Wednesday, May 23, 2007

welcome!

hi there! thanks for visiting the blog. have fun reading around and checking things out. don't forget to look at the history of the blog so you can see our early posts, back in the blissful first days of engagement. =)

muchos besos.

BUS

There will be a BUS running from select locations in Northampton out to Earthdance on Saturday and Sunday. This will be a very limited schedule since the trip take 30 minutes each way. We encourage you to catch the bus or designate a driver and/or participate in a carpool.

SUNDAY
Bus Pickup Locations and Times: (Tentative - stay tuned!)
Northampton Hotel: 1 pm
Clarion Inn, 1:15 pm

Bus Dropoff Locations & Times:
Bus will leave Earthdance at approximately 9:30 pm
Northampton Hotel, 10:15 pm
Clarion Inn, 10 pm


SATURDAY
Bus Pickup Locations and Times: (Tentative - stay tuned!)
Northampton Hotel: 3 pm
Clarion Inn, 3:15 pm

Bus Dropoff Locations & Times:
Bus will leave Earthdance at approximately 9:30 pm
Northampton Hotel, 10:15 pm
Clarion Inn, 10 pm

Directions to Earthdance

From the SOUTH and SOUTHEAST (Northampton, MA; Hartford, CT):
Take Interstate I-91 North to Northampton, MA. Take exit 19 and go straight at the stoplight onto Damon Road. Go straight through the next stoplight onto Bridge Road, which leads to Route 9 at Look Park.

Turn right and follow Route 9 West approximately 20 miles towards Pittsfield.
In Cummington, you will pass the turn-off to Route 112 South on your left. Stay on Route 9 for 3.2 more miles. Turn right on Packard Rd., which will turn into Prospect St. when it hits the Plainfield town line. The turn-off onto Packard Rd. isn't obvious, it's after Stage Rd and Beechwood Rd. It's on the right, after a red house and a white house, and before a green house. If you get to West Cummington, you've gone too far.
Proceed one mile up the hill. After the road flattens and straightens out, Earthdance is on the left, just after #262.

From the EAST (Boston, MA):
Take the MA Turnpike (I-90) West to Interstate I-91. Then follow directions in "From the SOUTH."

From the NORTH or NORTHEAST (Greenfield, MA):
Take Route 2 West to Route 112 in Buckland, MA. Follow Route 112 South to Route 116 North in Ashfield (Note: for a short distance, Route 112 and Route 116 join and read as South and North simultaneously!).

When you turn right on Route 116 North, you will continue for eight miles.
After you pass through the village of Plainfield and head down a long hill, turn left on Prospect Street. Go 2.5 miles, just past Mountain Road on the right, and turn into the Earthdance driveway, the second driveway on the right after Mountain Rd.

From the WEST (Pittsfield, MA; Albany, NY):
Take Route 9 East out of Pittsfield. In Dalton, when you turn left onto North St to stay on Route 9, you have 13 miles to go.

When you pass an "Entering Pioneer Valley" sign, it's exactly 2 more miles. Turn left onto Packard Rd, which will turn into Prospect St. when it hits the Plainfield town line.
The turn-off to Packard Rd. is hidden on the left. There's a "School Bus Stop Ahead" sign, then a "No Passing Zone" sign. With little warning, there's another "School Bus Stop Ahead" sign followed by the hidden turn-off to Packard on the left. If you see Beechwood Rd or Stage Rd on the left, you've gone too far. If you backtrack to West Cummington, you've backtracked too far.
Proceed on Packard/Prospect Street for one mile. When the road flattens and straightens out, Earthdance is on the left, after #262.

Earthdance Address
252 Prospect Street
Plainfield, MA 01070

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Local (non-Wedding) Activities

Berkshire Activities

There are many things to see and do in the Berkshires, from local historic towns such as Lenox, to scenic hiking trails, to contemporary art at the MassMoca in North Adams.

  • Mass MoCA (Massacusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts) - North Adams, MA, OPEN 11–5, CLOSED TUESDAYS
  • Tanglewood (Summer home of the Boston Symphony, year-round concerts) - Lenox, MA, concerts Oct 5, 6, 8 (all are All-Ravel Concerts)
  • Jacob's Pillow (Extraordinary Dance) - Becket, MA - Season ends in late August

Northampton - A funky, small New England college town, named "The Best Small Arts Town" in the U.S. Lots of cultural events and outdoor activities. Great restaurants, more than 50 in a three-block radius! (thanks to gonomad for all this info). Also check out the NoHo website for local local info.

BEST ATTRACTIONS
  • The arts! Tons of galleries, museums, small theatres and public arts spaces. Browse all day and see performances by top theatre, music, literary and dance artists in the evenings!
  • Shopping: many local small businesses selling eclectic unique things.
  • Smith College Campus: beautiful campus to stroll around on -- especially the path around the pond and the campus greenhouses.
  • Check out the Paradise City Arts Festival in October.
  • Sitting in a main street cafe (there is a Starbucks and Woodstar coffee on Gothic St.) and watching the parade go by. There will be kids on the street, pierced and shaven, with skateboards and attitude, but it is always friendly. The farmers market sets up every Saturday downtown.
BEST UNUSUAL ATTRACTIONS
  • The old state mental hospital grounds. Wild, overgrown boarded up buildings. "Cider House Rules" was filmed here. Some find it beautiful to walk around; others find it creepy. There is a circular loop that goes through farm fields and woods and is a perfect place to walk your dog.
BEST ACTIVITIES/ GUIDES
  • There are lots of outdoor activities from hiking to rafting, as Northampton is located in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains and near the Connecticut river. Local outfitters can arrange everything from kayaking to ballooning. Contact Wildwater Outfitters in Hadley, 413-253-5500.
For some free activities, try:
  • Hiking Smith College campus.
  • Riding bike/rollerblading along the Northampton/Belchertown bike path, an eleven mile path that can be bumpy due to roots coming through the asphalt, but is still a pretty, if bumpy, ride.
  • Hanging at coffee shops like Starbucks, Woodstar, Northampton Coffee, Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters all in the downtown area.
BEST ALTERNATIVES
  • In addition to the nightly lectures and performances held on Smith’s campus and around town, there are also lots of local options for informal learning from yoga to arts and crafts. Look at the bulletin boards around town and pick up a local paper.
  • Iron Horse Music Hall, a small, cafe/performance space with legendary big name performers.
  • Flywheel: in nearby Easthampton -- funky performance space featuring lots of local and regional bands. Volunteer run.
BEST EATS (We haven't tried these - just took it from GoNomad.com)
There are lots of inexpensive eateries featuring all kinds of food from around the world. This is a college town, so remember that coffee shops and cafes are also plentiful!
  • Bela-- Total vegetarian, small, funky-- Cheaper
  • Pizza Paradiso--wood fired pizza, pasta, great atmo, moderate
  • Amanouz Cafe--Moroccan cuisine, cheap and filling
  • Green St. CafĂ©, India House Teapot -- more expensive
BEST ENTERTAINMENT
If you can’t catch a performance or lecture at Smith College Campus, try the following:
  • Iron Horse: famous concert venue. Small and intimate. Many national folk, jazz and alternative bands/musicians. Check schedule in the weekly Valley Advocate, or online at iheg.com
  • Pleasant St Theatre: small comfortable movie theatre showing art/foreign films.
  • Academy of Music: Larger, but not mainstream, movie theatre. Also occasional opera house.
  • Calvin Theater. Part of the Iron Horse Group, national acts in music, theater, dance and spoken word.
BEST LOCAL HAUNTS
  • Joe's Pizza
  • Haymarket Cafe. Northampton Brewery's rooftop garden
  • Bart's Ice Cream Shop.
  • The Elevens , for local music.
BEST SHOPPING
There are plenty of unique shops in town featuring the works of local artisans, but Northampton is a book-lover’s paradise.
  • Thorne's Market -- lots of small businesses in a non-mall mall.
  • Raven - used books.
  • Beyond Words -- new age type books.
  • Faces -- funky items, furniture and clothing.
  • Market St.-- side street with many used clothing stores, book stores and antique stores.
  • King St. Flea Market, Sunday mornings.

Pittsfield

Not to be left out, check out the town sponsored tourism site.