March Visitor Budget Itinerary

What to do when you have a houseguest for 2 days in the middle of March? Try the following:
Friday:

• Pick up from airport/bus station/train station
• Take pseudo-scenic route home, passing through the Quabbin for pictures, history, and sightings of deer
• Get home, unpack, shower, grab a snack, catch up
  
• Visit the Clapp Library to pick up movies and (hopefully) museum passes; look at the beautiful building and make introductions to the library
• Stop off at Rannsaka for a bit of local shopping
• Head over to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art; see the great exhibits, learn about the building of the museum, and definitely visit the gift shop
• Go next door to Atkins Farms to pick up dinner makings and a pie
• Run up to Trader Joe's and Target in Hadley to run those errands you didn't get to run during the week and to get the things your houseguest couldn't take on the plane
• Come back home because everyone is exhausted; fix dinner; watch a movie; eat pie.

Saturday:

• Sleep in; get up and watch the birds; eat breakfast
• Make a quick trip to Rannsaka with cash to purchase what there wasn't enough cash to purchase the day before
• Wheel on up to Amherst, where there are plenty of parking places
• Visit the Amherst College Museum of Natural History (which is free) to see skeletons of long-extinct animals, locally-discovered dinosaur prints, and a sparkling mineral collection
• Meander around Amherst; grab a tasty lunch at The Black Sheep and relax
• Walk by a few shops on your way to the car
• Drive to Northampton and Smith College, where the Spring Bulb and Flower Show is on display at the Lyman Conservatory -- make sure you don't miss it
• Explore the college some, finally wending your way to Rt 9 where there are plenty of shops to visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon
• Finally make your way to Amanouz Cafe for tasty baklava; stick around for an early dinner, if you wish
• If you didn't eat Mediterranean at Amanouz, eat BiBimBop at the Korean Restaurnt on Rt 9 in Hadley
• On the way back home, take one more quick pass at Atkins to buy some of their killer cider donuts for an easy Sunday morning breakfast
• Take a short drive around the Holyoke Mountains to show off a bit more of that March beauty that's around
• Back at home, download all the pictures you've taken all day long, eat more pie, and watch a movie before crashing in bed.

There are a few things I would have liked to include in all our travelings around, and we might have been able to if not for extenuating circumstances. If you can, get ice cream at Bart's Homemade Cafe, have breakfast at either Kristina's or Roadhouse, take a hike around the Quabbin, take a little more time to visit some of the shops in Amherst (like the bookstore and the scandinavian store), stop off at Nash's, and maybe even catch a film at one of the local independent theatres. There is plenty to do, and two days is just enough time to get a taste of some of the great things the Valley has to offer. I'm looking forward to planning more quick itinerary's for the spring and summer when the weather warms and the options drastically increase.

So there you have it -- two days of fun in the Belchertown sun for pretty much anyone. If you add another day, there's time to see the Berkshires, visit Springfield or Brattleboro, trek around the Holyokes..., but I won't get into those possibilities now.

My sister came in this weekend (Friday morning to Sunday morning), and we had a great time following that itinerary from above. It was a super short visit, but loads of fun.
My camera was off in Utah somewhere, so pictures will come later (she took some fantastic pictures, and I need to get linked to them so I can sort through them and pick some winners) -- be looking for them!

Kristina's Kafe & Bakery

In the last few weeks, I have had a couple of sets of out-of-town visitors -- and each set I took to Kristina's Kafe for lunch, with great success. Kristina's is just off the town square and serves breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) -- hours are 6am-2pm.

Kristina's has a warm and friendly atmosphere and just-right food options. For breakfasts they offer egg sandwiches, omelets, pancakes, a number of sides (such as cereal, pure maple syrup, bagels with cream cheese, homemade toast of the day), and at least 10 breakfast combos (with eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, homefries, pancakes, french toast, etcetera), and all at reasonable prices. The breakfast combos range from $2.29 (egg & toast) - &7.99 (the 3-eyed monster).
On Saturdays and Sundays, when breakfast is offered all day, there are also Weekend Wonders: Bakery Benedict, Homemade Quiche of the Day, Steve's Sensational Scramble, and Belgium Waffle Served with Butter and Powdered Sugar.

Lunch offerings mostly consist of sandwiches -- you can create your own or choose from one of Kristina's specialty sandwichs: the North Main, Firehouse Reuben, Quabbin Club, Stonehouse, Un-Commoner (which is quite tasty, by my own recommendation), and the Men in Blue. There are also hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, veggie burgers, chicken filets, and other such grilled sandwiches. Kristina's serves hot and hearty meals, as well, for those nasty-weather days (like today) -- things like pot pies, stuffed shells, stuffed peppers, and open-faced turkey sandwiches. There are salads, too, full-size and side. All the sandwiches come with chips and a pickle (at least, from the six examples I've been witness to).

You'll also find daily specials, bottomless cups of coffee -- and of course, the bakery! Donuts, croissants, pastries, fresh-baked breads, custom cakes, pies, and more grace the bakery cases, and though I've not had the opportunity to try many of them, they look quite delicious.

9 North Main Street (Rt 202), Belchertown: 413.323.5733
(Prices and specific menu items from KK&B take-out menu.)

Atkins Cider Donuts

Cider donuts are a popular autumn experience 'round these parts, and you'll find many markets and farm stands selling them. Saveur.com recently posted an article that includes Atkins Cider Donuts in their article "A Dozen Choice Doughnut Spots." If you haven't taken the opportunity to pick up a half dozen of these delights, be sure to do so soon -- and while you're at it, compare them to other donuts in the area and see if you agree with Saveur. I pretty much guarantee you won't regret the donut experience. (I had company this weekend, and we must have gone through nearly 2 dozen of these cider donuts -- delicious!)

Roadhouse Cafe

On the corner of Rt 9 and Bay Rd is a little cafe with picnic tables and a small (but usually full) parking lot -- it's the Roadhouse Cafe. Curiosity piqued from the first view, we finally made a visit on Labor Day to check it out (after I had picked up the menu from Stone Soup Farm and determined what kind of place it really was). The name of the place evokes pool tables, smokiness, and greasiness (at least if you have the background I have), and doesn't quite seem to reflect all the goodness you'll find inside -- or on the menu.

Reasonable-sized portions from fresh and local (when available) foods are organic and made from scratch, and have a variety of options for those with special diets. The place was bustling at mid-morning -- we waited for about 4 minutes before getting a table, which isn't long at all, and we probably could have been seated earlier if we'd wanted to sit outside. We spent that extra time admiring the hand-painted Roadhouse Cafe mugs that were for sale and the printed caps.

When a table cleared out and we were seated, we snagged a menu from the table and tried to make up our minds about our breakfast. And we thought we were done when I noticed a sign advertising gluten-free baked goods that could be added to the order -- biscuits, toast, bread. That made our decision just slightly longer. We finally ordered up a #5 with a plate-sized blueberry pancake, scrambled egg, and bacon (also comes with homefries); and a #6 with gluten-free toast, lox, and scrambled egg (also comes with homefries); plus, tea and juice and milk. The food wasn't fancy, but it was hearty and tasty, and we left the place decidedly satisfied.