A Walk Through Small Town Americana- A Pictoral View of Downtown Amherst

A nice refreshing walk with my daughter and the dog on Memorial Day weekend was a bigger reflection of small town Americana which still exists in pockets of the US of A. From your local watering hole, to small shops and restaurants and even the art and architecture that reflects a town rich in history, culture and down to earth folks.

Down South Main Street, there is a large dip in the road where the keen eye can spot a beautiful view of Beaver Creek, surrounded by spring's promise of a beautiful summer (courtesy: Cheyenne)

Near the top of the hill, Old Stone United Methodist Church, a definite marker of Amherst's sandstone claim to fame:

Heading into town, many century homes built in Amherst's infancy still stand. The railroad, which still has operable tracks and regular train traffic serves as a line defining residential from commercial:

The Americana feel of downtown leads off with markers commemorating those that have died in the wars and allows those to reflect on sacrifice and service to those who are no longer with us.

The House of Government Overreach, I mean City Hall, is beautiful age old architecture that changes with the seasons. From Santa Claus and lights in the Winter, to Halloween decor in the Fall, the summer is also the place where city council legislates away your rights, such as how many chickens you are allowed to have on your property and other oppressive measures based on political correct attitudes that change this once free city into a land of the controlled.

With the quarries which led to settlement and the farming that grew its community, Amherst's Historical Marker of the Sandstone Capital of the World was officially recognized in 2005.

I'm guessing before the popularity of television and radio, this may have been the spot where the mayor gave speeches to keep those up to date on current events and possibly even speeches for candidacy:

And yes, Cooper, I think you are more than qualified to run for office. Let's hear your platform.

If you are in Amherst and want to pick up some quality wine or beer (and they have the best deals, by the way) this is the spot you want to go, located right at the five corners. My daughter and I used to stop in every Saturday morning after her ballet class and they'd give her a free donut. Folks in this place are friendly and definitely know the products they sell, from fine wines, pick your own six pack microbrews, high end cigars and even discount cases for 12.50, this is the place to go.

Next door, Cole's Public House is a higher end pub and eatery, with a GREAT chef and quality brews. Between the fine interior decor and the outdoor patio, not a bad place for a beer and a burger.

The place that I always go, because the people and owner are AWESOME, is the Party Shop. Offering wine, beer, smokes and candy (Cheyenne's favorite place) the down home feel of the personal service and friendliness keeps this place in the hearts of Amherst.

Oh, and Cooper doesn't let me pass the place either, because every time we go in, the person at the counter gives him a little jerky treat. So, yes, dog friendliness is also a great selling point of this place.

Got a hot date and want to impress her with great food and great suds? Yes, Amherst opened up a Brew Kettle last winter. Between their beautiful interior stonework, heated patio with outdoor flatscreens and fantastic eats, this place serves as a one stop shop for romantic dinners, sports pub and casual lunch spot.

If you want to hit up the movies without busting your budget and don't want to have to sneak in food, the Amherst Cinema is the way to go. Showing new movies (Guardians of the Galaxy II is awesome, btw), they only run around $4.50 a ticket no matter the time and all you can eat popcorn tubs are around 5 bucks.

Home of the Browns backers and a fun atmosphere, Ziggy's has been pumping out quality on-tap microbrews and a nice menu for decades. This is another option for sports fans as well as casual dining.

Do you like karaoke, discount brews and good conversation? Stop into the Captain's Club for a brew and test out those vocal cords!

On the other side of the Captain's Club, some mural art by local artist Mike Sekletar can be seen, beautifying the city and adding to the character of Amherst:

For the more high end dining experience (if you really want to impress the wife), stop into Cork's, a fine dining and wine tasting experience. Located just inside the five points.

And yes, like every true small town, you have to have that place where the old folks can discuss current events and others get real talk and real good prices on a good meal: the small diner, Quarry Cafe.

With all this architecture, culture and great dining, there has to be someone to capture the images (way better than I've done, lol). I'd recommend Jason Shaffer photography. I've known the guy for years, works persistently to get the best shots and film developed and is a local photographer in the area who truly believes in the success of downtown Amherst. The one to go to if you want quality work.

Well, that was an exhausting walk! It's pretty hot outside and I'm getting hungry. Gotta stop home and drop the dog off so I can hit up one of these eateries!