We’re Mad for Maple
Red Bucket Sugar Shack
Photo by Lynne Graves
At the tail end of a long winter in Western Mass, we start to seek the reliable harbingers of spring. Crocuses popping up, and making that annual promise that green things are back. Daylight savings extending our after-work outside time. And the greatest signal that we’re almost clear of snow storm season… the sugar, the sap, the maple syrup situation. In Hampshire County, we love our winter. But as the last of the snow starts to melt, we’re all mad for maple, and seeking our fix.
Maple syrup speaks to our soul
Can you build your life solely around maple syrup season, maybe not. But you CAN build a weekend around it. Obviously, you need coffee. So start off your Saturday with the maple latte at Esselon Cafe. This sweet treat is made with North Hadley Sugar Shack maple syrup, tapped from trees on the Hadley Common. It’s caffeine, with a super boost of locally-sourced joy. (One of our specialities in Western Massachusetts.) Once you’ve got your jolt, head to one of our world-famous (probably) sugar shacks for the pancake (or french toast) breakfast of your dreams. Maybe it’s Justamere Tree Farm for sustainable maple syrup produced with 100% renewable energy. Or, the Red Bucket Sugar Shack in Worthington, which just opened for the season and maybe offers MAPLE DONUTS. And if you’re not a weekend warrior, and want some weekday dates as well, then we recommend the North Hadley Sugar House Sugarin’ breakfast. Yes, they have the traditional Saturday/Sunday pancake fix. But if you want your sugar on the way to work, they also offer the good stuff Monday-Friday from 7am-1pm.
Ride the wave
If you’ve experienced the New England maple sugaring season, you know the trajectory of your day. Wake up, drive to your favorite sugar shack, get in line (where you eat maple cream in a small ice cream cone), eat a delicious stack of pancakes (slathered in maple syrup made in front of you), then spend the rest of the afternoon napping on the couch. But listen. There’s another way! You can use that sugar for good! Register for the 4th Annual Sugar Shack Spin, combining two of the world’s greatest things — cycling and syrup. Choose from two routes, and enjoy a mid-ride pancake lunch at Steve’s Sugar Shack and lots of other maple goodness along the way. From our perspective, this is a great alternative to the crash and burn.
Spring has sprung
Yes, it’s a cliche. But it’s true, so let’s go with it. Spring is (almost) officially here, and we’re not mad about it. Spring bulb shows may not be running this year* but we’ve sprung forward, ruining our childrens’ sleep schedules for a few weeks, but giving us HOPE that evening BBQs are in our future. And of course, the sap is running, meaning that for six or seven weeks, we can savor the fresh syrup as the spring season solidifies around us.
*Smith College has canceled the Spring Bulb Show at Lyman Conservatory in accordance with their COVID-19 risk mitigation as has Mt. Holyoke canceled their show at Talcott Greenhouse.