Summer Stories
Day-tripping
Summer time - it's a season of long days, hot sun, kids out of school for weeks on end. How do you fill up the hours?
Pick your picnic: Five great spots to enjoy summer's bounty
A thick slice of bread, a knife blade's worth of soft cheese, and a juicy nectarine can become a picnic, when eaten in an inviting location.
Biking the Valley
Every weekend, scores of cyclists fly by our house. We live on a quiet street in the flat section of Whately, not far from the Connecticut River. It turns out that our road is noted a "perfect byway" by a number of cycling books and maps.
Bug off: keeping insects at bay
As Lyme disease and mosquito-borne illnesses seem to be on the rise - or at least talked about more - the number of insect repellents on the market has kept pace.
From a cappella to rock, music for all tastes
You'll find music concerts in all corners of the Pioneer Valley this summer, from the weekday folk performances at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum in Hadley to the weekend Wormtown rock festival in Greenfield.
Picnic menu fare: plain and fancy
What can you eat at a picnic?
Making summer days cool as a cucumber
Who doesn't love a cucumber?
A Norwottuck Rail Trail primer
The Norwottuck Rail Trail is another great option for local biking. You can choose a section of it, and then move off to explore a nearby community.
Time to tune up your bicycle
If you haven't ridden your bike for a few months - and it's still stored upside down in your garage - think tune-up.
Getting there
Great biking in the Pioneer Valley is no secret, which means there are many excellent maps available to help plan your routes. Remember to plan your route before you leave and let someone know where you're going.
