Weekend Getaway: Western Massachusetts

Editor's Note: As a special travel feature for September, TheStreet.com offers a series of weekend getaways, each designed to help you find the Good Life. Enjoy!

Two hours from Boston, three hours from New York City, western Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley spends the fall bathed in brilliant color.

Just east of the Berkshire Mountains, the Valley -- as it's known to locals -- is a hodgepodge of farmers, academics and alternative lifestyles.

The Pioneer Valley is comprised of three rural counties (Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire) that hug the sprawling Connecticut River; about 680,000 people call it home.

But from the ancient dinosaur tracks of South Hadley to the designer jeans in the boutiques of Northampton, this area is a surprising mishmash of old-fashioned New England living and modern amenities.

Nestle Into Northampton

If a weekend away from the city -- but not too far -- is what you crave, then head for Northampton.

Perhaps it's the small New England feel of the locally owned businesses and the hipness of the unique coffee shops, restaurants, live music venues and shopping that have earned Northampton the nickname of "Paradise City."

This small city of 29,000 people was founded in 1656 by landowner and fur trader Cornet Joseph Parsons.

If you'd like to stay in the middle of it all, try The Hotel Northampton ($155 to $349), which is in the center of the scenic downtown.

Start your first day with a stroll down Main Street.

Be sure to check out the store window at Faces, 175 Main St. Employees design it monthly, and no two are ever the same. Venture inside for trendy clothes and kitschy housewares, and don't miss the T-shirt wall toward the back of the store.

One of my favorite shirts reads: Welcome to Northampton. Here's your parking ticket. Be sure to heed the shirt's warning: though parking in Northampton is inexpensive, there is no free parking -- and the local meter maids are notoriously swift on the draw.

For high-end women's clothes, look to Cici Boutique (150 Main St.), or head into Thorne's Marketplace to check out Taylor Men/Taylor Women .

There are also a number of excellent art galleries downtown that feature both local and national artists. The Don Muller Gallery (40 Main St.) boasts a large collection of local glass artists; in an old bank building across the street, Silverscape Design (1 King St.) showcases stunning jewelry and objets d'art.

And there's always the annual Paradise City Arts Festival, an upcoming autumn favorite (running Oct. 7-9) that highlights fine arts and crafts.

After all that shopping and critiquing, you're bound to need refueling.

The coffee shop reigns supreme in Northampton -- there is one around practically every corner -- but avoid the Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts if you want to sample some of the delectable local fare.

Northampton Coffee (269 Pleasant St.) has exotic flowering teas and, if you're lucky, some vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies from the Evolution Cafe down the road in Florence, Mass. Don't let the vegan label put you off -- these rich treats are worthy of any carnivore.

Tucked down at 60 Masonic St. in an old firehouse, Woodstar can't be beat for smooth coffee, artisanal-bread sandwiches and unique snacks.

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