Kay

I've got two nieces in college in Massachusetts this fall. I'm planning to fly into Boston the first Friday in October, spend a day letting niece who has lived there a year show me her favorite spots, then drive us to near Springfield to pick up other niece. Overnight and let her to show us her place, then I want to take them somewhere away from their campuses for a day or overnight before returning to Boston.

I love to see the leaves and visit historic sites, but I think they'd like some funky, fun place as well. Not interested in fine dining or expensive shopping. (One niece is a vegetarian, wears thrift store clothes, and follows musicians with tragic stories. The other studies French and loves Europe.) Which direction and what stops would you recommend?

sluggo

Northampton might fit the bill for everyone. Just north of Springfield, it's a pretty little town and home to Smith College and lots of funky shops and cafes. In nearby S. Deerfield you can visit historic Old Deerfield and Yankee Candle (shops and a very good restaurant in a New England setting - it's a tour bus destination) and I believe there's a butterfly sanctuary in the area too. You're a very nice aunt to spend time with your nieces. Do a search on this site to learn more.

r-travels

Northampton sounds nice ... or head south ... visit Mark Twain's home in Hartford CT, then continue to Mystic CT, (for the port and maybe the aquarium) and maybe a little time at Foxwoods. Catch the free shuttle from Foxwoods to the Peqoit Indian Museum. In the neighborhood, try New London & Groton.

Or travel west to Stockbridge, Lenox, Pittsfield & the Berkshire Mts.

leahj

Northampton is perfect.

A little farther north is Williamstown. There is a museum there (name escapes me but Williamstown is small & museum very popular) with a stunning collection of Monet's and other beautiful collections.

Kay

Thanks for all the quick responses. When I did a search on the board for Massachusetts I hardly found anything except Boston. I hadn't heard of the Williamstown museum, so I'll look it up along with Old Deerfield. I'll check out a website I found for western Massachusetts, but still appreciate your first-hand advice. I'm familiar with Mystic but I don't think the girls are too interested in maritime history.

magirl

How about Sturbridge Village? It's a re-created 1800's village where everyone is in period costumes demonstrating New England life. My teenagers liked it.

Janet

What aunt in her right mind would want to drag her young nieces to a CASINO for a day out??
What weird advice from r-travels.

OliveOyl

The museum in Williamstown is the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute.

Less than an hour west of Springfield are the Berkshires. Do a search here...tons of information. It's easy to reach via the Mass Pike to the Lee exit. The two main tourist towns are Stockbridge and Lenox.

The leaves turning in MA are at their most beautiful in the Berkshires, but it gets very crowded. The peak is normally around Oct 10, and you may already have difficulty making reservations. Don't know how the girls would like it, but it is beautiful. It is hugely popular with NYC residents, many of whom are buying summer places in the area now. Never could quite figure the appeal for them--but I grew up there (Berkshires) so perhaps take some of what it offers for granted. Stockbridge IS, almost literally Norman Rockwell. His studio was there, and many of his paintings were done there. His painting "Main St" is Main St in Stockbridge. There's an entire museum in Stockbridge devoted to his art and his famous Saturday Evening Post covers.

Tanglewood is nearby...grounds may still be open but concerts will be over by then. Grounds are just beautiful and worth a tour themselves. We've been able to get in in October...just the luck of the day you visit I suppose. Oh, for your neice who loves musicians, James Taylor now has a house in Lenox. It's a happening place.

KenCT

The Berkshires and the CT casinos are each about two hours from the Springfield area. Northamton is the way to go, although I can't imagine what would interest your neices at Yankee Candle or HIstoric Deerfield. Check out http://www.noho.com/

OO

Ken, Pittsifield, the "heart of the Berkshires", is only 50 miles from Springfield. It doesn't even take an hour to get there.

r-travels

Janet- those "young nieces" are 18 and 20 yr old. I gave a number of OTHER suggestions as well. The only time I have been at a casino it was Foxwoods, only as cheap transportation to visit the neighboring Peqoit Indian Museum. You and I may have no interest in gambling, but I can assure you there were a LOT of people, including those of the nieces ages, enjoying Foxwoods.

Kay asked for suggestions ... what did you offer the forum???

Kay

Thanks again for all the advice. I must admit that when I was their age I would probably have thought a casino was exciting, but these girls are much more worldly than I was. Both have traveled alone overseas for study abroad, volunteered in food banks, and worked to help pay their college costs. We'll definitely see Northampton--I was using Springfield as a large town reference, but my niece is at Smith. Thanks for the name of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute--I'll check it out. I'll also see if James Taylor is on her list (I'm a fan) and we could go house hunting as an excuse to wander the Lenox area. I know we'll hit the crowds, but I want to leaf peep, too. I've taken my mother to Vermont in October before to see the leaves and only ran into bad traffic on Saturday afternoon driving up thorugh Vermont where the festivals were in full swing. If rooms are too tight we may have a sleepover in a Smith dorm room.

gc

Kay,
Since school will be in session, suggest you check what's happening at the Fine Arts Center at UMASS Amherst.
http://www.umass.edu/fac/calendar/centerwide/allEvents.htmlctober

Also, a visit to the Normal Rockwell museum is well worth it. A bit of a hike, but you be the judge.

KenCT

OO - Sorry to nitpick, but although Pittsfield may be the "heart of the Berkshires," the Clark Museum is in Williamstown, which is about 80 miles from Northampton. I've taken the "leaf peeping route - Route 9 to Pittsfield, then Route 7 to Williamstown, many times, and it's definitely going to take more than an hour.

And Kay, if you're going to do Williamstown, be sure to take a side trip to North Adams and Mass MOCA, a former factory converted into a contemporary art museum. http://www.massmoca.org

r-travels

Since you're looking for some leaf-peeking too, Kay, after you visit Clark & Mass MOCA, continue east on Rt 2, "the Mohawk Trail" on to Greenfield & I-91, where you could head back south. (KenCT-you always post some great suggestions!)

OO

Ken, I was suggesting she tour the Berkshires, actually had in mind more Stockbridge area, thus the time frame of less than an hour from Springfield, which is where we thought she was staying at that point in the conversation, and would be taking the Pike over. Williamstown, being as far north in the Berkshires as she can go, will be more, sometimes considerably more in view of the traffic on 7. Although the Williamstown museum is a great one, actually, with that short a time frame I'd stick more with Stockbridge/Lenox area.

gc

Kay,
Since school will be in session, suggest you check what's happening at the Fine Arts Center at UMASS Amherst.
http://www.umass.edu/fac/calendar/centerwide/allEvents.htmlctober

Also, a visit to the Normal Rockwell museum is well worth it. A bit of a hike, but you be the judge.

cap

I think Northampton is having its film festival that weekend, you might want to check. Also consider the Calvin theatre (live shows) or the Iron Horse Music hall, one of the great small folk venues in the nation.


Another plug for Mass MOCA -- think of it as the ``museum of really big art.''

They have lots of stuff that is just too big to fit in other major museums. They have trees growing upside down and floating in the air. They have dance parties. A totally fun modern art museum.

Kay

Thanks again for all the advice. My Boston niece is really pumped for the visit. She's going to host me there before we drive to Northampton and let the other niece host. I found the Knoll B&B for $70 as base.

They didn't take to the museums--surprised me as we have been to art museum exhibits before. One wants to get in some retro clothes shopping (wish I had just saved my old college clothes). My old guide book mentions some places up in Wilmington, Vt that might fit the bill of her shopping and me getting outdoors one day. Other day we'll try a loop over to Lenox area, then back to Boston for overnight ($55 at Hilton via Priceline) and a trip to the MFA before I head home.

citysue

consider Saratoga Springs ..it's about 2.5 hours west of Springfield,overnite at the Adelphi or the Gideon Putnam..these are old hotels with tons of character..the main street is filled with fun restaurants and cafes as well as antique shops , some that carry the retro clothes one of your nieces is hoping to find...bon voyage..let us know what you do on your visit!