COAST 2018 SUMMER MAGAZINE
COAST TO
Bountiful Berkshires New England’s premier region for art, music, and literature
Off the Beaten Path Idaho’s Scenic Backroads and Small Towns
SUMMER FUN Schroon River Escape Lodges & RV Resort
Diamond Point, New York Sycamore Lodge Resort Jackson Springs, North Carolina Wilderness Resort Omer, Michigan
For Premier & Deluxe Members Only
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Examples of Fun Week Specials from April 24, 2018 CHECK-IN RESORT NAME LOCATION
SIZE
PRICE/WEEK
05-12-2018 04-28-2018 05-04-2018 04-28-2018 05-20-2018 04-28-2018 04-27-2018 05-26-2018
Star Island
Kissimmee, FL
1 bedroom $99.00 1 bedroom $99.00 1 bedroom $99.00 2 bedroom $199.00 1 bedroom $199.00 1 bedroom $299.00 1 bedroom $299.00
The Christie Lodge Vacations Holiday Hills
Avon, CO
Branson, MO Park City, UT South Lee, MA
Circle J Club Jeremy Ranch
Oak 'n Spruce Resort Club at Daytona Beach Plantation Island The Carriage House
Daytona Beach Shores, FL
Ormond Beach, FL
Las Vegas, NV $299.00 Hopaway Holiday offers exclusive member rates on Fun Weeks priced from $299 and reservations may be made up to 30 days or as little as 72 hours prior to check-in. Studio
*Prices vary based on booking window, size, location and season. Subject to availability at time of booking. Restrictions may apply. Booking fees may be charged at time of booking.
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CONTENTS
TRAVEL 12 Bountiful Berkshires New England’s premier region for art, music, and literature STORY BY DAVE G. HOUSER 20 Off the Beaten Path
GOOD SAM AND CAMPING WORLD CHAIRMAN AND CEO Marcus Lemonis MarcusVIP@goodsamfamily.com COAST TO COAST PRESIDENT Bruce Hoster CCRPresident@coastresorts.com
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MEMBER SERVICES 64 Inverness Drive E. Englewood, Colorado 80112 800-368-5721 info@coastresorts.com COAST TO COAST WEBSITE CoastResorts.com COAST TO COAST FACEBOOK Facebook.com/CoastResorts EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Dee Whited ART DIRECTOR Nicole Wilson
Idaho’s scenic backroads and small towns STORY AND PHOTOS BY EMILY AND MARK FAGAN
27 Trails of Two Cities Damascus and Abingdon Virginia STORY BY DEE LITTEN WHITED
DEPARTMENTS 4 From the President 5 Member Matters 7 Resort Updates 33 RV Review
RESORT PROFILES 9 Schroon River Escape Lodges & RV Resort Diamond Point, New York 10 Sycamore Lodge Resort Jackson Springs, North Carolina 11 Wilderness Resort Omer, Michigan
Volume 37, Number 3. Coast to Coast (ISSN 1093-3581) is published quarterly for $14 per year as part of annual membership fees, by Coast to Coast Resorts, 64 Inverness Drive E., Englewood, Colorado 80112. Coast to Coast Resorts assumes no responsi- bility for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any method without prior written consent of the publisher. ©2018 Camp Coast to Coast, LLC. Coast wing logo is a reg- istered trademark of Camp Coast to Coast, LLC. The GOOD SAM ICON, and Dream. Plan. Go. are registered trademarks of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC and used with permission. Unauthorized use of Coast’s or Good Sam’s trademarks is expressly prohibited. All rights reserved. PRINTED IN THE USA. COVER PHOTO BY EMILY AND MARK FAGAN CTC54813 - 0518
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FROM THE PRESIDENT PUTTING MEMBERS FIRST Great New Savings for Good Sam Club Members For those of you who are members of Good Sam Club, be sure to check out all the exciting new benefits of Good Sam Club membership. With our parent company venturing into the larger outdoor market with recent acquisitions of Gander Outdoors and Overton’s, this means additional savings for club members on a wide variety of gear for outdoor enthusiasts. Good Sam members now save up to 10% every day on purchases from outdoor retailer Gander Outdoors. Savings are good at both retail locations and online. Members also save up to 10% every day at Overtons.com, the online store for marine and watersports retailer Overton’s. Another new benefit is free shipping from CampingWorld.com on orders of $39 or more (some exclusions apply). double discount days), Good Sam Parks (save 10% every night at over 2,400 locations), Camping World service centers (save 10% on installation fees and posted hourly service rates), fuel savings at Pilot Flying J, Good Sam Perks, and much more For complete details on all the new member benefits for Good Sam members, visit www.GoodSam.com/club. Happy Travels! Summer is traditionally the peak travel season and the peak season for RVing. We hope this year you can create some great travel memories while you cross a few more destinations off your personal bucket list. And These new benefits are in addition to existing Good Sam Club member savings at Camping World (save up to 10% every day plus member-only specials and
while you travel, always take time to enjoy the journey. Sometimes it is the unplanned stops along the way— to visit a local museum, take in a historic site, browse a roadside market, or merely enjoy that quintessential summer pleasure, an ice cream cone—that become the most memorable parts of our travel experiences. Planning any journey is both a challenging and rewarding part of the whole experience. Keep in mind that Coast to Coast is available to assist with your travel planning. Check out all the great travel planning tools on CoastResorts.com, including our Tripsetter reservation system and links to travel partners such as Coast Travel Services. For assistance making RV resort reservations at no additional cost, give Coast Member Services a call at 800-368-5721. Let us help you create a summer—and a lifetime—of special travel memories with your Coast to Coast membership.
MARCUS LEMONIS Chairman and CEO Camping World & Good Sam marcusvip@goodsamfamily.com
BRUCE HOSTER President Coast to Coast Resorts CCRPresident@CoastResorts.com
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The large air-conditioned recreation hall is the place to be. Enjoy a variety of entertainment including music, bingo, cards, and community gatherings. Of course, everything isn’t entertainment—sometimes you have to do chores. The resort provides everything you need including three laundry rooms, two dog parks, and a vehicle washing area. It’s not just snowbirds that flock to Yuma—nearly 400 species of birds make this a seasonal stop or year-round home because of the area’s diverse habitat. There’s great birding right in the middle of town, thanks to West Wetlands and Gateway parks and the East Wetlands restoration area. RV Optional Making cabin rentals easier for members Check out our new cabin rental website page for an easier way for Coast members to find and book available cabin rentals. You’ll find this easy-to-follow information at our new Cabin Rental Page on our member website, CoastResorts.com. The new cabin page features rotating images of available cabin rentals from 14 different Coast resorts as well as the new two-minute Coast video, “How to Book Rental Accommodations.” This new website page also contains a printable PDF of our new 2018 Coast Cabin Directory. This is the same rental directory found in the 2018 Coast Annual Resort Directory, but we have given it a cover and added step-by-step instructions to book cabins at participating resorts. Rental inventory in the Coast network includes a wide variety of choices including cabins, cottages, chalets, park models, lodge rooms, motel rooms, condos, RVs, and even a yurt!
MEMBER MATTERS MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR COAST TO COAST MEMBERSHIP Caravan Oasis Resort Yuma, Arizona Our newest Good Neighbor Park The sun is said to shine during about 90% of the daylight hours, making Yuma the sunniest place in the world. So why wouldn’t you want to travel south to escape the colder temperatures up north? The Caravan Oasis Resort provides the perfect setting to enjoy desert living in sunny Arizona. The spacious and comfortable lots on lushly landscaped grounds, nestled in the midst of regal Saguaro cacti, will inspire and energize you. From the rich purple hues of the desert sunset as it sinks behind the majestic Gila mountains, to the green Agave speckled across the desert floor, nature’s palate here is among the most unique and stunning in the world. Once you’re settled on your spacious RV site, head out for some fun in the sun. Choose between two pool areas and hot tubs. If one gets too crowded, head to the other, swim laps, float around, or relax in the hot tub. There’s even more pool, but this isn’t the kind you can swim in. The billiards hall is a popular place for the community to gather and meet new friends or catch up with old ones. Darts is a big event at Caravan Oasis Resort. Weekly tournaments will keep your skills sharp while you enjoy the company of friends. And there’s more. Play tennis, horseshoes, bocce ball, pickle ball, shuffleboard, or practice your golf skills on the driving range or putting green.
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The new cabin page is accessible via two different links on the main CoastResorts.com home page, one listed under “Reservations” and one from the call-out box in the lower left corner containing the new Coast video, “How to Book Rental Accommodations.” Or when members are signed in, the cabin page is accessible from a “Cabin Rentals” link on the main navigation bar at the top of the home page. We hope this new cabin rental website page can help you take advantage of the cabin rental benefit that is part of your Coast membership. If you have any feedback on this new website page or on any topic, please email your comments to CCRPresident@CoastResorts.com. Calling all Birdwatchers Nominate your favorite birdwatching resort According to the U.S. census in 2009, 24 million Americans play basketball, 23 million play baseball, and 9 million play American football—at the same time, there are estimated to be nearly 60 million American birdwatchers. If America’s favorite pastime has historically been baseball—it may now be birdwatching because it has many more devotees. With 60 million birders out there, it only makes sense that many Coast to Coast members watch our fluffy flying friends as a hobby. We’d like to pay tribute to any Coast resort that draws a large variety of birds and include that resort’s name in this column in the future. We’re featuring Yuma, Arizona’s, Caravan Oasis Resort as a new Good Neighbor Park in this section,
which is a magnet for more than 400 varieties of birds. Nominate your favorite bird-friendly resort and send it to CCRPresident@CoastResorts.com. Please include your name and home resort. Happy birding! How-to Videos Refresh your memory or learn new Coast to Coast Benefits No matter how technical you think you are, there will be times when you need a refresher about how to do something. Coast to Coast understands this and has created videos to help both new and current members get the most out of their Coast member benefits. There are Welcome videos for new members, as well as “How to” videos on benefits such as Coast Travel Services and other benefits. We have also created videos to help members navigate the CoastResorts.com website and book RV stays at Coast Resorts using our Tripsetter reservation system. And see how to save money every day with Trip Plus Discounts. To view the videos, sign in at CoastResorts.com and select “Videos” in the Benefits dropdown menu at the top of your member homepage. While these videos are perfect for new members, they’re also a great refresher for current members. Get the most out of your Coast membership by watching our member videos. If you have any feedback on our new videos, drop us a line at CCRPresident@CoastResorts.com.
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RESORT UPDATES ADDITIONS AND CHANGES TO THE 2018 DIRECTORY The 2018 Coast to Coast Resort Directory is packed with everything you need to navigate the network of Coast to Coast Resorts and Coast Good Neighbor Parks. To keep members up-to-date, each issue of Coast magazine includes any updates that have occurred since the last issue. COAST PREMIER OHIO Arrowhead Lakes, Wapakoneta (page 158) From Deluxe to Premier resort COAST PREMIER TERMINATIONS CALIFORNIA Northshore RV Resort, Colorado River Adventures, Needles (page 123) Saratoga Escape Lodges & RV Park, Greenfield Center (page 151) Email: saratogaescapecamp@gmail.com OREGON Cascade Meadows RV Resort, La Pine (page 162) Email: cascademeadows@soundpacificrv.com TEXAS Waters Edge, Willis (page 174), new name Formerly Bishop’s Landing VIRGINIA Shenandoah Crossing Resort & Country Club (page 178) URL: bluegreenvacations.com/resorts/va/ shenandoah-crossing COAST DELUXE NEW YORK
GOOD NEIGHBOR PARKS CALIFORNIA Heritage RV Corning, Corning (page 200) Email: info@heritagervcorning.com NEVADA Bonanza Terrace RV Park, Reno (page 214) Email: info@bonanzaterracervpark.com GOOD NEIGHBOR NEW NEW YORK
Swan Bay Resort, 43615 State Rte 12, Alexandria Bay, NY, 13607. Reservation phone: (315) 482-7926; Email: manager@swanbayresort.com; URL: swanbayresort.com. Directions: From I-81N: EX 50 N (Alexandria Bay/Rte12 N). Resort is on L after Price Chopper entrance. From Canada: Rte. 401 to Ex 661. Follow signs to USA and Thousand Islands Bridge. Cross the bridge into the USA and follow I-81 S to Ex 50 N. Resort is on L after Price Chopper entrance. Notations: 2018 Coast rate $33.75 - $45/night. Site includes: 6 persons (over 6 yrs), park view site. Additional charges: 30 amp $5/night, 50 amp $10/night, dump station $10 (non-guest). Credit card kept on file for additional charges. Free Wi-Fi all sites. 48 hr advanced notice required. Longitude: 44.3009; Latitude: -75.96533. Check-in: 2:00 P.M. Check-out: 11:00 A.M. Max RV length: Unlimited. Open: May 1 –
June 21, September 4 – October 31. GOOD NEIGHBOR PARK TERMINATIONS FLORIDA Belle Parc RV Resort, Brooksville Lake Toho RV Resort, St. Cloud
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Too Cool to Pay Full Price? Use Trip Plus Discounts to Save at Theme Parks like:
Trip Plus Discounts is a members-only benefit. Use it frequently to save at restaurants, retailers and more. You could even save the cost of your membership! Just log in or download the mobile app to find deals wherever you live, work or travel. To get started: Sign in at CoastResorts.com and click “Trip Plus Discounts” in the Benefits dropdown menu.
RESORT TYPE Coast Deluxe LOCATION Diamond Point, New York SEASON May 20–October 6 WEBSITE www.schroonriverescape.com
Schroon River Escape Lodges & RV Resort Enjoy nearly a mile of Schroon River frontage
Schroon River Escape Lodges and RV Resort is located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, which provide an outdoor paradise for nature enthusiasts. If the Schroon River isn’t enough water for you, the resort is just miles from the gorgeous Lake George, “Queen of the American Lakes.” With a variety of sites from which to choose, you can set up at riverfront RV sites, large big rig pull-throughs with room for multiple slideouts, or spacious back-in sites. The level RV sites also have picnic tables and fire rings. Hook up to 30/50-amp electric service, with full hookups or partial hookups. Honeywagon service is available. Onsite amenities are numerous and include a sparkling swimming pool, kid’s playground, game room for kids of all ages, horseshoes and lawn games. Adults aren’t left out of the mix because there’s a quiet adults-only lounge. The staff organizes barbecues and scheduled activities along with musical performances. If you’ve forgotten anything, you can
find a replacement at the on-site camp store. Perhaps thebest amenity at the resort is thenearlymile-long frontage the resort enjoysdirectlyontheSchroonRiver. Float or paddle down the river in one of the resort’s rental tubes or canoes. A New York state-designated “recreational river,” the Schroon River is a 68-mile long tributary of the Hudson. For anglers, the Schroon River offers a variety of species, including trout (rainbow, brook, brown), largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike and perch. Offsite, there are many local attractions. These include the Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course, Ausable Chasm, Natural Stone Bridge and Caves Park, and Fort Ticonderonga. Nearby Lake George provides great activities including Highliner Charter Fishing, Lake George Steamboat Company, and Lake George Kayak Co. If you like racing, visit the Saratoga Race Track, one of the oldest and most prestigious thoroughbred race tracks.
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RESORT TYPE Coast Premier LOCATION Jackson Springs, North Carolina SEASON Year-round WEBSITE www.travelresorts.com
Sycamore Lodge Resort A luxury resort in the heart of golf country
Hopefully your rig has room for sports equipment, because once set up at your spacious RV site at Sycamore Lodge, you’ll have plenty of activities from which to choose. Close to one of the nation’s legendary and historic golf communities, this North Carolina campground is just minutes from the famed Pinehurst Golf Courses—nine of them in fact. Pinehurst has some of the most beautiful and challenging courses in the U.S., so keep your golf clubs handy. It’s also easy to store fishing gear in your rig and it will come in handy when fishing at the resort’s bass stocked lake. What could be better than catching the big one mere steps from your campsite? The 194 acres of the luxury Sycamore Lodge Resort are exquisitelymanicuredwithbeautifulpine,sycamore,dogwood, oak, and magnificent magnolia trees. The endangered red- cockaded woodpecker also makes its home here nestled among the whispering pines. If you aren’t into sports, choose to relax at your site or lounge within the terraced gardens or at the swimming pool and Jacuzzi complex. Sitting by the lake and watching others in their boats and canoes would
be a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. The 6,000-square-foot historic log cabin lodge is the place to meet and greet your fellowRVers. The spacious member lodge was hand-built at the turn of the century with trees timbered from the property and contains many beautiful features, from the hand-built fireplaces in each room to the original wood- burning stove in the kitchen. The entire family can enjoy the mini-golf course, hike on the nature trails, and play on the children’s playground. If you need something more to do, the activities staff offers 40 theme event weekends during the year, ranging from the Hawaiian Luau to a North Carolina style “Hillbilly Hoe-Down.” Enjoy music nights held in the new outdoor pavilion, while the resort also has a fully-stocked country store located in a building that originally housed the stables for the property. In addition to being close to Pinehurst, the resort is only 70 miles south of Raleigh and 90 miles east of Charlotte.
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RESORT TYPE Coast Premier LOCATION Omer, Michigan SEASON May 12–October 9 WEBSITE www.outdooradventuresinc.com
When Outdoor Adventures purchased this property in 1996, it was known as Sunshine Valley Campground. Although there’s still sunshine in the valley, the name Wilderness is much more fitting. The resort is truly a place where you can get in touch with nature. With hundreds of spacious campsites, plus cabinette and park model rental units, there’s a place for you whether you’re traveling with or without your RV. Once onsite you can choose from a variety of activities. Take a dip in the hot tub, go for a swim in the pool, throw horseshoes, or play shuffleboard, basketball, and badminton. In addition, there are many activities planned by the energetic staff. Go for a bike ride, check out the game room or the adult lounge, or meet up with friends at the community fire pit. On your tour around the resort, make sure to stop by and visit the bear. He’s become quite the celebrity. Wilderness Resort Get in touch with nature at this beautiful resort
Although Wilderness Resort is located in Omer, you won’t find a busy downtown because Omer is quite small. In fact there is a sign on U.S. Highway 23 that proclaims the town as Michigan’s Smallest City. It’s actually the second smallest city in the state, as of the 2010 census, with a population of 313. If you’re fortunate to be in the area in spring, head to the nearby Rifle River to engage in the sport of sucker fishing. The river was once a logging river during the Michigan forest boom at the turn of the 20th century. Rifle River is now primarily used for recreation, and is a state-designated natural river, popular for canoeing and having the best white sucker runs in the state of Michigan. Head east and enjoy the water of Lake Huron, the second-largest of the Great Lakes by surface area. Covering almost 23,000 square miles, it is the fifth- largest freshwater lake on Earth.
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Bountiful BERKSHIRES New England’s premier region for art, music, and literature
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It was at this modest Pittsfield farmhouse named Arrowhead that Herman Melville wrote his epic 1851 novel Moby Dick .
For nearly 175 years, the Berkshires has enchanted artists and writers who took up residence there, including not only Rockwell but also noted landscape painters Thomas Cole and George Inness and legendary novelists such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Edith Wharton. It was in 1851, in the cramped, book-lined study of his modest mustard-yellow farmhouse called Arrowhead near Pittsfield, that Melville wrote Moby Dick , an American literary classic and arguably the greatest seafaring novel ever published. Faithfully restored and open to the public, Arrowhead invites visitors to gather in the very room where Melville composed his opus, with a clear view beyond of Mount Greylock—at 3,491 feet, the highest elevation in Massachusetts. It is said that Melville saw, in the brooding mass of wintry Greylock, the form of a giant white whale emerging from a roiling, white-capped ocean. In Lenox, only a dozen miles south of Arrowhead, stands The Mount, a lavish 113-acre estate overlooking Laurel Lake where in 1905 Edith Wharton completed her best-selling masterpiece, The House of Mirth . Pursuing her interests in architecture and horticulture, Wharton
Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge studio was disassembled and moved to the site of the Norman Rockwell Museum in 1986.
Bountiful Berkshires Story by Dave G. Houser
My introduction to the Berkshires—a swath of low mountains, meadows, forests, swirling streams, and small towns on the far western edge of Massachusetts— came as a youngster in the 1950s. It was not by way of a visit there, but from the covers of the Saturday Evening Post, illustrated by Norman Rockwell. Generally considered to be one of America’s most important artists/ illustrators, Rockwell spent the waning years of his five-decade-long career in Stockbridge, a leafy village in the heart of the Berkshires. His sentimental portrayals of everyday life there frequented Post covers from 1953 to 1963. Today, the largest collection of his work—678 paintings and drawings—hangs in the Normal Rockwell Museum on the western outskirts of Stockbridge. Visitors can also look in on Rockwell’s tidy studio. It was moved from its original location in town to the museum grounds in 1986.
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Summer concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and others are performed in the open-sided 5,700-seat Shed at Tanglewood.
Patrons gather for a summer concert on the great lawn at Tanglewood.
closely supervised the construction of her grand white British Georgian-style mansion, flanked by formal gardens. The Mount was Wharton’s pride and joy. She lived there nearly a decade, writing and tending her gardens, and it was only after a divorce in 1911 that she sold the property. The estate fell into disrepair until the 1980s when a non-profit organization began restoring the house and gardens. Now listed as a National Historic Landmark, the Mount Estate & Gardens is open daily for tours from May to October (weekends during the winter) and ranks as one of the most important tourist draws in the Berkshires. The presence of these artistic and literary luminaries gave the Berkshires a certain panache that attracted wealthy New Yorkers and Bostonians, leading to the construction of dozens of palatial summer retreats throughout the region. Many survive today, some of them serving as country inns and B&Bs. It was only a matter of time until the cultural scene in the Berkshires expanded to include music, dance, and theater. In 1937, a momentous transformation began just two miles west of Wharton’s estate when a wealthy Boston family donated their 210-acre Tanglewood estate
in Lenox to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) for summer performances. Tanglewood inaugurated its outdoor concert hall— the 5,700-seat Shed—in 1938. The open-sided Shed invites music lovers to enjoy performances, even during inclement weather. On clear days and evenings from June through August, thousands more gather on the great lawn in front of the Shed to take in concerts free of charge. Many additional performances are staged in nearby Seiji Ozawa Hall, opened in 1994. Concerts here are by no means limited to offerings from the BSO and Boston Pops Orchestra. A glance at Tanglewood’s 2018 schedule reveals performances by James Taylor, multi-platinum pop star Andy Grammer, and folk legends Stephen Stills and Judy Collins. Dance is another important element of the world-class performing arts scene in the Berkshires. Described by the New York Times as the “dance center of the nation,” tiny Becket (population 1,779), 13 miles southeast of Pittsfield, is home to Jacob’s Pillow, an internationally acclaimed dance festival that showcases dancers from around the world. Each summer the festival features hundreds of dance performances ranging from elegant ballet to innovative contemporary dance.
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Norman Rockwell Museum near Stockbridge is one of the Berkshires’ most popular visitor attractions.
The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield brings together unique and diverse collections ranging from fine arts to natural history.
A dramatic wall drawing by noted American conceptual/ minimalist artist Sol LeWitt at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in North Adams.
Built for J.P. Morgan’s sister in 1893, Ventfort Hall Mansion in Lenox houses the Guided Age Museum.
Theater takes center stage in Lenox, where Shakespeare & Company has been performing works by the Bard and others for more than 30 years. Another excellent theater group, the Barrington Stage Company, presents a mix of classics and new works at three venues in downtown Pittsfield. And not to be overlooked up north is the Tony Award-winning Williamstown Theatre Festival, hosted on the campus of Williamstown College. Awarded a Tony for Outstanding Regional Theater in 2002, this company presents a summer series revisiting classic plays while also debuting bold new productions. Museums are another top visitor attraction in the Berkshires. There are so many, in fact, that it’s impossible to discuss them all in this article—but I’ll tell you a bit about the most popular ones. Art lovers won’t want to miss the fine collections at Williamstown College Museum of Art. Presenting more than 11,000 works from a variety of media, it is considered one of the country’s finest college art museums. Nearby in North Adams, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) is an extraordinary institution housed in a vast complex of more than two dozen 19th-century mill buildings. The 24-acre site,
once home to the world’s largest producer of printed textiles, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and its network of red brick buildings is something of a museum of early American industrial architecture. But the main attraction is found within several of the larger buildings—a series of 19 art galleries, exhibition halls and performing arts spaces—totaling more than 250,000 square feet. MASS MoCA presents a year-round schedule of contemporary art exhibitions, concerts, and educational programs. The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield is another unique repository, bringing together diverse collections highlighting fine art and sculpture, natural science, and ancient artifacts. Notable too is the Gilded Age Museum at Ventfort Hall Mansion in Lenox. This imposing Jacobean Revival-style mansion was built in 1893 for Sarah Morgan, sister of J.P. Morgan. It is a fine example of the approximately 75 so-called “cottages” built in Lenox in the late 19th century when the village became a popular Gilded Age resort. Through exhibits, lectures, and theatrical performances, the museum interprets the great changes that occurred in American life, industry, and society during the late 19th century, a fascinating period of the nation’s history.
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Interior view at The Mount in Lenox – the historic home of Edith Wharton – who wrote her best-selling novel The House of Mirth there in 1905.
The Mount Estate & Gardens in Lenox preserves the lavish 113-acre estate of noted author Edith Wharton.
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The 1826 Round Stone Barn is the most notable building at Pittsfield’s Hancock Shaker Village.
Harvest time at a Berkshire farm.
A popular hiking trail near the town of Mt. Washington leads to Bash Bish Falls, which cascade down a series of gorges to a dramatic 80-foot drop.
Autumn leaves decorate this back road in the Berkshires.
I’m a big fan of living museums, so my favorite among the many Berkshire museums is historic Hancock Shaker Village near Pittsfield. The well-preserved 19th-century Shaker village, a farm and workshop complex set on 1,200 verdant acres, interprets the activities of a close- knit Utopian/religious community that existed here from the early 1800s until 1960. The Shakers, a Christian sect that emigrated from England to America in the 1770s, was named for the trance-like trembling its believers exhibited during worship services. A commitment to celibacy, self-sufficiency, communal life and dedication to manual labor defined the movement. Some 300 Shakers lived at Hancock, where they farmed and crafted elegant furniture, implements, and household items that were—and still are—much in demand by collectors. Herman Melville, in fact, was an avid buyer during his time in the region. It should be abundantly clear at this point that the Berkshire region is a culture-driven destination. But there’s plenty else to entertain visitors. Those seeking recreation, simple sightseeing and dining will find their interests well served. The seasons, of course, dictate most activities. Summer is peak season in the Berkshires and is definitely the
time to visit if music, theater, or dance is your thing. My favorite time is the shoulder season—early September to mid-October. At this time of year, crowds have thinned a bit but there’s still an opportunity to take in some of the cultural events as the fall foliage begins to show its colors. The weather is near perfect as well for outdoor activities. One of the area’s most popular recreational venues is Ramblewild. This eight-course aerial park near Lanesborough invites you to climb, walk and zoom through the forest canopy. The courses cover more than 10 acres with some 100 elements—zip lines, balancing logs, nets, rope bridges, ladders and tunnels—on a self- guided system employing clip-in harnesses. Ramblewild’s exciting tree-to-tree adventure is open to anyone over age 7 and more than 55 inches tall. Nearly 80 percent of the land in the Berkshires is undeveloped. That means there’s plenty of nature to explore by hiking, biking, walking and, during winter months, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. The Ashuwillticook Trail between Lanesborough and Adams is ideal for walking, jogging, and biking. The trail runs 11 miles along a former rail bed through valleys and along the Cheshire Reservoir. Another popular trail leads to Bash Bish Falls near the town of Mt. Washington.
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Stockbridge is a charming village in the heart of the Berkshires.
A street scene in the Berkshire village of Stockbridge.
These falls, highest in the state, cascade down a series of gorges to a dramatic 80-foot drop. Those looking for a more relaxing outdoor option can spend some time at the Audubon Society’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary near Lenox. Seven miles of trails wind through more than 1,000 acres of forests, meadows, wetlands, and along the slopes of Lenox Mountain, providing plenty of opportunities to spot the sanctuary’s prized population of beavers, deer, woodchucks, and a variety of birds. A climb to the top of Lenox Mountain (2,126 feet) is sure to satisfy more energetic hikers. I’ve never visited the Berkshires during the winter, but locals tell me there’s some exceptional skiing and snowboarding to be found at Catamount Ski Area, Bousquet Ski Area, and Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. On the subject of dining, I’ve encountered a number of folks who visit the Berkshires for that reason alone. It’s a foodie haven—and there are a couple of reasons why the region sports so many great restaurants. First is the large number of farms in the area (nearly 100) that concentrate largely on produce for local markets and restaurants. There also are dozens of local producers of meat, dairy products, and baked goods.
Restaurateurs love when they can work with fresh, high quality locally sourced ingredients, and that leads to the second reason. A number of tops chefs—mostly from New York and Boston—have either moved to the Berkshires or have established satellite operations there. There’s simply not enough space left in this article to delve into Berkshire dining in any detail, but I’ll rattle off names of a few exceptional eateries to keep in mind should you visit the region. Stockbridge: main dining room at the Red Lion Inn, Once Upon a Table, and Rogue. Lenox: dining room at the Wheatleigh Inn, Bistro Zinc, Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar, and Haven Café (breakfast/ lunch). Pittsfield: District Kitchen and Eat on North. Great Barrington: Prairie Whale. Williamstown: Mezze Bistro & Bar and Coyote Flaco. North Adams: Gramercy Bistro at MASS MoCA. In closing, let’s delve into some logistics. The Berkshires is definitely a drive-destination. You’ll need wheels to explore the region—either your own or a rental vehicle. Coast to Coast members eager to visit the Berkshires can find two Coast resorts in the area. Bonny Rigg Camping Club is located in Becket, Massachusetts east of Stockbridge, while across the state line is Saratoga Escapes Lodges and RV Park in Greenfield Center,
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This Berkshire fall scene is a landscape painter’s dream.
A fall scene in Lenox, a town sometimes described as the cultural capital of the Berkshires.
The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge has been sheltering and feeding guests for nearly 250 years.
New York. Outside of these two choices, there are no large Good Sam-type commercial campgrounds in the area—possibly owing to sky-high land prices. The few full-service campgrounds include Woodland Hills Campground in Austerlitz, New York, just across the border from Lenox; Historic Valley Campground in North Adams; and Fernwood Forest Campground in Hinsdale. All three are open from May to mid-October. On the other hand, there’s a bounty of hotels, motels and inns in the region, ranging from moderately priced chain motels to upscale hotels and country inns. If you’ll be flying to Massachusetts, the nearest major airport is Logan International (BOS) in Boston, about 130 miles east of most Berkshire towns. A better but lesser-known possibility, if connections work for you, is Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, just north of Hartford. Served by ten major airlines, it is situated little more than 60 miles south of most Berkshire hot spots. Regardless of how or when you come, the Berkshire region is a wonderful destination, possessing everything it takes to make for a memorable vacation or weekend getaway.
Patrons gather for a summer concert on the great lawn at Tanglewood.
FOR MORE INFORMATION 413-499-1600 • http://berkshires.org/
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OFF THE BEATEN PATH Idaho’s Scenic Backroads and Small Towns
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At the heart of Salmon, we found a statue of a bear fishing for salmon in a stream.
amusing and fading mural that had been painted long ago advertising stretchy suspenders. Showing just how close-knit this community is, the marquee on the town’s old movie theater said “Happy 39th Birthday Lisa,” not something you’d ever find in a big city. Continuing north on U.S. 93 in a valley between two glorious mountain ranges, we arrived at the town of Challis where a sign for a microbrew company caught our eye and enticed us to turn the rig around to have a closer look. The River of No Return Brewing Company is located in a building that was once a house, and as we sipped their delicious House Brown Ale, we were soon joined by a crowd of locals at the bar. Suddenly a young woman arrived and set up a sound system, and before we knew it she was strumming a ukulele and serenading the crowd. What fun. As we left Challis behind, the pretty Salmon River began to accompany us on our northward journey on U.S. 93. Beautiful mountain scenery rose up on either side of the highway, and the road made gentle twists and turns as it snaked along the valley floor, giving us an endless river view. Before long we had arrived in the town of Salmon, where the centerpiece was a statue of a bear catching a big salmon in the river surrounded by pretty landscaping and flowers. We walked along a serene
Off the beaten path, Mackay is a delightful small town framed by craggy snowcapped mountain peaks.
Idaho’s Scenic Backroads Story and photos by Emily and Mark Fagan
Some of the most rewarding RV adventures lie off the beaten path on the byways and backroads of America, and my husband Mark and I were charmed by two north- south scenic routes in Idaho that we explored with our 36-foot Hitchhiker fifth-wheel trailer. Getting off Interstate 15 in the southeastern part of the state when we were traveling northward, we stopped at Arco, the first town in America that was lit by atomic power. The Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1 was the nuclear reactor responsible for giving Arco this unique distinction, and it’s now a National Historic Landmark. When we visited the reactor, we marveled at how antiquated the 1950s equipment appeared to be. Following U.S. Highway 93 north, we came across the tiny town of Mackay—framed by a stunning backdrop of snowcapped mountains. The small main street was filled with historic buildings, and the side of one sported an
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Map by William Tipton
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Both the sandy beach and cool grassy shoreside park at Payette Lake provide summertime pleasures in McCall.
Standup paddle boards, kayaks, and sailboats are popular ways to enjoy Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint.
The paved Latah Trail between Moscow and Troy takes bikers out into rolling farmlands.
Sandpoint has many bike paths that meander alongside Lake Pend Oreille.
riverside trail and breathed in the refreshing spirit of small town living where life moves at a slower pace and every view is backed by majestic mountains. This brief foray into Idaho’s spectacular back country on our south-to-north route inspired us to explore another scenic byway a few months later as we traveled back through Idaho from north to south. This time we were on the western side of the state, and we followed U.S. Highway 95 from the top of Idaho’s panhandle down toward the southern part of the state. Our first stop was in the summer beach town of Sandpoint on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. Who knew that the Rocky Mountains embrace lakeside beach towns that are every bit as fun as those on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts? Sandpoint City Beach Park is a big grassy peninsula that juts out into the lake. Boats of every description line the marina docks and seagulls fill the air with their cries. Out on the water we watched people enjoying standup paddle boards while we got our exercise riding our bikes on the lovely Pend Oreille Bay Trail that meanders along the waterfront. This trail is popular with walkers, joggers, and cyclists, offering sweeping views of the lake in several spots, and it is well shaded from the hot summer sun by tall leafy trees for much of its length.
Sandpoint is a lively town and we were amused when the locals suggested we check out the Libation District where both microbrew pubs and wineries line the streets. But adult beverages aren’t the only specialty in Sandpoint. Looking to quench our thirst in the morning, we visited Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters and sampled their heavenly dark and rich Guatemalan roast and even took home a pound for later. Not to be outdone by the many yummy brews available around town, Litehouse Bleu Cheese Factory, nationally known for their salad dressing, has its headquarters in Sandpoint and we did a little sampling there too! While the beach is Sandpoint’s hotspot in the summertime, the nearby Schweitzer Ski Resort brings skiers to town all winter long. We took a drive up to the now quiet resort where we got a wide-angle view of the town snuggled up against the lake with mountains all around. Hopping back on U.S. 95 and heading further south, we continued on to the tiny village of Moscow where we found the Latah Trail, a delightful paved bike path that goes out over rolling hills and into the furrowed farmlands. Slowly and leisurely pedaling our bikes, we soaked in the picturesque scenery all around us as we rode eleven miles to the village of Troy. The sleepy
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Jet skis, boats, and a big sand beach bring Payette Lake to life every summer in McCall.
Salmon, Idaho, is surrounded by majestic mountains.
Scenic US-93 wanders alongside and occasionally crosses over the Salmon River and also passes through Salmon.
The Pend Oreille Trail is a lovely walking and biking path with sweeping lake views in Sandpoint.
peacefulness of both Troy and Moscow bore little resemblance to their famous namesakes, but the fresh air and tranquility of the entire region were intoxicating. Once back in Moscow, we made a lunch-hour stop at Bucer’s Coffeehouse and Pub where we had a choice of noon-hour latte or microbrew and settled on one of each. Following U.S. 95 further south, the curvy Salmon River joined us once again. At the intersection with SR-55, we turned off of U.S. 95 and headed to the hidden jewel of McCall, another glorious Rocky Mountain beach town. Smaller than Sandpoint but every bit as delightful, McCall looks out over Payette Lake where jet skis, kayaks, and powerboats ply the water all summer long. Both Art Roberts Park and Legacy Park offer lush grassy lawns that beg for a family picnic spread out on a blanket while the kids build sand castles and romp by the water’s edge. An ice cream cone and a relaxed barefoot stroll along the tiny lapping waves brought the beach to life for us, but when the sun got too hot, we headed into the town’s indoor skating rink to watch some figure skaters practicing. Continuing to seek out Idaho’s delicious brews at dawn and dusk, we made our way to Mountain Java each morning to join the crowd of locals and visitors who
while away the hours sipping coffee and eating tasty pastries in a row of brightly colored Adirondack chairs on a lawn overlooking the lake. It was during one of these casual morning chit-chats that we learned of the Antique and Classic Boat Show that would be taking place at the elegant Shore Lodge later in the week. On the appointed day, the docks in front of the Shore Lodge filled up with sleek, glistening vintage wooden boats. Proud owners revved their engines and told stories of where they had found their boats, how they had been used by previous owners back in the day, and what they had done to give their boats life anew. The varnish sparkled in the sun, and dreams of life on Payette Lake back in the 1940s and 1950s grew vivid and real right before our eyes. The Shore Lodge offers fine dining and stylish accommodations, but for those seeking a more rustic experience, Ponderosa State Park at the north end of town fills a huge peninsula and is a wonderful place for a woodsy lakeside getaway. The state park is an easy bike ride to and from town, and there are trails that go all through the park, both in the woods and along the shore. We found campers who were loving life outdoors in everything from tents to small motorhomes, and lots of anglers cast lines in the lake from both shoreside spots and small boats. Hikers and mountain bikers took
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The Antique & Classic Boat Show in McCall is a fun celebration of the stylish wooden boats of yesteryear.
McCall is a summertime beach town on Payette Lake.
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The shore of Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint has a beautiful sandy beach where families set up beach umbrellas in mid-summer.
Roseberry offers a glimpse of how the early settlers from Finland lived.
Enjoying its heyday in the early 1900s, Roseberry is now a ghost town.
to the winding trails through the ponderosa woods from the campground, but as soon as we got a few paces away from the campsites we had the trails to ourselves. A few miles south on a side road off of SR-55 we found an entirely different type of excursion as we wandered through the historic homesteads of the region’s earliest settlers from Finland. Roseberry is a small townsite that is now a museum, and the buildings are open to visitors to wander through. Those early Finns were hardy souls, and the unique building techniques they brought from Finland made their homes and shops strong enough to endure. In its heyday during the early 1900s, Roseberry Townsite was home to a hotel, two blacksmith shops, a butcher shop, a loggingmill, a creamery, anda restaurant. Unfortunately for the residents, the Pacific, Idaho, and Northern Railway didn’t come through Roseberry but instead came through the town of Donnelly just two miles to the west, and Roseberry gradually dwindled into a ghost town. Surprisingly, many of the townsfolks saw the writing on the wall and hitched their homes to wagons and moved them over to Donnelly so they wouldn’t miss out on the boom happening there. Just a few miles south of Donnelly on SR-55 we came across Lake Cascade. In contrast to bustling Payette Lake and the vibrant town of McCall, Lake Cascade is small
and quiet. Anglers and boaters plied the water here too, far from the festive but busy beach scene in McCall. While the Interstates are wonderful for getting our RV from one place to another in a hurry, we loved our tours on the back roads of Idaho. Now we are eagerly looking forward to returning once again so we can explore a little more.
FOR MORE INFORMATION Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1: www4vip.inl.gov/ebr/ Mackay: www.mackayidaho-city.com
Challis: www.challischamber.com Salmon: www.salmonidaho.com Sandpoint: www.cityofsandpoint.com Moscow: www.ci.moscow.id.us Roseberry Township: www.historicroseberry.com Donnelly: www.cityofdonnelly.org
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Trails of TWO CITIES Damascus and Abingdon Virginia
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Our intrepid group, from left to right: Jack Ritterskamp, Dee Litten Whited (the author), Michael Whited, and Julie Ritterskamp, AKA Pollyanna.
and for good reason—it’s traversed not only by the Creeper Trail and the Appalachian Trail, but also by the Trans-America National Bicycle Trail, the Iron Mountain Trail, the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail, the Crooked Road Musical Heritage Trail, and Virginia’s Birding and Wildlife Trail to name a few. My perky friend, Julie, and husband, Jack, had tackled the trail many times before and had a favorite bike rental-shuttle service, Creeper Trail Bike Rental in Damascus. Owner Gary Greer gave us some tips about navigating the trail and the helpful staff fitted us with just the right sized bikes and bike helmets and loaded them on their trailer. We climbed into the shuttle and our adventure to the top of the mountain began. The serpentine road was often paralleled by gurgling creeks and streams. We drove through forests dotted by mountain laurel that would burst into flower next spring. Our autumn ride assured us of a canopy of colorful hardwoods. The Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail is a 34.3- mile rail-to-recreation trail, traversing through two counties from Abingdon through Damascus. It ends just past Whitetop Station in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, at the Virginia-North Carolina border. In
The Appalachian Trail crosses the Virginia Creeper Trail as it winds its way north to south.
Trails of Two Cities Story by Dee Litten Whited
“Come, on. It will be fun,” said my Pollyanna friend. “But I haven’t ridden a bike for 20 years,” I said. “Don’t worry,” she said with a grin. “It’s just like riding a bicycle.” So that’s how I found myself, along with three other 70-somethings, being shuttled to Whitetop Station at the top of the Virginia Creeper Trail. If I hadn’t been so concerned about the impending ride, I would have enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings. The Whitetop Station sits at 3,500 feet, near the top of Mount Rogers, the second highest peak in Virginia. At the apex, we were nearly in North Carolina. Our adventure had actually begun in the historic and picturesque town of Damascus, known as the “Friendliest Town on the Trail”—so named by Appalachian Trail through hikers. It’s also known as “Trail Town, USA”
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