There are people — especially those of us without air-conditioning — who believe that fall is the reward for surviving summer. Or as the chalkboard outside Bistro Les Gras in Northampton noted recently, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. – F. Scott Fitzgerald” Either way, here are ten ideas to get you started. Tell us what we missed in the comments.
Yoga teachers from Indigo Wholistic Healing Center in Florence (indigomassage.com) are leading pay what you can yoga classes — for all ages and abilities — at Park Hill Orchard in Easthampton every Sunday at 10 a.m. all month, so long as it’s above 50 degrees and not raining (parkhillorchard.com). Namaste, Rubymac lovers!
The grounds of the New England Peace Pagoda in Leverett — which include a lily-pad filled pond and hundreds of fluttering prayer flags – are open from sunrise to sunset every day, and are well worth the short walk uphill from the parking lot (newenglandpeacepagoda.org).
For something a bit steeper, check out the trails of Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation in South Deerfield, where a viewing tower at the summit provides sweeping vistas of the Connecticut River Valley. (300 Sugarloaf St., South Deerfield)
Roaring Mountain Loop at Mount Toby State Forest in Sunderland offers 4 miles of moderate trails spanning over almost 1,000 feet of elevation. At Cranberry Pond, just at the foot of Mount Toby, canoes, kayaks and fishing equipment are also welcome (eco.umass.edu/facilities/our-forest-properties/mt-toby).
Why not zoom past all that Rt. 9 traffic by taking one of ValleyBike Share’s electric pedal assist bikes on the Norwottuck Rail Trail between Amherst and Northampton (valleybike.org)? In addition to offering knockout views, the route goes right by The Quarters (for bar food and Ms. Pac-Man; hadleyquarters.com) and Hampshire Mall (if you’re curious about the Kimchi tacos at the new Kkuljaem Korean Kitchen — plus bowling, go-carts, 3-D movies and acupressure massages; hampshiremall.com). And comes pretty darn close to Esselon, where a garden full of Adirondack chairs, bistro fare and wines by the glass await (esselon.com).
If you’re interested in shooting potatoes out of a cannon…
The Potato Blasters at Mike’s Maze in Sunderland can launch spuds up to 100 feet away. Admission is $14 for adults, $11 for children, and free for ages 4 and under (mikesmaze.com).
If you want to be terrorized, in a good way…
The nighttime haunted hayrides at McCray’s Farm run on weekends starting at 7 p.m. through Oct. 28. Expect to meet zombies, clowns and other characters on the 30 minute wagon ride. Afterwards, riders are invited to walk through Massacre Manor for another 15 minutes of fright. Tickets cost $15-25 per person (fearonthefarm.com).
True, it may be a wee bit cold to swim at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) State Forest but it’s the perfect time to wiggle your toes in the sand and enjoy a long, leisurely lunch sans summertime crowds (mass.gov/locations/daughters-of-the-american-revolution-dar-state-forest).
Is there anything more atmospheric than having a pint on the porch of the Ashfield Lake House (ashfieldlakehouse.com) or at the tables overlooking the falls at The Lady Killigrew’s Cafe at the Montague Bookmill (theladykilligrew.com)? We also dig that Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton allows patrons to bring their leashed dogs (forthillbrewery.com)?
Sometimes you want to be cozy and sometimes you want a full-on adrenaline rush. We get it. As it happens, New England’s largest zip line destination — the Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont — is right in our backyard (berkshireeast.com).
Franklin County Cider Days: Come for countywide orchard tours, cider making workshops, and tasting events (Nov. 2 through 4; ciderdays.org).
Enjoy!