Berkshires - Pitstops for Kids

Summer in the Berkshires: Zoar Outdoor river rafting

August 27, 2020 By Amy Hagstrom

The largest of three area river rafting outfitters, Zoar Outdoor offers all levels of tours down the scenic Deerfield River, from family float trips to advanced whitewater day trips. Located in beautiful Charlemont in the heart of Massachusetts’ Berkshires, Zoar is one part family resort (tent cabins and lodge rooms are available), one part adventure center (guests can try their skill on the climbing wall, bike, hike, and zip line while visiting), and one part rafting outfit.

During a time when many vacations are not possible, outdoor activities offer the ability to safely social distance, especially if families road trip or are visiting locally. Hotels.com asked me to share my favorite activities and tips for exploring the Berkshires, so start here as you plan a safe and responsible vacation.

Where to stay in the Berkshires: Lodging is available throughout the Berkshires and I would have loved to experience a night or two in this beautiful location! The town of Lenox has the most options available, which puts families close to Jiminy Peak ski area, which offers up fun in all seasons.

We visited Zoar on a late June afternoon for their Family Float Trip, which departed at 3:15 pm and ended at approximately 7 pm, and included a picnic dinner on the river, provided by Zoar. Depending on how many guests have reserved space on the trip, tours may depart with several rafts in the party or just one; on the afternoon of our trip, we were a solitary raft seating six guests and one guide.

Our guide, Matt, was a natural on the river, having grown up on the Deerfield, floating and rafting from an early age. One of over 50 well-trained Zoar guides, Matt was a wealth of information about the local natural landscape and wildlife (as well as what to do with kids in the area). Clearly skilled at his job, it was a pleasure to spend our hours on the river with him. The kids agreed; they loved the ways in which he kept what could have been a sleepy river float an adventure. Matt made sure we found all the ‘white water’ we could, stopped in the deeper pools for swimming opportunities, and taught the kids a great game that involved balancing on the edge of the raft while he spun it in circles. (Oh, and he knew to hide the cookies at dinner until everyone had eaten their sandwiches and salad.)

The family float trip covers over eight and a half miles of river, stopping for a dinner of sandwiches (which guests can fix for themselves from an array of cold cuts, veggies, and condiments), pasta salad and salsa and chips (made fresh daily), cookies, lemonade, and water. The entire experience was very peaceful; I don’t know whether it was the time of evening our trip departed or just luck, but we were the only raft on the water through miles of quiet twists and turns, lovely green river banks, and great views. It was the perfect length and rafting level for families with young kids in tow (minimum age is five), and yet was still entertaining for my 12 and nine year olds. If everyone in your party is over age six, the Zoar Gap tour, with a minimum age of seven, might be an even better fit. It covers a different section of the same river, and adds more white water elements.

There’s no need to bring anything with you; Zoar suggests locking valuables in your car, then holds your keys for you in a lock box to prevent losing them to the river. I brought my water-resistant camera with me (at my own risk), and in hindsight, would have dressed the kids in long-sleeved shirts or sweatshirts under their floatation devices (which they could have taken off if needed), because after swimming in the Deerfield, they did get a bit chilled. Other than that, we needed nothing but sunglasses, sunscreen, and swimming attire or shorts and t-shirts.

Directions: Zoar Outdoor is located at 7 Main Street, Charlemont, MA. From I-91, take the Greenfield exit (26), then exit onto MA-2 Mohawk Trail. Follow MA-2 approximately 17 miles to Zoar.

As I disclose whenever applicable, we experienced the Deerfield River as guests of Zoar Outdoor. While we appreciate their hospitality, this compensation came with no expectation of a positive review. We have a partnership with Hotels.com, which allows us to keep our activity reviews front and center.

Summer in the Berkshires: Hancock Shaker Village

June 18, 2018 By Amy Hagstrom

The Berkshires is a wonderful region in Massachusetts to explore with kids, and summer in the Berkshires can’t be beat! Parents will appreciate the rural, countrified setting with farmer’s markets, rolling hills, and quaint towns, and kids will find plenty to do in the form of roadside ice cream stands, gentle streams and rivers, and museums and gardens.

The Hancock Shaker Village is located outside Pittsfield (the county seat), near the New York state border. This sprawling property is preserved beautifully from the time Massachusetts Shakers communed here, with gardens, lawn, and buildings to explore. The Shaker way of life was peaceful and industrious, with an emphasis on equality, hard work, and kindness that is still taught at the property today.

Families can start with a short video, or make their way immediately to a self-guided tour, which includes the famous round barn (ideal for milking productivity), the main Shaker living quarters (with dining rooms, kitchens, infirmary, laundry rooms, children’s rooms, and more), a blacksmith shop, tannery, and coops of chickens, turkeys, and sheep.

Kids will not want to miss the Children’s Discovery Room, in which docents will help kids make bracelets of yarn, learn Shaker games, and milk a replica cow. Dress up clothes from the period are on-hand to try, as well as a Shaker chair to mend.

In every building, ask a docent to tell you more about the place! In most buildings, experts are demonstrating different types of Shaker work; during our trip, we had a great conversation with a local blacksmith, who made the five-year-old in our group his own handmade nail. In another section, a man was spinning wool, and in a third, stablehands were mucking out stalls. Holstein cows grazed nearby.

Plan to spend a few hours in the village, with time to check out the shop (kids can buy old-fashioned simple games or candy) and have a picnic. There’s a cafe on-site, plus space for bringing in outside food. We opted for a combination: picnic food complimented by hot dogs bought on-site.

Date last visited:

June 20, 2014

Distance from the interstate:

Right off Route 20, not far from I-90.

Admission:

Adults are $18, teens are (13-17) $8, and kids 12 and under are free!

Hours:

Open seven days a week (including holidays) from 10 am to 4 pm in winter, 10 am to 5 pm in summer.

Directions:

If using GPS, plug in the address instead of the name of the destination: 34 Lebanon Mountain Road, Hancock. Get full directions here.

Summer in the Berkshires: Bousquet Mountain Adventure Park review

June 26, 2017 By Amy Hagstrom

Bousquet Ski Area’s Adventure Park is a vertical playground of high rope courses, zip lines, nets, and ladders, all set against the backdrop of the beautiful Berkshires. With three levels of course ‘elements’ to master, everyone will be challenged here, and everyone can get a taste of what ropes courses are all about.

Bousquet Mountain Adventure Park review:

We met first with our instructor, who fitted us in harnesses and gloves and explained to us how our clips and ropes worked. It seemed complicated at first (and we’d done this before!), but once we’d had time to go through the steps with her and review what we’d learned on the practice cables and zip line (very low to the ground), we felt very confident about maneuvering through the course. I loved that due to Bousquet’s cable and clip safety system, it’s virtually impossible to be completely unclipped from the cable at any given time. I felt completely at ease allowing Nate (12) and Calvin (9) loose on the course, always with instructors nearby.

Of course, I wasn’t about to miss out on the opportunity to play on a high ropes course, so I joined in, too. The first level is relatively low to the ground, and a great place to get the hang of things. Participants go in one direction through the elements, which eliminates traffic jams (a non-issue since there were only a few other people on the course at the time) and ensures you experience everything. Once you’ve completed Level 1, you’ll want to try Level 2 (straight above you), though of course, if you opt out, you can experience Level 1 again. Level 2 was certainly more challenging to me, and by Level 3, I was ready to leave it to the kids (i.e. monkeys).

One of the best parts of Adventure Park are the zip lines that connect elements. We’d experienced zip lines and high ropes courses before, but not together! Attached to each of our harnesses were zip line apparatuses (apparati?) which we used to zip ourselves from area to area on short zip lines. (Note: on the higher elements, some ‘commando’ work is required for lighter, shorter people; you’ll zip part way, then need to pull yourself the rest of the way, which takes some upper body strength!)

We couldn’t help but compare Bousquet’s Adventure Park to Big Sky, Montana’s high ropes course, and though the scenery was certainly more stunning at Big Sky, the kids preferred Bousquet’s multi-level course. I found Big Sky’s course to be more dramatic (it’s higher, for one, and accessible only by rope ladder), and had a hard time directly comparing them.

The Adventure Park is awesome, but what makes Bousquet great for traveling families are the multitude of other activities to do on-site in summer! Toby (age 6) and our nephew Homer (age 2) were too young to explore the Adventure Park (where participants must be 70 pounds and at least 48 inches tall), but with mountain day passes, had free rein of the water slides, activity pool, and miniature golf course. Day passes also include three activity tickets to be used for the bungee trampoline, bounce house, climbing wall, go-kart track, or Frisbee golf course. Everything is located in one place (including the Adventure Park), which makes it easy for families to pick and choose how they spend their day based on interest and age, while still staying together.

Note: We were told that kids under five feet tall could only experience Level 1 of the Adventure Park, but after completing this level, our instructors allowed Calvin (just shy of five feet) to continue on up. It was explained to me that the height requirement is in place not due to safety, but due to cable placement; some cables on the higher elements are spaced in such a way that the reach from the child’s harness to the cable might be uncomfortable. Also, kids’ lower weight ensures they will need to complete some upper zip lines ‘commando’ style. We didn’t find the former to be a problem, and Calvin enjoyed the latter! I always recommend following an operation’s guidelines and deferring to their instructors’ judgment.

Ticket costs: Adventure Park passes are $35 per adult (over 5 feet tall) and $29 for juniors (under 5 feet tall). Day Mountain Pass tickets (which include the above listed, minus the Adventure Park) are $28. Activities can be purchased ‘a la carte’ as well, but the day pass is by far the best deal! In fact, we’ve reviewed many zip line and ropes course locations, and I can say without doubt that Bousquet’s offers the best value on a high ropes course I’ve ever seen!

A spectator pass can be purchased for those not experiencing the activities for $7.50. (I always appreciate when an operation offers this!) And be sure to check Bousquet’s ‘deals’ page before planning your trip: they offer $10 Mondays on their Mountain Passes and $20 Tuesdays for the Adventure Park!

Hours: Bousquet’s summer hours are 10 am to 5 pm, daily.

Reservations: 413-442-8316. We didn’t need reservations arriving when the park opened at 10 am on a week day, but to be safe, call ahead!

Website: http://www.bousquets.com/

Directions: Bousquet is located at 101 Dan Fox Drive, Pittsfield, MA. From Boston, take Exit 2 off the Massachusetts Turnpike to Routes 20 & 7 North. Follow signs for Bousquet and Pittsfield Airport (left at light onto Dan Fox Drive for 1 mile).

As I disclose whenever applicable, we experienced the summer activities, including the Adventure Park, as guests of Bousquet Ski Area. While we appreciate their hospitality, it in no way guaranteed a positive review.

Flayvors Ice Cream at Cook Farm

August 11, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Flayvors Ice Cream at Cook Farm is made on-site, at a family dairy in Hadley, Massachusetts. Located in the heart of the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, the dairy and ice cream parlor are in good company; this region is well-known for its farm-to-fork efforts. What we love: driving up to the ice cream shop, families first see the actual barns and cows that contribute to their ice cream cones. You can even eat your cone or sundae sitting outside by the green pastures, in petting-distance of the cows.

When you arrive, a huge board on the front porch announces the regular and seasonal flavors. We couldn’t decide between a salted caramel and pretzel concoction or the limited batch of asparagus ice cream (we didn’t take a chance on it, but heard it’s quite good!). While we’ve seen as many flavor options at a few shops elsewhere, the originality of the flavor combinations can’t be beat at Flayvors!

You order inside at the big ice cream counter, and can take your shake, sundae, cone, or cup of ice cream outside, or eat inside in the combination dining room/country store. Before you head out, be sure to peek behind the counter to see the Emery Thompson ice cream making machines in the kitchen! We opted to take our cones outside, as it was a beautiful June day. The kids walked through the pasture to see the cows, and we sat at picnic tables nearby. The highway is adjacent, but far enough away that we didn’t worry about the young kids in our group.

Lunch is also served, if you want to make a full meal of it, and raw milk and meat can also be purchased directly from the farm. The immediate area is peppered with farm stands, U-pick fruit options, and the like, so it’s entirely possible to make a full day of the farm experience in Western Massachusetts. We think a trip to Flayvors is a nice stop after an afternoon of strawberry picking at local berry patches, or after swimming in nearby Mill Creek or the Deerfield River. On the day of our visit, we combined our trip with a morning at Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, Vermont. The distance was about an hour between stops, through scenic countryside.

Date last visited:

June 2014

Hours of operation:

Sunday to Saturday, 11 am to 9 pm

Directions:

Flayvors is located at 129 South Maple Street in Hadley.

Summer in the Berkshires: Jiminy Peak summer activities

August 4, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

We love summer fun at ski resorts! In the Berkshires of Massachusetts, we’ve reviewed the summer activities at Bousquet, and now, can review in detail all that’s on offer in summer at Jiminy Peak.

Located in the heart of the Berkshires, Jiminy Peak is a well-known ski resort. In summer, it’s transformed into a full-scale outdoor playground, with mountain biking trails, hiking, and an array of kid-friendly only-in-summer activities. Jiminy Peak’s Mountain Adventure Park includes:

a mountain coaster
an alpine slide
the Soarin’ Eagle ‘roller coaster’
a giant swing
bouncy houses
a climbing wall
a bungee trampoline
a kids’ climb

Most of the above activities have a height restriction of 38″, which means that most three-year-olds are old enough to enjoy most of it. The exceptions are the Soarin’ Eagle (42″) and the giant swing (48″).

In addition to all this, Jiminy Peak also sports an entire additional complex of high ropes courses (no fewer than seven!) and zip lines. This Aerial Adventure Park is geared toward the older set, with courses ranging from ‘green’ to ‘black’ and various height and age requirements. A height of 48″ is required to get you in the door (so to speak). All participants start with the easier level courses, and move up. A height restriction of 5′ is required for the black course (because kids have to reach the cables). There’s also an age restriction of six years old at the lower level and 16+ for the black course, but we found the ages to be suggestions…it’s the height that matters.

We spent the day at Jiminy Peak with kids ranging in age from 3-12. We got our three-year-old and five-year-old passes to the Mountain Adventure Park and our 12-year-old a pass to the Aerial Park. Our nine-year-old opted for the full pass to both, so he could split his time between attractions. The Aerial Park pass give you access to all the courses you’re allowed to try, and the Adventure Park pass gives you access to all the rides listed above, plus scenic chair lift rides and hiking trails. The Aerial pass is good for two hours, but as far as we could tell, the Adventure pass was good all day. You’ll want to spend at least two-three hours.

We loved that both parks were adjacent to one another, so the kids could spend time watching each other and cheering each other on. The grandparents or parents can walk from park to park easily. We found all the attendants to be courteous, professional, and safe. As my sister put it, “visiting Jiminy Peak in summer is like going to the carnival…only classy, and in a beautiful setting.”

We didn’t eat on site, but did notice a quick-service snack bar open with the regular fare of hot dogs, ice cream, and the like. Other than the ticketing booth and lodging options, we didn’t notice much else open that the resort, but we did visit in early summer.

Date last visited:

June 2014

Admission:

Passes range from $43 to $65 for All Parks passes, and $29-$49 for Aerial Park passes or Adventure Park passes. Single tickets are also available for $6 each. Check current pricing here.

Hours:

Check summer hours.

Directions:

Jiminy Peak is located at 37 Corey Road, Hancock, MA.

Summer in the Berkshires: Tanglewood Amphitheater

July 11, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

An afternoon or evening spent enjoying live music in the beautiful outdoor amphitheater at Tanglewood is a great addition to any family vacation in western Massachusetts. Tanglewood is located in the picturesque town of Lenox in the heart of the Berkshires. On a recent visit, we packed our cooler with sandwiches, cheese and crackers, fruit salad, and strawberry shortcake and picnicked the night away while listening to “A Prairie Home Companion”.

Tanglewood hosts all kinds of events, and is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It is also one of the few truly kid-friendly music venues I’ve been to. The lawn is huge, with plenty of room for energetic kids. The atmosphere is relaxed, and no one seems to mind if their picnic gets interrupted by the occasional soccer ball or wondering toddler. Show times are conducive to young kids too–“A Prairie Home Companion” started at 5:45 and ended with a sing-along at around 7:30/8:00.

Tip: To get the most out of your visit, show up early. We arrived at 4:00 for a 5:45 show, and had plenty of time to eat and explore before the show started. In anticipation of bedtime, we brought pajamas, and ended a blissful evening with a quiet ride home, complete with two sleeping kids in the back seat.

Date last visited: July 2, 2011

Distance from the interstate: Tanglewood is about 10 miles off of I-90/Massachusetts Turnpike.

Hours of operation: Tanglewood is a seasonal venue and operates from June through September. Check out show times and dates on the Tanglewood website.

Admission or ticket prices: If traveling with kids, I strongly recommend getting lawn seats (as opposed to the covered seats in the Koussevitzky Music Shed), which are $21. Kids under 2 are free. An unexpected plus: onsite parking is convenient and free!

Food services: Boxed dinners and picnics can be purchased online ahead of time, and there are two eateries on site (the Tanglewood Café and Grill) but the best (and probably least expensive) way to eat at Tanglewood is to bring your own picnic. People come armed with coolers, lawn chairs, blankets, and even candles for a more romantic dinner.

Contact: (617) 266-1200 or (888) 266-1200

Directions: Tanglewood is located at 297 West Street, Lenox, MA. Full directions can be found on their website.