The idea of a staycation is all very well and good, until you find yourself on your third day and all you’ve done is binge watch Netflix. The whole point of a vacation is to escape the humdrum of your daily life right? Escaping routine or stress or pressure or — yikes! — people. These summer escapes can offer you a chance to get out of your comfort zone and try something new with your family, friends or solo.
Northfield Drive-In, Hinsdale, New Hampshire
Ah drive-in theatres — one of the only places where you can watch two movies in a row without feeling guilty about wasting your summer inside. Located just north of the Massachusetts border in Hinsdal, New Hampshire, the Northfield Drive-In is one of only 20 drive-ins left in New England. At Northfeild, tickets are $11 for adults, $6 for kids, and you get two back-to-back movies per ticket. They start around 8:30 p.m. , Friday-Sunday, for the season. The theater features new movies and changes its line up frequently. Upcoming shows will include: Despicable Me 3, Transformers: The Last Night, Cars 3, and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. Bring lawn chairs and blankets, your kids, and even your dogs ( leashed, quiet pets are allowed). Lawn games and your own homemade picnic are welcome, but no grilling. Everything is cash only. There is, of course, a snack bar selling popcorn and burgers. (603) 239-4054, northfielddrivein.com.
Puzzled Escape Games, Easthampton
Taking the theme of “escape” a little more literally, Puzzled Escape Games offers the experience of digging for clues and solving mysterious puzzles to beat the clock and the game! Escape rooms are an interactive adventure game, where a group of people are “locked” in a room and have to solve a multi-step mystery using clues found only in the room in order to “escape,” usually within an hour. Puzzled Escape Games in Easthampton has two mystery puzzle rooms. In the first, a professor of the occult has gone missing, last seen in his study. Mysteriously a coworker, several police officers, and a maid have also gone missing while searching the room. You and your team must find out what happened to them or you too might go missing! In the second game, your trip south of the border has taken a turn for the worse, and you find yourself trapped in a drug kingpin’s secret lair. You must escape in an hour to avoid an unpleasant fate. (Okay, nothing bad is actually going to happen to you if you don’t make it out in a hour, but it’s way more fun to pretend that there is!) You can play with 2-8 people, though the more people the easier it may be to solve the game. To play, it’s $25 per person and it’s recommended you book a puzzle ahead of time. You don’t want to show up and wait an hour for someone else to finish. Though, if you did, Puzzled Escape Games is located in the Eastworks Building, 116 Pleasant St., which has lots of stores and restaurants ato visit. (413) 203-5519, puzzledescapegames.com.
That’s the Spot: SpasEscape sore muscles with a trip to one of the area’s numerous spas. East Heaven, in Northampton, is a great place to relax in the Pioneer Valley, as it features not only great massages and facials, but also indoor or outdoor private hot tubs. Half hour tubs start at $25 a person. (413) 587-0000, eastheaven.com.
If you are looking for a relaxing massage, but don’t have a lot of money, the Massage School, in Easthampton, has you covered. Advanced students training to be masseurs need willing participants on whom to practice their techniques. For $30 you could be a very happy guinea pig for a full hour. I have gotten several massages from the Massage School, and each one has been excellent. The students are well-trained and take any direction you give them. The only downside is that you’re in a room with several other masseurs and their clients, but for $30I would say it’s well worth it. The Massage school has options for inexpensive student rubdowns on Fridays, Sundays, and Wednesdays. Call for an appointment. (413) 529- 2900, themassageschool.org/clinic.
If you’re looking for a little more than just a massage or a soak, check out the highly-rated Brooks & Butterfield Day Spa in Northampton. Founded in 2001, Brooks & Butterfield has a well-educated staff that is passionate about wellness. (413) 586-0366, brooksandbutterfield.com.
Mind Body Skin spa in West Springfield is another great place to go. This spa offers all the traditional facials and massages, but also includes full body skin/muscle rejuvenation treatments, including mud baths, reiki, and body wraps. (413) 734-7470, mindbodyandskin.com.
Sportsman’s Marina Boat RentalEscape the heat with a relaxing day of boating on the Connecticut River with no boat necessary. Sportsman’s Marina Boat Rental Co. in Hadley offers canoe, kayaks, pontoon boats, and even fishing boats for half days (4 hours) or full days (8 hours). Water craft rentals start at $35. Sportsman’s, by the Coolidge Bridge, has its own launch site and staff can offer guidance on the best routes to take on the river depending on your chosen activity. Grab some buds and your sunscreen and enjoy a hot day on a cool river. (413) 584 7141, smihadley.com.
Euphoria Float Spa, NorthamptonFloat tanks are quickly becoming a new craze, and if you’ve never tried one I can’t recommend it enough. If you haven’t heard of float tanks bear with me. Float tanks, devised in (yes, you guessed it) the late ’60s are pools filled with exactly body-temperature water with an extremely high salt-content. This means that it is effortless to float on the water, some people even say they enjoy sleeping in it! You can choose to keep the lights on or off. With the water at exactly your body temperature, and the salt keeping you buoyant without effort you will experience the sense of absolute weightlessness. It is one of the most relaxing sensations imaginable, and you can use the time to meditate or just relax. There are also many physical benefits to the experience as floating is perhaps one of the only times you can experience absolutely no strain or pressure on any part of your body. I was skeptical when I first tried a float, especially because I’m usually a bit of the restless and claustrophobic type. I didn’t expect just how weightless I would feel, and once I shut off the lights I couldn’t even tell I was in a small space. I have always had trouble meditating, but with the aid of weightlessness, darkness and relaxing music, I found it no trouble at all. When I got out I was totally blissed-out and my body felt stretched and rejuvenated. The float center in Northampton also offers facials and skin care services if you would like to extend the relaxation. Floats start at $65 for 60 minutes. (413) 586- 8086, euphoriafloat.com.
