Autumn in Amherst, MA
On the hunt for some beautiful October foliage color, Scott and I headed out to Amherst in western MA to do some exploring with Maisy!
Our first stop was the Amherst Farmer’s Market...nestled among some of Amherst College’s beautiful collegiate buildings on the Amherst Town Common.
This farmer’s market is a gem and has all of your local market favorites…incredible fresh bread/pastries, warm cider with spiced butter, just picked produce, local wines, jams, honey and syrups and a vibrant fresh flower vendor.
All the shop owners were so friendly, talking to Maisy and sharing information about their products.
After purchasing a loaf of chocolate bread, sesame seminola bread and almond croissants (Berkshire Mountain Bakery), mango/lime jam (Plum Island Jams) and honey candies (Buzz Off Bee Co.), we sat on the lawn enjoying our scrambled egg/homefries wrap (Egg and Co.) and hot apple cider (Park Hill Orchard) while listening to live music from a local guitarist.
Ready for a hike, we headed 15 minutes south to Mount Holyoke Range State Park to hike Mount Norwottuck and the Horse Caves (the tallest mountain along the range). We ended up hiking 4 miles on this trail and the first part was definitely a more challenging hike than we normally do.
TIP: I recommend downloading the trail in the AllTrails app since there are many intersecting trails and it could get confusing.
The trail starts at The Notch Nature Center and if you hike counter clockwise, you will very quickly begin your ascent.
Maisy had no problem going up or down the super steep and rocky sections except for one area at the Horse Caves where we carried her through the boulders to make sure she did not hurt herself.
The heart pumping hike up was worth it after reaching two outlooks at the summit with sweeping views of the Pioneer Valley…Amherst, Sunderland, Long Mountain and Granby MA.
After reaching the summit, we began our descent and soon walked through enormous boulders to the Horse Caves.
We found beautiful colors all along the trail!
After our hike and on our way to finding a picnic spot for lunch, we stopped at Atkins Farm Country Market. Scott and I both agreed this shop was sensory overload…in a great way! The market is very busy but worth a stop since it has EVERTYTHING…Fall decorations, assorted pumpkins/gourds, bakery full of breads/donuts/pastries/cookies, deli with premium sandwiches, candy section, assorted cheese/jams/sauces, local wines and a large colorful produce section.
We could easily have browsed for hours, getting lost in all the yummy aisles! After waiting patiently (along with a crowd of people) for their famous warm cider donuts, we were off to find a spot for our picnic lunch. TIP: The donuts disappear as soon as they are put on the shelf-be sure to wait close by!
We did not have a specific plan, but after driving around for a bit we happened to find Dufresne Park. With picnic tables along the pond-reflecting the vibrant colors of the trees-it was a great place to eat and enjoy the view.
After lunch, we walked the short path that follows the pond and leads to a great dog run you can use if you are with your fur baby!
Not ready to go home, we stopped at dog-friendly Rustic Brewing Company in Indian Orchard. I have to admit, entering the very old mill building and walking down into the basement, I was a little skeptical…but opening the doors to the brewery, I was shocked at what a cool space the owners created!
I loved the lights strung all along the ceiling and the rustic reclaimed wood tables branded with their logo. There were mini cornhole boards, foosball and games at every table…while Scott enjoyed his beer, we had fun learning how to play the challenging magnetic game Klask.
Amherst was an incredible area to explore for the day and the perfect place to find vibrant fall foliage colors and stunning scenery! Be sure to add it to your autumn adventures!