Where In The World Is Sum1?

Amherst Massachusetts

Date: Week of August 20^th


Locale:  Amherst, Massachusetts


         This week I was in Amherst Massachusetts delivering a class to the University of Massachusetts Police.  It was a pretty interesting class, since none of them had any idea about a radio system, or radios in general for that matter.  Fortunately, this class only covered how to program radios, so a little easier to understand than other subjects.


         For the first time in a while, my flights were pretty mundane.  Nothing out of the ordinary happend, and no real flight delays.  This is my second time in a year to that area of the country, it is quite beautiful in many ways.  The area is covered with gently rolling hills that are full of trees and other growth.  Amherst is a charming town that has four universities in it!  The area really consists of Amherst, Hadley, and North Hampton.  I found the downtown area of both Amherst and North Hampton to be really appealing.  There's a lot to do around there, plenty of bike rental racks, etc.  I consider myself a bit of a foodie, and restaurants abound in that area!


Noteworthy Restaurants:


         Ginger Garden          http://gingergardenamherst.com/menu.html          I love Sushi, and was in the mood for some when I arrived.  This place fit the bill nicely.  Their Yellowtail Jalapeno appetizer was excellent.  The Sushi was very good, but I wasn't completely full, nor did I want to be.  But it was early, and I knew I'd be in the mood for a little more later on.  Their house specialty Lo Mein fit the bill there perfectly!  It was too big for one sitting, so I munched on it all week.


         East Side Grill          http://www.eastsidegrill.com/eastsidegrillmenus.html          Their Seafood Gumbo was very good, I'm pretty sure it was housemade, and not served from a can.  But their BBQ Shrimp with Grits and Spinach was excellent!  Since this was Thursday and my last night there, I treated myself to dessert.  Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding with Amaretto.  Yummy!





Historic/Interesting Places Visited:

Springfield Armory          https://www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm          The Springfield Armory was commissioned by George Washington, and designed to manufacture weapons for this new country.  This way, we wouldn't depend on foreign countries to supply us with their weapons.  It is an interesting place, one I'd love to tour in-depth, but I had to get to the airport for my flight.  So you might ask why I dropped by?  Well, about 10 years ago, I purchased a National Parks Passbook book.  When you visit a National Park or National Historic Site, you will find a Visitor Center.  There you can find a good old fashioned Rubber Stamp, and stamp your passport to show your visit.  The one I originally purchased was the small, hip-pocket size one, but I'd run out of room in a couple of the regions.  While at the Flight 93 Memorial earlier this year, I found a collector's edition that was much larger.  This meant I'd have to start over getting stamps, but it was well worth the cost if you ask me.  So I stopped here to get my Passport stamped, and to see what this place has.  I need to come back though, and 'properly' visit it.


In Closing
         I am home for the next two weeks.  Yes, you read that right, TWO weeks at home!  It's okay though, I have plenty to do in preparing for future classes.  Til next time, take care of yourself and those you love.  And of course, WRITE!




Jim Dorrell