Shop Local This Holiday Season - Pick #1

On the western border of Worcester County Massachusetts, in the sleepy little town of Athol, just off route 2, there is a unique and rare find. A dying breed, the small town local bookstore, is alive and well. Bruce's Browser  has so much to offer, you just might be amazed and wonder why you did not stop here sooner (as I did). If you are, as are many people, looking for a way to support small businesses and intend to spend your money locally this holiday season, check this out. It includes soda fountain, card department, gift department, a generous magazine stand and much more. 
As a bookstore offerings cover a wide variety of hardcovers, paperbacks, magazines for adults and children covering both fiction and non fiction subjects. The store highlights local authors and subjects  prominently in a large easy to find section. In the local section you will find interesting titles which speak to the attempt to support the commitment to be a vital part of the North Quabbin community. 

One aspect of the shop that is a bit unexpected and quirky is the cybercafe. You can bring your own laptop or tablet and take advantage of the WIFI and comfortable seating for free or hook up to one of the several computers provided for a small fee.

Another unique aspect is the retro soda fountain. Whether coffee and a pastry for breakfast or soda and ice cream anytime there is a comfy place to sit and enjoy. 

In the cafe/soda fountain Bruce's promotes a fellow local business by serving Dean's Beans coffee in several varieties both decaf and regular. Dean's Beans is located in the neighboring town of Orange. You can also purchase a bag or two of Dean's Beans to enjoy at home or as a gift. Speaking of gifts there is approximately a third of the store dedicated to cards and gifts. From  Whistle Creek Walking Sticks, to toys for all ages and genders including favorites as Lincoln Logs and K'Nex to a large selection of Yankee candles and local crafts, you will surely find several items that you can not do without this holiday season.

Remarkably there is still more for the shopper to browse. You will find an interesting eclectic music selection and a section by the checkout specifically highlighting local artists. The owner Diane Lincoln is an award winning artist in her own right having won awards and honors such as being named "Musical Artist of 2009" in the 2009 Pride In The Arts Music Awards. You can find her music on sale there and her profile via the link above. Her family has owned this business, a pharmacy that she eventually converted to this bookstore/gift shop, since 1948. 

Now maybe not on your shopping list but also something to think about for the holidays, there is a "back room" at Bruce's that is booked for small functions, meetings and events. There are often book signings or poetry readings scheduled there and you can occasionally find the local WJDF radio host doing interviews with historians, authors and artists in the cafe or back room. 

Regardless if you are holiday shopping for gifts or for yourself or just want to get away to a little oasis where you can browse and enjoy a simpler time, Bruce's Browser will fill your bill. 

New Englands Pick-Your-Own Experience

Pick Your Own (PYO) is a New England tradition. Starting in the Fall through the rest of the year PYO consist mainly of Apples, Pumpkins and Christmas Trees.  The following list is a good example of unique experiences for some or all of the above in each of the New England States.

RI

A stone's throw from Newport in Middleton RI, Sweet Berry Farm/Market offers all three PYO experiences. Apples and pumpkins available in September and October.  Christmas tree tagging begins November 1^st. 

Their signature Ice Cream and Sorbet was described as "best ice cream in New England" by Yankee magazine 2011 . A must have, any time of year,  for ice cream aficionados   


Several award winning original art mosaics by co-owner Michelle Eckhart are on display, along with arts and crafts by other local artists, at the Sweet Berry Farm Market.  

The Farm Café offers breakfast or lunch with both “to-go” and “eat-in” menus.  

In the summer, SweetBerry also offers a  concert series on the lawn or in the barn in case of rain. Food from the café is on hand.

NH 

Getting ready, in Hampton Falls NH,  for new farm stand, bakery and farm-to-table restaurant, the existing 200 year old barn will continue to be a centerpiece of Applecrest Farm . The farm stand/grocery offering apples, pumpkins, cider, creamery , apple cider donuts, etc. is only a small part of the overall experience. The fall festivals and events start first week in September and continue through to the end of October. Fall is a great time for PYO Apples, Pumpkins and Rasberries at Applecrest.

Not to be missed are the Story Book Hayrides taking place October 19^th, 20^th, 26^th and 27^th which also feature live entertainment concerts and other events such as Antique Tractor Shows. AppleCrests's Gift packs can be ordered via email or phone

ME 

Boothby’s, in Livermore ME.,   offers PYO Apples, pumpkins in a patch as well as apple crisp, hand pressed unpasteurized cider, honey and much more at the farm stand.  For the short term fall foliage getaway they also offer a farm (guest) house furnished in vintage style for $300 for 3 nights or $125 a night.

Boothby's Orchard   is uniquely Handicapped Accessible, featuring dwarf apple trees grown on a wire trellis system. This orchard offers a pick-your-own experience like no other. 

The grounds are even and mowed to perfection and the apples grow low to the ground allowing the youngest of children and those with physical disabilities to enjoy picking their own apples. No ladders needed. Private tours and school tours available midweek by appointment.

VT

Scott Farm in Dummerston Vt..  offers both PYO apples and pumpkins and so much more. There are workshops on site such as; October’s  Heirloom Apple Pie Day, and the On the Farm Heirloom Apple Harvest Dinner  taking place on Saturday, October 26, 6 p.m.. There are several options for a wedding on at Scott Farm and the lodging is especially unique. With properties accommodating from 2 to 8 guests and prices from a little under $200 a night to almost $500, the historic lodgings include the likes of The Carriage House, part of the Rudyard Kipling estate, offering views of the Connecticut river valley. 

A much different experience could be had in the Rustic Sugar House that sleeps 2 with a wood stove and an open concept of knotty pine post and open beam ceilings.

There are several other competing lodging options as well. And by the way Dogs are welcomed.

     

MA

Outlook Farm in Westhampton Ma., is full-time farm complete with orchards and gardens, a butcher shop, a country store and restaurant . Pick your own apples is offered between Sept 7 and mid October, and on Sunday afternoons the additional treats of Horse Drawn Hayrides and BBQ Smorgasbords can be had for an additional cost.  The country store offers a little bit of everything with fresh fruits and vegetables, sweet apple cider, farm fresh pork and homemade baked good. Outlooks breakfast and deli menus include smoked ham and bacon or sausage with melted cheese on homemade toast, pulled pork and kielbasa sandwiches, homemade soups and salads, blueberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies and apple pie made from scratch. Unlike most other orchard farms, since pork and fruits are naturally compatible and have been served together for centuries,  Outlook farm has been providing premium pork products from extra lean, all natural hogs since 1962 in their Smoke and Chop house.

CT

Holmberg Orchards, in Gales Ferry near Mystic Ct.  offers something that the adults will enjoy for sure. The Wine Barn offers tastings from Memorial Day through October. The wines are produced onsite. The Connecticut coast offers a climate well suited for the Alsatian whites; this also includes varietals such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat and the Pinots. 

Although PYO at Holmberg Orchards includes such things as raspberries  blueberries, peaches, nectarines, pears and cut flowers, in the fall the pickings are apples and pumpkins.

Baked fresh daily are pies, cookies, muffins, turnovers, breads, quiche, pot pies, whoopie pies, and of course, our famous Holmberg Apple Crisp. You can also get prepackaged prepared fresh salads and artisan sandwiches for your meals on the go. Pies and fruit baskets can be ordered online as well.  Come early fall the greenhouse is stocked with hay bales, pumpkins, gourds and colorful mums. As the holidays approach, it is converted into a holiday gift shop.

Holiday Cheer in Townsend Massachusetts

According to the United States Census Bureau, Townsend Masschusetts has a total area of 33.1 square miles (85.8 km²), of which 32.9 square miles (85.1 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km²) (0.72%) is water. Townsend has the largest land area of any town in Middlesex County but is by far not the most populated.

Townsend is a beautiful old town with many historical buildings a beautiful river feeding into a pond which feeds into a water fall in what is called Townsend Harbor. The river and pond support the annual Townsend Lions Club Canoe Race.  The Reed Homestead shown above is only one of the houses the Historical Society oversees , there are several such properties in town. Townsend Harbor is a village in Townsend, Massachusetts, containing Harbor Pond dammed from the Squannacook River.

The painting above of the harbor in fall was commissioned of a well-known local artist, Samuel Thorpe, who passed away in 2005 at the age of 71.

At this location Jonas Spaulding and his brother Waldo started a mill in 1873 that made leatherboard (composed of leather scraps and wood pulp). They did business as Spaulding Brothers. Operation of the leatherboard mill at Townsend Harbor ceased in 1957, after the last two surviving siblings, Huntley Spaulding and his married sister Marion S. Potter, died.

The town is also home to Willard Brook State Park including Damon Pond and Townsend State Forest which includes Pearl Hill. Pearl Hill's campsites in Massachusetts are spacious and private. There are 51 campsites with a modern bathhouse. A day use area includes a 5 acres (2.0 ha) pond with a beach. A recently completed and somewhat challenging trail connects to Willard Brook State Forest. The Willard Brook property has 19 campsites and one Yurt at Damon Pond. Campground office hours are 9 am – 10 pm. The regular camping season is from late May to early September. The fairly challenging "Friends Trail" that connects the campground to the one at Pearl Hill State Park takes up to 3 hours to complete and hikers should be in good physical condition.

Steeped in so much history it is no wonder that Townsend also has a large antique shop community.  Starting on the Eastern edge in the Harbor with small individual shops like Harbor-side Antiques and Estate Service or  B and G Antique Clock Repair Shop the antique trail finishes on the Western edge with large group shops like  Hobart Village Antique Mall and Antique Associates  as well as individual vendors like   J Delaney Antique Clocks a family business that has been featured on the Antiques Roadshow.

Great food is also a part of the Townsend Experience.  Lunch or Dinner or Sunday Brunch at Bailey’s Bar and Grille is a treat. They offer senior discounts along with vegetarian and gluten free options and a special burger where a portion of the proceeds supports various local fundraising and charitable organizations.  Live entertainment at the full  bar or on the deck (seasonal ) is a real draw. 

Several other local establishments are hometown and visitor favorites, like Cliffs Café for breakfast , indoors or out on the porch (weather permitting).   The Townsend House , as another example, is host to several local and surrounding town organizational dinner meetings proving that the food has to be good. 

Holidays in Townsend  provide many shopping and entertainment delights.  Beginning with the  events such as the library's Winter Holiday Art Showcase opening November 5^th , an indoor church fair November 23^rd at the Congregational Church on the common, followed quickly by the Townsend Lions Annual Christmas Tree Sale which begins the weekend following Thanksgiving with the delivery from a local NH tree farm to the back of the Townsend Common. 

The library will open their Festival of Trees on December 7^th which will display many artificial trees decorated by local businesses and families. 

 One of the most magical of events is deemed “Christmas in Townsend”.

This is a choreographed light and holiday music display put on annually by a Townsend teenager, Chris Puglia. It will rival any professionally developed display you might encounter.  2012 was their third and a record year for the display. Chris attributes that partly to a video segment appearing on the Groton Channel News, click here and see. The songs are advertised on the website ahead of time and each year the results are documented .  Bonus!  There is a mobile site that works for Windows, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry, check it out here. It is very well done. 

So much to see and do.  Too little space and time to write.  I will cover Townsend again in the spring.