Best place to grab a bite: We loved The Hub (413-662-2500) in North Adams, located down the street from MASS MoCA. The food was easy and tasty and the beers cold and cheap — perfect after an afternoon of hiking and museum-going.
One local delicacy: The Berkshires are known for their maple syrup; most shops in the towns carry plenty of local varieties.
Cost: The hiking is free, of course, and a night in a bed and breakfast will generally run you anywhere from $100-$500.
Don’t forget to pack your hiking boots — as well as your opera glasses — when visiting the Berkshires. Nestled in western Massachusetts, and just 2.5 hours from New York City, the Berkshires offer some of the best outdoor activities on the East Coast as well as a ton of cultural opportunities — we’re talking museums, historic sites, music festivals, dance venues and galleries.
Why go now?
You’ll be able to miss the hoards of leaf-peepers who descend on the area in early fall to partake in peak leaf-peeping season, while still being able to catch the last bit of colorful foliage — and the weather is still pleasant for day hikes.
It’s my first time there. What should I do?
Check out the region’s Web site, www.berkshires.org, where you’ll find plenty of itineraries for first-timers. You can’t go wrong with booking a room for two nights at a bed and breakfast (most of which are super quaint) and then plan small hikes in the morning, followed by beautiful drives in the afternoon through the small villages that make up the Berkshires (most of which possess great antiquing, restaurants, and cultural activities).
I’ve been before. What should I see this time?
It’s time you visited MASS MoCA in North Adams —one of the world’s premier centers for making and showing the best art of our time. Right now you can catch their new show “You Art What You Eat,” about artists who are working with food (good for kids and adults). There’s also a retrospective on Sol LeWitt and the works of Brooklyn-based painter George Cochrane.
Where’s the best place to take a hike?
Hike where Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau and Herman Melville used to climb to gaze upon the Housatonic River Valley at Monument Mountain in Great Barrington. Mount Greylock State Reservation in Adams boasts the highest point in Massachusetts, and has trails for all fitness levels — even for the kiddies.
