Hello, We are going to Parent's Weekend in Amherst in October and we would like to go somewhere within a couple of hours of Amherst for 2 nights to relax and visit with her. Any ideas of a quaint town or cabins, or a point of interest close to Amherst?. We thought of Boston but decided it would be too busy. Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks, Nancy

Your problem will be that it's peak leaf season then and all the nicer places will be booked. Anywhere from the Berkshires to Boston and Southern Maine and NH.
Try Windham Hill Inn. They have a website. Should be about 1 hr from Amherst. Above Brattleboro.

Sorry I can't help with a location, but I do have a question..Do you really want to leave campus on Parents Weekend?

In my experience, the colleges have usually planned a bunch of fun activities giving the parents a chance to interact with their child and their friends & families on campus.

I'd do this trip a differents weekend (veterans day?) when the weather turns cold and you daughter really needs some time away from school!

Hope some one else has better ideas.

Good points made above. But check the B&B Finder on the Yankee Magazine website. I'm wondering if foliage season will be affected by gas prices; you might be able to book something at this late date.

Whatever you wind up deciding to do, make reservations SOON! As you may or may not know, all of the five colleges have parents' weekend the same weekend. Our daughter goes to Hampshire and my husband flew out last year. I waited longer than I should have to make his reservations. He wound up in a Rodeway Inn in W. Springfield!

FWIW, the only official activity they participated in was the Friday evening dinner. They spent the rest of the time running errands and taking a couple of fabulous drives through the Berkshires.

Because of logistics, finances, etc., we had decided that we couldn't all go out that weekend. Since my husband's birthday was that weekend, he got to go. And I'm so glad he did. During the growing up years, I've been fortunate enough to spend a lot more time with the kids than he has. That weekend turned out to be a great bonding experience for the two of them. Not that that has anything to do with your question, of course!

I live in Amherst, and I suggest:

+ JTC speaks truth about most places being booked solid that weekend.

+ Amherst is pretty darn quaint in its own right. Depending on which school your daughter attends, there will likely be a full schedule (which you are allowed to skip, of course).

+ Northampton is a destination town for some truly fabulous resturaunts, and downtown is nice for walking around in. Have your daughter pick up a copy of the local guide `The Menu'. Visit the plant rooms and museum at Smith College and walk around the pond. Lots of good music venues, too: check out the Calvin and/or Iron Horse Music Hall, for example.

+ If you want a nice day trip/scenic drive, try: the Bridge of Flowers in Shellburne Falls, the Mohawk Trail to North Adams (which has some great small museums), spend a day at Olde Deerfield Village, or visit Hancock Shaker Village.

+ Overnight ideas are as others have suggested: Stockbridge Mass or Berekshires; Brattleboro VT; maybe Sturbridge Village?

Williamstown is a beautiful ride from Amherst and has a fabulous art museum (Clark Institute) BUT yes- leaf season - book now! Northampton has tons of shops and places to eat and there are lots of great scenic rides nearby as listed above.

Sayulita: My best advice would be to scope out the place(s) you'd like to stay for next year's Parents Weekend and make those reservations as soon as you can. Amherst has some lovely B&B's, restaurants, and a quaint downtown area. My husband and I used to drive the four hours to our son's school and then park the car for the balance of the weekend. Of course, Northampton is a great little town, as well and you might be able to find a room there for October. Just be prepared for lots of traffic between the two towns on Rte.9.