Florence Pie Bar – 17A Main Street, Florence

The Pie Bar may be small in size but it’s big in atmosphere. The bar (yes, they serve wine and beer!) is a throwback to another era, with its wooden cash register and diner-style coffee mugs. On the menu, you’ll find breakfast and lunch selections that are both savory and sweet, including delicious scones, quiches, galettes, and handpies. Everything served at the Pie Bar is made with locally sourced ingredients. Informal surveys have shown the savory handpies and mini-bites to be particular favorites.

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 9-3pm

Bread Euphoria – 206 Main Street, Haydenville

Bread Euphoria is slightly off the trail path, but easy to reach and worth a short detour. Marilyn (who is highly regarded among Working Weavers for her baking as well as weaving skills) has been known to make a special trip from Conway simply to sample Bread Euphoria’s molasses cream pies and chocolate croissants. You will also find excellent sandwiches, soups, and breakfast treats at Bread Euphoria – as well as freshly baked bread, of course.

Hours: W 7-6, Th-Sat 7-7, Sun 7-6, Mon-Tues Closed

Delicatesse – 8 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls

Delicatesse offers hand-rolled bagels, and fresh homemade foods inspired by NYC delicatessen cuisine and other counter-style food cultures. Their offerings change with the seasons, and feature local produce, meats and dairy.

Hours: Thursday-Saturday 9 am – 3pm.

Baked – 4 Deerfield Avenue, Shelburne Falls

Conveniently located in downtown Shelburne Falls Village. Serving delicious baked goods, breakfast and lunch. Always fresh and local ingredients.

Hours: Everyday 9-2pm

I53 Bridge Street Shelburne Falls, MA

This is an amazing place to get a delicious bite to eat. It’s a sweet food truck with a picnic table to sit and enjoy the downtown scene in Shelburne Falls. You won’t want to miss this gem and the lovely owner who operates it.

Hours: 11:00am - 6pm Tues-Sun

Hope & Olive – 44 Hope Street, Greenfield

Hope & Olive is an everyday-special restaurant that strives to make the most of a rich bounty of local farms, sourcing much of their menu with nearby products. They cook creatively with an emphasis on simplicity and flavor. When not in pursuit of a slice of molasses cream pie (see: Bread Euphoria, above) you might find Marilyn at Hope & Olive.

Hours: Thursday–Friday 11:30–2pm, 5pm–8pm, Saturday 5pm–8pm, Sunday 10–1pm, 5pm–8pm

Magpie Woodfired Pizzeria – 21 Bank Row, Greenfield

Magpie offers a wide variety of appetizers and pizzas, as well as appealing, Italian-themed dinner items such as Cod Cake Puttanesca, Fazzioletti Crepe, and Chicken Cacciatore.

Hours: Open Daily 4 - 9pm Closed Tuesdays

People’s Pint – 24 Federal Street, Greenfield

Home-brewed root beer, fresh lemonade, and deliciously rustic sandwiches and soups have made the People’s Pint a popular destination for years.

Hours: Monday – Friday 4PM to 9PM, Saturday 11AM to 9PM, Closed Sunday

The Great Wall – 178 Pine St, Florence

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just an ordinary Chinese take-out restaurant. Ask for the authentic Chinese menu and inquire about seasonal dishes made with local produce. This is a favorite local dinner spot, not to be missed if you enjoy Chinese cuisine. The restaurant is located across the street from the Arts & Industry building.

Hours: Monday - Saturday 11:00am- 9:30pm, Sunday 12:00pm-9:30pm

Dim Sum on Saturdays 11am-2pm

Miss Florence Diner – 99 N Main Street, Florence

Housed in an old train car, this beloved landmark offers hearty American comfort food such as mac-and-cheese, meatloaf, and banana cream pie. Famous for its old-time cooking as well as cozy ambiance, Miss Flo’s holds lots of memories for generations of local residents, and is remembered fondly by visitors from across the United States. Now under the new ownership of a long-time former employee, Miss Flo’s is as popular as ever and continues to serve hungry patrons without skipping a beat.

Gypsy Apple Bistro – 65 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls

Gypsy Apple offers a select list of high quality dinner entrees and appetizers that are imaginatively prepared from local ingredients, and served in a beautifully colorful dining room that is almost as enticing as the food itself. Gypsy Apple’s blend of sophistication and earthiness has proven irresistible to local food aficionados, and the friendly, well informed wait staff is a huge plus. To avoid disappointment, it’s a good idea to make a reservation in advance.

Blue Rock Restaurant & Bar – 1 Ashfield Street, Shelburne Falls

Emily highly recommends the Blue Rock for dinner, and on warm evenings you can often spot Emily and her family on the deck. Her favorite dishes include curried mussels and truffled fries, but you’ll be happy with whatever you select from the Blue Rock menu.

The Deerfield Inn – 81 Old Main Street, Deerfield

One of the gems of Historic Deerfield’s collection of historic buildings, The Deerfield Inn is a beautifully maintained, 150-year old inn providing overnight accommodations as well as a restaurant and tavern offering complete breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus.

Sugar Maple Trailside Inn – 62 Chestnut Street, Florence

A four-time winner of the Advocate’s “Valley’s Best B&B” award, the Sugar Maple Trailside Inn is a restored 1865 farmhouse style house with Italianate characteristics that was awarded the City of Northampton’s Historic Preservation Award in 2003.

Dancing Bear Guest House – 22 Mechanic Street, Shelburne Falls

A European-style bed & breakfast located in the historic Moses W. Merrill homestead built in 1852, the Dancing Bear offers comfortable lodgings in historic elegance with private baths and full breakfast.

Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area – North Farms Road, Florence

Want to take a beautiful walk? Found on the most scenic route between Florence and Conway, this conservation area offers well-marked trails through the woods and around the lake, as well as the open meadows of Cooke’s Pasture, and a bird blind overlooking the Broad Brook cattail marsh. For the less adventurous, there’s a pleasant bench at the water’s edge, within a short walk of the parking area. Fitzgerald Lake is a well known birding spot, with sizeable seasonal populations of warblers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, and wood ducks. Non-birders should watch for the occasional moose and, after the weather turns cold, peacefully hibernating bears.

Burkeville Covered Bridge – Route 116 & Main Poland Road, Conway

Take a slight detour between Sue’s & Elisabeth’s studios in Conway and drive a little further down Route 116 to visit one of a few 19th century covered bridges to survive in Massachusetts and is among the oldest covered bridges in the country. Built about 1869, it is believed to be unique in the northeast in its forward-looking incorporation of iron tension members into a traditional timber truss.

Sojourner Truth Memorial – Pine & Park Streets, Florence

The Sojourner Truth Memorial occupies the triangular park at the intersection of Pine and Park Streets, just up the hill from Paula’s studio in The Arts & Industries building. Surrounded by gardens designed by Northampton’s Denig Design Associates, the memorial to Sojourner Truth – a former slave, abolitionist and social activist who lived in Florence during the years from 1843 through 1857 – is a quiet, meditative space that is well worth a visit. Understated informational plaques offer highlights of Sojourner Truth’s life and work, as well as the history of the abolition movement in Florence.

Historic Deerfield – 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield

Historic Deerfield provides handsomely restored museum houses and other 17th and 18th century buildings, as well as a significant collection of early American ceramics, furniture, textiles and metalwork. Located a short drive from Conway, Greenfield, and Northampton, Historic Deerfield is a must-see for anyone with an interest in the history, architecture, and material culture of early New England. Of particular note is the fine collection of 18th, 19th, and early 20th century clothing and other textiles, displayed in the Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery.

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens – 281 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield

This 8,000 square foot conservatory is the year-round home to more than 4,000 native and tropical butterfly species.

Look Park – 300 N Main Street, Florence

This serene, privately funded park offers generous shade, ponds, walking paths, and quietly bubbling brooks. Both kids and adults will enjoy a ride on the miniature train that travels around the park throughout the day. A reasonable entrance fee is charged for cars, while pedestrians can enter the park for free.

Bridge of Flowers – Shelburne Falls

Constructed in 1908, this trolley bridge was designed for heavy freight being carried to the mills in Colrain, as well as passengers and local goods such as milk, apples and cotton. By the late 1920s the bridge had outlived its usefulness and, to the delight of tourists and local residents alike, was transformed into the Bridge of Flowers. The plantings are carefully planned to ensure an abundance of flowers throughout the spring, summer, and fall, and it’s always a treat to see what’s in bloom.

High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary – Off Patten Road, Shelburne

Enjoy the spectacular views of the Deerfield River Valley and Mount Greylock from the ledges at the end of the sanctuary road. Some trails may be strenuous, but the views are worth it.

Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley – 43 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls

The nation’s second oldest bowling alley, this candlepin alley has provided an unending source of fun since 1906.