Mass MoCA, Mt. Greylock, Rail Trail

Previous: Berkshires and Vermont 2018: Intro

Mass MoCA and Ashwillticook Rail Trail

Day 2 – August 4

The car started in the morning so we were able to drive to Bennington Vermont Subaru about 30 minutes away to have the car fixed. They actually did fix it, and under warranty! While there we were served a BBQ lunch of Omaha Steak burgers and dogs. Free early lunch and a fixed car! Not a bad way to start the day, actually. Though it was raining off and on.

We then headed back down to North Adams to explore the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA). They offer quite an eclectic collection of art, and several avant-garde and thought-provoking exhibitions. One of the exhibit’s artist, Liz Glynn, was performing operatic song while lounging within her art of a large, unusually balanced stack of pallets while we were there.

 

It is definitely worth a visit but be prepared to get lost amongst the confusing layout of multiple buildings within an old industrial factory compound. After a couple of hours, we noticed that the rain was clearing so we decided to leave the museum and do the Ashwillticook Rail Trail. Our museum tix were good for two days so we had flexibility to finish up the museum the next day.

We drove about 15 mins to the Adams Visitors Center in Adams, MA where the trailhead was. We got there around 2:15 P.M. The Visitors Center is modern and well maintained. There is definitely money in this neck of the woods. The attendant was personable and helpful. Leaving the car in the lot of the Visitors Center we started on the Ashwillticook Rail Trail. The bike trail is an easy, paved, mostly flat 23-mile round trip between the towns of Adams and Lanesboro. It passes along the length of the Cheshire Reservoir and there are lots of wetland, mountain, and green scenery. No places offering food or drink along the trail so considering how screaming hot it was, we were glad we stocked up with lots of water. This was a very nice ride but we really soaked in the A/C in the car afterward!

That night, upon the recommendation of the motel owner we went to dinner at Coyote Flaco in Williamstown, just past Williams College. This was a good choice. Excellent Mexican food in a casual yet slightly upscale environment. We took advantage of the proximity of the restaurant and our motel and strolled around the small, beautiful campus of Williams College. Being a college town in August, it was somewhat quiet. After about a half-hour we got in the car and drove the 5 minutes back to the motel for a swim in the outdoor pool before bed.

Mt. Greylock and Clark Art Institute

Day 3 – August 5

We drove to North Adams for breakfast at Brewhaha on the recommendation of the young women we met at the brew pub on Friday night. Great breakfast, for sure, but lacked that local charm. After breakfast we headed back to Mass MoCA to finish up the museum.

Our museum ticket was also good for the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, so we headed that way after an hour or so. On the way, we detoured to check out Mt. Greylock State Reservation. Once there, how could we not end up driving all the way to the top of the highest peak in Massachusetts via its Scenic Byway? It took about 30 minutes to drive to the top, and boy it was busy up there. We were lucky to find a parking spot near the entrance.  After parking, we paid the $5 to park, and then explored around the summit.

We walked up the tight, spiral staircase of the 100’ tall Vietnam Veterans War Memorial tower, checking views along the way up, and then rewarded with views of about 100 miles at the top. Then we hung out a bit at the rocky summit overlooking the Berkshires below. The summit area for viewing was actually rather steeply perched and so it offered a thrilling panorama of the Berkshires below. There were about 100 people milling about and finding sitting spots getting different viewing perspectives. The views were phenomenal. Again, an unplanned detour becomes one of the highlights of a trip.

  

Then on to the very impressive Clark Art Institute near Williams College. The two-day museum pass we got at Mass MoCA was also good for this museum. $34 for the two of us…a great deal. It was busy here on this day, and we ended up parking about 1/4 mile from the entrance. That gave us the opportunity to see just how expansive and beautiful the institute campus is. The grounds and the museum are first rate. There are short hiking trails throughout the 140-acre institute grounds as well, which we walked part of. Again, there is money in this college town, and it is on display here. Terrific exhibits, especially the “Art of Iron”, which showcased dozens of fantastic functional wrought iron pieces from 19^th century France, and the Women Artists of Paris from the 19th century. They also have very good food in their café.

We stayed at the Clark until 3:00 P.M. when we decided we needed to start heading to Burlington, VT since it’s about a 3.5-hour drive without stops (and we always make stops…”squirrel”)

Next: Island Line Rail Trail & Burlington, VT