Our Berkshires getaway was one of the highlights of 2020 for my family. With all the craziness and stress of the year, my family needed something to help us decompress and get back a feeling of at least a little normalcy. Our Berkshires getaway helped us do just that.
The Berkshires, a rural region in the mountains of western Massachusetts is one of the most beautiful parts of New England. Ask anyone familiar with the area, and they’ll immediately tell you about the area’s beautiful colors in the fall, the small towns that dot the region, its incredible artistic community, and so much more.
Our Berkshires Getaway
There’s no end to what families can see and do in the Berkshires, but for our recent trip, we pared it down to just a few things. Just a two hour drive from us, we know we will back again to enjoy even more of what the area has to offer.
We ended up seeing the Winterlights at Naumkeag, visiting MASS MoCA, and snowboarding at Jiminy Peak. We also enjoyed delicious food at Mazzeo’s Ristorante, which really put the cherry on top of our Berkshires trip.
Winterlights at Naumkeag
If you’re considering a Berkshires getaway, I can’t recommend going in the winter enough. This area of Massachusetts is beautiful during the winter months, and it’s also the time of year when you can see the Winterlights at Naumkeag.
Every year, they light up two of their gardens with thousands of shimmering, sparkling lights. It’s a true winter wonderland with a magical element that feels like something straight out of a snow-covered fairy tale.
My family and I loved walking along the garden paths and taking in all the lights. It’s one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever see.
MASS MoCA
If you’re in the Berkshires area, be sure you stop by and explore the MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art). This art museum is devoted to contemporary arts and showcases a vast variety of galleries ranging from paintings to sculptures, installations, and more.
My husband and I enjoyed exploring the more thought-provoking pieces, while my kids were fascinated by the structural pieces at the museum. The museum is great for families, although I would say if you have younger kids to be careful at the Imagined Worlds by Ad Minolti. The Buni mannequin is very lifelike!
Snowboarding at Jiminy Peak
We hit the slopes at Jiminy Peak while we were on our Berkshires getaway. Jiminy Peak is one of the best places in the area to ski and snowboard, offering ski opportunities for both young and old, novice and experienced. They even offer adaptive, group, and private lessons.
We had a blast zipping – or trying to zip, in some cases – down the courses. It’s the type of day that makes for fun family memories you never forget. I’ll always remember watching my kids speed along on their snowboards.
We love Jiminy Peak during the winter, but if you’re headed to the Berkshires in the summer, there’s plenty to do then, as well. You’ll find a mountain adventure park, aerial adventure park, mountain biking, and more. It’s a great place no matter the time of year.
Breakfast at On a Roll Cafe
One of the best parts of any Berkshires getaway is the food, and we had some amazing eats on this trip. We had one of the best breakfasts any of us have ever had at On a Roll.
Their breakfast menu is absolutely fantastic, boasting all the classics that we expect when we have a big breakfast. Our breakfast feast featured eggs, bacon, pancakes, home fries, toast, and more. It was a great way to start the day and get powered up for adventuring.
Dinner at Mazzeo’s Ristorante
If you only eat at one place on your Berkshires getaway, make sure it’s Mazzeo’s Ristorante. We ended our day with dinner at this beautiful restaurant, and every bite was perfect.
This family-friendly restaurant is full of delicious Italian flavors and an atmosphere that’s perfect for enjoying good food while relaxing after a long day. The restaurant offers platters like charcuterie boards, seafood platters, and Italian dessert platters, as well as a variety of pasta, chicken steak, fish, and more. They even have a kids’ menus.
Staying at Marriott Lenox Berkshires
Our home base for our Berkshires getaway was Marriott Lenox Berkshires. This is a business class hotel, and it shows. It has an elegant atmosphere that’s also cozy and welcoming – my favorite combination.
We all enjoyed our rooms. They were cozy but modern, came with all the classic amenities you’d expect, and they made for a great place to relax and recharge for the trip.
I particularly enjoyed the staff. If you’ve traveled almost any amount at all, you know that staff can be what makes or breaks a hotel, and the staff at Marriott Lenox Berkshires was incredibly friendly and helpful. It’s also quite affordable which doesn’t hurt, either!
Make a Berkshires Getaway Your Next Trip
Whether you plan your Berkshires getaway for the winter like we did or you want to see it in the summer or fall, you can’t go wrong with a trip to this beautiful area of New England.
The Berkshires is packed with things to do and see, places to go, foods to enjoy, the arts, and so much more. It’s the perfect trip no matter what time of the year you choose to make a trip of it. Start planning your Berkshire vacation today via Berkshires.org. While visiting Berkshires.org you can check what is open in the area, find lodging based on your needs, view the latest brochures, offers, and learn up to date travel tips. Also be sure to enter to win a Berkshires Trip!
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