The Rock Fossil and Dinosaur Shop in South Deerfield, MA isn’t just for kids. It’s also for lovers of roadside oddities and dinosaurs! Come for the gemstones, the (free) dinosaur forest, and discover a bit of local history and cryptozoology along the way as well. 

Came to Park Hill Orchard for apples and the Big Red Frame view of Mount Tom. Stayed for Art in the Orchard bi-annual sculpture event in Easthampton MA.

Spent a drizzly Saturday afternoon at the local Northampton history museum, learning about the town where I now live. Highlight was the Making It on Main Street Exhibit and the 1847 diorama of downtown.

SCMA might be the only museum where you can pee on the art. Two artist-designed restrooms make SCMA in Northampton worth a (free!) visit.

Over the Connecticut River and to Hadley we go! Stops included the Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge and the Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area in Hadley.

In Northampton, “the meadows” can mean a lot of places—but this particular conservation area near Arcadia and the Oxbow has it all: mountain views, quiet trails, and surprise bald eagle sightings just minutes from town.

See the Boston skyline! Just try not to get lost on your way there.

This former psychiatric hospital in Medfield, MA had an eerie atmosphere on a cloudy day in late February. Also an eerie amount of dog poop!

Getting to Spot Pond Lookout at the Middlesex Fells Reservation provides an unexpected backdoor view into Stone Zoo

Maudslay State Park in Newburyport MA is home to some wonderful oddities that include a massive root cellar, an abandoned greenhouse, a pet cemetery, and The Gates to Hell.