Sugar Maple Trailside Inn www.sugar-maple-inn.com

NEWS

From time to time, we'll post onto this page, interesting bits of news about our Inn or the community.

On April 30, 2006, we brought home our new dog--Ivan--a Scottish Terrier.  Though we planned to get a GoldenDoodle [and made an extensive mention of this in our newsletter], we decided at the last moment to get a smaller dog. 

For a B&B dog, a Scotty fits the bill perfectly.  Not a yapper, nor a dog that will intimidate guests, we think he'll fit in perfectly.  Though McGurk and Calvin our cats, don't immediatley agree with that assessment.

11-7-06.  UPDATE.  The cats have now established a truce and dominance over Ivan.  Works pretty well.  They growl at him and he drops right to the ground.  Below are some more pix of him.

Click here to go to Yankee Magazine's Webiste

In early August of 2005, we received a letter from Jamie Trowbridge, President of Yankee Magazine that their editors featured Sugar Maple Trailside Inn in the September 2005 issue--their 70th Anniversary Issue.

We are a part of the multi-page story about the spectacular fall foliage in the five college area of the Pioneer Valley.

Click here to go to our photo tour

Nationally renowned photographer Sarah Musumeci came to 'shoot' our bed & breakfast in July, 2005. Her pictures are spectacular and are used throughout the web site.  Her work has been featured in numerous venues including, Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Cape Cod Travel Guide, Concierge Magazine, Massachusetts Great Escapes,  Massachusetts Getaway Guide, Modern Bride, New England Travel and Life, Yankee Magazine's Travel Guide to New England, New York Times, Peterson's Photographic Magazine,  Paddler's Magazine, SKI Magazine, Travel Holiday, Visit Cape Cod, YANKEE Magazine, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), New Hampshire Dept. of Tourism, Travel Industry of America, and the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.

We are honored to have Sarah perform her brand of magic at our bed & breakfast. Please do visit her site to see more of her work. http://www.sarahmusumeci.com/

In the spring of 2004, we purchased from F.J. Rogers Bike Shop here in Florence, a pair of 2004 Raleigh Retroglider bikes.  These are the retro-cruiser style bikes that are being seen more and more often.

Built to emulate the old wide, whitewall tired bikes of the 1950s, they include fenders, chain guards, coaster brakes and 4-speed internal rear hub transmissions for ease of use. We even put a wicker basket on one of them. Cick here to see the official Raleigh Company website page about these fun bikes.

On Tuesday, May 11, 2004 MSNBC broadcast an interview with one of our neighbors, Ed Wakin from the dining room of our Inn. The interview was about the power of televised images to change the public's perception of war.

Ed Wakin is the author of several books on the subject including his most recent book, "How TV Changed America's Mind." The interview was on the Deborah Norville Show. Check this link from MSNBC to learn more about the interview. HERE

One of the longest open rail-trails in New England, located in the City of Northampton, Mass., has been getting the snowy end of the stick for years. The Ryan Bikeway, also known as the City of Northampton Bikeway, has been open since 1984 but has never known the benefits of a snow plow -- until this year.

Over the years, this recreation trail has evolved into a transportation trail as the number of people using it for more utilitarian purposes has steadily increased, including children walking and biking to school each day. The city has realized not plowing the trail and allowing it to remain snow-covered for limited user groups such as cross-country skiers is unwise public policy. In fact, even cross-country use was hindered due to people trudging through the snow on a daily basis, trampling down the path with thousand of footprints.

When a city councilor was provided with evidence that other areas in New England plow their trails, he took it to Mayor Higgins who, in turn, asked the head of the DPW about its capability to plow the trail as part of a regular route through the city. After researching the project, the DPW agreed to integrate plowing of the trail into the route.

They will use two pieces of specialized equipment: a six-wheeled tractor with a snow-blower attachment and a bulldozer tread tractor with a plow. If the trail needs sand after it is plowed, they will follow up using a four-wheel drive pickup with a sander body.

Trail users are surprised and thrilled to have the Ryan Bikeway as a full-time resource. A letter-to-the-editor of the Daily Hampshire Gazette can be seen here.

MassBike has a section on their homepage devoted to up-to-date information about places that plow bike paths, primarily in eastern Massachusetts. It can be seen at www.massbike.org. 

With the restoration of the house mechanicals and exterior in 2001 and 2002, this spring is the first time we've been able to even think of doing any landscaping. In an attempt to do something special, we contracted with a company called Period Gardens to do a "correct" landscaping plan. Correct to the 1860s era of the house. 

Period Gardens, owned by Susan Searle, has designed and installed a beautiful series of perennial gardens--and herb gardens that are keeping in theme with the plants that would have been commonly seen in the post civil war era.

Susan studied period gardening and designed special gardens for over 25 years. She tutoured under Penelope Hobhouse, the English Garden designer and has worked at Old Sturbridge Village and Hancock Shaker Village.  At the latter, she cared for almost three acres of herbs, seed gardens and field crops.

Home & Garden Television's "Restore America"

On Friday, May 30th, Home & Garden Television came to the Sugar Maple Trailside Inn to film a segment of their show "RESTORE AMERICA". The 'shoot' took about 10 hours and focused on the restoration efforts throughout the house as well as the 1860s era landscaping design done by Susan Searle of Period Gardens. The piece first aired on November 19, 2003 and by mid 2006, it has been re-broadcast about 15 times.

Below are some thumbnails of the day's photo shoot.  Click on them to view a bigger image.

Before and After

On May 14th, the City of Northampton's Historic Commission awarded the Sugar Maple Trailside Inn the 2003, Historic Preservation Award.  We were very honored that our modest efforts were included in the same ceremony with such stellar efforts as the Lyman Plant House and the Art Museum at Smith College.

Our guests get

10% off 

any meal at 

Miss Florence Diner!

We have entered into an agreement with the newly rebuilt and restored Miss Florence Diner, to provide an extra benefit for the guests of the Sugar Maple Trailside Inn.  All guests who stay at the Sugar Maple Trailside Inn can receive a gift certificate to the Miss Florence Diner that will entitle them to a 10% discount off the cost of their breakfast, lunch, or dinner.