noplasticshowers

I have arrived in the “east Jesus” part of New England where a hip hotel is not what the doctor ordered. Instead, the doctor has sentenced you to a time warp that will transport you to a hard to discern time between 1966 and 1972. If you don’t believe me, check out the street view of the Hotel Northampton.

When I checked in, I believe there was a Kiwanis Club convention of some sort going on in the lobby. It was a zoo. I am staying in the “owner’s cottage” behind the hotel itself, situation dead in the middle of a sea of cars in the parking lot. I can see a dumpster out of the window. Blech.

For some reason, these bushes remind me of the ’70s.

The bathroom is spartan and clean, but has definite twinges of the kind of shower I try to avoid. My favorite part of the bathroom is the phone on the wall with one of those long windy cords that everyone used to have in their kitchen when I was little.

The rest of the room has the feeling of an efficiency apartment designed by my grandparents. At least the upholstery is not laden with flowers. Anyway, next time I step into the timewarp up here, I will have to try my luck elsewhere.

Two shower heads for this hotel from my childhood epoch.

Fortunately, there is good news on the food front. Chez Albert Restaurant in Amherst is a superb little bistro with excellent food and a quirky wine list. And just around the corner Amherst Coffee is beginning to experiment with mixology. If only they had any kind of Amaro!