WILLIAMSBURG — Think a summer getaway means packing the car and burning gas, or getting on a plane and burning money? Think again, said Beth Sobiloff and Marcia Rothwell, hosts of “Two Grannies on the Road,” who said Pioneer Valley residents can just go in their backyard and find troves of hidden gems.
Their latest venture exploring hidden gems: Williamsburg and Deerfield.
“We’ve considered ourselves ambassadors for tourism in Massachusetts,” Sobiloff said after a recent trip to Williamsburg, where they filmed markets, Meekins Library, Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing and the town’s ancient grange building. “People don’t even know about the hilltowns.”
The 75- and 82-year-old duo has been traveling across the Bay State since 2008, filming their journeys for cable access stations and their YouTube channel. They have 19,000 Facebook followers and roughly 1,600 followers on both their Instagram and YouTube accounts. Video footage of their latest travels will be released steadily over the coming weeks.
On a sunny Thursday morning last week, the grannies stopped at the Williamsburg Snack Bar at 109 Main St. for breakfast, where they ordered eggs and blueberry pancakes “as big as a pizza,” which they split. Maple syrup came from Paul’s Sugar House in town.
Lunch was at Local Burgy, where they shared a burger with sautéed mushrooms and onions and a milkshake. Seeking a sweet snack at Tangle Chocolate, owner Suzanne Forman sat with the women to talk about her mission to produce ethically sourced, all-natural chocolates made on site.
“It was so incredible — unlike anything I had ever had,” Sobiloff said, describing the thin wafers that melt in the mouth.
During a stop at the Williamsburg General Store, they bought a magnet to add to their collection.
At the Williamsburg Historical Society, they listened to stories about the town’s resilience after devastating flood in 1874 that killed 139 people. They also spoke with Rob Longley, chair of the town’s Cultural Council.
“Everybody that we met was so proud of their town,” Sobiloff said. “It was wonderful.”
Last Wednesday in Deerfield, stops included a trip to the Memorial Hall Museum, where there is currently an exhibit on the history of brewing, as well as the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory, featuring 4,000 butterflies as well as geckos and other bugs. They ate at Leo’s Table for breakfast, Wolfie’s Family Restaurant for dinner, and stopped at Richardson’s Candy Kitchen.
This wasn’t their first stop in the area.
In 2023, they visited the towns of Chester, Worthington and Chesterfield for a varied slate of experiences, including a horse and carriage ride, sights such as the Keystone Arches and Chesterfield Gorge, and a visit with Worthington artist Lindsey Molyneux and her driftwood sculptures — capped off with a night sleeping next to a train museum.
