wellstnj

We are vacationing in New York (Adirondacks and Finger Lakes) and Berkshires, MA this Fall and looking for suggestions on filling out our itinerary. We are staying in Lee, Ma at Rodeway Inn on Fri and Sat, 10/2 and 10/3, then Willows Motel in Williamstown on Sunday 10/4, driving to Albany on Monday to spend the night near the airport for our flight back to New Orleans on Tuesday morning. Working back wards, we will coming from Ithaca NY, after spending the weekend of 9/26 and 27 there(Sat and Sun). So we have Monday , Tues, Wed and Thurs to see things. We are interested in seeing fall colors,scenic drives, taking easy hikes (we are in our 60's), taking pictures of scenery, falls, quaint towns, I of course, love a llittle shopping, (I am a quilter and scrapbooker). Can anyone steer us as to must sees? I want to see Rockwells Museum and the Shaker Village some where in there.

PamSF

In Williamstown visit the Clark Museum and try dinner @ Mezze.

PamSF

Also: Check out www.thetrustees.org for places to visit in the area. Look specifically @ "Reservations in the Berkshires" which has a map of places you can visit. This will include easy hikes and places of hitorical interest, gardens and the like.

Ackislander

Also visit the Williams College Museum of Art. Their current show on Maurice Prendergast in Italy is better than the current show at the Clark. You will definitely want to see the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge and the Hancock Shaker Museum. I would also recommend Daniel Chester French's house, Chesterwood. He did the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial.

There is a great deal of beautiful rural scenery east of Lenox, and you can just about pick any rural road for a gorgeous drive.

Lots of interesting shopping in Great Barrington.

irishface

In Bennington VT (just over the MA line) there is the museum with Grandma Moses's paintings and other memorabilia from her home. It is quite interesting and has a nice museum shop.

A little farther into VT in East Arlington (RTE 7A) there is a wonderful place to photograph a covered bridge and iconic white church. It is over the Battenkill River. You might want to stay a night or two there and then work your way down Rte 7 to Lee. Norman Rockwell lived here for a while before he moved to Stockbridge MA (where his museum is). There are lots of neat little shops on the way down Rte 7 to Massachusetts. Just north of Arlington is Manchester and the Equinox House--big old inn which serves lunches. A friend and I often head up that way for taking pictures.

A couple of my favorite easy hikes, fairly level, are at Beartown State forest and at Bartholomew's Cobble. In Beartown the hike goes around the pond and you should get some good woods viewing there. Bartholomew's Cobble is in Ashley Falls (part of Sheffield) and goes through the woods with some open vistas of the Housatonic River and cow pastures beyond. Nice place for photography.

In Stockbridge there is Icy Glen trail, which is a pleasant hike. Coming from Lee, turn at the Red Lion Inn Corner and take your first left by the Mobil station. At the end of the road is the parking area for the trail.

mclaurie

Frederick Church's Olana
http://www.olana.org/index.html

and Edit Wharton's the Mount
http://www.edithwharton.org/index.php?catId=8

Bishbash Falls
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/bash.htm

Outlet shopping in Lee. http://www.primeoutlets.com/locations/lee.aspx

Vttraveler

Herman Melville's home, ARrowhead, and Mt. Greylock are other interesting places to visit
http://berkshirehistory.org/herman-m...and-arrowhead/