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The Berkshires for skiing, socializing and culture

BY ALISON GREGOR | Special to Newsday

January 11, 2009

The Church on the Hill in Lenox, Massachusetts is a Congregational church built in 1805. (Kevin Sprague/Studio Two)

It seems counterintuitive: Go somewhere cold for vacation? But with air travel costs mounting while gasoline prices have plunged, it may be time to put that aging SUV to a use it was designed for and hit the road.

For Long Islanders, the destination could be the Berkshires in Massachusetts, where they'll find picturesque New England towns tucked among low, rolling mountains.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND

A short drive from New York City, the Berkshires are a mecca for nature- and culture-lovers in the warmer seasons, offering summer stock theater, classical concerts and Gilded Age mansions to tour. In the snowy winter months, the Berkshire region loses most of its tourists. Still, a surprising number of activities await travelers of all stripes.

THINGS TO DO

Sports lovers can partake of downhill skiing and snowboarding at four ski areas particularly well suited for neophytes. There are state parks and forest lands, along with numerous resorts offering trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Frozen beaver ponds and lakes call out to ice skaters, and snowmobiling is allowed in many Massachusetts state parks.

INDOOR PURSUITS

Those who shun the blustery outdoors in favor of a cheery tavern can mingle with locals on the Lenox inn tours and walks through the grand old homes of Stockbridge. The sprawling Red Lion Inn, with its antique

furniture and china-filled public rooms, has a Colonial-style pub along with the Lion's Den tavern.

The Berkshires museums are open to visitors all winter long. In recent years, the Berkshires have become known as a region where travelers can retreat from the quotidian to focus on health and wellness. There are luxurious spas and the rather ascetic healing-arts experience at the 300-acre Kripalu Center.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

With offerings this varied, the itinerary your winter Berkshires getaway takes is entirely up to you.

Here we offer three ways to tailor your trip - whether you crave outdoor adventures, arts and culture or merely an out-of-the-way place to curl up with a good book.

If you want sports and adventure, downhill skiing and snowboarding

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort (37 Corey Rd., Hancock, 888-4-JIMINY, jiminypeak.com) is the largest ski resort in the Berkshires. More skiing and snowboarding can be found at Catamount (Route 23 East, South Egremont, 413-528-1262, catamountski.com), one of the oldest ski resorts in the Northeast. Ski Butternut (380 State Rd., Route 23, Great Barrington, 413-528-2000, skibutternut.com), which has a tubing center, and Bousquet Ski Area (101 Dan Fox Dr., Pittsfield, 413-442-8316, bousquets.com) offer a family experience with affordable rates.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AND SNOWSHOEING

The posh Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club (55 Lee Rd., Route 20, Lenox, 413-637-1364, cranwell.com) allows nonguests to enjoy 6.2 miles of groomed ski trails (and a spa). If you want to combine skiing with some wine tasting, try Hilltop Orchards (508 Canaan Rd., Route 295, Richmond, 800-833-6274, hilltoporchards.com), which has pristine backcountry trails and free tastings of Furnace Brook Winery's wines.

WHERE TO STAY

For skiers who forgo shoes, the ski-in, ski-out New England Country Inn in Hancock offers lift tickets with its large suites. The heated outdoor pool and hot tub warm up lodgers. Nearby are the convivial Christiansen's Tavern and John Harvard's Brew House, a restaurant and pub overlooking the ski mountain (From $159, 800-882-8859, jiminy peak.com).

The homey rooms at family-ownedCanterbury Farm in Becket overlook about 14 miles of groomed trails for moonlight (and sunlit) skiing, meandering through old-growth forests, past frozen lakes and ponds. Equipment for skiing, ice skating and show-shoeing is offered for rent (From $125, 413-623-0100, canterbury-farms.com).