Ghostly Encounter at Ventfort Hall

Travel Day Trips Presents Ghostly Encounter at Ventfort Hall

Yes on one of my day trips I finally got to see Ventfort Hall in Lenox, MA. This mid 19th century mansion is now a museum situated on Walker St. just down the road from downtown Lenox. It was a still, hot, humid summer afternoon in August 2008 when I entered the mansion eager to see the house and exhibit. I purchased my ticket and sat down in a folding chair waiting for the tour guide to begin her lecture. In a few minutes two more people came in and sat down. Finally the guide finished her previous tour and joined us, standing in front of us making some small talk before her official speech began. About 20 feet away was a heavy oak door leading out to the back veranda. No one had used the door since I sat down for a good five minutes or more. No one was near the door, or on the veranda. We were all a good way away from the door when it suddenly opened by itself halfway, paused for a second and then shut as if someone or something had pushed it shut. It was exactly as if someone had opened the door and left the room. We all watched this on a sunny hot summer afternoon. There was no wind or breeze, barely a movement in the air outside. The door was heavy, and if it was moved by the wind, it should of stayed partially open of just slowly close again, not as if it was pushed closed. We turned to the guide who had also witnessed this as it to say, and....? She said that she thought that the previous occupants were still here and then changed the subject and began her tour. On the tour one of the interesting tidbits was that previous owners did conduct seances in an area above the main door. No explanation was given for the occurrence but it did happen and there were four witnesses on that day.

Will you see a ghost if you visit Ventfort Hall? I can not say but you will see a very interesting house, one of the remaining Victorian estates left in the Newport of the North that was Lenox, MA. And it was used in the movie, Ciderhouse Rules as the orphanage. The Ventfort Hall Association that owns the house has done a wonderful job of restoring the house which had fallen on hard times. I am sure the previous occupants are grateful even if they get tired of hearing the story from time to time.

http://www.gildedage.org/index.php

Stockbridge MA, The Red Lion Inn and Norman Rockwell

Travel Day Trips presents Stockbridge MA, The Red Lion Inn and Norman Rockwell

Just ten minutes north of Great Barrington on Route 7 is Stockbridge. A small, exclusive artsy town best known for its most famous citizen, Norman Rockwell the famous painter and illustrator. Indeed Rockwell painted the main street in one of his famous illustrations when he had his studio in one of the buildings. Today you can visit the Norman Rockwell Museum just outside of the town and see his studio house, his easel and the main museum which houses his most famous pictures that have become part of the American consciousness. To get there follow Route 102 to 183. And to see some of his art visit http://www.nrm.org/.

Downtown Stockbridge is comprised of the main street and a couple of side streets. But sitting majestically on the corner on Route 7 is The Red Lion Inn. http://www.redlioninn.com/ The hotel has, according to its web page, been in business since the 18th century and indeed as you step into the hotel you feel as if you have gone back into time to an old fashion time. The hotel has 108 very pricey rooms but you are staying at a national treasure that is reported to be haunted. They have packages that will pair theatre tickets with accommodations. I have opted to dine at the somewhat gentile dining room. Their turkey sandwich plate is the best and will give you a taste of the Red Lion experience. They have a very nice gift shop and one of the best rest rooms in the area for that all important pit stop.

If you continue down the street, there are a couple of shops to buy souvenirs but beware of the made in China goods masquerading as genuine old fashioned Stockbridge souvenirs. The town can really use a local artisan store with real hand crafted items by local people. And for you baby boomers, you might remember Alice's Restaurant made famous by Arlo Guthrie. It used to be there but no more. Outside of the inn and a couple of stores, there is not much shopping to be had. A better place will be in Lenox which will be featured in an upcoming blog posting.

Just beyond the center, tucked away in Eden Hill is the National Shrine of Divine Mercy, a beautiful little jewel of a church. The church on vast acres of land hosts special prayer retreats and festivals during the year for many diverse populations. One visit there had me at a French language mass for Haitians and was a reminder of the ecumenical nature of the faith.

And before you leave the town you must visit the Botanical Garden located at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183. The Garden is a collection of pocket gardens but the real gem is its garden shop. Spend an hour strolling the gardens and then buy that special plant, seeds or gardening attire at the shop. http://www.gardentraveler.com/cities/Stockbridge-Berkshire_Botanical_Garden.htm

Sheffield MA Antique Heaven

Travel Day Trips Presents Sheffield MA Antique Heaven

Just before Great Barrington is the town of Sheffield MA. Sheffield itself was settled in 1725 and is situated on the Housatonic River. Indeed the area around the town shows its agricultural roots with open farmland nestled in the foot hills of the Berkshire Mountains. This lovely town contains many antique stores in colonial and Victorian houses. There is the Painted Porch which features country antiques, Cupboards & Roses featuring Swedish antiques and Linden Rosen Antiques that specializes in American country furniture. You can drive through the town on Route 7 and stop every few feet for another antique store. A famous bed and breakfast is also in the middle of the stores called The 1802 House. During the year the town holds art shows and antique fairs in what serves as the town center. If you want to find antique items in a quaint, quiet town, then Sheffield is for you. To get there travel North on Route 7 just above the Connecticut State line and the Connecticut town of Canaan.

Searles Castle Great Barrington MA

Travel Day Trips presents Searles Castle

Just outside of Great Barrington in Massachusetts, traveling north on Route 7 lies a unique grand house called Searles Castle. Built in 1888, it is one of the remaining grand mansions of the French Chateau Period. And indeed as you drive past its sturdy gray stone walls you are immediately drawn to the mysterious estate. Now a Prep School called the John Dewey Academy, the estate is up for sale. And if you have the money, the 40 room mansion could be yours. It has carved wood ceilings, ornate fireplaces and a room clad in wood from a long ago sailing ship. It is named after the interior decorator who later married the very wealthy widow, Mary Hopkins. http://www.luxist.com/2008/02/06/searles-castle-estate-of-the-day/

But the place is also said to be haunted. Some say by Mr. Searles or Mary or a young boy who had ventured into one of the secret passageways on the estate and died after the passageway collapsed. Seems that the place contains a lot of hidden staircases and passageways, some leading out toward the back to a building resembling a Greek temple. The Castle is only open to the public on special occasions such as the Antiquarian Book Sale that holds its event there. That is the time to go and enter the building and see for yourself the faded but still magnificent decor and take a tour of the grounds. That is what I did one summer day. I took the opportunity to see for myself this building having passed it many times. I did find it a bit creepy especially the long vast empty acreage in back of the building. There is just something about the view from the back patio stairs as you look at the Greek temple building that reminds me of a scene from the movie, The Turn of the Screw with Deborah Kerr. I half expected to see a spectre float over the ground.

I will be writing about another grand old mansion in the Berkshires in upcoming blogs and where I had a personal paranormal experience. The Berkshires are never boring and a great day trip destination.

Travel Day Trips

Great Barrington and the Towns of the Berkshires

Travel Day Trips presents Great Barrington and the Towns of the Berkshires


One of my favorite places to take a day trip is to the Berkshires in Massachusetts. There I visit three towns that are known for their treasures of ambiance and beauty - Great Barrington, Stockbridge and Lenox. I also sometimes stop in two other towns along the way, Sheffield and Lee. Together they offer the day trip traveler an interesting and busy getaway for a day with plenty to do and see.

The city of Great Barrington was settled in 1726 and encompasses 45.7 square miles nestled in the Berkshire Mountain range of East Mountain, Beartown Mountain and Monument Mountain. The downtown is made up of three and four story buildings along Route 7 and has many restaurants, shops and boutiques. Walking in this town is easy and one of the pleasures of visiting the city are their crosswalks that mandate drivers stop for pedestrians the moment the pedestrian put their foot on the road. I am from Connecticut and this mannerly respect for people is refreshing to me as Connecticut drivers usually speed up when they see a pedestrian. The shopping area is great for window shopping and I usually start my journey at Railroad Street, a short street lined with restaurants and boutiques including Karen Allens's fiber art store.

Favorite and interesting stores are:

The Gifted Child - a really interesting toy store with imaginative basic toys.

Byzanthium - Original clothes and jewelry moderately prices.

Seeds - Housewares, soaps, funny novelties.

Mistral - French Country furnishings.

Crystal Essence - New Age books, jewelry, music, soap and lotions. They also offer workshops, music venues and appearances by leading practitioners. Go to www.crystalessence.com to learn more about this wonderful place.

There are more shops up and down the Route 7 main street. Another must see store is Evergreen a craft and art cooperative featuring local American artists. If you are looking for an original gift or one of a kind item then this is the place. Items include jewelry, furniture, clothing and other unique gifts.

Great Barrington boasts of many interesting and fine restaurants tailored to every taste from vegetarian at Martins to pizza at Baba Louies. A day in the Berkshires should include a stop at Great Barrington for the shopping and dining experiences. And a visit to the town starts a wonderful travel day trip and vacation getaway for the person who wants to mix art with commerce.

Some Travel Tips and Information for Northampton MA

Travel Tips for Northampton MA

I hope you have enjoyed my musings on one of my favorite cities in the Northeast US. It really is a colorful place with loads of history. Many famous people lived and taught there. Jenny Lind named Northampton "the paradise of America" and indeed the city hosts the high end art fair, Paradise City each year. Sojourner Truth made her home in the city and Lydia Maria Child wrote the famous holiday song, "Over the River and Through the Woods" there. Kurt Vonnegut taught at Smith College. And my favorite tidbit is Sylvester Graham invented, yes you guessed it, the graham cracker in Northampton.

To read about the history of the city and also explore more of what it offers, please go to http://www.northamptonma.gov/ I am sure that you will appreciate the city once you go there and I hope my travel tips about Northampton as a day vacation destination has helped you.
Travel Day Trips

How to Get to Northampton MA

Travel Day Trips presents Driving Tips

I have written on why I love the city of Northampton MA and why I often take travel day trips there. Part of my blog will be how to get to a destination and what to look out for on the way there. I like to get to Northampton from Southern Connecticut as quickly as possible in order to spend more time exploring the city. The city is off of I91N so I take the Merritt Parkway North and then pick up I91N heading for Hartford. A good pit stop on the way is just at the hand off from the Merritt. Its safe and pretty clean at least in the day time. I continue up through Hartford staying in the middle lane. There can be a delay in the right lane for the I84 exit so I try to avoid having to stop dead in the wrong lane and stay in the middle until I pass that exit. I continue on I91N to the Connecticut border and when I see the Welcome to Massachusetts sign I try to get in the far left lane to drive through Springfield MA. I find this part of the drive very stressful since a lot of fast traffic will come up from ramps on the right. After exit 12 the traffic calms down and the drive becomes pleasurable. The exit for Northampton is Exit 18. Go to the end of the ramp and take a left onto Rt 9W. Continue straight and get into the left lane before you get to the intersection because you are going to take a left onto Rt 5 which will take you into the heart of downtown Northampton. Northampton has municipal parking lots a block or two from the center and of course there is vertical parking downtown but usually that is full. I like to park over on State Street which is a right off of Rt. 5. It is metered parking and if there is no spot I usually park a couple of blocks down on State Street.

I know, details, details but I thought posting some driving tips for new travel day trip explorers would be of use. Learn from my experiences and I hope you too will come to love Northampton the way I do.
Travel Day Trips

People Watching in Northampton MA

Travel Day Trips Presents People Watching in Northampton

One of the pleasures of going to Northampton is watching the people on the street. They can be neo-hippies, punk rock types, bikers, retirees. On a busy weekend you can see a variety of street musicians and performers or at least people who think they are performers. Take the motley band of neo-hippies that gathered outside the local book store and decided that it would be a good spot to set up shop. They were colorfully attired in flowing gypsy skirts with guitars slung over their shoulders. Their attitude was spot on if not their music. Good to see the memory of the 60s still alive and kicking. They made me smile as I passed them because I lived through the original hippie craze. Any other place outside of Woodstock New York would be annoying to see this but not in Northampton. Its just part of the travel day trip scene.

But the strangest people sighting I had was last year when I saw the two tallest men who were not basketball players. These two guys were at least 6 feet 8 inches tall, clad in leather jackets walking on the sidewalk, heads above the crowd. I was amazed and stood there wishing I had enough nerve to go up and say to them, "Take me to your leader." They looked jovial, just happy to be in Northampton and people watch themselves.

During warmer weather, a group gathers outside one of the local coffee bistros on the main street just hanging out. They sit on a series of steps and they reminded me of that other all time great people watching spot, the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Smaller version of course but the spirit is similar in that you can buy a coffee, park yourself and watch the show that is downtown Northampton MA.
Travel Day Trips

Northampton MA - The Golden City

Travel Day Trips presents Northampton MA

On a summer morning, wandering off I95N and trying to find a McDonald's, myself and two friends accidentally came upon a city. Its streets gave off a golden aura in the morning light. People were already at the sidewalk stalls buying produce, plants and flowers. Stopped at a light, we watched and asked ourselves, what place was this? We were on our way to Deerfield, but we vowed to stop back at this place later in the day. That we did. And what we found was a wonderful, walkable, friendly town full of people who got along with each other, who enjoyed being out and about. This city is Northampton, MA and one of my favorite travel day trip destinations. Let me tell you about it in the following posts.

The city is a collection of old fashion three and four-story buildings containing a mix of boutiques and restaurants along with an arts center and municipal buildings. Some of my favorite shops are:

Broadside Books - a good old fashion, non big box book store complete with creaky floor ambiance.

Happy Valley - a gift store with items from all over the world. A fun little store with a variety of stuff tomake you smile.

Skera - A high-end art clothes boutique in business for 35 years. Beautiful clothes, hats, coats, scarves and jewelry.

Faces - Fun, fun, fun place with a great collection of gag gifts. A favorite with the college crowd. Check out the clever line of greeting cards, jewelry and funny T-shirts.

Ten Thousand Villages - Yes this is a chain store but I still like to go in and check out the items for sale from around the world.

essentials - If you are looking for unique stationery and paper goods, this is the place. It also sells some furniture and kids items.

All the above stores are on the main boulevard. This is just a sample, there are more and a great place to stop at is Thornes. It contains a variety of stores including a health food store, book shop, ice cream parlor and a safe and clean rest room. Its on the lower floor and yes, never pass up a good pit stop. One of my favorite stores is the Cedar Closet which as a great collection of soaps and lotions. And for the dollar conscience there is Acme Surplus, a great place to get low cost items. These are just a sample of the stores, there is more off the side streets. It all makes for a wonderful afternoon of strolling and window shopping or just plain shopping. Northampton is a walkable, social place with a vibrant street scene full of street musicians and neo hippies and punks. You can see everyone from bikers to teenagers with green hair to retirees. Everyone gets along with each other. When you learn about the city, you will understand its unique history. Smith College is just up the slight hill from downtown and has a good museum. Just off Masonic St. is a mural depicting The History of Women in Northampton from 1600 - 1980.

Travel Day Trips

Travel Day Trips

Welcome to my blog on day trip travel in the Northeast United States. I was always planning getaways for myself. My friends said why don't I become a tour guide for travel especially for day trips. I decided that it is time to share some of my experiences with day trips and travel tips with the blogging world. So I will be writing articles and posts on my travel adventures including destinations, sightseeing, itineraries and directions. My musings are my opinions only. All materials are original and created by myself. http://traveldaytrips.blogspot.com/