It's spring, tra-la. Here's when the feds say that spring begins. Believe them if you want to. If you don't, but need spring anyway, here's a way to get the fresh air you need.

On our trek to North Adams we took Route 2 as it followed the snow-covered Deerfield River for many miles into the Berkshires. We stopped at a sugar shack because maple syrup season is in full stride. There was a 45-minute wait for a seat in the restaurant, even in mid-afternoon, so we headed along, stopping at the Olde Willow, where we had the place to ourselves. The ride is spectacular, however fast or slow you want to take it. After a few times, however, I can see how it would be a long ride and why former governor Jane Swift would want to take a State Police helicopter home from Boston.

North Adams is doing very well. It's nice to be able to say that about an New England mill town. It looks larger than its population of 14,000 would suggest. The state provided seed money for MoCA and the transformation of the old North Adams State College to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Williams and Bennington colleges are nearby, adding to the vitality of the region. There were many little shops along the main streets and a Wal-Mart on the south side of town where people could do their real shopping. The North Adams Transcript had a decent list of decent jobs in the classified section.

Our hotel was a renovated row house across the street from the old factory that now houses MoCA. The rooms were decorated very nicely, with modest but clever pieces of art hung on the shiplap-paneled walls and colorful plates on the plate rail. There was a heated pool, hot tub, and electric sauna out back. The young woman taking care of the hot tub said that the pool had been packed last week during the snow storm.

We had a continental breakfast in a small dining room in the main building. Sweet Honey were up early and on their way to Peekskill before we got up. After our breakfast and leisurely morning, we went to the heritage park where we saw a video of the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel and had a delightful talk with the woman who hosted the visitors' center. She gave the name of a man who was collecting railroad stories and who might be interested in talking with my father about the riding the rails during the Depression. We also visited an antique store and the North Adams Historical Society. At times, the hosts were a bit too eager for company.

We took a different route back, down Route 8 to 116 to 112 to 9. We stopped at the Good Time Stove Co. in Goshen. A friend in Maine is interested in one of their refurbished gas stoves and wanted to know what kind of place it is. It's a fine place with great stoves at good prices. We almost didn't get out of there, though. The mud in the driveway was pretty deep. Mud season isn't on the calendar, but it's every bit as real. A bit further down the road, we picked up some bakery goods at the Williamsburg General Store.

We hadn't made plans with Adam and Jennie and so were disappointed, but not surprised that they weren't home. We visited one of my favorite stores, Dave's Soda and Pet Food City (Where else could you buy a hedgehog?), and came along home.