Fall in Western Mass

At the end of October, Lizzy and I drove to Amherst for Parents' weekend. On Saturday evening, the six Amherst a cappella groups performed. Julie's group, DQ, was the best (of course.) What made it especially nice was that the newly weds, my nephew David and his wife Jessica, drove up from Wesleyan for the concert and dinner. The Concert Choir performed on Sunday afternoon. The choir, while very entertaining, was quite formal. This was in stark contrast to the daring skits and routines performed by the students the night before (which was put on without any oversight from the college.)

All of the Rt 9 motels were fully booked, so we ended up staying at the lovely historic Deerfield Inn about about 15 miles Northwest of Amherst. This turned out to be a nice surprise. Deerfield is truly a living history museum. Driving through town too quickly, you might see it as just another quaint, well maintained, small New England town. Scattered among the families, schools and shops, are over a dozen homes and other 18th century buildings which have been meticulously restored and furnished with authentic pieces. With your museum admission, you can stroll from house to house and ask questions of knowledgeable guides.

Sunday morning, the very hospitable receptionist, mapped out a ride on a piece of scratch paper. The ride while short, had one good climb and terrific vistas. I'll bringing my bike on our future trips to Amherst!

Finally Did A Century

I've been biking for 40 years. When I was a kid, the bike meant freedom. Even after I started driving, biking remained an important part of my life. The bike has allowed me to cover greater distances than on foot, while remaining close to the ground. I found both of the houses that I have bought while scoping out neighborhoods on my bike. There was a period of 10-15 years where I spent more time playing tennis than cycling. I've learned that biking is much gentler on the knees. Three years ago I joined the Princeton Free Wheelers and started cycling regularly. I've made some good friends and enjoy cycling more every week. I did my first century last week at the Princeton Event. Check out Laura's Hill Slugs Chronicles for a nice write up http://perpetualheadwinds.blogspot.com/2008/08/pushing-boundaries.html.