtown. We didn't get far before I pulled out the camera. I'd made it just a few steps in fact before I was snapping pictures of the hotel's neighbor, the Hampshire County Courthouse.

It's hard to find fault with any city that uses the grounds around its courthouse for outdoor art. On display: the metal work of sculptor James Kitchen.

From there we bounded across Main Street and stumbled upon a yarn and knitting shop called J.A. Tapper Co., which immediately caught the eye of my wife.

This wall of yarn was just the tip of the iceberg.

Let me put this out there: I'm not a fan of malls. I avoid them at all costs. But what compromises a "mall" in Northampton, I found to be pretty enticing. For starters, it's not gigantic, just 30 small shops. Then there's the atmosphere of the place. It's right on Main Street in a historic building with creaking wood floors and restored tin ceilings.