So, we did our little vacation romp in The Berkshires last weekend. I followed the advice of readers from a previous post and booked this place in Great Barrington. Actually, it was in Housatonic, which is outside of Great Barrington.
The town of Housatonic actually reminds me of Beacon. It has that whole ‘abandoned factory by the river with train tracks running through it’ kind of thing going on. Housatonic is fairly small, although there are a couple of galleries and restaurants as well as a convenience shop and liquor store. When we first arrived at the house I was pretty disappointed that it wasn’t a hidden country retreat. Definitely more of a suburban feel. But the area does have some glorious old homes, many of which are under renovation.
Great Barrington is pretty crunchy, as promised by my readers. Restaurant menus offer plenty of vegetarian options, there was a food coop in town and even a new age shop.
We only stayed for a few days (the in-laws are still there) so we didn’t get out all that much. The two restaurants we did get to try were both exceptional. We had a “4-birthdays” dinner at Xicohtencatl, a colorful Mexican restaurant just outside of town. Although the frozen margaritas didn’t live up to my mother in law’s first margarita experience (I got her drunk at some Tex-Mex joint in Park Slope about 15 years. She has never found a margarita that compares to her first time.) they were GOOD. As was the food and service.
Our second meal out was Siam Square on Main Street in Great Barrington. Again, excellent choice, even though it was a last minute decision once we discovered the Indian take out no longer existed.
There’s no shortage of outdoor activities in The Berkshires. We hiked up Monument Mountain twice with the dogs. Well, got to the peak only one day. It’s about an hour plus to the top and fairly strenuous (Although I should let you know that I haven’t worked out in months).
Our other great outdoor adventure was a kayak trip down the Housatonic. We rented from the Main Street outfitter, Adventure US. The very nice man who drove us to the water waited with us until the rain stopped. Unfortunately, it started again once we were in the middle of the river. We took shelter under a tree for about 15 minutes, but then decided to go on. The water was high and mighty because of the rains. I tried so hard to keep dry because it was pretty chilly that day. Then we hit the mini “rapids” and I got soaked. It was FUN though!!!! Better than kayaking on still water. Next I’ll have to try white water.
We visited The Clark Museum in Williamstown one day. They have a very impressive collection and if the spouse gets bored with the art as my husband tends to, send him outside to stroll around the grounds. The in-laws visited The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield the day we kayaked through the storm. The little one (3 years old) loved the place and the adults seemed quite satisfied as well. It’s kind of like The Met, Natural History and NY Aquarium rolled into one.
The one thing I didn’t get to do which was at the top of my list was to go antiquing. I just didn’t find the time. I suppose that says a lot about a place, when you can’t find time to do what you love most!
Related: Boston Globe article
Tourist much?
