The area has spectacular mountain scenery and plenty of places to visit squeezed into a narrow river valley formed by the Hoosic and its branches amid the Taconic, Hoosic, and Berkshire mountains.
Access is gained from the east via Massachusetts Route 2 -- the historic Mohawk Trail -- which traces trade routes along the Millers, Deerfield, and Hoosac Rivers used by Atlantic native tribes doing business with their 'upstate' (and uphill) neighbors.
En route, the Rocket Scientist wanted to stop at one of the native American gift shops at some of the summits, but he couldn't pry my hands from the dashboard grab bar.
Look, the Rocket Scientist grew up on the side of a mountain and has no fear of heights whereas at 5' 4" I'm a hug-the-ground type of chick.
-- I dunno how to account for this, but whether we were heading up a mountain or down, whether we were traveling east or west, north or south -- I was always on the side of the car hanging off the cliff. How is that possible??
Anyway, our first stop was Mt. Greylock -- presumably named after the numerous hairpin turns on the access roads. It is the highest point in Massachusetts: a dizzying 3,491 feet.
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| This memorial to war dead atop Mt. Greylock is illuminated at night (except during bird migration times). |
Standing at the edge of the summit, you can see the undulating shale and schist mountain formations from Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. Ok, at 3,491 feet, I also may have been doing some undulating.
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| We shared this view looking northeast from Mt. Greylock with a few Appalachian Trail hikers; the summit becomes more crowded in the autumn. |
It was a great relief to leave all the cliff-hanging moments after descending into the valley and towns, which have a 360-degree view of mountains that made me feel like I was in the bottom of a giant green Champagne flute. In other words, you can go from acrophobic to claustrophobic in 15 minutes flat.
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| Looking west at North Adams, Mass., from a summit. |
With its red brick mill buildings and clapboard two- and three-decker homes, North Adams retains much of its charm from previous centuries. A few hundred years ago this river valley was no more isolated than other places because the waterways were the main way in and out. In the 19th century North Adams was a mill town just like countless others.
One company, the Arnold Print Works, supplied uniforms to the Union Army. It closed its in-town operations in 1942. The Sprague Electric Co. bought the facility and became a center for research and electronics until the mid-80s when it closed due to overseas competition. The site's latest reincarnation came in 1999, when the MASS Museum of Contemporary Art opened its doors.
Our primary destination was The Clark Art Institute in beautiful Williamstown, a few miles west of North Adams and home also to Williams College. This museum had just reopened last month after renovations to its original building and completion of a new wing designed by starchitect Tadeo Ando. The 140 acres of grounds encompass walking trails and a research center.
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| The back terrace and reflecting pool of the Clark's new wing. |
The Clark is a small, eclectic, first-rate collection which won't overwhelm art fans. At $20, admission isn't cheap (and they don't offer popular discounts) but you can save a little by buying package deals. We particularly enjoyed the Homer and Remington pieces in its permanent collection. The on-loan exhibition of Chinese Bronze Age vessels was the most extensive I've ever seen!
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| The grounds at the Clark are a great place for reflection. |
A word to you ladies (guys too): Regarding wardrobe, bring your game to the Clark or prepare to feel insecure. I barely passed muster with a trendy black-and-white striped top, white linen pants (Ok they were linen blend) and a killer custom necklace made by a talented friend. Look, if you need a stylist I may be available.
One of the rarest and most memorable experiences I had in the valley was The Quiet. True, it being summer there were few Williams College or Mass. College of the Liberal Arts students about at night. But also, no distant muted highway noise, sirens, car stereos, bottles breaking, gunshots, screams, etc. The steep green bowl cradling us seemed to smother all sounds man-made, filtering all but the birds, insects and murmuring mountains shooting the breeze with the breeze. (I thought I heard a twig snap, Mr. James Fenimore Cooper!) For those seeking inspiration, The Quiet may offer the cure.
Our final stop en route home is famous for its inspiration: the Poet's Seat Tower in Greenfield, Mass. After hiking a mile uphill, I never made it up the fourth and final staircase spiraling to the tower roof. That's because as soon as I ascended to the third level, we heard a loud clap of thunder nearby. I urged the Rocket Scientist to go on up ahead of me and have a look-see, seeing as how he's taller than I am, but he declined. (Joking!)
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| The power of the tower: View of a green field in Greenfield, Mass., from Poet's Seat Tower. |
I enthusiastically recommend each stop on our itinerary for an off-the-beaten-path jaunt practically in our backyard -- 115 miles and over 100 years away. We bought a hotel package with free tickets to MASS MoCA which we didn't use (we didn't want to OD on art), so we will be sure to return. Undulating notwithstanding.
Links and Sources:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-west/mohawk-trail-state-forest.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/travel/driving-the-mohawk-trail-in-massachusetts.html?_r=0
The following link sheds light on Mt. Greylock's name:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Greylock
http://www.northadams-ma.gov/
clarkart.edu
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/arts/design/clark-art-institute-reopens-with-new-and-renovated-space.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A11%22}
The following state Department of Conservation and Recreation page has numerous links to all sorts of trail systems:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-west/mt-greylock-state-reservation-generic.html
http://massmoca.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poet%27s_Seat_Tower
Accessories for well-dressed tourists:
madebymargaretwoo.com
I was mildly disappointed that few establishments in Williamstown and North Adams accepted BerkShares, a local currency which offers a five-percent discount on the dollar. However as you travel south to Pittsfield, Lenox, Stockbridge, etc., places trading BerkShares are more plentiful.
http://www.berkshares.org/
Pass it along and remember, It's all (c)opyrighted(c)2014(c)(c)
HEY - time for a new story! Miss you!
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