Hello guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! I’ve recently been reflecting on what I like to do for fun, as I’ve become pretty overwhelmed with work lately, so I’ve been trying to take some more time to take care of myself. Through this, I started to think about what my favorite things to do off-campus are. Hopefully, this will inspire you to get outside and enjoy the spring weather and all of the fun things that your community has to offer!
1. Scoops at the Silo Icecream
Hadley Scoops at the Silo is my favorite ice cream place in the area! You can find the link to their website here! They have a wide variety of flavors of ice cream and they’re within walking distance from campus, or you can take a bus to save some time. They often have live music, and you are able to go up and see the cows that produced the milk for the ice cream! They also have a lovely little store with a variety of foods and baked goods. The first time I went there was at the beginning of October during my freshman year right before they closed for the season. My friends and I were invited to see the baby calves in the barn, and it was such a magical experience!
2. Exploring Northampton
Northampton is a nearby city that is about 45 minutes to an hour-long bus ride away depending on traffic. It has a ton of fantastic restaurants, such as Mulino’s, Noodles, and India House. There are also a lot of cute bookstores, antique shops, and thrift stores to look through! Smith College is also located in Northampton, and it has a beautiful campus that’s super fun to walk through! There’s also the Smith College botanical gardens, which are absolutely breathtaking and a good way to spend a cold winter day, as they’re entirely located in a series of connected indoor greenhouses! I’m sure there’s a lot that I’ve left out since Northampton has a lot of stuff to do, but these are just some of my favorites!
3. Getting boba tea
There are a lot of different places to get boba tea in the town of Amherst, such as Moge, Lime Red, and Vivi’s bubble tea. Everyone has their own personal favorite (mine being Lime Red), but they’re all fun places to explore! If you’re looking for a chill way to spend an afternoon, getting bubble tea is a great thing to do! I personally love to go with my friends after completing a big exam or project as a way to reward myself for the hard work that I’ve done.
4. Central Rock Gym
Central Rock Gym (CRG) is a rock climbing gym located in Hadley, Massachusetts, about a 10-15 minute drive away from campus, or a 30-40 minute bus ride away. I’m a part of Amherst College’s club rock climbing team, and I like to try to go climbing once or twice a week, but they hold practices three times a week. Everyone carpools to get to the gym, and it’s a really friendly place! Everyone is super encouraging of people at all levels and it’s a great way to meet people who attend the other colleges in the area. Rock climbing brings me so much joy, as it’s a great way to get off campus, exercise, and use my brain in a way that I don’t typically get to otherwise!
5. Exploring New York City
Now, this one is kind of a stretch, but it is technically off-campus! The Peter Pan bus company offers bus rides from Amherst Center all the way to New York City. I have a lot of friends who ended up going to college in New York, so I love being able to meet with them and catch up! Personally, I am a big fan of larger cities, so I really appreciate any time that I’m able to go off-campus and be in a city atmosphere. I love being able to catch up with old friends from high school, try new restaurants, go to museums, and just experience a place that’s so entirely different from Amherst! Overall, I’m very grateful that the city is only a three-hour drive away and that I’m able to go there from time to time on weekend trips!