Amherst, MA: I Love this Town

Feeling a bit homesick for my old college town of Amherst, MA I decided to search GoNOMAD for any articles related to the area. Luckily, I stumbled across this gem written by Kevin McDowell about the places to be and see in Amherst; a quaint New England town with so many things to discover. Enjoy the excerpts!

"Antonio’s Pizza: Mentioned first for a reason. One of the best slices of pizza I have ever tasted, up there with the North End and New York City. The key is the crust, thin and crispy, but still somehow able to support the ludicrous amount of toppings on every slice. Pay no mind to the occasionally sarcastic or impatient counter workers; Antonio’s is a must visit on any trip to Amherst."

"Judies: Known throughout New England for their famous popovers. Expanded now into a huge winding space with comfy seating and great lighting."

"The Harp: You can find Harpo himself behind the bar here most nights of the week. Always talkative, usually joking with (or about) his guests, Harpo’s place is always a good time. You get the feeling he was born to run a bar. North Amherst, north of UMass at the end of North Pleasant St."

"Riding the Norwottuck Rail Trail, a 10-mile bike path running from Belchertown to Northampton (another busy college town), offering views of local scenery, the highlight a rail bridge over the Connecticut River. Soon to be repaved, after someone decided that paving bike paths with recycled broken glass didn't make much sense."

"The Amherst Chamber of Commerce has a walking tour of Amherst, highlighting more than thirty buildings and features of interest including the homes of the town's two most famous residents, Emily Dickinson.

Amherst also has 20-odd walking trails named after famous writers. The town continues to be a haven for the literary with a number of indie bookstores and scores of writers and picturebook artists in residence."

Enjoying the Cape without the Hustle and Bustle

Being from a tourist town, I enjoy reading what visitors to my old stomping grounds have to say about the place. The Outer Cape is wonderful to visit during the summer when beach days are plenty and businesses are booming. But, as GoNOMAD's Kathryn Abbott and Kate Cosme discovered on a recent visit, Cape towns like Wellfleet and Provincetown are great to visit in the off season, when places are less busy and you can get down to what really matters: relaxing with loved ones and enjoying the great natural beauty at hand.
Enjoy the excerpt below.




During the off-season it is best to visit Wellfleet on the weekends, as many of the local galleries and shops are not open during the week.

During our stay in Wellfleet we took a couple of trips to Provincetown, the Outer Cape’s most touristy area, located just 20 minutes down the road.

Staying in Wellfleet offers a convenience to the bustling hub of Provincetown’s shops, restaurants, and nightlife, while giving you a quieter setting to come home to.

While touring Provincetown, don’t miss the many beautiful beaches, including Herring Cove and Race Point, at the very tip of the Cape. Provincetown is also much quieter during the week, but after May 1, the Outer Cape’s season slowly gets into higher gear.

To beat the traffic and enjoy the tranquility that comes from being in a great place with fewer tourists, the off-season is the way to go.

The Revival of Lowell, Massachusetts

In the early '90s, the Massachusetts city of Lowell had a reputation for drug and gang issues. It has since seen a cultural revival with the inception of the annual Lowell Folk Festival and a vibrant art scene. GoNOMAD editorial assistant Kaitlyn Silva describes some of Lowell's best attractions, including the historic mills museum. Enjoy the excerpt below:



Between roughly 1840 and 1870, Lowell’s textile mills made the city a veritable hot spot for young immigrants who traveled to America in search of work. The young generation of mostly Irish settlers struggled to make a living in what was then known as the town of East Chelmsford, living on mere pennies a day. For $6 per adult and $4 per child, the Boott Cotton Mills Museum in downtown Lowell allows visitors experience the immigrants’ work and trials on location. The pulse-pounding noise of the fully functional weaving room is enough to make your heart reach out to the women who worked there for roughly 12 hours a day, but the museum is more than that.

Photography and video documentaries show children with dirty faces and hard-working young women surrounded by the city‘s original backdrop of cobblestone streets and brick buildings.

Through a prop-filled, interactive boarding house, the museum tells a story of the immigrant’s path and the human condition that many native citizens take for granted.

If you’ve got a flair for textiles, downtown Lowell is also home to the American Textile History Museum and the New England Quilt Museum, both of which offer a look into the evolution of the art. Each museum also offers specialized classes that vary in price, usually ranging between $30 and $100.