Wanna GO

A friend has invited me to visit her in this area in late Feb. I would have to fly in to Albany NY. Please give info on weather and things to do in western Massachusetts, she is new to the area, and I have never been there. Thanx.

dreamin' of a white winter

I grew up in eastern MA, outside of Boston, so am not as familiar with the "to do's" in the western part of the state. Now that they're having the second big snow storm of the season, I'm guessing that ski season looks to be shaping up quite nicely for this winter. Weather? Late February is pretty much guaranteed to be cold; and with what the El Nino weather pattern is bringing, likely to be snowy. To get more specifics on temps, etc. check a couple websites like www.wunderground.com (offers historical weather info) or www.weather.com

ellie

While there may not be much going on right in Pittsfield, you'll be within an easy drive to Williamstown to the north where the Clark and Williams College Art museums are well worth the trip - a few miles further will bring you to North Adams, the home of Mass Moca which is a must if you are interested in contemporary art (all of these places have websites with exhibition details).
To the south you'll find great outlet shopping in Lee and all sorts of antiquing along rte 7. Lenox is a cute town, even in the winter, with several great restaurants. Stockbridge is home to the Rockwell museum and should be very pretty this time of year - it will be snowy, but gorgeous - enjoy!

Pete

Your friend should pick up one of the Berkshires pamplet guides which are in most hotel lobbies and tourist businesses. That will list all activities and sights in the area and even offer some discount coupons for admissions, restaurants and shopping. There is also their website if you want to pre-plan some outings. www.berkshires.org Make sure to check for seasonal closures of places you wish to visit. www.massvacation.com also has good information you might use.

kenny

We spent this past August in the Berkshires and while Williamstown was my favorite and STockbridge is charming in spite of being a tourist trap, I found Pittsfield to be a total bore and not worth stopping while driving through to Williamstown.

mark

Ellie has pretty much nailed it.

There's lots of culture and scenery nearby to the North and South but Pittsfield itself is an old manufacturing town. I used to do some work at a company there and found the people very friendly.

Wanna GO

Thanx all. Unfortunately, the locale is not a changable issue, it is where current employment leads my friend. I enjoy travelling to wherever her contract takes her...Portland, Oregon was different...West Palm Beach was OK, Baltimore was the pitts...and Montpelier was the best, of course it was fall in Vermont!! Another post asked if flights for $296 from Phoenix to Albany was good, so far that is my price range too, and I am not leaving from that far away.

cap

Weather will be cold. The northeast does invest in its snow removal equipment, though, so the roads will be ok.

1. Try skiing for a day. I tried it for the first time at age 41, and love it. If not that, I bet you could find a nice sleigh ride or x-country skiing site or skating rink. Think Winter Wonderland.

2. Definitely visit Mass MoCA. Its a happenin place. Its a destination in itself. And the Clark Institute and Williams Art Museum are nice to combine with it.

3. Albany has some nice restuarants and museums. You could see a minor league Hockey game (Albany River Rats).

Howard

In addition to the above suggestions, check out the Shaker Village near Pittsfield, if it's open in the winter. Very interesting.
And, bring your camera. The Berkshires are beautiful any time of the year.

joebob

Lenox has the Canyon ranch spa ($$$$) and Great Barrington is a nice little town to eat in or shop/visit, outlets in Lee, Stockbridge, Fly fishing in the housatonic river, Pittsfield was intentionally named to include "pitts" in it but the surrounding areas are very nice. go skiing. You are also about 20 minutes from southern vermont which opens up alot more skiing possibilities, even if you end up in the pitts you can make something good out of it. The wealthy (and some not so wealthy) winter in the Berkshires for a reason.

Charlie

It is the Pitts and boring as all get out! Try to leave town each day,that will help. Most of the residents are doing that too. Boring and depressing burg.

Wanna GO

I even enjoy visiting areas that aren't that gret..ONCE. Good suggestions here and thanx, do not ski and not interested in learning. But a winter wonderland and sleigh ride sounds like just the ticket, it will be in the 70's where I live so the cold will be welcomed. How's the cider?

Just

"Not interested in learning," eh? You sound more like the Disney World type. Go there instead.

OliveOyl

I was born and raised there. The entire county is small and easy to traverse in a day from Williamstown to south county, but you'll want to concentrate on a few sections...Williamstown, Stockbridge and Lenox, North Adams for MA MOCA.

The scenery is beautiful any time of the year, though Feb is probably one of the most dreary months. Pittsifield has two good sized lakes, Onota and Pontoosic, both pretty summer and winter.

Hopefully you'll be able to tour places like The Mount, Edith Wharton's former home in Lenox, or Naumkeag or Chesterwood in Stockbridge. Arrowhead, Herman Melville's home and where he finished Moby Dick is in Pittsfield. It's a more modest home, but those mentioned before are from the Berkshires, "gilded era".

Museums..Norman Rockwell of course in Stockbridge. Hancock Shaker Village, MA MoCA in North Adams, Crane Paper Museum in Dalton. (Crane makes all the paper for gov't money, as well as exceptional stationery.) Sterling Clark Museum in Williamstown.

Some of the state parks are open in winter. You can always get to Bash Bish Falls, just be careful of ice around the falls. Pittsfield State Forest...parts are accessible. Unless times have changed, they don't clear the road to the top of Greylock, but if you are lucky you can get up it. The views on a clear day are spectacular.

Albany is a very convenient airport to fly into, but Hartford often has better rates now. I use them interchangeably, depending on where I find the least expensive flight. More often than not now, it's Hartford (and Hartford used to be our only choice when I was growing up). It's an easy drive over from Hartford--all interstate to Lee and from there a pretty drive into Pittsfield. I didn't used to think so...but now realize how beatiful the entire county is...used to be we thought of Great Barrington and Lee as places to avoid at all costs..old factory towns. No more! Hope there is a fresh snow for you--it's so pretty to see then. Have a great trip and go back in the summer when theater and music festivals are all in full swing. Pittsfield's 4th of July parade was worthy enough to be filmed for a PBS special! ;> Great area to grow up in--wish I'd realized it at the time!

OliveOyl

I started the above post to write about the cider, then left it out. It's out of season now, so you can't taste the "real thing". Now anything you get is same old pasteurized stuff you've already tasted. My parents house had a brook running through our back yard, with an old wood cider mill within walking distance down the brook. It's long ago closed but it used to be fun to go down and get their free samples (several times an afternoon). And we would think we were really something when the cider got hard in the refrig, and we'd taste some...sure that we'd be drunk with a sip. I just recently tasted what now is sold in bars, but in realtiy is just processed hard cider. Not nearly as good as what I remember from the cider mill!! gt;

Also on the subject of cider, parts of Cider House Rules were filmed in Lenox.

Wanna Go

Olive: Thank you so much.

Just a@suggestion: Not a Disney World type either, never been never wanna go, however YOU sound alittle judgemental of people who may enjoy Disney and not skiing. I enjoy experiencing new things, even tho I enjoy snow, breaking my leg would hinder my vacation fun. I don't wanna go to Hawaii or the Caribean either. Planning an Alaskan cruise, a drive thru the upper plains, and I do love Ontario. I eat sushi, too! and lived in Japan when I was younger so I am well rounded...please keep your derogatory remarks to your self.

Just

Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm just responding to your comment, "not interested in learning"!

Wanna Go

Not shooting the messenger by any means but please...if you must comment sarcastically...DON'T. (Or did I just take it that way?)