We recently spent four fanciful days in Massachusetts. We say, “Massachusetts”, not “Boston” because we road-tripped around the state. A wedding called us there. Not any ordinary, run-of-the-mill, one-day wedding. No, no. This was an Indian wedding. Like the continent of India.
It lasted three glorious days. On Thursday night, there was the Sangeet, which means “music” and is celebration of the merging families. On Friday morning, the couple engaged in the Sikh wedding ceremony known as the “Anand Kaaraj”. On Saturday evening, everything culminated with a raucous reception. That might seem like too much wedding, but it wasn’t. Because the respective events consumed only a slice of each day, we had time to explore.
We never intended to write so much about the wedding here. Of course, it was so splendid that we could devote the whole article to it, but we won’t because this article is about traveling around Massachusetts. We spent four days in Massachusetts; we’ll outline an itinerary for three days.
Northampton
Fly into Boston Logan airport. Rent a car. Drive west for two hours to Northampton. Why? Well, we visited Northampton because our wife attended Smith College and she’s nostalgic. But also, Northampton is visually a postcard of idyllic New England. Forested mountains (at least, large hills) encircle the seemingly quaint town, which is filled with Queen Anne, Neo-Georgian and Colonial Revival architecture.
Smith College
The campus of Smith College inspires awe. Yes, buildings are blanketed in well-manicured ivy, and yes, mighty, aged trees—oaks and elms and maples and walnuts—stretch toward the sky. But, what got us were the gardens. Everywhere. The school calls this “a landscape for learning” and says “[t]he campus is a botanical garden, with thousands of plants indoors and outdoors.”
Northampton, population 30,000, offers more than landscape. It radiates a distinctly bohemian and countercultural vibe, which is fueled by its prestigious women’s liberal arts college and its vibrant LGBT community.
Surrounding Areas
The surrounding communities merit a visit as well. Amherst is home to three colleges—UMASS, Amherst College and Hampshire College—and the Emily Dickenson Museum. The poet was born and lived in Amherst. We stopped at nearby Atkins Farm Country Market to sample its celebrated cider donuts before driving through Mount Holyoke Range State Park with the top off of our rented Jeep Wrangler. The route took us through South Hadley, home of Mount Holyoke College, another liberal arts college for women.
Cape Cod
A trip to Massachusetts in the summer would be deficient without visiting Cape Cod.
Chatham
We first stopped in Chatham, a town on the southeast tip of Cape Cod. This historical fishing community thrives as a summer resort destination. The downtown bustles with posh restaurants and touristic shops selling fudge, souvenirs, clothing, etc.
We skipped these frills and went to Chatham Fish Pier. There, we observed commercial boats return and offload their daily catch and seals beg crewmembers for scraps. Some of that seafood never travels inland; it goes directly to the Chatham Pier Fish Market. To get any fresher, you’d have to eat on the boat. We had fried claims. Our wife heralded her fish and chips ranked as the best she’d ever eaten.
Cape Cod National Seashore
An 18-minute drive from Chatham got us to Nauset Light Beach within the Cape Cod National Seashore. It was our favorite spot of the weekend besides the wedding. Framed by colossal sand dunes, the mile-long beach sits unprotected by a barrier island, so waves roll in with full force. This attracts some surfers, but they must be cold-hardy people. The water peaks in August at a high temperature of 66 to 72°F.
While the beach is lovely, the lighthouse steals the spotlight. Its tower was built in 1877 in Chatham, then moved here in 1923, and it’s simply the most New England thing ever. The beacon still operates, though now unmanned and fully automated. We never deduced whether or not it was haunted.
Boston
We packed a lot of traveling into this trip. Especially with a weekend getaway, we prefer to set up camp in one place and focus our exploration there. But, logistically, it made more sense to dabble. A taste of this. A taste of that. Like tapas. We love tapas. Who doesn’t like tapas?
We didn’t spend enough time in Boston. We’ll rectify that by returning soon. But, we did cram in a few activities.
Freedom Trial
We joined a tour of the Freedom Trail departing from Boston Common. It was pricey, and the guides wore period dress, so we arrived skeptical. But, we saw historical sites, including the Granary Burying Ground, the location of the Boston Massacre, and Faneuil Hall. Our guide provided context while being pithy and a tad subversive. The tour proved worthwhile.
The North End
Later, we explored the North End. It’s Boston’s oldest residential area and current “Little Italy. In fact, we stumbled upon a street festival in honor of St. Agrippina. It had a parade. It had street food, including arancini. The whole experience was tailormade for us.
Boston Harbor
We don’t live near salt water. We live in the middle of the country. When we visit somewhere near the ocean/the sea/a bay, we yearn to ride a boat. The compulsion hits us, often suddenly, and we must obey it.
We hadn’t planned for a boat ride in Boston. But, we found one. We slid onto a 90-minute sightseeing cruise from Boston Harbor Cruises. It was fine. What we wanted was cool breeze whipping through our hair, and we got it. Next visit, we may take the ferry to Provincetown, though we always like a good whale watching excursion.
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