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Hampshire County – A Perfect Spot for Holiday Shopping

October 14, 2015 in Travel by traveleatlove | No comments

I know it isn’t even Halloween yet, but it is mid-October and time is flying. I don’t usually get into holiday shopping until much, much later. . . think mid-December, but since I am working with a really great client this year, I wanted to share a different idea for your holiday shopping this year, if you live in the Northeast.

Hampshire County of Western Massachusetts is a perfect spot for boutique and artisan shopping. From art and handmade jewelry to antiques to specialty food gifts, you can find it all in this beautiful place.

Pottery work by Christy Knox | Photo by Lynne Graves

Pottery by Christy Knox. Photo by Lynn Graves (Source)

One of the great things about holiday shopping in Hampshire County is that special events for artisans are sprinkled throughout the fall, making it easy to plan a visit even if you have a busy schedule.

Get an early start in October with Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton and continue into November and December with an assortment of open studio events like Cottage Street Open Studios in Easthampton (December 4-6 & 12) and pop-up artisan shops at places like Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program in Williamsburg, which hosts “Seconds Sales” (November 13-15, 20-22 & 27-29) for almost-perfect items at a discount. I am really hoping to get to Snow Farm this year; it sounds beautiful.

Food gifts are delicious and easy to come by in Hampshire County. The County has six breweries and six wineries, including Black Birch Vineyard, a winery I visited last summer. I love their wine! There’s Heavenly Chocolate, Esselon Coffee, bakeries, maple sugar houses, and a ton more for foodies.

And since Amtrak now goes directly to Northampton from NYC, Hampshire County is easy to reach. It’s a great spot for a weekend getaway, with beautiful outdoor scenery, not-to-be-missed restaurants, farms, five beautiful college campuses (UMass Amherst, Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and Hampshire College) and so much more. Plan to get away to do your shopping, then stay the night for some relaxation in one of the most beautiful places in New England.

Hampshire County is a client, but it is also one of my favorite places in New England, and I am thrilled to be able to share this little piece of heaven with you.

Tags: Hampshire County, holidays, Massachusetts, New England, shopping, Travel, Western Massachusetts

Brunch in Charleston: 82 Queen

October 1, 2015 in Food, Restaurants, Travel by traveleatlove | 2 comments

My heart and prayers go out to those suffering from floods in South Carolina. If you are interested in donating money or supplies, here’s a link to how you can help.

Short and sweet, our time last weekend in Charleston was. It was far too short for my liking; I love that town so much! When planning our trip to a wedding in Myrtle Beach, we discovered that our best bet for flights was using JetBlue points to fly to Charleston and drive. The times of the flights were better, and it was direct, and I wanted to eat in Charleston. And eat we did! Despite having very little time, we managed to squeeze in lunch and a drive after landing and made our way back for a quick brunch before our flight back to Boston.

We were overwhelmed with choices, but 82 Queen was on my list of places to try, and on a busy, beautiful Sunday, they had their bar open for brunch which meant no waiting 25-30 minutes like the other restaurants nearby. I wish we had more time to linger; the courtyard at 82 Queen was beautiful and looked relaxing. Next time!

We sat at the bar and the lovely ladies behind it got right to work making recommendations and bourbon drinks. They convinced us we had to have cocktails (It wasn’t hard) and had us try their favorites, the shrimp and grits and the crab cake Benedict.

Their recommendations were spot-on, and the food and drinks were heavenly. I loved that 82 Queen had a bourbon cocktail menu, separate from the rest of the cocktails. I had the Muddled Creek: Knob Creek Bourbon, Muddled Orange Slice, Triple Sec, Ginger Ale, and it was delicious.

The grits were seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten, creamy and the perfect pillow for a tangy BBQ sauce with shrimp and bacon. The crab cake was all meat with a perfect poached egg and more of those grits. We chatted about Boston and Charleston, cleared our plates, and promised to come back before we were leaving on a jet plane again.

Flying to Charleston from Boston on JetBlue couldn’t have been easier. The flight is a quick two hours, and the Charleston Airport is quiet and easy. We dropped the car off and were through security in less than 10 minutes. We’re already planning our next trip.

What’s your favorite meal when traveling?

Tags: brunch, Charleston, Dining out, Food, Restaurants, Travel

Travel Tuesday: Our Sonoma Food Finds

September 29, 2015 in Food by traveleatlove | 4 comments

Our travel style seems to be one giant tasting spree, and Sonoma County is the perfect place for sampling bites and sips here and there rather than having huge, lengthy meals. On our most recent trip to Sonoma, I attended some great events for work and also had some free time to do some great eating. Below are just a few photos from our whirlwind week in Sonoma.

On the Savor Healdsburg Food Tour we went on last summer, we fell in love with Healdsburg SHED and I couldn’t wait to return for more refreshing shrub drinks and to do some shopping for a picnic. The day we visited was over 100 degrees, and a strawberry shrub was the perfect way to cool down. We filled a basked with cheese and meat, cookies, and other items and brought them to the new winery of Two Shepherds for lunch with the winemaker. Luckily, he had a bottle of my favorite rosé ready.

My media tour day included an incredible lunch at the much-loved Willi’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa. The owners are the sweetest, and their food is just amazing. We shared small plates like local heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella and the most incredible smashed avocado toast. I dream about this meal and can’t wait to visit Willi’s again.

Mexican food is a must-have in California, and we found ourselves seeking out tacos just about every day. Our favorite is still El Sombrero in Healdsburg. Their tacos, guacamole, and hot sauce are possibly my favorite foods ever

El Sombrero Mexican food Healdsburg

One of the events I attended, the Big Bottle Barn Party, featured all sorts of delicious little bites, like mini omelets and Bloody Marys and cherry pie pops on sticks. It was one of the best parties I have ever been to!

Wine and food pairing options have become more prevalent in Sonoma County since our first visit many years ago, and the tasting at Ram’s Gate brought out the best in the food and the wine. Tasting is by appointment only, and their Palate Play truly demonstrates the art of food and wine at their best.

Another of the unique experiences I was lucky to have was another tasting in the high country at MacMurray Ranch. Perfect Pinot Noir was paired with small bites like strawberry gazpacho and some of the best views ever.

MacMurray Ranch, the scene of Taste of Sonoma , offered some of the best food of the weekend. The area where we were working had a beautiful spread, including cheese and veggies galore This may have been the best cheese display I have ever seen.

We discovered some new Sonoma County favorites on our date night in Healdsburg where we sipped a tomato water amuse bouche and feasted on Portuguese cuisine at Cafe Lucia and had late night cocktails and sliders at Bistro Ralph. Healdsburg is one of the best places ever for a walking, tasting night out.

On our last day in Sonoma, we made a trip to The Barlow, which I absolutely loved, for some wine tasting and beer and snacks. Woodfour Brewing was a recommendation from friends, and it was a delicious stop. A sour beer and some of the best pickled veggies I have ever had made for a great afternoon snack. If you get the chance to go to Woodfour Brewing, just do it.

All good things must come to an end, and so we had to make our way back towards San Francisco, but not without a stop in Sausalito for seafood and cool breezes. It was amazing how much cooler it was than Sonoma. Salito’s Crab House was a great spot for seafood and bubbly. We had crab cocktail and a platter of sizzling shrimp and mussels with a garlicky butter while gazing out at the sea, looking for seals and coveting boats.