Ten New England Cities to Explore during the Fall Season
There is no more magical place (IMO) to be during the fall season than New England. (Sidebar: Although, I would probably say that for every season!). Many people descend on New England towns for the foliage, the festivals, and the food!.And while those are great reasons to visit, they won’t necessarily keep your kids as engaged as you might hope. A couple of years ago we shared this post about specific fall themed activities kids will love (and they ALL still hold true!) but this week we thought we’d share some places that have multiple activities the whole family will enjoy (and we’re including our “neighbors” in New York for a couple of bonuses.) These cities offer year round activities, but the beauty of fall is abundant in all of these spots.
Year in Review: 35 Highlights of 2020
2020 may have not been the year everyone was expecting, but we were fortunate enough to still have a lot of fun and explore a lot of very cool places. While we stuck closer to home, mainly the Tri State area and New England, we racked up 12,000 miles on our Equinox (and that’s with only driving 200 miles in 3.5 months!) and visited a lot of spots that have been on our bucket list for a while. (Read more about our just-summer bucket list here).
10 Ways to Have Fun in the Berkshires in Massachusetts
The Berkshires, compromised of over 30 towns and villages, is located in the most western part of Massachusetts. It includes towns ranging from Sheffield and Great Barrington in the southern part of the state, bordering Connecticut, to the towns of Wiliamstown and North Adams in the northern part of the state, bordering Vermont. The region is popular year round for outdoor activities, performing arts venues, galleries, museums, and historic homes and landmarks. The Berkshires have been home well known figures such as authors Edith Wharton, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and activist W.E.B. DuBois. Dubbed the “Inland Newport” during the Gilded Age of the 20th century, the area became well known for its over 75 estates, in addition to its thriving farming industry. Today, there are many spots to learn about the important history of the area and many preserved outdoor spaces to enjoy nature all year long.
10 Ways Kids Can Explore The Mount in the Berkshires
Located in Lenox, Massachusetts, in the southern part of the Berkshires, the Mount is the 1902 home of Edith and Teddy Wharton. Edith Wharton wrote over 40 novels and was the first female to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for The Age of Innocence. Wharton lived at The Mount until 1911 when she moved to Paris and spend considerable time with humanitarian work during and post World War I.
The 49 acre estate (originally 128 acres) estate includes the main house, the stable, gardens, and miles of hiking trails. The English style country house has both French and Italian inspired architectural elements and furnishings. Tours through the home and gardens are self-guided; docents are available to answer questions and placards in each room share personal stories of the Whartons and explain the period décor and furnishings.
10 Gardens Kids Will Love at the Berkshire Botanical Garden
On a recent trip to the Berkshires, we made an impromptu stop on our way to the Berkshire Botanical Garden– and we’re so glad we did! It is now one of our favorite spots in the Berkshires and very family friendly. The 20+ acre garden is spread out over both sides of Route 102 and includes over 30 gardens, greenhouses, walks, and buildings for classes, workshops, and family events.
10 Ways to Have Fun at Jiminy Peak Resort in the Berkshires
We just returned from a beautiful (almost) fall weekend in the Berkshires. We’ll have several upcoming posts about things to do, places to explore, and where to eat in the Berkshires (we’ve already posted about Hancock Shaker Village and Naumkeag). We were fortunate to be invited to stay the Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort and spend time checking their resort amenities and activities. Opened in 1948, Jiminy Peak is the largest ski and snowboard resort in southern New England and offers year round family fun. We were impressed by the initiatives the resort takes to preserve the environment and maintain their energy independence. The resort uses only renewable sources for all their electrical power- the only resort in North America to do so!