Glammin’ It Up in Northhampton🥰

Trip with me and my husband on our adventures together!

A travel guide to help you with tips, places to visit, good global eats and anything else that comes with taking a trip away…. let’s start the trippin’!

Every Valentine’s Day, my husband and I like to take a little road trip just to get away for a night or two to celebrate. It always seems to fall on President’s Day weekend which, lucky for us, we get to close the restaurant down for an extra day away. But since last March when CV-19 hit, our overnight stays have been zero to none.  So this VDay, we decided to give it a shot and stay in a hotel.  Normally , we probably would have stayed someplace in NH near Mount Washington or RI near Newport, but with all the regulations still ongoing with the pandemic within each state, we decided on somewhere in good ole Massachusetts.  And we are so glad we did. We decided on the city of Northampton, MA.  Trendy, artsy, quaint & historical, this was right up our alley.

We left on Sunday, Valentine’s Day, which, from our house right outside of Boston, took about an hour and a half to get to. Since we left early enough and still had time before we could check into our hotel, we opted to go to the Basketball Hall of Fame, https://www.hoophall.com/, in nearby Springfield….aka ‘The Birthplace of Basketball’;  something my husband and I were really looking forward to.  Seeing the best of the best over the years for the NBA, the WNBA, to coaches’ careers to the NCAA teams to the old school & new school uniforms, to the story behind how basketball was invented, even if you aren’t that big into  the ‘hoop game’, you will enjoy this place.  Enriched with so much history and memorabilia along with interactive activities (selective because of CV-19), any avid bball fan would go crazy in here. Definitely worth the couple of hours walking around getting to know the game, its players, and its history  that much better.  Make sure you check out the ten minute video located in the theater behind the concierge desk.  It runs every hour or so but showcases the most memorable highlights of bball, past to present. Also, make sure you sit at the TNT sports desk, located on the second floor. Very cool interactive way to get a feel of what it is like to be a sports commentator.  Upon leaving the Hall of Fame, make sure you check out their gift shop to grab a souvenir of your visit.

After enjoying the BBall Hall of Fame, we decided to head on out to our hotel, about a 20 minute drive from where we were.  We stayed at an historical landmark hotel, the Hotel Northampton http://www.hotelnorthampton.com/,  which IMO, was THE BEST place to stay. Conveniently located in downtown NoHo (newer residents call it this…sounds so NYC chic right!?), its location couldn’t have been more perfect. The hotel has two parking lots, one located literally right behind it and another parking lot 1/4 block down to accommodate all the guests. We were able to find parking behind the building and the back entrance was literally right there to make it even easier with all of our luggage.  Rob, the evening concierge, was awesome, helpful, friendly and super hospitable. He gave us an updated list as to what places were opened for food around us, which ones were temporarily closed, which ones delivered etc. Side note: He was really sweet and gave me a box of chocolates at the end of the night because it was Valentine’s Day. Just an added touch to make it that much more personal. 

Ok, so let me talk about the hotel in general since, like I mentioned before, this was mine and my hubby’s CV-19 first stayover. First off, everything was immaculately cleaned and sanitized. From the lobby, to the rooms, to the hallways.  I did bring my own Lysol wipes to wipe everything down when I got into our room, but honestly, it smelled super clean and looked it to boot. The remote and telephone had plastic wrapped around it with stickers that said sanitized. I mean, if I wasn’t reassured that everything was ok, Hotel NoHo definitely did it for me. Plus, you had super friendly Rob at the front desk that made our stay even more enjoyable. The rooms were spacious, clean and comfortable. What else do you need at a hotel anyway? If you ever decide to travel to Northampton, check this place out. You won’t be disappointed. Side note:  The restaurants inside the hotel like The Wiggins Tavern and Coolidge Park Café were closed due to the pandemic.  I’m sure both places are happening during normal times. If you enter the hotel from the front, there are these big panoramic floor to ceiling windows that overlook a Spanish style sitting area on one side and what I call a ‘Green Garden Oasis’ on the other side.  Perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee or just people watch. And again, I’m pretty sure in the spring and summer time, both sides are bustling with people. 

After settling into our hotel room, we decided to take a walk around the area to see what we wanted to go check out again in the a.m. There were stores galore all up and down Main Street. Do you ever realize that every city or town has a ‘Main St.’ in it? Well, anyway, cute little area with tons of shops, eateries, cafés, & galleries. 

You name it, Northampton has it. We walked up and down the main strip and then got hungry so checked out a place called High Brow, https://www.highbrowrestaurant.com/, a wood-fired coal kitchen and bar. We went for some nit picky stuff since we had dinner reservations a few hours later. We got the Fried Calamari appetizer that had not only the rings but the tentacles, which I love, a Ceasar Salad to split and a couple of beers…..Yum! The perfect light fare to hold us over until dinner. 

After our late ‘lunch’, we walked around some more and came across Pulaski Park https://www.stimsonstudio.com/pulaski-park. Nothing much really going on considering it was February but you can just tell in the warmer weather, this place is jumpin’.  

After strolling around the NoHo’s Main Street, we walked back to the hotel to chill before we had to get ready for our special VDay dinner at Alina’s https://www.myalinas.com/ in Hadley, the next town over….literally a ten minute drive from where we were.  My husband made reservations which was needed especially it being a ‘celebratory’ night.  A very cute, romantic and comfy Italian restaurant setting with the main dining room hosting a piano (during normal times, there would be someone playing it) to add to the intimate ambience.  To start, along with our Pinot Grigio & Woodford Reserve drinks, we ordered the Involtino de Melanzane, which is just a fancy Italian way to say Eggplant Rollatini lol, & the Scallops Mare é Monti…4 pan seared sea scallops over wild mushrooms. For our main course, I ordered the Pesce Arrosto…Oven Roasted Salmon with EVOO and garlic with double spinach and broccoli rabe. My husband had the Bistecca ‘Nicky D’ CAB NY Sirloin topped with gorgonzola and accompanied with cranberry risotto & sauteéd string beans. Both my salmon and his steak were cooked perfectly. To end the night with a Créme Brulée with espresso and cappuccinos was favored.  Everything was delicious and from start to finish, the perfect meal and atmosphere to celebrate our Valentine’s Day. Note: Ask for Serena as your waitress. She was super helpful, knowledgeable and friendly and made our experience at this little gem restaurant a more enjoyable one.  After dinner, we drove back to the hotel and decided to take a nice long stroll around the neighborhood. What can I say? My hubby and I love walking and it was a good way to digest all that amazing food (and drink) we just consumed.  We tried to go have a drink at a local bar but they were all booked up so we decided to call it a night.  An amazing ending to  a great day celebrating us.

The following day was all about shopping, relaxing and just laid back. We revisited the stores that were closed from the day before like Thornes’ Marketplace https://www.facebook.com/Thornesmarketplace/.  Reminding me of a big department store on the outside and a historic apartment/office building in the inside, this place was a cool place to shop. Upon entering the building, there was a basket of little ‘Heart Notes’ for you to take which I thought was a really nice gesture as a way to say thank you for coming in to check out the small businesses located in the building.  Four floors of stores for the shoe lover, the book aficionado, the fierce fashionista, the sweet tooth junkie, the boutique shopper, or the home goods hoarder, whatever it is, you can find something in here for everyone. Two stores I absolutely loved because they had all types of trinkets to browse through were Cedar Chest https://explorecedarchest.com/, and Noteworthy http://www.noteworthynoho.com/, and The Blue Marble https://thebluemarble.biz/.  I don’t know, call me crazy, but I love stores that you can find one of a kind, quirky, boutiquey,  knick knack & unique finds that you can add to your office, living room or bedroom. Cedar Chest was one of my favs for this sort of thing.  So, if you like that kind of stuff too, then you need to check them out if you are visiting Thornes!  Plus, supporting local and small merchants is a necessity in this day in age and I’m always happy to do so. And I stumble upon some great products too! 

After all that shopping, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at FitzWilly’s https://www.fitzwillys.com/, for some apps & salads. This place is HUGE!! With little nooks all over the restaurant to accomodate 2, 3 or 4 guests at a time, it kind of reminded of being in a huge tree house (due to all the wood architecture) and like a secret house with hidden places in every corner. I really liked the atmosphere of the place. Now, to the food.  We ordered some wings, which were perfectly cooked and to my liking (well done and crispy please) and a couple of the ‘Spicy Chicken Caesars salads,’ that were indeed spicy….my mouth at one point was on fuego. But it was so good and different from the classic salad dish.  From the look of the plates at the tables around us, there food is on point with sandwiches, burgers and your all around comfort pub food.  And a wide range of beer like the Cloud Candy I had. Def a laid back, cool and chill place to enjoy some yummy eats and brews. 

Wanted a little something sweet since I’m an addicted  chocolate connoisseur, so how could I not step into Sweetie’s Chocolates  https://www.sweetieschocolate.com/, on the corner of Main & Pleasant? A chocolate lover’s haven, you can get it dipped, whipped, covered and then some in milk, white, or dark chocolate.  They sell other candy too, by the bag, that you can pick and choose yourself, from a huge variety of your favorite sweets covering walls and shelves all over.  After we grabbed a couple of ‘dipped’ cookies and truffles, we headed out to walk around some more and do a little more shopping. We checked out a Newbury Comics https://www.newburycomics.com/ because my husband was on the hunt for something specific and I always love walking up and down the aisles to check out all their fun and weird gadgets.  If you have ever been in a Newbury Comics, you know what I’m talking about lol.  

Decided to revisit that local bar we tried to go to the night before that was jam packed, well because, of Valentine’s Day. Enter The Tunnel Bar https://www.thetunnelbar.com/.  Situated in an actual tunnel built in 1896 where people boarded trains to far away destinations, according to BUZZFEED, this bar is named as one of the “top 20 bars in the U.S to drink at before you die.”  And I can totally see why. Sitting in old fashioned leather lounge chairs among long corridors with subway brick lining the walls, this place is cool, funky and eclectic. 

Grab one of their Paper Plane Martinis like we did, while enjoying some snacks like Truffle Fries and the delectable variety Cake Pops, all while singing your pretty little heart out to the popular jams playing in the background, makes for the most swanky and snazzy chill Monday afternoon activity. Yup, I was loving every minute of it. The fact that we practically had the place to ourselves along with our super friendly bartender/server, we know if we come back to Northampton, this will definitely be a place we will return to.  They just opened up their outside igloos for the colder weather which at any given night, you would need a reservation for.  Cool thing about this place, is that they are also attached to the Platform Sports Bar which is on top.  You guessed it…..on the ‘train’ platform.  A typical sports bar with big screen T.V.’s to watch the games on, it’s not as cool as their sister bar downstairs. A bucket list must do just for the ambience and good drinks!

After walking around for most of the day and our energy kind of dwindling from our cocktails, we needed a quick pick me up so we headed on over to Northampton Coffee https://www.northamptoncoffee.com/.  Apparently, this is ‘THE’ coffee shop to go to if you are in the neighborhood.  We asked for an iced latté and cappuccino and sat outside at their table since sitting is prohibited inside due to Covid.  We didn’t mind though. People watching and drinking coffee was the relaxing thing to do to unwind before heading on back to our hotel. 

We loved the atmosphere and the smell of the coal fired pizza so much at High Brow from the day before, that we went back there for dinner for some pizza, apps and of course, a couple of cold brews! If you are a cheese lover like we are, then The Fried Goat Cheese Balls to start are a MUST. Creamy, crunchy and with a ‘bite’ to it, this was the perfect app choice. The honey and almonds on the plate complimented the sweet and savory perfectly.  We then ordered the ‘Nuovo Bianco’ individual pizza….. four different cheeses…. that is fontina, asiago, mozzarella and Grana Pradano (similar to a parmigiana-reggiano) cheese with a touch of EVOO, garlic and pepper flakes; this pizza was beyond delicious! And for my meat loving husband, we also ordered the ‘Umbria’ ….caramelized onions,  prosciutto, black pepper and a parmesan cream sauce…..OH……MY……GOODNESS!!! Those ingredients along with the crunch of the crust…..you can’t go wrong with that one! Both those pizzas are where it’s at!  So yummy & flavorful with some cold, refreshing Morettis on draft; we literally were in pizza heaven!

We ended our trip with full bellies and great memories and planned on the next time we are going back to Noho!!

***We had such a great time and plan on going back to visit some of the things that were not open due to the pandemic or the weather, like the Smith College Botanical Garden, Pulaski Park, Progression Brewery Company, The Beer Can Museum, Smith College Museum of Art, & the Norwottuck Rail Trail; along with local popular restaurants who were temporarily closed for the time being.*** 

Thank you for checking this post out! I hope you found it helpful and enjoyable! 

Until the next trip with us on  Trippin’ It With the Vegas’!!