Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Berkshires
Tranquil towns and a wealth of cultural attractions are nestled in these cool green hills.
For more than a century the Berkshires have been a favored retreat for wealthy Bostoni-
ans and New Yorkers. And we're not just talking Rockefellers - the entire Boston sym-
phony summers here as well. The
Berkshire Visitors Bureau
(
413-743-4500;
www.berkshires.org
; 3 Hoosac St;
10am-5pm)
can provide information on the entire re-
gion.
Great Barrington
Hands-down the best place in the Berkshires to be at mealtime. Head straight to the inter-
section of Main (US 7) and Railroad Sts in the town center where you'll find an artful
mix of galleries and eateries serving mouthwatering food - everything from bakeries to
ethnic cuisines.
For wholesome Berkshire-grown meals on a budget, go to the
Berkshire Co-op Mar-
ket Cafe
(
www.berkshire.coop
;
42 Bridge St; meals $6-10; 8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 10am-8pm Sun;
)
inside the local co-op. For fine dining,
Castle Street Cafe
( 413-528-5244;
www.castlestreetcafe.com
;
10 Castle St; mains $21-29; 5-9pm Wed-Mon; )
serves up an
innovative menu that reads like a who's who of local farms: Ioka Valley Farm grass-fed
natural beef, Rawson Brook chevre and more. For a little green with your suds, head to
Barrington Brewery
(
www.barringtonbrewery.net
; 420 Stockbridge Rd; mains $8-20;
11:30am-9:30pm;
)
, where the hoppy brews are created using solar power.
Stockbridge
This timeless New England town, sans even a single traffic light, looks like something
straight out of a Norman Rockwell drawing. Oh wait…it is! Rockwell (1894-1978), the
most popular illustrator in US history, lived on Main St and used the town and its resid-
ents as subjects. At the evocative
Norman Rockwell Museum
( 413-298-4100;
www.nrm.org
;
9 Glendale Rd/MA 183; adult/child $16/5; 10am-5pm)
, Rockwell's slice-of-
Americana paintings come to life when examined up close.
Lenox
The cultural heart of the Berkshires, the refined village of Lenox hosts one of the coun-
try's premier musical events, the open-air
Tanglewood Music Festival
(
888-266-1200;
