Darla's June Visit

We are obviously behind on our posts, but I guess it's better late than never. Fun times this summer, starting with our move across the country. Just after we arrived on this coast, one of the moms (Darla this time), was awesome enough to help us get all settled in. Of course, we had to fit in some fun and relaxation as well...
We enjoyed taking Darla to the little coffee shop/used bookstore in South Hadley and then walked around the beautiful campus at Mount Holyoke College.

On a previous visit, we had discovered the most awesome little bakery in Northampton called The Hungry Ghost, so we also had to take Darla there as well. When we went to buy our loaf of bread for a picnic, we were joined in the one-room bakery by a French woman and her 3 little French-speaking children. She told us that they walk to the bakery for fresh bread every day. So fun.

When we asked Darla what she wanted to make sure to do on this visit, she said Walden Pond! And we said...Sounds great! So we headed east to the peaceful, isolated pond and quickly discovered that it is actually an incredibly popular, crowded swimming hole. They have a replica of Thoreau's cabin and a little statue of him that everyone takes a silly picture with.
Further towards the pond (I would call it a lake), there is a memorial where the cabin actually stood, and a quote of Thoreau's that is surrounded by stones that people have brought from all over the world.
Interestingly, we learned that Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Alcott family (as in Louisa May) lived just down the road from Thoreau and they all knew eachother. Also down the road is Lexington & Concord and the end of Paul Revere's ride. Lots to see.