Just 20 minutes west of the City of Worcester is Spencer, Massachusetts. Incorporated in 1753, the town’s population was about 12,000 as of the 2010 census, and covers 34 square miles.

Our first stop was the Black Baer Bakery.  Owner and baker Brittany Vincent showed us how she makes her famous blueberry hand pies.  And boy, were they scrumptious! She works out of her home and sells her baked good from a stand outside on Saturday mornings.  Cars line up down the street to make sure they get her delightful treats!

Spencer has a rich history, and was an important stop along the Old Boston Post Road for early travelers. Several Franklin markers have been preserved along the route. Mary Baker Wood gave us an overview of the town’s history. We also visited several historic monuments while exploring Spencer, including the Bemis Memorial Park.

We stopped for lunch at Kostas along with Meghan Parsons, who was interviewing us for Spectrum One News. Kostas is a favorite breakfast and lunch spot for locals. We enjoyed a huge chicken salad, while Meghan indulged in a dessert-like crepe plate!

Royal Crest Farm invited us over to check out their livestock and country store, which has a wide variety of products, many of which are made locally, along with their own meats and freeze-dried fruits – and Skittles!  Who knew!

After all of the great reviews we saw on Facebook, we couldn’t leave Spencer without stopping at Dippin Donuts and getting a donut to take home. In our travels, we stopped at Howe State Park and enjoyed the scenery.

Amy, owner of the Spencer Country Inn, invited us over to give us a tour of this historic building. The Inn is a beautiful spot for weddings and other functions, but also brimming with artifacts and pictures of historic people and places.

John Stevens is the owner and chief blacksmith at Dancing Hammer Forge and Studio. He showed us how he forges beautiful leaves from small chunks of metal, then attaches them to a gate that he is making for a customer.  We can’t wait to see the finished product!

The next stop was with Jim Devereaux at the Oakwood Farm Christmas Barn. What a feast for the eyes!  There were ornaments everywhere we turned, even on the ceiling! Many of them were “enhanced” by Jim, and they were truly unique.

We made our way over to Thibault’s Country Store to meet with owner Jim Ingalls. Another truly unique shop with many hand made crafts from local artisans and many hints of history.

Our day ended with dinner at the Black and White Grille and Pizzeria.  We were told not to miss the God Father Pizza, and it didn’t disappoint!

We hated to see out time in Spencer come to an end, but we sure did have fun!