We have not explored much of the Northampton area of Massachusetts even though it is only a little over an hour away from us. After seeing places to explore on social media we decided on a daytrip to the area.
On our drive to Northampton we needed a breakfast snack and stopped at Adams Donut on Federal Street in Greenfield, MA. It was after 10am they did not have a lot of donuts left, but did notice the baker restocking shelves. They do serve breakfast sandwiches, but they grill closes at 10am. We each got a donut, a Boston Cream and two Maple Creams. These were the lightest donuts we have ever had and so flavorful. I was so excited about them I forgot to take a picture, but so worth the stop.
The main reason for this daytrip was to visit the Botanical Garden at Smith College. It was reunion weekend so parking was a little difficult, but we were able to find a spot. We did have to walk through campus, which was nice, as the campus is beautiful.
The Botanical Garden is free to visit, but they ask for a $2 donation per person. There are a couple different greenhouses to explore, plus the grounds around the greenhouses have a variety of plants.
We spent about an hour exploring the different greenhouses and plants. Our teenage daughter said if she went to college here, she would spend a lot of time in the greenhouses as they were so relaxing.
After exploring the botanical gardens we walked to the downtown area of Northampton where there was a variety of shops and restaurants.
We went into Thornes Marketplace which is more shops and restaurants. Such a fun marketplace. I loved the vibe of the downtown area. The college and downtown area were very walkable.
We grabbed lunch at Highbrow Wood Fire Kitchen. My daughter and I shared a grilled chicken salad with a lemon olive oil dressing, my husband had a seared tuna appetizer and we all shared a margarita pizza. The food was very flavorful and tasty. The staff were friendly and prompt. We would absolutely return.
Our next destination was about 25 minutes south of Northampton. I am sad I did not learn of this place sooner. Lupa Zoo is located on Nash Hill Road in Ludlow, Massachusetts. This is a hidden gem. This zoo has a wide variety of animals, play areas for kids including a splash pad, a gift shop, place to get food and overall a fun place to visit. Parking was easy. Pricing is reasonable at $15 an adult. We were surprised at the large variety of animals to explore. We loved the monkeys.
And the adorable white fox.
The grounds were easy to walk around and navigate. We spent a little over an hour exploring the zoo. We wished we knew about this zoo when our daughter was younger. Even as a teenager she enjoyed the animals.
I did not get a lot of pictures of our day, but that means I was enjoying the moment. I want to go back and explore this area more. Overall, we loved our daytrip and the new places we explored. If you have a favorite place in the Northampton area please let me know.
