I'm visiting my Alma mater, UMass Amherst in 4 day if the weather forecast holds.
Next week, Wednesday to Friday. It's a 2 hour drive out to Umass Amherst and two nights in the Campus Center hotel. Nostalgia tour. Just me and my camera. I was Class of 1984 for undergrad.
The convenience of driving I can bring 10 different types of fleece and coats, shoes, hats.
The weather forecast at this time is a bit windy and not a lot of sun but if I delay a week I'd guess there is a 50% chance it will be worse and later in the spring my wife needs to go to Canada for a couple weeks.
I have until Monday at 3pm to change my hotel reservations. If the forecast doesn't get significantly worse I'm going.
Wednesday
A chance of rain before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northwest wind 13 to 17 mph.
Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Northwest wind 11 to 15 mph.
Friday
A chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. West wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
I've been looking forward to doing this for a really long time.
I'm planning for as much walking around and I can fit in.
In the photo below I lived in the dorms on the top left of the photo. Orchard Hill. It was quite a hill. Freshman and Sophomore years.
Many of my classes were in the School of Management, in the foreground. When I was there only that center rectangular section and the two auditoriums attached existed. They've added those huge newer sections on each end since I was there.
Junior and Senior years I lived in that house in the center right just past the school of management. At the time it was a disbanded frat house full of around 30 boarders including me. My old room is in the middle of the middle floor obscured by a tree. The Newman Center is just next to it. The cafe was very convenient. But I did have classes in other buildings around campus.
I wouldn't be surprised of this photo is next to exactly the weather I'll have next week. Also the right season.
A view from Orchard Hill looking down onto the Campus. Getting down to campus was easy and fabulous on a bicycle.
Getting back up was a real chore. Very much nicer looking in the summer.
From junior and Senior year I didn't spend much time at the rooming house but on campus at the Library, (Tall brick building) Student Union and Campus Center just beyond the pond.
The large white building just right of the Campus Center didn't exist back then.
They also just added to and rebuilt much of the student union which is between campus center and the library. This is the old looking building.
This photo looks like nearly the end of summer but before Fall semester starts due to the lack of people in the photo.
My last two years while in grad school I lived in a house that's just left of the Southwest high rise Dorms. That pointy roof may actually be the house but I can't really tell.
I walked this view almost every day for 6 years.
I want to walk all the routes that I took while I was there. Also visit the School of Management, Newman Center, old chapel ( which I have never been inside. It has been a secular building for I think at least 100 years.) the student union, the Library tower and especially the Campus Center which is also the hotel.
My last visit was only for a couple hours to take the tour as they looked at schools. February 2019.
I'll report back how well the trip goes. My first overnight in almost 37 years.
Next week, Wednesday to Friday. It's a 2 hour drive out to Umass Amherst and two nights in the Campus Center hotel. Nostalgia tour. Just me and my camera. I was Class of 1984 for undergrad.
The convenience of driving I can bring 10 different types of fleece and coats, shoes, hats.
The weather forecast at this time is a bit windy and not a lot of sun but if I delay a week I'd guess there is a 50% chance it will be worse and later in the spring my wife needs to go to Canada for a couple weeks.
I have until Monday at 3pm to change my hotel reservations. If the forecast doesn't get significantly worse I'm going.
Wednesday
A chance of rain before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northwest wind 13 to 17 mph.
Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Northwest wind 11 to 15 mph.
Friday
A chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. West wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
I've been looking forward to doing this for a really long time.
I'm planning for as much walking around and I can fit in.
In the photo below I lived in the dorms on the top left of the photo. Orchard Hill. It was quite a hill. Freshman and Sophomore years.
Many of my classes were in the School of Management, in the foreground. When I was there only that center rectangular section and the two auditoriums attached existed. They've added those huge newer sections on each end since I was there.
Junior and Senior years I lived in that house in the center right just past the school of management. At the time it was a disbanded frat house full of around 30 boarders including me. My old room is in the middle of the middle floor obscured by a tree. The Newman Center is just next to it. The cafe was very convenient. But I did have classes in other buildings around campus.
I wouldn't be surprised of this photo is next to exactly the weather I'll have next week. Also the right season.
A view from Orchard Hill looking down onto the Campus. Getting down to campus was easy and fabulous on a bicycle.
Getting back up was a real chore. Very much nicer looking in the summer.
From junior and Senior year I didn't spend much time at the rooming house but on campus at the Library, (Tall brick building) Student Union and Campus Center just beyond the pond.
The large white building just right of the Campus Center didn't exist back then.
They also just added to and rebuilt much of the student union which is between campus center and the library. This is the old looking building.
This photo looks like nearly the end of summer but before Fall semester starts due to the lack of people in the photo.
My last two years while in grad school I lived in a house that's just left of the Southwest high rise Dorms. That pointy roof may actually be the house but I can't really tell.
I walked this view almost every day for 6 years.
I want to walk all the routes that I took while I was there. Also visit the School of Management, Newman Center, old chapel ( which I have never been inside. It has been a secular building for I think at least 100 years.) the student union, the Library tower and especially the Campus Center which is also the hotel.
My last visit was only for a couple hours to take the tour as they looked at schools. February 2019.
I'll report back how well the trip goes. My first overnight in almost 37 years.