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Activities, Art, Cellular Automata, Design, Inquiry, Lifestyle, New York, Travel, ◆◆◆

Inquiry: World’s Largest Kaleidoscope

September 24, 2017 Kristi Leave a comment

Mount Tremper, NY | World’s Largest Kaleidoscope – While staying at the Emerson Resort and Spa one of their biggest features is a silo that has been converted into a kaleidoscope show. The show is an interactive display of light, sound and form and tells the story of the universe through this. The display was created by a local film firm in NYC and by two artists. After the show, you find yourself in a gift shop fill of different kaleidoscopes ranging from all sizes and prices. The team at Emerson gifted me a travel-sized kaleidoscope that I now keep on my kitchen table. Not only is it a feast for the eyes, but this experience has inspired me a bit in my own photography.

The above image was taken through a triangle tubular piece and had a mandala panting on the back wall. This image is pretty cool and makes me wonder if I can recreate the effect by creating a kaleidoscope lens. Throughout the shop there were interactive displays where you can look through kaleidoscopes and spin a bowl of marbles to create your own visuals. This activity is complimentary for guests.

Exploration, New York, Travel, ◆◆◆

Exploration: Relax in the Mountains

September 23, 2017 Kristi Leave a comment

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MOUNT TREMPER, NY – Relax in the splendor of the Catskill Mountains & Hudson Valley in mind. Woodstock, NY is just a throws away and unlocks music history. After a hectic month, I was excited to take a short break in the Castkills hills of New York. Just shy of two and a half hours from Northampton, MA, it made for an easy getaway. In the last several years, this region in particular is going through a bit of a metamorphosis as far as tourism goes. There’s plenty to do in the region if hiking isn’t your thing. I often tend to forget this, as I’m not much of a hiker myself, but it truly is the best way to see the mountains up close and personal. In addition to hiking, the area is known as the ‘birth place of fly fishing’ and on a warm summer day you will often see cars pulled over on bubbling creeks and their drivers wading in the river beds.

If hiking or fishing isn’t your thing, the area is strong in agritourism – a branch of agriculture that combines travel and food production, as a way to promote the produce of farmers in a given area. But there’s plenty to do in the outdoor and seasonal department. The region is known for it’s plethora of striking fall foliage and spectacular scenic drives.

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Excursions, Exploration, New York, Travel, ◆◆◆

Exploration: Crystal Connection

August 27, 2017 Kristi 2 Comments

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NEW PALTZ, NY – This weekend I traveled to New Paltz, NY to visit a few places I had read about recently. One of these places is the Crystal Connection. They had a couple of psychic and intuitive readers who did aura photography. After building my life for the last 3.5 years on it’s cousin (Kirlian Photography), I am very excited to have finally done this. I will do a separate blog post on this based on my experience!

Tomorrow, I plan on checking out of the New Paltz Hostel and head to Woodstock. I am also experimenting on how to shoot a travel vlog, so I will be getting some shots.

New Paltz was founded in 1678 by French Huguenots settlers, including Louis DuBois, who had taken refuge in Mannheim, Germany, for a brief period of time, being married there in 1655, before emigrating to the Dutch colony of New Netherland in 1660 with his family. Mannheim was a major town of the Palatinate (in German, the Pfalz), at the time a center of Protestantism. The settlers lived in Wiltwyck (present day Kingston, NY) and in 1677 purchased a patent for the land surrounding present day New Paltz from a Lenape tribe known as the Esopus.

The people of Mannheim use a dialect form of the name Pfalz without the “f”, pronouncing it “Paltz.” Records of the New Paltz Reformed Church, which was formed in 1683, show the name of the settlement was first expressed not in German, nor in English, but in French: Nouveau Palatinat.[citation needed] The community was governed by a kind of corporation called the Duzine, referring to the twelve partners who acquired the royal patent. That form of government continued well past the time of the American Revolution, by special action of the New York State legislature.

The 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) or so of the patent, stretching to the Hudson River and augmented soon by the other patents on the south, were eventually divided among those twelve partners, their relatives, and a few friends into large plots – part wilderness and part farm. The farms were grouped principally around the heights west and east of the Wallkill River. The commercial center serving the agricultural base was located on the east shore of the Wallkill River, in the area where the first settlers had built their shelters. The street is now known as Huguenot Street. (wiki)

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Activities, Connecticut, Excursions, Exploration, New England, ◆◆◆

Exploration: NE Balloon Festival

July 30, 2017 Kristi Leave a comment

GOSHEN, CT – I had been meaning to make a post of about this! But not much happened, so I wasn’t sure how to tell the story. July 9th, I traveled to Goshen, CT to meet up with a bunch of GLT sisters/members. GLT is Girls LOVE Travel®, a professional Facebook organization, nearly of 400,000 women who love to travel. They have chapters throughout the world for meet ups and gatherings, and there was a New England chapter. I decided one Sunday to travel an hour and a half to Goshen, CT to meet up with about 6 of us who met up at the festival.

Biophilia, Blog, Excursions, Massachusetts, New England, ◆◆◆

Activities: Mushroom Walk

June 30, 2017 Kristi Leave a comment

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Last Sunday, I went on my second mushroom walk. Unfortunately, it was cut short due to unexpected rain. A member of our group did find black American truffles, though. Next walk won’t be until Sunday, July 16th.

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Activities, Biophilia, Excursions, Massachusetts, New England, ◆◆◆

Activities: Mushroom Walk

June 24, 2017 Kristi 1 Comment

WEST CHESTERFIELD, MA – Last Sunday I went on my first mushroom walk with the Pioneer Valley Mycological Society! It was great meeting like-minded people and getting to know the area a bit. We went to Chesterfield Gorge in West Chesterfield. It’s about 35 minutes from work. I actually ran into someone from work who went on the walk as well. Below are the mushroom species that we found during the walk. It was overall pretty uneventful.

Here is the list of the 45 fungi species found on the June 11 PVMA walk at Chesterfield Gorge: GILLED: Agrocybe acericola, Agrocybe praecox, Gymnopilus sapineus, Gymnopus dryophilus, Hebeloma sp., Inocybe sp., Inocybe calamistrata, Laccaria longipes, Mycena sp., Mycena haematopus, Mycens leaiana, Pluteus sp., Pluteus cervinus, Psathyrella sp., Rickenella fibula BOLETE_LIKE: Leccinum scabrum, Suillus granulatus CORALS: Artomyces pyxidatus PUFFBALLS: Lycoperdon perlatum JELLY: Dacrymyces chrysospermus, Horomyces aurantiacus POLYPORES & STEREUMS: Cerioporus varius, Fomes fomentarius, Fomitopsis betulinus, Ganoderma megaloma, Ganoderma tsugae, Hymenochaetopsis olivacea, Irpex lacteus, Neofavolus alveolaris, Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, Stereum complicatum, Stereum ostrea, Trichaptum abietinum, Trichaptum biforme, Tyromyces chioneus, ASCOMYCETES: Annulohypoxylon fragiforme, Chlorociboria aeruginascens, Cudonia circinans, Kretzschmaria deusta, Xylaria hypoxylon, Xylaria polymorpha: SLIME MOLDS: Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa var. poroides, Lycagola epidendrum, Stemonitis sp.

Activities, Excursions, Exploration, New England, Vermont, ◆◆◆

Exploration: High Meadows Farm

April 20, 2017 Kristi 3 Comments

This week I started a full-time job as a graphic designer at River Valley Co-op! I’m super excited to start this next chapter in my life! The job is also in a town/region that I love. This week has been a whirlwind of understanding and learning about the co-op life. For example, today my manager and I went to High Meadows Farm and did a photoshoot for their advertising and rebranding. I took behind-the-scnes photos which you can see below. So today’s activity post is inspired by my new job!

Discover Local

If you are vacationing in a rural/country region one unique activity to do is visit the local farms and learn about what products they have to offer. Below’s list is from CISA – Community Involved Sustainable Agriculture.

FARM	WHAT’S GROWING	DISTRIBUTION	TOWN
Barberic Farm	Herbs, Dairy + Eggs, Meat, Spreads, Specialty, Baked Goods, Dry Goods, Fiber, Breeding Stock	Farmers Markets	Shelburne 1 mi
Johnson Hill Farm	Herbs, Family Fun		Buckland 2 mi
The Atherton Farm	Vegetables, Herbs, Nursery + Flowers, Grains + Feeds, Specialty integrated pest mgmt	Farmers Markets, Farm Stand	Buckland 3 mi
Kenburn Orchards	Fruit, Nursery + Flowers, Family Fun	Farm Stand, PYO	Shelburne 3 mi
Wheel-View Farm	Meat, Nursery + Flowers, Pet Food, Breeding Stock	Farm Stand	Shelburne 3 mi
Spring Water Farm	Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, Wood, Nursery + Flowers, Spreads, Specialty, Baked Goods, Fiber, Family Fun chemical-free	Farmers Markets, Farm Stand, Restaurants, Wholesale	Ashfield 3 mi
Pioneer Valley Popcorn	Dry Goods	Restaurants, Wholesale	Shelburne 3 mi
Hart Farm	Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, Honey + Maple, Dairy + Eggs, Meat, Nursery + Flowers, Beverages, Specialty chemical-free	Farmers Markets	Conway 3 mi
E & J Scott Orchard	Fruit, Vegetables, Dairy + Eggs, Wood, Beverages, Breeding Stock	Farm Stand	Buckland 3 mi
Apex Orchards profiled farm	Fruit, Vegetables, Honey + Maple, Nursery + Flowers, Specialty, Family Fun integrated pest mgmt	Delivery, Pickup, Farmers Markets, Farm Stand, PYO, Restaurants, Schools, Wholesale	Shelburne 4 mi
Graves-Glen Farm	Honey + Maple, Nursery + Flowers, Grains + Feeds	Farm Stand	Shelburne 4 mi
Pine Hill Orchards	Fruit, Vegetables, Beverages, Family Fun	Delivery, Pickup, Farm Stand, PYO, Schools, Wholesale	Colrain 4 mi
Wilder Brook Farm	Vegetables, Honey + Maple, Dairy + Eggs, Nursery + Flowers chemical-free	CSA	Charlemont 4 mi
Wilder Hill Gardens	Fruit, Vegetables, Nursery + Flowers, Specialty	Farm Stand, PYO	Conway 4 mi
Foxbard Farm	Meat, Wood, Grains + Feeds	Farm Stand	Shelburne 4 mi
Open View Farm	Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, Meat, Fiber, Family Fun some organic		Conway 4 mi
Shinglebrook Farm profiled farm	Meat, Nursery + Flowers, Breeding Stock		Shelburne 4 mi
The Pieropan Christmas Tree Farm profiled farm	Nursery + Flowers, Specialty		Ashfield 4 mi
Good Bunch Farm	Vegetables, Herbs chemical-free	Pickup, Farmers Markets, Restaurants, Wholesale	Conway 4 mi
K & L Organic Growers	Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, Dairy + Eggs, Nursery + Flowers, Grains + Feeds, Specialty, Dry Goods, Pet Food chemical-free	Delivery, Pickup, SideHill Farm, Pine Hill Orchards, Avery’s Market, Farm Stand, Restaurants, Wholesale	Colrain 4 mi
Stonegate Farm	Honey + Maple		Conway 4 mi
Clark Brothers Orchards, LLC	Fruit integrated pest mgmt GAP certified	Farm Stand, Wholesale	Ashfield 5 mi
New England Wild Edibles profiled farm	Vegetables some organic	Farmers Markets	Colrain 5 mi
Red Gate Farm Education Center profiled farm	Vegetables, Honey + Maple, Dairy + Eggs, Meat, Nursery + Flowers, Spreads		Buckland 5 mi
Sunrise Farms	Vegetables, Honey + Maple, Meat, Wood, Grains + Feeds, Specialty	Farmers Markets	Colrain 5 mi
East View Farm	Dairy + Eggs, Meat		Colrain 5 mi
Lyonsville Farm	Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, Dairy + Eggs, Nursery + Flowers chemical-free	CSA, Farmers Markets, CSA, Restaurants, Wholesale	Colrain 5 mi
Burnt Hill Farm	Fruit	Pickup	Heath 6 mi
Clarkdale Fruit Farms	Fruit, Vegetables, Beverages integrated pest mgmt	Farmers Markets, Farm Stand, PYO	Deerfield 6 mi
Cranston’s Tree Farm	Honey + Maple, Wood, Nursery + Flowers, Grains + Feeds, Family Fun integrated pest mgmt	Farm Stand, PYO	Ashfield 6 mi
Natural Roots	Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, Dairy + Eggs, Meat, Wood, Nursery + Flowers chemical-free	Delivery, Pickup, Farm Stand, CSA, Restaurants, Wholesale	Conway 6 mi
The Benson Place	Fruit, Spreads, Family Fun organic certified	Farm Stand, PYO	Heath 6 mi
Martin’s Farm Compost and Mulch	Nursery + Flowers organic certified	Farm Stand	Greenfield 6 mi
Whitney Acres Farm	Dairy + Eggs, Grains + Feeds, Fiber, Family Fun		Ashfield 6 mi
Bear Swamp Orchard	Fruit, Honey + Maple, Dairy + Eggs, Beverages, Wine + Liquor, Spreads, Specialty, Baked Goods, Fiber organic certified	Pickup, Farm Stand, PYO, Restaurants, Wholesale	Ashfield 6 mi
Sidehill Farm profiled farm	Dairy + Eggs, Meat, Breeding Stock some organic	Delivery, Pickup, Most Pioneer Valley CSAs, Farm Stand, Restaurants, Schools, Wholesale	Hawley 7 mi
Steady Lane Farm	Meat, Pet Food, Fiber chemical-free	Pickup, Farm Stand, CSA, Restaurants, Wholesale	Ashfield 7 mi
Bug Hill Farm	Fruit, Nursery + Flowers, Beverages, Family Fun organic certified	Farmers Markets, Farm Stand, PYO	Ashfield 7 mi
Wandering Brook Farm	Fruit, Vegetables, Grains + Feeds	PYO, Restaurants, Wholesale	Greenfield 7 mi
Boyden Brothers Maple	Honey + Maple, Nursery + Flowers, Specialty	Farm Stand	Conway 7 mi

See more here: http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farms.php?zip=01370

Snapshots

Excursions, Massachusetts, New England, ◆◆◆

Montague Book Mills

April 10, 2017 Kristi Leave a comment

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Last Thursday I had an interview at a local farm in Western Mass. I took the time afterwards to do some site seeing. Amongst my artist circle many have known about the Montague Book Mills. It is a cute converted building that – as you guessed it – used to be a book mill. Back in the day of book mills, mills in general used to be located right near riverbanks for the use of water power. Today they are often converted into restaurants, galleries and book stores. A Montague Book Mills, it was all three! There was of course a large book store, art gallery and a restaurant called Lady Killigrew.

I highly recommend checking out Montague, it may be a small town, but it does have its’ gems. Plus it’s near South Deerfield, home of Yankee Candle Co.!

Easy Getaway

This trip can totally be combined with a stop in Greenfield, South Deerfield and Montague. One of the things I love the most about Western Mass is all of the small little towns. A stop in each means you see more. Lots of interesting artistic, unique places that are gems to the Pioneer Valley. Book an Airbnb and you’ve got an inexpensive getaway. I’ve included an easy hotel map below that you can use to book your next weekend getaway.

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Montague Book Mills

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Blog, Excursions, Travel, ◆◆◆

Bethlehem, NH – Establishing Community

September 9, 2016 Kristi Leave a comment

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Establishing Community

BETHLEHEM, NH – Last Friday morning I drove 3 hours to a small rural community in Franconia National Park. Lately, New Hampshire has been in the news for the elections and the candidates who are running. The town of Franconia was also a prime spot on the campaign trail for many candidates who are running. For me, Bethlehem has as special significance as not only did I go to college in Bethlehem, PA, the famous Christmas and Steel City but I was invited to do a solo show in Bethlehem, NH. My first ever professional solo exhibition! I mean I exhibited my work in a local gift shop out near Northampton a couple of years ago, but that wasn’t nearly as professional. Coming from suburbia and city life experiencing a rural town was quite different. This trip taught me much about establishing community and bringing together what is left of a booming metropolitan. In the 1800s Bethlehem, NH was a booming metropolitan town boasting 20,000 as it was a top getaway destination for New Yokers. The town was situated right on the railroad which made an easy getaway. However after a fire that had destroyed much of the town’s hotels and establishments the town was left with 2500 people. The current residents have come together to establish a community of what was left of the town from the 1800s.

Back in June 2015, I was invited to do a solo show at 42 Maple Contemporary Art Center one of three of the remaining art centers in the town. There is a historical theater there as well the brings in performances. Being used to city life, I embraced myself for a quiet evening in the town, but the opening happened to be on labor day weekend and the residents said the town ballooned. The attendees where a nice mix of old and young and overall a great experience. One of the neat things I learned about was WREN: Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network. A community of women who have come together to help bring a sense of community to the town. The organization started in Bethlehem, NH but has branched out to help other rural communities come together. If you haven’t been to New Hampshire or anywhere where it is rural, the residents are often very spread out and it is hard to sometimes form a community. I give a shoutout to my airbnb – Rob Macintosh in Benton, NH.

Getting There

I traveled to Bethlehem, NH by car and it took about 3 hrs from Boston. I stayed a nearby Airbnb that provided breakfast and was very comfortable. It was a great way to take a weekend trip. I chatted with my host about his photography and as we were in the same business he gave me some advice.

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Snapshot Gallery

Check out the gallery below to see the photographs from my trip!

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Art, Articles, Blog, Connecticut, Lifestyle, Maine, Massachusetts, New England, New Hampshire, Passports and Grubs, Rhode Island, Travel, Vermont, ◆◆◆

New England Destination Guide

August 10, 2016 Kristi Leave a comment

New England Destination Guide

I am very excited to have connected with Tomiko Harvey at Passports and Grubs to write this New England Destination Guide! A fellow colleague – Jessie Leiber over at Little Legends Design suggested I do a New England travel guide of the places my work has taken me. Below are some places off the beaten path that are perfect for the aspiring adventurer.

In addition to being a graphic designer, I am a fine art photographer who has exhibited work in over 32 exhibitions in the last 3 years. As an avid traveller, I have made a point to go to the receptions of these exhibitions to mainly network, meet new people and see a new place. I’ve been lucky to have exhibited abroad as well as nationally and have exhibited in almost all of New England. Today, I will share with you gems that cannot be missed that I have discovered while adventuring around New England!

1. Pomfret, CT – Celebrations Gallery and Shoppes

Unfortunately the shop has since closed, but the town of Pomfret, CT is certainly a destination off the beaten path. Located in the heart of Windham County Connecticut, it is a town that boasts beautiful rolling hills and bed and breakfasts that promote a country vacation. The town it’s self is known for a strong artist and crafters community and it’s businesses are a reflection of that. While on a vacation in the country you can stop by local artistsan shops and find the local dressmaker, furniture maker, holistic health practitioners, ceramics and other unique products. One must not forget to stop by Martha’s Herbery for local greens and herbs.

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2. Beverly, MA – Cabot Street Studios

This business has since dissolved and is now Zeitgeist Gallery. I had my first studio at this location for about 6 months. I feel like Beverly often gets overshadowed a lot because Salem, MA is right next store. The tourists flock to Salem for it’s obvious charm, but Beverly, has a lot of charm of it’s own. It is a small artist and holistic practitioner community that is well connected. With Montserrat College of Art right there, it is a great resource and destination for an emerging artist.

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3. Greenfield, MA – The Boxcar Gallery

This location too has since closed (noticing a trend here??). I swear there are galleries my work has been in elsewhere that have remained open! Greenfield is a hub of commerce and culture and one of the cool things about this gallery was that yes, it was indeed an old Boxcar – turned – gallery! Also interesting to note that this particular exhibition had original works of art from JMW Turner. It was pretty cool to exhibit my work amongst a classic. Greenfield is nestled in the Hampshire County in Western MA, and a great location spring and fall – especially so to see the foliage.

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4. Cambridge, MA – Gallery 263, Kathryn Schultz Gallery, University Place Gallery

Cambridge, MA is an interesting city as it houses many famous universities, businesses and is a high tech cosmopolitan city that boasts historical charm. The combination of the past and the future provides a unique symbiosis for emerging fields in art, science and technology. Cambridge, MA has a lot of unique gems and museums to walk through; for example the Harvard Natural History Museum and the MIT Museum provide invigorating stimulation.

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5. Provincetown, MA – Gallery Ehva

This destination has a fond place in my heart because my family and I would take me to Provincetown every summer growing up. As a child, I had dreamed of exhibiting in Provincetown and finally it happened in June 2014! I had met a gallery owner through an arts festival in Provincetown and we connected and planned to exhibit my work in their upcoming show that reflected Amy Winehouse; it featured works done by my age group (20 somethings) which was rare for me. We later partied the night away in Provincetown.

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6. Bethlehem, NH – 42 Maple Contemporary Arts Center

After going to college in the infamous Christmas City in Pennsylvania, being accepted into an exhibition in Bethlehem, NH was the ultimate irony. Bethlehem, NH is very different than Bethlehem, PA especially it’s location. In New Hampshire it is situated in the middle of Franconia National Park. A location where you can see the sights and hike the mountains. My work was accepted into a show called the Bee’s Knees which promoted the depopulation of the Bee species at a location known as “The Tallest Toy Box in Town” – 42 Maple Contemporary Center.

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7. Gloucester, MA – Rocky Neck Arts Colony

Noted as the oldest artists colony in the country, Rocky Neck Arts Colony is nestled in Gloucester, MA – a charming, unique fishing town on the North Shore. The Rocky Neck Arts Colony community center is located in a renovated church in downtown Gloucester on a stretch of rocky land that sticks out into the water. There are many unique shops, galleries and restaurants to wander around. It is a nice way to spend a summer day without having to go all the way to Cape Cod.

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8. Bar Harbor, ME – MDI Biological Laboratory

This exhibition was unique as it was located at a biological laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. The exhibition was celebrating the centennial of Acadia National Park. I have heard of Bar Harbor being an excellent summer destination and with a unique combination of art and science it was a road trip not to be missed. Traveling only 5 hours from Boston, made it be an accessible getaway for the weekend. The trip was short enough where you weren’t stuck in the car all day but long enough to motivate you to stay longer. The area was magnificent with it’s scenic views and blue horizons. It’s a perfect destination for the outdoorsy and the beach goers. As an emerging artist in the field of art and science exploring the biological laboratory was a dream. It was interesting to see the scientists working there and the types of people the reception attracted.

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There you have it! The above locations have a fond place in my heart for they are slightly different than your typical country destination or even your beach community. Adventuring to these locations has been an eye-opener for me to see new sights and senses. It had never occurred to me that you can combine travel with exhibiting art, but if you make a point to attend the events it will naturally become a part of it.

Kristi Beisecker is an artist and freelance designer in Massachusetts. In her spare time she creates photograms using electricity and organic materials with analog darkroom processing. She also reads and writes about science and spirituality, composes and performs music and gives spiritual guidance.

Check her out on Social Media: instagram | twitter | facebook | pinterest

Blog, Business, Excursions, Lifestyle, Wellness, ◆◆◆

WORCESTER, MA – Gluten and Allergen Free Expo

July 25, 2016 Kristi Leave a comment

Gluten and Allergen Free Expo

WORCESTER, MA – Saturday I attended the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo. I was invited as a blogger to participate and network and cover the event. I’m not sure if this is coming from a non-gluten-free patient, but I found the event to be slightly disappointing. I am trying to translate some food items in my life because of my hypothyroid disease and found the information that I did get to be informative, but most of the booths are food-based which is great and all and was fun to taste the different gluten-free products out there. I was surprised by the quality of some of them and how some of them did taste like the ‘real thing’ (if you will). But there weren’t many informative booths. People I could actually come up and talk to without being swarmed by crowds of people wanting to taste the food. The people that were there where swamped with handing out samples, which made things to be very unapproachable. A few booths did have a spokesperson there but otherwise it was hard to network. Also definitely one of the smaller conventions I’ve been to. The Boston Travel Trade show was huge, but that was also more centered around sales and marketing so the people whom I wanted to talk to where right there. Here it was a bit different.

Regardless, I am glad I went as it did give me an eye-opener and how to approach switching gluten-based products to gluten-free ones. Below are a handful of pictures from the event.

Getting There

I travelled an hour by car from Northampton, MA to Worcester, MA. It is very close to Boston, MA as well as many other suburbs of Boston. Use the widget below to find a place to stay and you’ve got an interesting weekend trip for sure.

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