Part 1 of 3: Berkshires Visit

We are off on our summer road trip, visiting family & friends in Mass, Maine & New York. First stop, Grammy & Grampy's in West Stockbridge, Mass. Otherwise known as "the Berkshires." Lots of people from Manhattan, Boston, etc. have summer places up here. They, like my in-laws, are lovers of nature and refined living. You get pastoral country, charming towns and also world class music (Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), art (Jacob's Pillow performing arts, galleries, local artists--it's the birthplace of Norman Rockwell), excellent restaurants and my favorite--Kripalu, a yoga retreat and teaching center that would bring the Dali Lama to tears. And if you are not up for hiking or culture, you can always spend the afternoon curled up reading on the porch...

One of the highlights of this visit were two great hikes--the first was at an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, where we spotted a giant bull frog--he was bigger than a newborn baby (and in my family, that is big)--and came across lots of beaver dams. I had never seen either in real life before. It is refreshing to experience something exciting for the first time as an adult without having to buy a ticket, pop a pill or place an order. The second nature walk was ironically to Steve's Glen (all of us went on the hike except for Steve who needed to balance all of the fresh air, flora and fauna with extra spicy Thai food and restaurant table service). The Glen is deep in the woods and has a peaceful sitting perch overlooking a gorgeous waterfall...but none of us can remember why it's named after Steve.