Weekend in Northampton

Because birthdays call for a little extra pizzazz.

Because booking a room at a B&B and taking off in the car is one of our favorite ways to relax, unwind, explore a new place, and spend a weekend together without computers, chores, errands or other distractions.

Because we’d wanted to visit Northampton ever since we drove through on our way back from a day in Amherst last fall.

And because we love: bookstores, llamas, homemade ice cream, funky restaurants, charming Main Streets and red-brick college campuses.

We spent two nights at the Starlight Llama B&B, enjoying the lack of city noise and getting to know the resident menagerie:

Seven llamas, six peacocks, a donkey, three dogs, a pair of emus, two goats, assorted guinea fowl, and a partridge in a pear tree. (Just kidding about that last one.)

We browsed the bookshops (of course!), including Broadside Bookshop in Northampton:

And we drove up to the Montague Bookmill – “books you don’t need in a place you can’t find!”:

We ate yummy Italian food at Spoleto, delicious curry at the India House, and copious amounts of ice cream, mostly from local legend Herrell’s:

And we walked around the campus of Smith College (quoting Danny Kaye – “They didn’t go to college! They didn’t go to Smith!” and Bing Crosby’s response: “Go to Smith! She couldn’t even spell it!”):

In short, we had a lovely weekend. Just right for celebrating my favorite man.