black-bear

Day/Date: SATURDAY – 4/27/24
Towns visited: Hatfield & Easthampton (city)
Had we ever been to these towns before? No
Drive to 1st town: 7 miles (from Hadley) Time spent in towns: 11 hours

What did we do in the town/area?
HATFIELD
We woke up early in Hadley and drove the few miles to Hatfield. In the early morning light, we spotted not one but two hot air balloons in flight amidst the serene neighborhoods of Hatfield! We made our way to Black Birch Vineyard, not for an early morning drink but just to see it. We heard it was lovely and often utilized as a music venue or for private events. We were delighted by the family of sheep grazing between the rows of grape vines. So cute! We think they move them every few days or so to keep the vineyard

Then, we were ready for breakfast at the Old Mill Inn (located along the Mill River). The inn, originally built in 1870 as a grist mill, has been beautifully renovated into a boutique hotel and cafe. We met Marcia and Shannon in the cafe, who were so friendly and chatty. Jo ordered a breakfast sandwich on a bagel and a cup of Rao’s Coffee (roasted down the road in Hadley), and Jenny ordered a breakfast sandwich on one of Shannon’s homemade biscuits. OMG!!! It was amazing!!!!!! It was such a nice place and experience that we left determined to stay here at some point, perhaps when we come for another visit to a nearby town.

With our bellies full, we headed to downtown Hatfield. We parked by the Hatfield Town Hall and then walked across the street and across a patch of farmland to walk along the Connecticut River. We arrived earlier than expected as we wanted to see the Hatfield Historical Society museum, which didn’t open until 9:30 a.m. (and is only open from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the last Saturday of each month—I mean, that’s some small town livin’!).

We were so pleased to meet Wayne inside the museum, who gave us some interesting information on Hatfield (which used to be part of Hadley). In particular, we learned some local women’s history.

We learned about the woman who once owned the blue house next door to the Hatfield Historical Society Museum/library, which, Wayne proudly told us, also happens to be where he lives! This house belonged to Marion Billings, an unmarried army volunteer nurse and diarist in World War 1. The museum had several items of hers, including clothing, writings, and army memorabilia.

He also shared with us the history of Sofia Smith (pronounnced so-figh-a), founder of Smith College. Sophia was angry that her father made a choice to educate only her brother and then, upon his death left him all of his money to him as well. But in a twist of fate, her brother died just a few years later leaving Sophia, the only remaining heir, with all of that of money. (Her father had made his money raising cattle, then took them to Boston to sell)

Sophia was passionate about bettering the lives of girls and women, so she put up the money to start Smith College in nearby Northampton in the 1870s. Hard of hearing herself, Wayne told us that she had also briefly considered founding a school for deaf people, but since one had just started in a neighboring town, she did not move forward with that.

Wayne told us that Sofia was born in 1796 and lived most of her life in the yellow house just down the street. Just next to it was a much larger Victorian-era blue and purple house, which she had built upon inheriting her family’s wealth. The two houses sit side by side, representing a significant change in Sophia’s life. We learned that the yellow one is owned by Smith College and used for staff to reside in.

We made a point to walk along this stretch of road simply to see these women’s houses and imagine their lives during that era. Smith College is a leader in higher education that strives to focus on knowledge, community, and thought-provoking ideas that push the world forward. It was just a few weeks ago when we were riding our bikes, in Northampton, through Smith College, and it was interesting to connect that renowned campus in today’s reality with the history of Ms. Smith in this small town of Hatfield. It was another moment that made this project of learning about each town feel like a small link in a big chain.

Along this same main road in Hatfield, we came upon the Bardwell Farm stand, which is set up right in front of their 40-acre farm. This farm and a few others are integrated into the neighborhood. The farms sit back from the main road. Bardwell Farm has been a working farm since 1685!

EASTHAMPTON
Our friend Angie came from nearby Connecticut to join us for an afternoon adventure in Easthampton.

For our first stop, we took a nice hike at the Arcadia Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary We walked along the Old Coach Trail, The River Trail, and The Fern Trail, all of which guided us along a narrow part of the Mill River and Hulpberts Pond for a nice two-plus-mile loop.

Afterward, we parked in a nearby school lot, grabbed our bikes, and hopped on the Manhan Rail Trail, which led us into downtown Easthampton.

We parked our bikes, walked around, and shopped a bit upon arrival! First stop was the shop The Water’s Fine goods & coffee, which had a lot of sweet gifts and home goods. We were also able to order a cup of coffee and sit behind the shop, looking out at the Nashawannuck Pond. Several thrift and gift stores along Cottage St. were also fun to peruse.

After shopping around, we got back on our bikes and explored the town neighborhoods a bit. We saw the old City Hall building, which has been renovated and now serves as a community arts and event space. Then, we biked over to the old mill building known as EASTWORKS , which has also been renovated into beautiful spaces for local businesses and artist studios.

Worn out and hungry, we stopped for a delicious dinner at Mission Taco . Wow! Those tacos and salads really hit the spot! Our favorite tacos were the pork and pineapple ones. Chef’s kiss!

We kept passing several old tobacco barns in Easthampton, which really struck us. People have been farming tobacco since the mid-1850s in this area, and a few families in Easthampton still do so today. Jo wanted to stop and get a decent picture of one of the old barns. So, we pulled over on a side road and parked in order to walk up to the busier road to snap the pic. When we did, we were pretty surprised to see a big black bear walking across the grass of someone’s large yard. Then it started crossing the road to our side, so we grabbed another pic and headed back to the car with haste! I guess it’s coming out of hibernation time! What a crazy way to end the day.