For almost 100 years, the Berkshires region of the United States has been known as a premier summer spot for travel and culture in New England.
At first, I thought let’s go straight to searching for find the area’s most iconic properties in the Berkshires, MA area. Then I thought, what can I do there?
Three days I say are always enough to know if you want to explore more of a region. I like to think I can always come back. So here is what my research has found so far on how to have the Best 3 Days in the Berkshires experience.
Day 1: Where to Call Home Base
Make your home base in Lenox for the classic “The Berkshires” experience. The city of Lenox is where one can find the area’s most iconic properties such as a country mansion called Blantyre, a Relais & Chateaux, a 16th century palazzo styled hotel called Wheatleigh, and luxury wellness retreat Canyon Ranch. For the ultimate in a wellness retreat I would pick Canyon Ranch Lenox.
Day 2: Where to Explore
We all know that I am heading to a luxury spa while on any trip, if not out in the middle of nowhere. BUT there are other wellness activities in this special place in the U.S. The multiple activities include snowshoeing, snowboarding, hiking, walking, wildlife viewing, eating, skiing, rafting, kayaking, golf and fishing entice many to venture to the area annually.
My pick is the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. It has over 1,000 acres of wildlife trails for all ages and levels of walkers and hikers. It is even friendly for wheelchairs. Pleasant Valley’s multiple trials take hikers and walkers through forests, wetlands, and meadows; all while basking in the shadow of Lenox Mountain. I picked this place since they say while you are out exploring, you have a great chance of seeing some of the sanctuary’s most prevelent wildlife and habitats such as a beaver, their dams, their dens, or their lodges. I know when I have spotted beavers before in North Carolina, they are much larger than one thinks they are going to be in real life. Seeing them in their own natural surroundings (their domain) would be exhilarating .
Day 3: Event Exploration
Cultured events are how the area got a boom in tourism, so an event is definitely a must when coming to the area. It started when the Boston Symphony Orchestra began decamping to the Western Massachusetts countryside area from the summer of June through late August in the 1930’s. There they then hosted a season of open-air concerts. The event space is now called Tanglewood Music Center. This series has alone drawn a huge crowd of 350,000 visitors each year. Hopefully as covid gets under control this will continue, since it is so the heart of culture in the area.
Other event venues to check out are the MASS MoCA, the country’s largest contemporary art center, the Norman Rockwell Museum and also the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Who is ready to go to the Berkshires?
Traveling During Covid
As travel today remains uncertain, please keep your safety and the safety of others in mind at all times. If you are comfortable with traveling, please travel responsibly and within regulation as any travel is at your own risk.
If you do decide to travel at this time, here are our recommendations:
- Wear a face mask.
- Bring hand sanitizer and wash your hands on a regular basis.
- Check official websites before your trip for the latest updates on policies, closures and status of local businesses.
- Book a hotel with free cancellation in case you need to change your plans at the last minute.