Steepletop was poet Edna St Vincent Millay's home before she passed away in 1950. According to the…read morenice man we spoke to here, the Millay Society opened the house and grounds up to the public in 2009-ish. What's here now is the house itself, which is only open for guided tours, the gardens, a small historical gallery with the poet's family tree, photographs, and heirlooms, and a Poetry Trail into the woods, leading to Millay and her family's burial site. Admission was a bit more than I expected, but I'm not sure why (why it surprised me, that is... not why it was more than I thought). Maybe it's just been a while since I've been to a historical site, but it was $10 to view the gallery and grounds; guided tours of the garden or the house would have been $16; and a combination of the two comes to $25. According to the website, reservations are required for the tours. Walking the Poetry Trail alone is free. As you come up East Hill Rd from Rte 22, you'll see the Millay Colony for the Arts on the left. That's not it. Keep going until you see the sign for the Millay Society at Steepletop. The gravel driveway is very tight, but I don't think they get a lot of traffic. There are signs directing you to the side of the house, where you enter and go up some stairs to the office. My friend and I did the gallery/grounds thing. The man working there was amazingly informative and loved to tell us everything he knew, but he was also happy to step back and let us browse on our own. The family tree that sprawled across an entire wall, though it was packed with information, seemed a little chintzy, created with printouts and typed with not always the best grammar -- a bit disappointing for an author's home. In addition to the family history, you can find books from Millay's own collection, a piano she grew up with, a couple of garments -- one real, one a replica -- and a few other family mementos. When we had fully saturated the gallery's displays and our host's brain, he pulled out a big cardboard map to show us the layout of the gardens. It wasn't until then that I realized the building we were in as not the actual Steepletop house. But it was not going to be hard to find. We memorized the map (why they don't have a version you can take with you, I have no idea) and ventured across East Hill Rd and up a soft incline to the house. All we could do was wander around the outside, but we were interested enough to do so. The Millay Society is in the process of restoring both the house and the gardens to their previous condition, and at the moment the gardens are in an odd in-between state where some bits are meticulous and well maintained and others are rustic and overgrown. But the swinging gates, the weather-stained sundial and other stone features, and grassy areas like the one that used to be a circular badminton court all still have a quaint and beautiful feel, even in their disrepair. The swimming pool has seen better days. And hopefully will see better ones to come. One intriguing stop in the garden area was Millay's writing cottage. It's small and musty and was the only building we encountered that didn't have its windows blocked from the inside, so we peeked in. A couple of desks are inside, one with a pile of papers and a composition book. The Poetry Trail is charming. It takes about 20 minutes to roam from the road to the burial area. Every so often, a passage of poetry by Millay appears on a post. The distance between poems is just right for letting the previous one sink in. Eventually we reached the burial site and found Millay and her husband Eugen Boissevain's graves easily enough. Millay's mother, sister, and brother-in-law are supposed to be there, too, but we didn't spot them right away (and it had started raining, so we weren't going to spend much time searching). Millay and Boissevain's flat gravestones were scattered with leaves and fit right into the unmanicured grove. I'm in this area once a year and might try a guided tour at some point. Whether you're a Millay fan or just Millay-curious, this little historic site is worth coming a little bit out of the way to check out.

I had a great experience at Steepletop with a very informed, very passionate guide (and I was lucky…read moreenough to be on a private tour). I did the combo tour of the house and grounds; when I called to reserve my spot, I was told this was the best way to visit, and I can't help but think she was right. The house itself is somewhat small but the outdoor space is substantial. Most of my traveling is for literary tourism and I aim to visit as many author homes as possible. Often, I'm disappointed because the tour makes it seem like any old house, rather than the home of an author. This tour guide was sure to highlight Edna St. Vincent Millay's life, her relationships, and her work. It was much better than what I call an "inventory tour" ("This is a chair!"). I even enjoyed the outdoor walking, though I'm not usually interested in gardens and plantings. This tour made those details seem relevant, rather than just pretty things. Oh, and the most important part: She read poetry! I mean, why visit a poet's home if you don't hear poetry? The price was a bit steep -- which I'm sure is at least partially due to the need for income despite relatively small visitation numbers -- and it really is in the middle of nowhere. It was a tad long (especially because I stayed to watch the film) and some folks might be overwhelmed by the bugs during the outdoor portion. Still, I think it was worth the trip and the fee.

This is really a gem of a museum, and it shares a property line with Tanglewood. So when you…read morearrive, you park the car and then walk about 1/3 of a mile to the entrance to the house which is on the right. To the left is a building that plays a 20 minute video where you can learn about Suzie Frelinghusen and her husband George Morris who were modern artists in the 1930s and onward. After George's death, the Suzie created a non-profit for the house so that after her death, it would be preserved. This means that the house has the original carpeting and many things that are just as they were originally. In fact, the floor in their library is made of leather, so everyone has to wear booties so as not to damage them. Seeing this house is really like taking a trip back in time, and you get to see a glimpse of their art and how these two lived. Also, in order to see the house, there are tours at the top of each hour. My friend and I were the only two people on the tour, so except an intimate experience. I don't think that it ever gets crowded. Be sure to check out their book collection as well. It was very difficult for me to resist the urge to reach out and open up some of the books! Also, in Suzie's bedroom, she painted herself an extraordinary fresco on the wall. While most of her art is modern, the paintings in her bedroom show her impeccable skill as a landscape oil painter as well.

A lovely little pop-up museum honoring the textile work of the Shakers…read more A must see before it closes in September.

Wrigleyville West kicks off another season of Spring Training. Tickets on sale today at 10am…read more World Series Champion Chicago Cubs! 2016 Go Cubs Go, go Cubs go.... The first guy in line for Spring Training tickets 2018 got in line last night before the sun went down! He and his green roller-suitcase....joined at midnight by he who is now the second guy in line. (And I quote him "we're feeezing our asses off!"") Those desert nights, you know! I'm diehard enough to get here at 8:20 am after a donut detour! (And I actually even have someone who can hook me up but I wanted to do this. Yes, we are all crazy.). We love you, Cubbies! Thank you for the memories, the present wonderful people in line with me and here's to another great year. (And thanks for the complimentary coffee!!)

Great ballpark, security and all vendors very nice and helpful. Bathroom super clean and everyone…read morein general are good people. Great atmosphere for family and friends to hangout and have fun.

What a wonderful museum in Hudson county. So educational and the kids throughly enjoyed. There are…read moretrucks for the kids to explore, tons of interactive displays, an obstacle course and a little center for the littles to explore. The staff working there the day we visited were happy to show the kids around and explore. We visited during the holidays and they had a scavenger hunt and winter displays throughout the museum.

Drove all the way here on a Saturday only to find the museum closed! Their sign says they're open…read moreWednesday through Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday. If they closed for the tiny bit of snow, they didn't bother updating their Google listing. Very unprofessional! Would not recommend.

Our first time to this beautiful newer place. Great bar area and the food and waitstaff was…read morefantastic.

Incredible job to the people of East Durham! The festival was outstanding. Thank you for bringing…read moreEast Durham back . The town is coming back and will be better than ever .

Stunning venue with a great mix of innovative and traditional performing arts. Plenty of parking,…read moreshuttles provided to overflow parking areas and plenty of staff to direct you. The seats are comfortable and there's ample leg room. Get to your performance a little early and enjoy a walk along the nearby path or enjoy the outdoor art .

Attended the jazz center's Vibes of Venezuela, Friday…read more There is ample parking near the entrance. Ushers to help you find your seat. Dress code is casual. There were short biographies about the musicians, history of Venezuela before the concert started, mentioning the crisis in Venezuela with requests to help financially. There is an elevator to the upper level, it's not a true balcony in the sense of an overhang above the main floor. Although, the staircase is a gentle climb to the second floor. There's a small concession stand there with soft drinks, wine, snacks, and sandwiches available. The concert had no intermission, it was only about an hour and a half long; no real need for one. I don't remember the individual names of the musicians. It was lively and entertaining; with musicians that have honed their craft. The Quatro (a type of guitar) the player was exceptional; there was no hissing from the strings unless he wanted the effect to enhance a particular song. I didn't think the band leader could get so many sounds from basically a wooden box. The guest trumpeter has the talent to play triple tongue. Something that takes a lot of practice. Overall, a very enjoyable evening. The only Con is - the seats are folding chairs. Not very comfortable.

If you like roots music this is a wonderful music festival located on a beautiful Farm in the…read moreBerkshires. There is camping but no hoockups no electricity and porta potties only. Lots of bluegrass, rockabilly, old time, Cajun and some others. Big dance tent outdoor stage and a workshop stage. The setting is amazingly beautiful. The farmer raises Scottish Highland cows just gorgeous. If you like fiddles and banjos and accordions this is the place. They were no jerks at this Festival. the people were really nice those who run the festival were really nice the farmer and his wife were really nice it was just wonderful wonderful weekend for us. There was music and jamming all night right into the sun coming up. This was the third year of the festival it is usually the first weekend in September and we can't wait to go again. And there was great food . smokers and veggies and all kinds of wonderful things