Wildwood Barbecue Satisfies Hadley’s Meat Cravings
Every week, my pal Ed and I go out to lunch and we usually go to a new restaurant every time. Ed never knows where we’ll be dining until I surprise him with the invite. Our choice this week? Wildwood Barbecue, in Hadley, a new joint that’s been open for […]
Why Coin Banks Are Shaped Like Pigs and Other Questions
Deb Doolittle often sends me fascinating little nuggets like this. Here is her latest… Q: Why do men’s clothes have buttons on the right while women’s clothes have buttons on the left? A: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people […]
Among the Legions of Cunninghams in Seven Springs Pennsylvania
I’m in the thick of a huge family surrounded by brothers, sister, inlaws, young relatives and even the tiny tots who make up the Cunningham family. After a somewhat arduous drive, six hours in the rented van, we made it. We had a harrowing experience when we blew a tire […]
Off to Another Family Reunion in Pennsylvania
The summer is blowing by and now we’re setting out again on a journey. This time, though, it won’t require notebooks, cameras and a busy itinerary. Rather, it’s a family reunion for the legions of Cunninghams who are all meeting up in Seven Springs, PA. It’s a noteworthy occasion. The […]
A Little Piece of Brazil at the Arts Block
This Valley couple brought a little Brazil to the Arts Block on Saturday night. Cesar is a musician who leads bands in Miami, and Eve is a singer from the Valley. Together they made a CD and the night’s performance was a bit of improv vocals and a nice mix […]
Parents Who Give Their Kids These Names Are Mean
Late at night, three in the morning, I wake up and begin reading Reddit. There is a thread entitled What baby name makes you want to punch the parent in the face? Here are some of the names people have chosen to give their babies…without the usual hilarious comments that […]
A Sad Ride Through Our Industrial Park
I rode a bike tonight through places that were once filled with workers and machinery, and today sit empty. It’s the South Deerfield Industrial Park, on Route 116, and I had great old memories of the hustle and bustle that once took place there. I remember delivering shirts to a […]
At the Majestic, Brad Once Again Sings the Songs We Love
Last night I left the confines of the comfy upper Valley and ventured to West Springfield to the Majestic Theater. My friend Brad Shepard was singing, and I wanted to bring fellow singer Lennie Zarcone to hear him. I thought they had a lot in common, two men who love […]
Dishcrawling Through Easthampton
Last night I had dinner with a large group of strangers. It was called Dishcrawl, and the night’s itinerary took us to four eateries in the resurgent town of Easthampton. Many in the group of 27 lived in Easthampton but never been to these establishments! It all started on Facebook, […]
Steve Miller Channels 1973 at Tanglewood
I bought a record player at Radio Shack in 1973. I installed it in my room, and then went out and bought a few vinyl records to play. The second one I bought was Steve Miller Band’s The Joker. Last night on the 40th anniversary of this seminal classic rock […]
Jump on the Magic Wine Bus in Wolfville and Sip the Fine Wines of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a wine destination. I never, ever thought I’d be writing about Canadian wine but this province has all that they need to become a world class place to taste wine and their farmers are growing more and more vines instead of the traditional crops like apples and […]
Lunenburg’s Future is Much Different than its Past
Today we drove across the big peninsula of Nova Scotia, from the Annapolis Valley down to the jewel of the south coast, Lunenburg. The town is famous, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the lovely preserved 1750s architecture and perfect grid of the downtown. The building colors are […]
Nova Scotia Is Becoming a Wine Powerhouse
Nova Scotia has a familiarity that reminds us of the US east coast. Perhaps a little Vermont, mixed with some Rhode Island, but bigger. There are lots and lots of farms, and in the distance along the coast glimpses of the ocean. The distances are much longer as we found […]
Halifax Nova Scotia: A City of Firsts With a Serious Working Waterfront
Nova Scotia is as nice a place as I thought it would be. It’s kind of like Maine, but there are some things here that are way more dramatic. On a double-decker bus tour this afternoon, we drove around this compact city of about 400,000 and saw the impressive seaport–and […]
Nova Scotia on a Plane Tonight, first a Drive to Montreal
We are madly packing for a trip to Nova Scotia this week. We will drive to Montreal and at 5 pm take the Porter Airlines flight over to Halifax. Many people have asked us why we’re not taking the ferry from Maine. The sad answer is that there is no […]
Green River Fest 2013: No lines, Plenty of Great Music, Balloons Tethered
The first day of Green River Festival 2013 was fun, just as much fun as I hoped it would be. What I sensed and confirmed among many people I asked was that this year the crowd was smaller….but it was just as enthusiastic as ever. When I went up to […]
Are You Going to the Green River Fest? The Answers are Mixed
Last night I played drums, like I do every Wednesday night, and I asked my music making chums if they were going to this year’s Green River Festival. It’s become such a tradition for me, and I see so many of my old friends there, I wondered how many of them were […]
Dishcrawl Pioneer Valley Invades Easthampton
A really exciting place these days is… Easthampton! People are talking about Popcorn Noir, and Coco and the Cellar Bar, and that great rail trail so easy to come from Northampton. I want to spend more time in Easthampton. In a few weeks is a great way for you to […]