Sunday, 24 April 2011
Eureka....!
Happy Easter! Today we got back on-track, re-discovering the New England we were searching for! First, we went Downtown to get a feel for Springfield and to see the cool 'Dr Seuss Sculpture Garden'.....it was 'closed', but an open gate and a friendly caretaker ensured a (free!) private viewing.
We then drove north on I91, stopping-off at Northampton, a trim and very liberal small town with a unique charm. We were knocked-out to see 'Ben & Bills' (very chunky) ice-cream on sale (which hopefully David will recall!).....and as for its original 'rail-car diner'!
We hit the road again heading for Deerfield. This is a real gem of a town....in its midst there's a living museum comprising a mile-long street of early American period houses, and a public boarding school (Brenten) akin to Harrow or Eton! (We met a local couple who very kindly filled-in the town's history for us....it once represented the most westerly outpost of settled America and had been burned-down by Mohawk Indians)
Next we found Shelburne, another unique small town with a laid-back feel reminiscent of 'West-Coast'...we met and chatted with some locals who were members of a local folk group who were rehearsing on the sidewalk. Then we viewed the famous Salmon Falls and the lovely Flower Bridge. Driving back to base, we stopped in at the neat towns of Greenfield and Amherst. There are a lot of trees and nice people in New England!! As for today's musical footnote, well being in Springfield and having posted photos of cartoon-character sculptures.....it just had to be.....
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No childhood or second childhood is complete without Dr Suess. You’ve posted some great pics that emphasize something most people come to realize when they get off the tourist rail in the US, and it’s that outside the major conurbations, the US is made up of small towns reflecting the regional identity. And that much of the US is given over to activities that make it self-sufficient – farming, forestry, fishing, viticulture, mining. BTW, I like the Dodge. I’m very happy to drive on the left, but I’m not a very good passenger on the right. Last trip I was being driven to a small town in the middle of NH. We were in a Saab, and we pulled in to buy some gas, I instinctively yanked-on the handbrake. Oops. LMAO.
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