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.