Great site for birding! The all persons trail is handicapped accessible and suitable for all…read moreability levels

It didn't matter that it was 2° up in the Berkshires- because all hubs (and I) wanted to do is trek…read morefor a bit- even if we called it a day in 15 minutes because of the numb-feeling temperature. Hubs had located one of the many, many, many trails within the the area In Lenox and noticed the Yokun trail. Be warned though and drive slow to get here- as some roads in the area are insanely narrow right next to dropping woody hillsides. Breathe. From the little bit we experienced, trails around the area offer walking and hiking options to suit all levels. Even though we were suited up for the trek, it was still freezing and difficult to walk on the cracked ice so we cut our walk short. Real short. We ventured a bit more and drove to the main office where Rosie(y?) helped and answered all our questions. We liked it here- but I'm sure it's magnificent in the Spring and Summer mostly where you can see all the lushness and some wildlife. What I also liked about Yokun Trail is that it's well-formed and signposted. You could try to tackle and get to the tallest peaks in the area to see the beautiful landscape- but for that, hubs and I will wait for better temperature to explore more of the wilderness.

We had an amazing experience at Silver Bear. The owner Pete was so inviting and we laughed non stop…read moreat his stories. His engineering knowledge and background was refreshing. The level of care he had in his product was uncompromising. The tasting flight was only $4 and cocktails only $8. We had so much fun chatting it up and tasting everything. Got a few cocktails and even their award winning Berkshire stormy. Loved the bar and it had a little speakeasy feel because it's so hidden. A must visit when in western Massachusetts. We will be back!

What a great find!! We were in town for a family reunion and happened to stumble upon this…read moredistillery with my cousins, then we made it a family affair. The couple that owns the place was so nice and very accommodating. We opted in for the tasting and then went on to try about every drink on their menu. They were all delicious!! If I am ever in the area I will definitely be back. We wound up taking some bottles back to TX and CA as souvenirs!

This small cider/winery is an excellent stop on your tour through the Berkshires. They have some…read moreinventive ciders and wines that don't follow the "rules" of flavor profiles. Using grapes shipped from CA and mixing with apples crown on site, this small batch operation is a delightful stop. Specifically, I want to shout out our wine guide who took us through several of their wines. She made our experience there memorable with her amazing personality, charm, and humor. The space is small but offers a variety of options to hang out and enjoy their wines and ciders - inside by the fireplace, outside on the screen porch, or outdoors on the patio. We loved our time at Hilltop and hope to return.

Sara is the best! She is friendly and very knowledgeable about all of the wines. We loved the…read moreunique flavors and the story behind them all. Once we had tasted a bunch and decided on a glass she suggested that we take a walk through the Orchard up to the top of the hill, which was so peaceful and scenic. Of course we got a few bottles to go and the delicious donuts. We would love to come back.

I'm so glad we found Tour with Donovan after searching for tours of the wineries in the Hudson…read moreValley. Donovan is awesome. Very professional, listened to what we wanted, then took us to three wineries that were fantastic. Each winery had its own unique character and the wines were spot on, as well the spirits in the last one we went to. Donovan's van was very clean, well air conditioned, and had all the amenities needed to go from one winery to the next. He's very knowledgeable of the area, well prepared, and an all around fun and great guy. He picked us up at our hotel at Marriott Courtyard Poughkeepsie and after the tour dropped us off at the Beacon Train station it really worked out very well. We'll be gathering a group of friends and hopefully do another tour in the fall or before Christmas. For sure we will pick Tour with Donovan again! Thanks Donovan!

My 8 friends and I took a 5 and a half hour tour with Donovan and it was beyond perfect. Donovan…read moreworked with me on planning the entire itinerary and made sure we were visiting wineries I'd never been to before that would fit the type of vibe I was looking for, since I was the birthday girl. Donovan set up each reservation so I had to do nothing but, book my trip with him and when he arrived he even had champagne and bottled water for us! At each stop Donovan made sure that we were treated like royalty. He didn't just drop us off, he got out with us and set us all up comfortably at each winery even going out of his way to get ice for our wine and helping us choose the best reviewed wines at each stop. Then Donovan even took pictures of our group at each stop and then sent them all to me to make sure I had memories of our trip. Donovan's vehicle was clean and well taken care of. All 9 of us fit comfortably with room for a few more. He was so hospitable and so much fun to hang out with on our drive to each stop. He played the music we liked and kept us laughing the entire time. I can't say enough about Donovan. I would definitely recommend him 100%.

Really lovely and understated estate/museum to visit in an area rich in those, Chesterwood is…read moredefinitely worth a visit. Daniel Chester French was the sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial, and there's a smaller version of the famous sculpture here in his studio. The house he resided in is well-maintained and is quite lovely. The tour guide was informative and friendly. The house tour is worth the admission but the views of the valley puts it over. The garden where the studio is has a nice fountain. I had to leave just before the end of the tour. With the tour, try to have at least a couple of hours so you can get the full feel of the estate.

I was up in the Berkshires the other week and found out about Chesterwood whilst searching online…read morefor music and poetry events. Turns out they had an hour long poetry reading event curated by Voices of Poetry, an amazing poetry group run by Neil Silberblatt. I drive in, parked in the free lot, bought a ticket in the main building and explored for a bit before the event began. The poetry reading featured Chard di Niord (poet laureate of Vermont), Patrick Donnelly (director of the Poetry Center at the Frost Place), Shanta Lee (recipient of the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts), Hilde Weisert, winner, 2017 Gretchen Warren Award (New England Poetry Club) & 2016 Tiferet Journal Poetry Award. Every single poet was super talented and covered a large range of topics. Now I've been to my fair share of poetry readings however the talent and environment here really set this one apart. The backdrop and setting of the grounds is absolutely gorgeous. There is a short trail that you can hike and also plenty of beautiful walking paths, with plenty of sculptures, artwork, fountains and incredible trees/flowers for your viewing pleasure.

It is a sunny day today. After breakfast, I took a nice walk with my family down to this beautiful…read morelake trail. This is a very local hidden gem. You will not be able to find it unless you get a local as the tour guide. The best way to go down to diesel lake, is to go down to the lake streets all the way to the end of the lake street. Then turn right go into the fourth Street. In the corner of Lake Street and fourth Street you will see the entrance of the lake. It's a good trail to just walk around the lake or do some jogging in the morning if you are in the neighborhood.

I am sorry to be writing this letter but feel I have no choice. The repair work that was done on my…read moreRuth Duckworth sculpture is extremely disappointing and frankly unacceptable. I went into this with realistic expectations. I did not expect to see a completely invisible restoration, but when I finally had the opportunity to inspect the "restored" piece I was shocked by how crude the work was. The section that was reattached does not align properly with the section it had been broken off from, at the joint line they are two different heights. The wide and boldly visible bond line between the two sections is very distracting and its surface is irregular and unsightly At the edge where the two pieces connect there is an open area that's missing material. I have shown images to two longtime museum restoration experts I know and asked for their opinion. They were reluctant to critique another restorer's work but in spite of their professional reticence one said, "That this could look much better." The other restorer noted "it should have been possible to achieve a far less visible (though not invisible) joint." I came to the Williamstown Art Conservation Center after speaking with other restorers who said the size and weight of the sculpture put the job beyond their comfort zones. The poor quality of repair work displayed on the Duckworth seems to indicate that the Williamstown team should have said the same. It would have saved me a great deal of time and money as well as avoiding WACC having a very unhappy customer. Now I need to find a more knowledgeable person who will first have to undo the work the Williamstown team has done before they can improve and bring the sculpture to a presentable condition. The Williamstown Art Conservation Center has an excellent reputation, but this very disappointing repair certainly does not live up to it. Douglas Heller Heller Gallery NYC

From the owner: Williamstown Art Conservation Center is a nonprofit institution for the conservation and…read morepreservation of artworks and objects of cultural heritage. WACC provides the highest standards of professional service in all areas of treatment and consultation for museums and other nonprofit organizations as well as private institutions, businesses, and individuals throughout New England and the Northeast. WACC also co-founded and operates the Atlanta Art Conservation Center to serve institutions and individuals in the South.

Fun destination. We headed down the road to a different winery but ended up hanging out here. The…read moretasting room and cider donuts were a nice surprise meandering the Berkshires byways. The apple orchard was lovely to look at too. We tried a tasting flight of wines and had a friendly conversation with Michael. Many of the grape varietals were unknown to me. As a wine enthusiast it was challenging to appreciate the fruit styles. Also tasted ciders and thought many of the ciders were on the bone dry & tart. All in all, it was fun and educational. The gift shop has lots of jams, fresh pies and many other items, plus the best ever cider donuts! Donuts alone are worth the trip!! A new sitting area out back was a nice touch, loved the wood plank walls. It's a great place to visit.

Amazing Orchard / Cidery | Winery in The Berkshires. David and Sara are the best! Wonderful place…read moreto have some fresh cider donuts and a tasting with friends by the fire

I went on one of Steve Brill's foraging tours as part of a company outing and can't stop telling…read moreeveryone I know they need to go on one too! He really involved and engaged our large group. His jokes, drawings, and knowledge really made the tour entertaining, informative, and memorable! Not only did he share which plants were edible but different ways you could cook with them when you brought them home. I'm already looking to book another tour so I can bring my family!

I booked a tour on a whim, my husband and I had such a great time exploring sunken meadow with…read moreSteve, that we booked another tour for the next weekend. Steve is so funny, and also incredibly knowledgeable. We learned so much about a variety of different locally growing plants and edible vegetables. We were lucky to find a small bunch of wood ear mushrooms after the rain. I will definitely be foraging with Steve again in the near future.