Beyond The Spa: Canyon Ranch's Holistic Approach To Health And Wellness
It's no secret that Canyon Ranch, the venerable wellness outpost founded in 1979 by Melvin and Enid Zuckerman alongside Jerrold Cohen, is a pioneer in integrative well-being. These days, the 45-year-old Tuscon destination, located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, alongside its sister property in Lenox, Massachusetts blends cutting-edge health and medical practices with ancient healing traditions. And while bread-and-butter offerings like massages, facials (Biologique Recherche, Augustinus Bader) and a wealth of outdoor activities remain, it's the resort's one-of-a-kind, holistic programming that truly sets it apart.
To deepen self-awareness, Metaphysical Services offers an array of transformative practices. Astro-Gemology pairs your astrological chart with gemstones believed to amplify your personal strengths. Ideal for travel or relocation, Astrocartography overlays your birth chart onto a global map, revealing locations that align with your astrological energy. And there's Vedic Palmistry —an ancient Indian practice, interprets the lines, markings, and topography of your hands to offer insights into your path and purpose.
For those seeking deeper spiritual guidance, Tarot and Angel Card Readings provide insights, ecouragment and clarity regarding the past, present, and future.
Meanwhile, Clairvoyant Readings provide clarity and insight into personal transitions, helping you navigate life's changes with greater ease. Reiki — a Japanese practice dating back to the 1920s — channels energy to clear blockages and restore balance. For deeper spiritual guidance, Tarot and Angel Card Readings offer encouragement and clarity about the past, present, and future. Additionally, the immersive Soul Journey (available at both locations) combines guided sound therapy, neuro-acoustic beds, and meditation to help you achieve deep clarity and insight.
Rooted in time-honored traditions, Canyon Ranch's Eastern Therapies program draws on centuries-old healing practices from India, Thailand, and Japan.
At the heart of these offerings is Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine developed over 5,000 years ago. Derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (knowledge), Ayurveda encompasses herbal remedies, massage, yoga, meditation, and cleansing rituals. A standout treatment is the 90-minute Udvartana, which blends heat-activated, exfoliating herbs with rhythmic lymphatic massage to stimulate circulation, support detoxification, release toxins, and aid in weight loss.
Canyon Ranch leans in on Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical system developed over 5,000 years ago.
Ashiatsu, a pressurized barefoot massage technique where therapists use their feet to apply pressure targets tight muscles, stimulates circulation, and encourages deep relaxation. Inspired by Thai healing methods, the Muscle Melt for Road Warriors combines warm compressions and stretching to ease muscle stiffness — making it an ideal treatment for weary travelers and athletes. Or opt for Reflexology whose pressure points on the feet correspond to various organs in the body, promoting better circulation and relaxation.
Rooted in Japanese tradition, Shiatsu applies pressure along specific energy pathways to balance the body's yin and yang, enhancing vitality. Similarly, Thai Massage uses slow, rhythmic movements and stretches to improve flexibility, leaving you feeling fully rejuvenated.
A floating sound bath uses sound waves from quartz bowls and gongs offers relaxation and promote a sense of calm.
Featuring a trio of energy-focused treatments, the summer Sanctuary Series includes Healing Energy working through the chakras to release stress and fatigue; Chakra Recharge utilizing semi-precious stones and grounding foot rituals to promote clarity; and Elemental Reiki tapping into the energies of earth, air, water, and sun to help guests recenter and restore balance.
In the Berkshires, the aptly-titled Summer Solstice Discovery Week (June 19-25th) offers yoga, forest bathing, floating sound meditation, and a drumming circle paired with bhastrika pranayama (fiery 'bellows breath') to awaken and clear the mind. Or wind down with a refreshing, private rain-barrel shower in the woods.
To eat are healthful meals highlighting organic, locally sourced produce, grass-fed beef, and sustainably sourced seafood. That's not all: this June in partnership with the James Beard Foundation you'll find visiting chefs like Sean Brock (June 19th) and Suzanne Cupps (September 18th) whose open-air sunset dinners are set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age estate.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan for More Energy, Created by a Dietitian
About This Plan This 7-day meal plan is set at 1,800 calories, with modifications for 1,500 and 2,000 calories. Each day provides at least 61 g of protein and 28 g of fiber to support healthy energy levels. This plan prioritizes antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, leafy greens, and apples. The afternoon slump is sometimes hard to avoid if you aren't fueling yourself enough. Not to worry, this anti-inflammatory meal plan can help keep you feeling energized throughout the day! Protein, fiber and antioxidant-rich foods like dark-colored veggies, berries, leafy greens, nuts, seeds and fish high in omega-3s, are added in every meal so you can pass on that afternoon nap. Our bodies get the energy they need from calories, which are units of energy found in foods. To help your energy levels stay consistent, we spread out calorie intake consistently throughout the day to help you avoid feeling like you're running on empty. Let's dig in. Meal Plan at a Glance Breakfast sandwich & strawberries/ Snackwich Chicken wrap/ Carrots & hummus Enchiladas Breakfast pudding/ Energy balls & apple Chicken pasta/ Yogurt bark & walnuts Ginger salmon Breakfast pudding/ Yogurt & raspberries Tuna salad & eggs/ Energy balls Chickpea & cauliflower pitas Breakfast pudding/ Yogurt bark & walnuts Tuan salad & eggs/ Carrots & hummus Butternut squash soup, grilled cheese & salad Breakfast pudding/ Snackwich Tuna salad & eggs/ Energy balls Pork & white beans Smoothie/ Yogurt & strawberries Tuna salad & eggs/ Carrots & hummus Chicken thighs, carrots & broccoli Egg in a hole & orange/ Energy balls Salmon rice bowl & salad/ Toast with berries Chicken casserole & salad Day 1 Breakfast (332 Calories) 1 serving Spanakopita Breakfast Sandwich ½ cup of strawberries Morning Snack (224 Calories) 1 serving of Rice Cake Snackwich Lunch (460 Calories) Cucumber Chicken Green Goddess Wrap ⅓ of an avocado Afternoon Snack (299 Calories) 1 serving of Garlic Hummus 4 carrot sticks 2 servings whole-wheat crackers Dinner (522 Calories) 1 serving Black Bean and Squash Enchiladas 1 medium apple Daily Totals: 1,838 calories, 80g fat, 19g saturated fat, 61g protein, 235g carbohydrate, 46g fiber, 2,148 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Remove whole-wheat crackers from P.M. snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 (5-oz.) container of low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt to lunch and 1 medium pear to lunch. Day 2 Breakfast (321 Calories) 1 serving of 3-Ingredient Chia Chocolate Strawberry Breakfast Pudding Morning Snack (297 Calories) 1 serving of Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls 1 medium apple Lunch (465 Calories) 1 serving of Chicken and Spinach Skillet Pasta Afternoon Snack (220 Calories) 2 servings of Raspberry-Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt Bark 2 tablespoons of walnuts Dinner (554 Calories) 1 serving of Sheet-Pan Ginger-Tahini Glazed Salmon Daily Totals: 1,859 calories, 79g fat, 17g saturated fat, 104g protein, 194g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 1,462 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Skip A.M. snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter to A.M. snack and 1 tablespoon of walnuts to P.M. snack. Day 3 Breakfast (321 Calories) 1 serving of 3-Ingredient Chia Chocolate Strawberry Breakfast Pudding Morning Snack (237 Calories) 1 (5-oz.) container of low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt ½ cup of raspberries 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter Lunch (511 Calories) 1 serving of Chickpea Tuna Salad 2 hard-boiled eggs Afternoon Snack ( 203 Calories) 1 serving of Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls Dinner (521 Calories) 1 serving of Roasted Chickpea & Cauliflower Pitas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce Daily Totals: 1,793 calories, 84g fat, 20g saturated fat, 91g protein, 172g carbohydrate, 38g fiber, 1,758 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Skip P.M. snack and peanut butter at A.M snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons of walnuts and a medium banana to breakfast. Day 4 Breakfast (321 Calories) 1 serving of 3-Ingredient Chia Chocolate Strawberry Breakfast Pudding Morning Snack (220 Calories) 2 servings of Raspberry-Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt Bark 2 tablespoons of walnuts Lunch (511 Calories) 1 serving of Chickpea Tuna Salad 2 hard-boiled eggs Afternoon Snack (299 Calories) 1 serving of Garlic Hummus 4 carrot sticks 2 servings whole-wheat crackers Dinner (461 Calories) 1 serving of Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 1 serving of Herb & Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Daily Totals: 1,813 calories, 89g fat, 26g saturated fat, 91g protein, 177g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 2,242 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Skip whole-wheat crackers on P.M. snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 medium pear to lunch and 1 tablespoon of walnuts to A.M. snack. Day 5 Breakfast (322 Calories) 1 serving of 3-Ingredient Chia Chocolate Strawberry Breakfast Pudding Morning Snack (225 Calories) 1 serving of Rice Cake Snackwich Lunch (511 Calories) 1 serving of Chickpea Tuna Salad 2 hard-boiled eggs Afternoon Snack ( 203 Calories) 1 serving of Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls Dinner (499 Calories) 1 serving of Honey-Mustard Pork with Spinach & Smashed White Beans Daily Totals: 1,759 calories, 79g fat, 17g saturated fat, 101g protein, 166g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 1,713mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Skip P.M. snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add ½ cup of raspberries to A.M. snack, 1 (5-oz.) container of low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt to lunch, and 1 medium orange to P.M. snack. Day 6 Breakfast (297 Calories) 1 serving of Anti-Inflammatory Lemon-Blueberry Smoothie Morning Snack (229 Calories) 1 (5-oz.) container of low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt ½ cup of strawberries 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter Lunch (511 Calories) 1 serving of Chickpea Tuna Salad 2 hard-boiled eggs Afternoon Snack (179 Calories) 1 serving of Garlic Hummus 4 carrot sticks 1 serving whole-wheat crackers Dinner (584 Calories) 1 serving of Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Broccoli ½ cup of brown rice Daily Totals: 1,801 calories, 78g fat, 18g saturated fat, 104g protein, 175g carbohydrate, 28g fiber, 1,870mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Skip peanut butter at A.M snack and P.M. snack. To make it 2,000 calories: Add ½ avocado to lunch. Day 7 Breakfast (347 Calories) 1 serving of "Egg in a Hole" Peppers with Avocado Salsa 1 medium orange Morning Snack ( 203 Calories) 1 serving of Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls Lunch (555 Calories) 1 serving of Salmon Rice Bowl 1 serving of Herb & Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Afternoon Snack (206 Calories) 1 serving Mascarpone & Berries Toast Dinner (516 Calories) 1 serving of Chicken Piccata Casserole 1 serving of Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad Daily Totals: 1,828 calories, 95g fat, 25g saturated fat, 81g protein, 167g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 2,665 mg sodium To make it 1,500 calories: Skip A.M. snack and Tomato Salad at dinner. To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons of walnuts to A.M. snack and 1 (5-oz.) container of low-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt to P.M. snack. Prep Ahead Tips Prep Chia Chocolate Strawberry Breakfast Pudding for breakfast for Days 2 through 5. Make Chickpea Tuna Salad for lunch for Days 2 through 6. Make some Anti-Inflammatory Energy Balls, Garlic Hummus and Raspberry-Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt Bark for snacks throughout the week. Frequently asked Questions Is it OK to mix and match meals if there is one I do not like? Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as a framework for an anti-inflammatory eating plan. It doesn't need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check calories, protein and sodium so they would fit within the total calorie goal of 1,800 calories per day, be within our sodium limits and high in protein. If you're making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, protein and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these 26 Anti-Inflammatory Recipes We Can't Stop Eating. Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day? Definitely, it's fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. Each breakfast ranges from 297 to 347 calories, while each lunch spans 460 to 555 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you're closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two. Why is there not a modification for 1,200 calories? We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it's unsustainable for long-term health and well-being. What is inflammation? There are two main types of inflammation: acute (like a bruise, cut or injury) and chronic. Acute inflammation is short-term, and helpful and necessary for healing, but chronic inflammation is long-term inflammation, and can put stress on the body and increase chronic disease risk over time. Tips for Boosting Your Energy Levels Get enough sleep: This may be a little obvious, but regularly getting enough quality sleep will help you have more energy throughout the day. Most Americans don't get the recommended seven or more hours of sleep to feel well rested the next day. Try improving your sleep with habits like avoiding drinking caffeine later in the day or turning off all screens 30 minutes to an hour before bed. Eat balanced meals: Fiber, protein and fats take longer to digest compared to simple carbs. Having healthy fats like nuts and avocados, protein like chicken and tofu and fiber like fruits and vegetables at every meal helps your energy levels stay steady. This also can help you feel full until your next meal instead of having your energy levels spike and crash. Soak up some morning sun: Try getting 15 minutes of sunlight after you wake up to increase your energy levels in the morning. Bright natural light triggers cortisol and serotonin production while decreasing melatonin, giving you that boost you need in the morning. How We Create Meal Plans Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell's meal plans to be easy to follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Map shows high West Nile virus risk in 10 Massachusetts cities and towns
The risk for West Nile virus is high in 10 cities and towns in Massachusetts, including Boston, public health officials say. The communities now listed at high risk for the mosquito-borne illness are Acton, Bedford, Billerica, Boston, Brookline, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell and Newton, a map from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health shows. More than 150 samples of mosquitoes in Massachusetts have tested positive for West Nile this summer, but so far there have not been any human cases of the virus in 2025. There were 19 human cases of West Nile virus confirmed last year in Massachusetts. The virus is spread from the bite of an infected mosquito. About 80% of people infected will not get sick. Symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and skin rashes. Health officials say severe symptoms like brain inflammation or meningitis happen in fewer than 1% of reported West Nile cases. People over 50 years old are more likely to develop severe illness. There have been eight West Nile deaths reported in the state between 2014 and 2023. Eastern equine encephalitis, known more commonly as EEE, has also been found in Massachusetts mosquito samples this summer. EEE is very rare but not treatable, and about 30% of people with the disease end up dying. No towns are at high risk for EEE, but 12 are at moderate risk. They are Bridgewater, Carver, East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanson, Lakeville, Middleboro, Plympton, Raynham, Taunton and West Bridgewater. Health officials say the best way to avoid mosquito bites is using insect repellent when outdoors, staying inside during the peak mosquito hours of dawn and dusk, and wearing long sleeves and pants.
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
This independent haven is a ‘tangibly different' college town
A town's motto can reveal exactly what's charming about the place, and it's also shorthand for its unique quirks. Northampton, in western Massachusetts, isn't the only place in the Bay State to grab a cup of Joe or promote independent thinking. But it is the only town there with the unofficial motto: 'Where the coffee is strong and so are the women.' The coffee that can be found in the town's many cafés is not only strong but delicious and the women mentioned in the slogan include students — and alumnae — of Smith College, whose campus at the edge of downtown is one of the most beautiful in all of New England. Opened in 1875, Smith is one of five colleges in a consortium that anchors this often countercultural corner of Massachusetts, known as the Pioneer Valley. The concentration of five colleges — with 30,000 students and a top-notch cohort of academics — in a 20-mile radius ensures a rich cultural life, with a plethora of activities and a youthful vibe. One of America's finest women's colleges, Smith's particular ethos can be felt in the myriad first-rate local bookstores and the warm, artsy community. 'It is tangibly different from any other college town,' said Andrea Monson of the Downtown Northampton Association. 'There's always been this social justice spirit in the area, even dating back hundreds of years.' Northampton is a town of just 30,000 people, with only five distinct neighborhoods. But stats like that obscure the fact that Northampton has long punched above its weight, culturally. Regionally, it's a dining, shopping and concert destination. A coffee-drinking, bike-riding oasis, it combines the charm of a village with big city culture. Long a welcoming haven for gays and lesbians, Hampshire County, which is home to Northampton, has the highest concentration of same-sex female households in the US. Like many industrial towns in the Northeast, the compact downtown, one mile from the Connecticut River, is stocked with older, historic buildings. Hotel Northampton, a five-story, 106-room structure that was built in 1927, takes up a block, with two restaurants, a spacious outdoor patio and a roomy lobby full of antiques. The stately 805-seat Academy of Music, a municipal theater built in 1891, anchors the other end of Main Street, and is a venue for live performances as well as home to resident dance and opera companies. Characteristic of New England, there's also a steeple rising above the main thoroughfare. It belongs to First Churches of Northampton, whose entrance features a flagstone from an earlier meeting house where legendary Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards presided in 1737. Tying it all together is the Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail, a 10-mile bike and pedestrian path that wends its way through downtown, and then over the Connecticut River amid the region's spectacular scenery on a lattice-truss bridge to neighboring towns, including Amherst, home to the University of Massachusetts. 'It is a beautiful place, and it has a unique combination of rural beauty and cosmopolitan sensibility,' said Jonathan Stevens, a baker whose James Beard Award-nominated bakery, Hungry Ghost Bread, is located just off the Smith campus. That rural beauty has long been known beyond Massachusetts, thanks partly to an 1836 painting, 'View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm — The Oxbow,' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which captures the untamed landscape of Northampton. Northampton's proximity to the Connecticut River and its location 100 miles west of Boston and 90 miles east of Albany, N.Y., have conspired historically to make it a crossroads for ideas. It was the first town to have a municipal theater — the Academy of Music, which continues to host top acts. It's also where women's basketball got its start, with Smith College claiming responsibility for that first. Still an incubator of ideas, Northampton has lots of coffee shops but virtually no Starbucks locations in the downtown business district, testament to the absence of anything cookie-cutter here. In 2022, Eater Boston asked if Northampton didn't have the most coffee shops per capita of any town in Massachusetts. Eater's conclusion: 'It certainly seems that way.' One of the most striking places to have coffee in Northampton is Familiars Coffee & Tea, a hip, one-of-a-kind café located in an old rail car that has retained the original windows and some woodwork. Other distinctive places to get caffeinated include Sip 143, about 3 miles away in the neighborhood of Florence, which is also home to Miss Florence Diner, whose retro rooftop sign can be seen a block away. Other spots for coffee downtown include Tart Baking, which doubles as a laboratory of sweets. The small, pristine bakery produces delicious almond croissants that are as good as any you will find in the US. The glazed cider donuts and chocolate chip cookies are also quite good to nibble on while gazing out the broad storefront windows at Main Street, one of two main thoroughfares in town that are lined with local shops. Tart Baking churns out truly exquisite pastries but baked goods as a whole are a town specialty. On the edge of Smith's campus, you'll find Hungry Ghost Bread. Not content merely to make tasty breads and sweets, co-owners Jonathan Stevens and Cheryl Maffie have endeavored to convince farmers in western Massachusetts to grow wheat — as the Puritans did in the early 1600s — that can be milled into flour for their bakery and others. Stevens bakes all day, using a woodfired oven, and if you visit the bakery without finding what you want, come back in a few hours. His sourdough starter French bread is available every day and other items that are popular include fresh, hot pretzels, scones and chocolate chip cookies the size of a small plate. The restaurants and food vendors that shine the brightest in Northampton tend to be those that focus on local ingredients or community or both. And they take pride in annual homespun events that bring it all together, especially Summer On Strong, which is an annual seasonal street closure that allows restaurants to cover the street in tables and chairs, creating a giant, street-wide patio. The summer-long block party downtown includes nightly concerts on weekends. While the restaurant Spoleto isn't located on Strong Avenue, you'll feel a party vibe anytime you step onto the veteran downtown dining destination's enormous back gravel patio, which is outfitted with picnic tables under white tents. On a warm Saturday evening, dinner there feels more like you've been invited to a neighborhood gathering. Other local favorites include Northampton Brewery, a local craft brewer with a large rooftop deck where patrons dine under a canopy of trees; Jake's, a brunch fixture that routinely attracts a crowd outside (no reservations) and is known for its varieties of hash; and Amanouz Café, a Moroccan and Mediterranean restaurant whose plain storefront shifts the focus to the authentic fare, which includes hummus, kebabs and homemade soups. Not surprisingly, Northampton has a stalwart ice cream parlor — Herrell's — located in a downtown mall called Thorne's Marketplace that's also home to the two-story independent bookshop, Booklink Booksellers, and Hometown Arcade, a pay-by-the-hour local gaming oasis that can be a welcome respite on a rainy or blustery day. Other stops to make downtown include Newbury Comics, a regional chain that stocks comic books, manga, vinyl and cool t-shirts, and Raven Used Books, which not unlike the Strand in New York City, has every book you need and every book you didn't know you needed. 'We live in a bubble. An artsy bubble,' said Betsy Frederick, who has owned Raven Used Books for 30 years. 'It's a good bubble to live in. We don't have traffic jams! But we have good coffee and lots of art. People leave Northampton but they come back. They like the bubble.' Founded by Puritans in 1654, Northampton's reputation as a place apart dates back to the 1660s when it was selected as the site of a judicial court, according to Laurie Sanders with the nonprofit Historic Northampton. 'Northampton, even though it wasn't a large urban center, was exposed to a lot more new ideas than other towns its size, just because of the court,' Sanders said. For a century, the silk industry dominated the town's economy. A group of silk manufacturers even briefly formed a utopian community opposed to slavery in 1842 whose members included Sojourner Truth, a former slave who was an early feminist. In the 1970s, after Northampton's fortunes had somewhat dipped, a group of people seeking a different kind of utopia began shaping the town as a center for culture and arts. Graduates of the nearby University of Massachusetts, which doubled its enrollment between 1965 and 1975 to 25,000 students, and others set up artists' studios and opened businesses in empty storefronts. Music was a key part of this revival. And The Iron Horse, which was established in 1979 and has recently re-opened after a hiatus, is largely considered the foundation of Northampton's pop music scene. Jordi Herold, founder of Iron Horse who now works as a developer in the area, said the venue in its first two decades hosted such acts as Wynton Marsalis, Smashing Pumpkins and Tracy Chapman. 'It put the town on the map as a place for live music,' Herold told CNN. The club helped spur the addition of a whole coterie of musical venues and organizations that support live music, including The Parlor Room, and the Musicians Workshop. The town also boasts regular music and art events, including Arts Night Out, when virtually every cultural organization in town throws open its doors for the night. When visitors want a break from strolling, sipping and shopping, the great outdoors awaits. One place to start is the Smith College campus. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Smith's campus boasts a small but exquisite botanic garden that's nestled between the Mill River and the Lyman Plant House and Conservatory, where iconic writer Sylvia Plath took an undergraduate botany course that later inspired her classic 1963 feminist novel, 'The Bell Jar.' Both are free and open to the public. The plant house, built in 1895, is home to more than 3,000 plants, including countless varieties of succulents. Wander through the greenhouses and then out into the botanic garden and arboretum, with immense trees that are labeled with QR codes for an audio tour (one in particular not to miss is Great Tree #3, a huge gingko biloba). From there visitors can walk along the Mill River toward the gorgeous Paradise Pond waterfall, best glimpsed from a stone bridge linking the campus to athletic fields. Smith is home to the Smith College Museum of Art, also free to the public, which boasts seldom-seen works by Old Masters, including a sculpture by Rodin and a gorgeous Monet that's part of the famous Rouen Cathedral series, plus a highly unusual Georgia O'Keefe painting and an exquisite Diego Rivera portrait. Want more art? Visit the museums at the other colleges in the consortium, including Mead Art Museum in Amherst, whose holdings include Gilbert Stuart portraits. Prev Next After a few hours looking at art, visitors may want to head back into town, hop on their bikes and pedal along the Norwottuck Rail Trail. A good spot to access the trail is by the old train bridge that overlooks the intersection of Main and Pleasant Streets. It's visible to pedestrians below because of iron silhouettes that decorate it. After the trail crosses the Connecticut river, the tree-lined path passes cultivated fields and old faded barns as it heads to the town of Hadley, with a leafy canopy overhead that makes for a bucolic experience, even when near a highway. The other main trail in the Northampton area is Manhan Rail Trail, which links Northampton to Easthampton, a smaller town whose artsy storefronts and cultural startups amplify the area's offerings. Northampton Bicycle is located near both trails and rents bikes by the day. An annual bike week features events designed to promote cycling even among people who prefer four wheels to two, and a monthly 'bike party,' is aimed at getting kids out on bikes. For anyone looking to explore more on foot, there are wonderful hikes, including Holyoke Range in nearby South Hadley, which offers stunning views of the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. Northampton's location in the pastoral western side of Massachusetts places it conveniently close to major cities but far enough away to preserve a small-town feel. 'I live in the woods, I can ride my bike to town, and on any given working day, I get to chat with people from all over the world, speaking French, English, Spanish,' said Stevens, the baker at Hungry Ghost Bread. 'We talk about the world. There's a magical sensibility here, and good food and good music.' The blues live in this Delta town
