"It is a great advantage to a President, and a major source of safety to the country, for him to know that he is not a great man. When a man begins to feel that he is the only one who can lead in this republic, he is guilty of treason to the spirit of our institutions."

-- Former President Calvin Coolidge, on the Presidency, "The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge," 1929.

List of US Presidents and how many future presidents were born during their administrations

Before Independence: 8. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Quincy Adams, Jackson, William Harrison

Before Presidency: 2. Van Buren, Taylor

Washington: 3. Tyler, Polk, Buchanan

Adams: 1. Fillmore

Jefferson: 3. Pierce, Lincoln, Johnson

Madison: 0.

Monroe: 2. Grant, Hayes

Quincy Adams: 0.

Jackson: 3. Garfield, Arthur, Harrison

Van Buren: 1. Cleveland

Henry Harrison: 0.

Tyler: 1. McKinley

Polk: 0.

Taylor: 0.

Fillmore: 0.

Pierce: 2. Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson

Buchanan: 1. Taft

Lincoln: 0.

Johnson: 1. Harding

Grant: 2. Coolidge, Hoover

Hayes: 0.

Garfield: 0.

Arthur: 2. FDR, Truman

Cleveland: 0.

Harrison: 1. Eisenhower

McKinley: 0.

Teddy Roosevelt: 1. LBJ

Taft: 2. Nixon, Reagan

Wilson: 2. Kennedy, Ford

Harding: 0.

Coolidge: 2. Carter, H.W Bush

Hoover: 0.

FDR: 1. Biden

Truman: 3. Clinton, W. Bush, Trump

Eisenhower: 0.

JFK: 1. Obama

LBJ: 0.

Nixon: 0.

Ford: 0.

Carter: 0.

Reagan: 0.

H.W Bush: 0.

Clinton: 0.

W. Bush: 0.

Obama: 0.

Trump: 0.

Biden: 0.

Hoover?

Herbert Hoover came from a very poor family in Iowa. After his parents died, he moved in with an uncle in Oregon, and worked at his land office. He didn't attend school after grade school, but when a Stanford recruiter came through, Hoover did so well on his tests (except English) that he was admitted to the college.

He met his wife Lou at Standford, where they both got geology degrees. Hoover got hired with a mining company, and he and Lou oversaw mining operations in Australia and Asia. They were both in China during the Boxer Rebellion. They worked together to translate an ancient Roman mining text for the first time, and they'd give bound copies of it to people as gifts. Lou spoke eight languages, and she and Herbert would speak Mandarin when they didn't want people to understand their conversations.

By the time Hoover was 40, he was a self-made millionaire, working with a company with offices on six continents and a headquarters in London, and while in London, he was looking for a way to engage with public life. Then WWI broke out. He and Lou worked together to set up a charity to help provide food and transportation for American stuck in Europe. Then the crisis in Belgium happened, and he worked with the Belgian government to start the Belgian Relief program. He eventually had 600 ships bringing food to the starving citizens of Belgium. He was called things like "the Great Humantarian" and "the Master of Emergencies".

This caught the attention of Woodrow Wilson, who brought him into his administration as a food administrator, encouraging Americans to reduce consumption of certain foods in light of the war effort. Hoover then became Secretary of Commerce under Warren Harding, and he massively grew that department. Calvin Coolidge put him in charge of disaster relief efforts in 1927 to respond to flooding in Mississippi, which increased his reputation of a guy who was great at responding to emergencies.

He was so popular that he was the obvious Republican candidate for president. Unfortunately, the guy who was a great humanitarian didn't have the personality or the experience to navigate the give-and-take of politics. He preferred just going in and getting the job done to having to work as part of the political machine. He alienated Congress before the Depression. After the Depression hit, he was doing a lot more behind the scenes to respond to things than the public realized at the time--and had more success than he was given credit for--but he was villainized for not wanting to start direct government programs to help people. That was something he had done a ton of as a private citizen, but he didn't think it was the role of the president to do things like that--he wanted to leave that kind of thing to private charities--which unfortunately gave him a reputation of being uncaring.

He was extremely active in his post-presidential life. After WWII, he was again put in charge of relief efforts to bring food to Europe. He ran the Hoover Commission that reorganized the executive branch of the government. He wrote tons of books and papers (and this from the guy who did so badly at English in college that he needed special permission to graduate). For a guy who had such a disastrous presidency, he actually had a pretty amazing and successful life, and I wish more people knew about it.

I'm more than a little angry.

In 143 days, the Castleton Calvin Coolidge library as you know it will be gone. The administration plans to get rid of all physical books and materials from Castleton’s library and transition to a “new digital academic library.”

You can read the announcement here:

https://transformation.vsc.edu/announcing-changes-to-vermont-state-university-athletics-and-libraries/

Take note of the FAQ at the bottom:

“As of July 1, 2023, these spaces will no longer provide services including circulation and physical materials (these materials will be available digitally). Interlibrary loans will still exist, but with a shift to e-books and digital articles and other materials.

The physical library collections will be offered first to the VSCS community. We are developing plans for other items, which will be part of our re-imagining of the spaces in collaboration with our community”

If you have any concerns about this plan, please take a moment and write to the following individuals. VTSU is Vermont State University, which Castleton will become on July 1st, 2023. VSC is the Vermont State College system which oversees all of the schools in the system.

VTSU President Grewal: [email protected]

VTSU Provost Atkins: [email protected]

VSC Chancellor Zdatny [email protected]

VSC Board of Trustees Chair: Eileen “Lynn” Dickinson [email protected]

watching always sunny bloopers and i’m losing it at the one where 99 year old gladys keeps telling charlie about the coolidge administration and he goes ‘gladys, we don’t have time for this.’ and she goes ‘Well, Take Time.’

Drinking the official beverage of the Coolidge Administration with lunch today.

Events 1.13 (after 1940)

1942 – Henry Ford patents a soybean car, which is 30% lighter than a regular car. 1942 – World War II: First use of an aircraft ejection seat by a German test pilot in a Heinkel He 280 jet fighter. 1950 – British submarine HMS Truculent collides with an oil tanker in the Thames Estuary, killing 64 men. 1950 – Finland forms diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. 1951 – First Indochina War: The Battle of Vĩnh Yên begins. 1953 – An article appears in Pravda accusing some of the most prestigious and prominent doctors, mostly Jews, in the Soviet Union of taking part in a vast plot to poison members of the top Soviet political and military leadership. 1958 – The Moroccan Army of Liberation ambushes a Spanish patrol in the Battle of Edchera. 1963 – Coup d'état in Togo results in the assassination of president Sylvanus Olympio. 1964 – Anti-Muslim riots break out in Calcutta, in response to anti-Hindu riots in East Pakistan. About one hundred people are killed. 1964 – In Manchester, New Hampshire, fourteen-year-old Pamela Mason is murdered. Edward Coolidge is tried and convicted of the crime, but the conviction is set aside by the landmark Fourth Amendment case Coolidge v. New Hampshire (1971). 1966 – Robert C. Weaver becomes the first African American Cabinet member when he is appointed United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 1968 – Johnny Cash performs live at Folsom State Prison. 1972 – Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia and President Edward Akufo-Addo of Ghana are ousted in a bloodless military coup by Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. 1977 – Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1045, a Douglas DC-8 jet, crashes onto the runway during takeoff from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, killing five. 1978 – United States Food and Drug Administration requires all blood donations to be labeled "paid" or "volunteer" donors. 1982 – Shortly after takeoff, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737 jet, crashes into Washington, D.C.'s 14th Street Bridge and falls into the Potomac River, killing 78 including four motorists. 1985 – A passenger train plunges into a ravine in Ethiopia, killing 428 in the worst railroad disaster in Africa. 1986 – A month-long violent struggle begins in Aden, South Yemen between supporters of Ali Nasir Muhammad and Abdul Fattah Ismail, resulting in thousands of casualties. 1988 – Lee Teng-hui becomes the first native Taiwanese President of the Republic of China. 1990 – Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office as Governor of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. 1991 – Soviet Union troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius, killing 14 people and wounding around 1,000 others. 1993 – Space Shuttle program: Endeavour heads for space for the third time as STS-54 launches from the Kennedy Space Center. 1993 – The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is signed. 1993 – Operation Southern Watch: U.S.A.F., U.S.N., R.A.F. and French Air Force jets attack AAA and SAM sites in Southern Iraq. 1998 – Alfredo Ormando sets himself on fire in St. Peter's Square, protesting against homophobia. 2000 – A Short 360 aircraft chartered by the Sirte Oil Company crashes off the coast of Brega, Libya, killing 21. 2001 – An earthquake hits El Salvador, killing more than 800. 2012 – The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy due to the captain Francesco Schettino's negligence and irresponsibility. There are 32 confirmed deaths. 2018 – A false emergency alert warning of an impending missile strike in Hawaii causes widespread panic in the state. 2020 – The Thai Ministry of Public Health confirms the first case of COVID-19 outside China. 2021 – Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump is impeached for a second time on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the January 6 United States Capitol attack one week prior.

Tek War (EON Entertainment)

The drug war, is hard. We will always have drugs. People need drugs. But they need to be clean. Clean and pure.

The CIA, is an elite agency, with five branches; officer, the child of a priest as a female dominatrix on top, Halloween. Instructor, the child of a priest as a female dominatrix on bottom, Halloween. Spymaster, the child of a priest with an FBI prostitute on, New Years. Agent, the murder of a cleared IQ exam, of mother, through father. Fraud, a financial scandal on draft to the Food and Drug Administrator, combat instructor farce.

This is the story, of Dave Charlebois, Delta Force Criminal Warfare, Kara Williamson Daignalt, United Nations Anti-Sniper, Lloyd Ahlquist, Annapolis Psychiatric Torture.

NSA/IRA, undercover cop, espionage history. "Chet".

CIA/UN, liquor sales, poverty investment, "Crux".

FBI/Psychiatric Union, forensic specialist, prisoner repeal, "Mercy".

The Hague, Man Mar Plaza, Beth-Deaconess Hospital.

The Bridgewater Triangle, and the Carolina Panthers.

You each, will receive a cultural landmark, on the world created by your parents, for your epic ballad, through the MI-6 unit you are to oppose, as SIS.

The Matrix, the story of the internet. "Cypher", faces "Trinity".

Final Fantasy, the story of the apocalypse. "Terra", faces "Cid".

James Bond, the story of economic hitmen. "Felix Leiter", faces "007".

Garfield, Fillmore, Kennedy.

The Masonic Lodge, the Alchemist's Book, the Sewer Unions.

You will all meet, off your homes. Cypher was on Gamespy, Terra was on Spam, Felix Leiter was on the Satanic Network.

We met at SW1, Parris Island.

This is the story, of "Goodnight Saigon", the legacy of the Vietnam War.

Beach Head, the story of Diamonds Are Forever. Cover Girl, the story of Fox News. Flint, the story of INTERPOL.

Our mutual enemy, South Park, the most hated construct we have ever faced and never watched, out of Hopkinton Public, Faye Private, and Dunaway Academy, in a sleepy town with a Freemasonic Temple and a grocery store.

Chet, was selected to develop his father's brand, the National Crime Syndicate, into cyberspace writing, DC Comics. Crux, was selected to take Physics, to the level of interstellar communications, the iPhone. Mercy, was selected to turn the entire planet, into a single forest, of marijuana on taxed debt.

The three of them, enlisted in their secondary units, through Sandi MacDonald, on behalf of MI-6 headmaster, Ronald Reagan; Chet, the IRA, Crux, the UN, and Mercy, the Psychiatric Union.

Each was contacted privately by Raven Laventi, "Black Widow", and assigned to a secondary mission.

Chet, was assigned to clean a STARS team, for the Nixon Presidential Society. Crux, was assigned to make contact with Carlos the Jackal, for the ACLU. Mercy, was assigned to develop medications with the illicit narcotics developed inside Princeton labs, for use on field tests on animals to harvest corn, tuna, and cotton.

The key to winning, isn't staying in close contact, it's being willing to work on poverty.

Your family stole billions of dollars of credit, furniture, music, real estate, liquor, tax dollars, and political handmanship, from Richard Milhouse Nixon, with Comedy Central. The ZODIAC Commission, George Soros.

Thanksgiving approaches, and we all know how fond Safin Lucypher, Alex Gaetano, is of the holidays. She's a Capone, and Vermont State Police, put a badge on her, during the Roaring Twenties, through President Coolidge.

"[President] Coolidge chose to celebrate July 4 [1927] -- which also happened to be his fifty-fifth birthday -- by remaining in South Dakota, where he was having the time of his life. In recognition of all the publicity he was generating with his trip, the state of South Dakota presented him on his birthday with a cowboy outfit and horse. Named Kit, the horse was charitably described as 'spirited.' It was in fact all but untamed. The President, who was by no means a horseman was prudently kept well away from it. Instead his delighted attention was focused on his other main present -- a cowboy outfit consisting of a ten-gallon hat, bright red shirt, capacious blue neckerchief, chaps, boots, and spurs. Coolidge retired to put it all on and emerged clankingly, and a little clumsily, in the full regalia a few minutes later. He looked ridiculous, but very proud, and posed happily for photographers, who could not believe their luck. 'Here was one of the great comic scenes in American history,' wrote Robert Benchley in The New Yorker that week.

Coolidge loved that outfit and wore it for the rest of the summer whenever he could. According to lodge staff, he often changed into it in the evening after his more formal day's duties were done, and for a few hours ceased to be the most important man in America and instead was just a happy cowpoke."

-- Bill Bryson, on President Calvin Coolidge's genuine love for an utterly goofy cowboy outfit given to him as a birthday gift during a vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota in July 1927, recounted in Bryson's book One Summer: America, 1927 (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO).

Doing a readthrough of the Oxford History of the United States:

Doing a readthrough of the Oxford History of the United States, of which I have all but two of the volumes as per writing, the one that charts the time from the Washington Administration to the War of 1812 and the one that's theoretically to be published next year about the span from William Jennings Bryan to Calvin Coolidge.

This one, as the title indicates, covers the American Revolution and the decade prior to it. It makes the blunt case that history really does depend on battles, as had the British Army wiped out the Continental Army at the Battle of New York there would be no United States. It also makes the point that the era saw the transformation of the 13 colonies into the first stages of a nation and that it was easier to do this unified against a common enemy and with the goal of 'fight enemy, defeat enemy' than with the new system self-governing, hence the book's last three chapters cover the collapse of the Articles of Confederation and the legal coup d'etat that created the Constitution.

One consistent theme of the Oxford History is the deep divisions within the United States, that there was never a consensus, and that these differences could and did express themselves in some deep and profound violence. It also, in this volume and others up to The Republic for Which It Stands covers the Indian Wars, in this case in part of a single chapter rather than distributed throughout, and in the three covering the collapse of Confederation-era legal structures.

The two most obvious faultlines were Patriots vs Loyalists, and enslaved people versus slaveowners. At no point does the book mince the hypocrisies of 'all men are created equal' versus one in nine of the population being enslaved and one in three in the South. It also notes that the theoretical state established by the Treaty of Paris in 1783 covered a vastly smaller portion of its territory where the claims were as much on paper as Mexico's claim to exist north of the Rio Grande.

The book also goes into as much detail as Battle Cry of Freedom on what a morbidly horrible thing the American Revolutionary War itself was, noting the gruesome aspects of combat and that it was not a pleasant thing to serve in war prior to germ theory as like in the War of the Rebellion people died in carload lots from germs more than battles. It also emphasizes that from the start there was always more than a hint of the Reign of Terror about the American Revolutionary War but as the targets, Indigenous people, enslaved people fighting against the USA and solemnly pledged to freedom, and more than both the loyalists were considered 'un-American' it was neatly excised from histories.

9/10.

History

August 2, 1776 - In Philadelphia, most of the 55 members of the Continental Congress signed the parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence.

August 2, 1923 - President Warren G. Harding died suddenly in a hotel in San Francisco while on a Western speaking tour. His administration had been tainted by the Teapot Dome political scandal and his sudden death prompted many unfounded rumors. He was succeeded the next day by Calvin Coolidge.

August 2, 1939 - Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt concerning the possibility of atomic weapons. "A single bomb of this type carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory." Six years later, on August 6, 1945, the first Atomic Bomb, developed by the U.S., was dropped on the Japanese port of Hiroshima.

August 2, 1990 - The Iraqi army invaded Kuwait amid claims that Kuwait threatened Iraq's economic existence by overproducing oil and driving prices down on the world market. An Iraqi military government was then installed in Kuwait which was annexed by Iraq on the claim that Kuwait was historically part of Iraq. This resulted in Desert Shield, the massive Allied military buildup, and later the 100-hour war against Iraq, Desert Storm.

Smith Wildman Brookhart was twice elected as a Republican to represent lowa in the United States Senate. He was considered an "insurgent" within the Republican Party. His criticisms of the Harding and the Coolidge administrations and of business interests alienated others in the Republican cancus and led to his ouster from the Senate over an election challenge

Russia provides assistance to needy regions of Syria

Servicemen of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, as part of a humanitarian action, delivered humanitarian aid to the settlement of Coolidge in the Syrian province of Hasakah. Syrian civilians in need were given food packages, which include essential products: flour, sugar, rice, tea, condensed milk, vegetable oil. In total, more than 450 food packages with a total weight of about 5 tons were given out as part of the campaign. Moreover, a mobile medical center was set up in the building of a local school, where Russian doctors conducted medical examinations of local residents and provided them with the necessary medicines. Security and law enforcement at the point of distribution of humanitarian aid was provided by the military police of the Russian Armed Forces. The head of the local administration expressed his gratitude to the Russian military for their assistance. The settlement of Coolidge is one of the most affected by the fierce clashes that took place here. It should be noted that the Russian side conducts such humanitarian actions on a regular basis. TheSyrianpeopleseeRussiaastheirsavior, whoisreadytohelpindifficulttimes.

The Mercer Dossier

November, 2003

IN THE VAULT, which was located in the south wing of the Federal Disaster Response Administration where lies its central processing unit, there were  three documents that had been stolen by one of their very own codebreakers. Lionel Mercer would not consider himself a thief — his contract didn’t include a clause that dictated he not retrieve documents that concerned him, because they never thought to believe one of their smartest employees would know there was a document concerning him. Which, in reality, there shouldn’t have been if things had been going as planned; i.e., no viral outbreak of a fungi that was currently ravaging the Middle East and spreading quickly across the Mediterranean. But he had a suspicion that these files existed for far longer than the threat of disease hung over FEDRA’s heads, and that suspicion was proven true whenever he opened the manila folder and read the date scribbled on the first page: 03/27/97. Nine months before he began working in the south wing. It was a part of the deal he made with his mother. He got a family, she had another son under her thumb at all times and didn’t have to worry about him wreaking havoc over state lines like he’d fantasized about for years.

As he thumbed through the pages, he realized that his dossier was notably short for someone that’d been working there for almost six years. In retrospect, this was a good thing, it meant they didn’t perceive him as a threat, unlike some folders which appeared to be bursting at the seams. He reached for the second closest one, which had been his brother George’s. Eyebrows stitched together inquisitively as he scanned the entries left behind by a familiar hand; too familiar of one. Naturally, hsi brother was also deemed a non-issue, just a simple neurologist who had a brief stint in the coding department alongside their mother, whose folder was dead last and fuller than both his and his sibling’s combined. A lump developed in his throat that he forced himself to swallow as he reached out, placing aside George’s folder so he could replace it with their mother’s. 

NAME: SYDNEY MARIE COOLIDGE  ALIASES: [ EXPUNGED ] STATUS: ALIVE DATE OF BIRTH: 6-23-1960 HEIGHT: 5 FT 1 WEIGHT: 103LBS BUILD: STRAIGHT SCARS & MARKS: N/A HAIR COLOR: BLONDE EYE COLOR: BLUE SEX: FEMALE OCCUPATION: SOFTWARE ENGINEER REMARKS: Present at the Disease Control Convention on December 13th, 1997, spoke with Chairman Almeida briefly before departing and was given the Class 8 document 35B holding top secret information detailing the contained outbreak in Southeast Asia. On December 19th, 1997, Coolidge was presented with the biochemistry department’s newest trial of invitro gametogenesis and given the opportunity to produce offspring that could potentially be immune to the virus. She instead passed on the trial to LIONEL MERCER, EMPLOYEE #3348 IN SECTOR 5, an unwitting participant who has produced three children whose immunity has not been tested. Testing scheduled to commence on ∎ ∎ ∎∎∎∎. 

Lionel’s fingers were trembling against the envelope as he read the paragraph slowly, word by word. Once he was finished, he read it over again, then again, until he could process what exactly all of this meant — his children weren’t gifts mercifully bestowed upon them, but experiments that were destined for a life of enclosure once FEDRA got a hold of them, when the virus inevitably broke out and versed the human race. He shoved all three dossiers into his knapsack and clicked off his flashlight, hurrying out of the vault as quickly as he could, being sure to pull his mask on over his head while he stepped over the fungi formation that had grown around the entryway long before he arrived.

Just some historical tidbits concerning the State of the Union Address.

Side trip in Massachusetts unearths a hidden gem — Pioneer Valley

Bridge of Flowers. Spectacular view from and on the bridge...so unique.

Check out my latest column 

https://www.timesherald.com/2022/10/21/side-trip-in-massachusetts-unearths-a-hidden-gem-pioneer-valley/

Separated from each other by the Connecticut River, Northampton and Amherst Massachusetts, and the surrounding area known as the Pioneer Valley, is home to many colleges, including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. It is the latter where I received my graduate degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration. Getting ready for my annual visit to my alma mater, I thought, the Pioneer Valley remains somewhat of a hidden gem. The area is the perfect weekend get-away that can be filled with one-of-a kind places to visit and tasty food stops.

My base for the exploration of the area is Hotel UMASS, 1 Campus Center Way, Amherst , https://hotelumass.com/   877-822-2110.  Located in the epicenter of the Campus Center; what an unusual experience it is to stay right on the picturesque campus. It is a teaching hotel, providing an educational opportunity for students in the University’s Hospitality Management Program, while offering a pleasant and welcoming experience for the guests. Enjoy complimentary continental breakfast. Take the elevator to the concourse level and choose from an array of dining options.

Did you know that Amherst, MA is where the prolific poet Emily Dickinson was born and raised? The Emily Dickinson Museum (https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/280 Main St., Amherst, 413-542-8161) is dedicated to her poetic voice, writing about 1,800 poems. She led a quiet life and her work was not published until after her death in 1886.

Before checking in to the hotel, it has become a tradition to have lunch at Jake’s, http://jakesnorthampton.com , 17 King St., Northampton, 413-584-9613. It seems that the “Coolidge” has become my “regular.” Three eggs scrambled with roasted tomatoes, kale, roasted garlic), and goat cheese is served with home fries and toasted 3-seed sourdough. Be prepared to wait on the weekends, but it is worth it. I am told that Jake’s Burger and the pulled pork sandwich (slow roasted cane vinegar pulled pork (brined in-house), guacamole, jalapeno coleslaw, queso fresco and pico de gallo on a toasted brioche bun are popular. I do miss those perfect biscuits, that are no longer on the menu.

The "Coolidge" at Jake's. Three eggs scrambled with roasted tomatoes, kale, roasted garlic.

Pasta E Basta https://www.pastaebastaofamherst.com/ 26 Main Street, Amherst, (413) 256 – 3550   is the restaurant that’s become my new go-to, replacing Judie’s, a restaurant I patronized for forty years that unfortunately closed. The casual restaurant has three floors, the first being take-out with a few dine-in tables. The upper two floors offer full-service dining. As you enter the second floor you can smell the aroma of a Nonna’s kitchen; that’s because there is an open kitchen where the chefs are cooking. A variety of pastas are cooked to perfection.  Popular, is the create your own pasta dish. First pick your sauce and style of pasta (there are a dozen of each), and then your add-ons (more than two dozen). My choice at my recent visit was Penne Romacampo (sauteed salmon, spinach, artichokes, and roasted peppers in olive oil, garlic and lemon sauce. Vegetarian and gluten free dishes are available. The portions are big, so you will probably take leftovers home… and you do want to save room for dessert. The dessert that I enjoyed was the olive oil lavender cake. I might just ask the chef for that recipe!

The gentle touch of lavender makes it a perfect dessert to have with a cup of cappuccino.

For a quick lunch or dinner, check out Antonio’s Pizza By the Slice, 31 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, 413-253-0808 http://www.antoniospizza.com First you’ll go to the glass window to pick your slices. You might be overwhelmed by the number of traditional and unique choices as you watch the pizza makers do their craft. Although I am usually one to choose the more traditional, when I am exploring the food scene for a column, I become more curious. Because I enjoy quesadillas, I tried a slice of the avocado quesadilla pizza (sliced avocado, pico de Gallo with cilantro, nacho chips, mozzarella and sour cream. Florentine dishes are a favorite, so the pizza version was the other slice (sauteed spinach with mushrooms and onions, chopped tomato, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. This one had a bit too much going on. Next visit I’ll try the Chicken Parmesan pizza (breaded chicken, shaved provolone, dollops of sauce, mozzarella cheese and a Tortellini pesto slice (cheese filled tortellini, mozzarella cheese and pesto sauce. From its humble beginnings in Amherst, they have expanded to a few other cities….is Greater Philadelphia on their radar?

A favorite coffee stop is Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, with locations in Northampton, 124 King Street and 273 Main St., and Shelburne Falls, 1207 Mohawk Trail. There are a few other locations in Western MA. Once you try their brews, you’ll probably order your beans online.

West End Pub http://www.westendpubinfo.com/, 16 State Street, Shelburne Falls, 413-625-6216, is located by the The Bridge of Flowers www.bridgeofflowersmass.org  You might be lucky enough to sit by the window with views of the bridge, mountains and river.  Being a small and quaint restaurant, you might have to wait a bit, so browse the nearby shops or walk along the Bridge of Flowers. It’s worth the wait.  In the mood for a burger made from local grass-fed beef….  a couple of the choices, Chipotle Cheddar Burger and the Breakfast Burger (6-ounce burger on a grilled roll with lettuce and tomato, topped with bacon, a fried local egg and cheddar cheese.  Chili, soups, salads, and sandwiches as well as vegetarian choices are on the menu. Want something more substantial? Dinners include shrimp and artichoke piccata, fish and chips, local beef meatloaf, and bistro steak. My dessert choice after the basic burger… Affogato (an Italian Sundae with coffee ice cream, hot fudge, Amaretto, espresso and walnuts.

One of the first restaurants I dined at when I moved to New Haven, CT in the early 80’s was Fitzwilly’s. It is long gone from here in the Elm City. While visiting the Pioneer Valley I sometimes pay a visit to Fitzwilly’s, 23 Main Street, Northampton, www.fitzwillys.com just for nostalgia’s sake. This is the original location and has been here since 1974. The restaurant is known for their big burgers as well as interesting twists on classic comfort food like autumn grilled cheese (sharp cheddar, maple roasted butternut squash, tomato, spinach on sourdough or Wicked Alfredo (Andouille, chicken, roasted red peppers, penne pasta, red pepper alfredo sauce).

While in Northampton, stop at Thornes Marketplace, 150 Main Street, www.thornesmarketplace.com The building has been a cornerstone of the downtown for more than a century.  The shops, bookstore, galleries and restaurants are individual in flavor. The energy, sights, and sounds will make you feel as if you are in an old-world marketplace.  For an afternoon treat try Herrell’s Ice Cream http://herrells.com  413-586-9700 (their hot fudge is a MUST), located right at the marketplace.

If you are into perusing used bookstores, Northampton has their share. A short ride away is one of my favorites, Grey Matter Books.  www.greymatterbookstore.com 47 East St., Hadley, 413-387-0160. It is quite expansive, so plan some time to explore.

For those interested in kitchen gadgets, cooking classes and unique food items The Baker’s Pin, 34 Bridge Street, Northampton https://thebakerspin.com/   413-586-7978, is for you.

Gourmet food and beer aficionados need to make a stop at Provisions, 30 Crafts Avenue, Northampton  https://provisionswine.com/ 413-727-3497 413-727-3497. You’ll find everything you need for making a charcuterie board or a gift basket for foodie friends and family. Beer aficionados will appreciate the selection of hundreds of craft beers, including hard-to-find imports.  Wine selections, too, are plentiful (they boast that there are over 1,000 with 400 quality wines under $15) representing the globe.  The shop’s cheese mongers will help you choose from an array of cheeses from around the world, pates and cured meats.

No trip to the area is complete without a stop at Richardson’s Candy Kitchen 500 Greenfield Rd., Deerfield. 800-81SWEET, www.richardsonscandy.com  It is such a special place, that Food Network star Alex Guarnachelli filmed a segment for “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” here.  Dixies, a signature candy at Richardson’s, is caramel, made from scratch and hand- stirred, then funneled onto trays of nuts. During my visit, I got to watch the chocolatiers make nonpareils, which are quite addicting! You will certainly feel like a “kid in a candy store” watching owner Kathie Williams and her staff make your favorites.

Kids, and the kid in you, will adore a visit to Maple Valley’s Scoop at the Silos, https://maplevalleycreamery.com/  102 Mill Valley Rd., Hadley, 413-588-1716. Freshly made ice cream is served right at the farm from a cute little shack in front of the Brown Swiss cows. The farm animals are waiting for you to pet them, too. At the adjacent Mill Valley Market you’ll be able to purchase the freshest milk, fantastic cheeses, pints of ice cream, a plethora of locally made small-batch food items and snacks for the car.

Freshly made ice cream is served right at the farm from a cute little shack in front of the Brown Swiss cows.

On the way to or from this area, rich in history and natural beauty, stop and get to know the Cat in The Hat at The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum https://bit.ly/2Gy04oR or learn about basketball at the Basketball Hall of Fame www.hoophall.com , both located in Springfield.  A visit to the Yankee Candle Village, South Deerfield, www.yankeecandle.com and Kringle Candle Company www.kringlecandle.com , 220 South St. (Rte. 5) Bernardston are a candle lovers paradise.

If you are visiting the area during autumn to enjoy the New England foliage, take the 45-minute drive from Amherst to visit to Patterson Farm, 708 Northfield Rd., Hinsdale, NH (603) 336-6113. Kids will enjoy picking their pumpkin. The tree and house built from more than a dozen varieties of pumpkins are sites to see and photograph. Gourds of every shape and color, Indian corn and fall decorations are also sold.

The house made with varieties of pumpkins and gourds at Patterson Farm.

I hope I have given you some ideas to plan a trip to the Pioneer Valley. I would enjoy hearing about your visit, and the places you discover during your explorations here.

Other Lodging:

Inn on Boltwood. A landmark hotel in Amherst and member of Historic Hotels of America.

Adjacent to Amherst College is the Inn on Boltwood https://www.innonboltwood.com/ 413-256-8200   (formerly The Lord Jeffery Inn) This landmark hotel and member of Historic Hotels of America has been welcoming guests to Western Massachusetts since 1926. 30 Boltwood ,the Inn’s restaurant, serves up traditional New England fare on the patio or cozy yet sophisticated dining room. The beautiful brick-walled fireplace adds to the ambience while dining on casual fare such as the Boltwood Burger (Boyden Farm beef, smoked bacon, truffle aioli, onion, Vermont Cheddar) or a chef curated entree such as Seared Icelandic Cod with spicy Serrano pepper jam, grilled baby bok choy, cilantro and red onion couscous and a comfort side like mac and cheese prepared with Cheddar, Gruyere and buttery crumbs.  The creative craft cocktail menu  includes the “Fennel Fizz,” crafted with Milagro Reposado Tequila, fresh grapefruit, fennel simple syrup, lime and grapefruit bitters, salt and fennel pollen.

Hotel Northampton, 36 King Street, 800-547-3529, built in 1927, is a member of Historic Hotels of America. Located in the heart of the downtown, the preserved architectural beauty, historic richness, and charm of this grand hotel has all the modern amenities you would expect.

For more area information:

Amherst Area Chamber of commerce: www.amherstarea.com 413-253-0700

Visit Hampshire County  https://bit.ly/3CRlck3 (413) 584-1900

Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, www.valleyvisitor.com  800-723-1548

Stephen Fries | Food and culinary travel columnist

Stephen Fries, is a retired professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, in New Haven, CT. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 14 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, CT. He is a Board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. email me at [email protected] For more, go to stephenfries.com.