There’s never a wrong time of year to visit the Berkshires, the mountainous stretch of western Massachusetts located just 140 miles north of New York City. You can thank the fall’s vibrant display of foliage, summer’s Tanglewood music festival that draws crowds from all over the world, and a steady tide of new hotel openings to take advantage of as cozy winter getaways and for ski season. The region also has strong roots as an artists community, with a robust community of galleries, independent boutiques, and museums. And for city dwellers looking to stretch their legs, the Berkshires is also home to scenic hiking trails and winter slopes for every activity and ability level.
There are plenty of similarities between cozy Catskills downtowns like Hudson and the Berkshires’ Great Barrington—as well as the charming hotel scenes of Kingston, New York, and Lenox, Massachusetts. Whether you’re looking to maximize your time outdoors during the day and enjoy a quality culinary scene in the evening, or simply want to slow down for a weekend of relaxation and idle shopping, here’s how to make the most out of this iconic, westernmost swath of Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art,or MASS MoCa, is located in North Adams and is one of the largest contemporary art museums in the US.
It would be easy to spend a full week just visiting the museums scattered across the Berkshires, so you'd be remiss not to at least sample a few. Start in North Adams at famed contemporary art hub MASS MoCa to make your way through the massive collection of Sol Lewitt’s large-scale wall drawings, as well as nine installations from “master of light” James Turrell. Further south in Stockbridge, the Norman Rockwell Museum features almost 1,000 original drawings and paintings in the artist’s hometown, including iconic covers from The Saturday Evening Post and MAD Magazine.
To enjoy art outdoors, guided tours are available on weekends from May through October at Chesterwood, a sculpture garden and studio that once belonged to Daniel Chester French, an artist who crafted, among many other pieces, the monumental Lincoln Memorial sculpture in Washington, DC. For the literary-inclined, author Edith Wharton’s Lenox home, The Mount, is open to visitors—and the 45-minute garden tour is especially stunning in the spring.
For one of the best views of the Housatonic River Valley (especially at sunrise), hike up Monument Mountain's three trails, each of which are under three miles long. Or to get a view of the Appalachian Trail, hike up Mount Greylock, which also happens to be home to the highest point in the state of Massachusetts. And in Stockbridge, the Charcoal Trail leads to Olivia’s Overlook for a stunning vantage point of
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
When the Van Cortlandt family acquired their sprawling Hudson Valley estate in the late 1600s, they couldn't have imagined that it would one day host a jack-o'-lantern festival with pumpkin sculptures including a Kraken, moving windmill, and Statue of Liberty.
Not all oceanside vacations are created equal, and one trip to Wilmington and our island beaches will show you why we’re the crown jewel of coastal getaways in the Carolinas. With the city’s historic River District and Riverwalk, along with three island beaches just minutes away, there’s plenty to explore. Expect to encounter turquoise waters, exceptional sand, one-of-a-kind nature escapes, and award-winning chefs and breweries — just a few of the many attractions you’ll fall in love with on this slice of the North Carolina coast.
The opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympics in Paris is designed to be a major spectacle on July 26. Yet issues have plagued the games before they’ve even begun. Just hours before the opening ceremony, arsonists attacked France’s high-speed rail network and disrupted travel to Paris from around Europe for 800,000 people — fans and athletes alike.
If you’re one of the lucky ones with tickets to the Oasis reunion tour, all that remains is finding rock star-worthy digs. With the concerts coinciding with summer in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the best vacation rentals come with outdoor space or proximity to urban parks and beer gardens. These Guest Favorite Airbnbs in Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Cardiff are pitch perfect for the Oasis Live ’25 Tour.
According to Airbnb, there has been a 130 percent increase in stays at Airbnbs with Northern Lights views. The best Airbnbs in Iceland offer front row seats to the northern lights — making it the top place to go to see them. Not only that, but by booking a remote stay you’ll have easy access to the outdoor adventures this Nordic country is known for. The best Iceland Airbnbs even offer extras — like hot tubs, fireplaces, maybe even a chance to greet a gaggle of wild horses as they traverse their way across the countryside. “Wow” your travel partners with these epic Iceland Airbnbs.
Big cities are my Roman Empire. I love staying in the heart of a city, but it can be hard to find hotels that offer a prime location and perfectly blended amenities that suit my travel style. Enter the Hyatt Centric Downtown Nashville.
Scotland has no shortage of draws for travelers. More than 4 million people traveled to Scotland in 2023, and that number is only growing. Famous draws like world-class whisky and museums fill itineraries, as do castles and nature that’s being restored through an ambitious rewilding program. And while there are plenty of things to do, the best way to experience Scotland is through slow travel, which the region is actively promoting. It’s just one of the reasons Matador Network named Scotland its Sustainable Destination of the Year in 2023.
Recently, Phocuswright's Global Travel Market Report 2024 revealed the industry exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023 with a 24 percent increase in gross bookings and a total spend of $1.5 trillion.
There’s something about sleeping on a boat. It’s the rocking, of course, and the sound of the water. It’s also the cocoon effect of containment in a small space tucked away from the world. I’m not talking about cruise ships and luxury yachts here. I’m talking about a vessel that gently rocks, just enough to let a person know she’s not on dry land. If you suffer from seasickness, this could be an issue. As for me, I never sleep better than I do on a boat.