Hazelnutnut

Was today, and it was surprisingly crowded for a weekday. I recommend bringing a bathing suit and towel. I went with a huge group and the tickets were half the usual price. The rides were great, there were no animated characters heckling people, and soda is free. If you are in the area it is definitely worth the trip.

I have not been there since they finished working on it, but word is that it’s finished and it’s great. There are now designated swimming areas and the trails are improved. I hope to picnic there soon, but it seems like I’m always headed in the opposite direction.

The mountains are beautiful. It is not overdeveloped. (yet) Mohawk Mountain Ski area is a good place to ski with kids. The night sky is brilliant. (when the lights from the ski area are not on.) There are many wonderful places to walk in the woods.

It has a lot of yummy looking yarn. The sales people are helpful, but busy. I’m now on the mailing list, and my daughter and I may take lessons there together this winter.

My daughter loved everything about this experience. She had her doll’s hair styled. It is definitely worth planning this a few months ahead of time and making reservations at the cafe. For me, this was what made this trip worthwhile. We had tea there. Oh, and Sephora is right around the corner on Fifth, so moms can treat themselves, too.

It’s expensive, but you deserve it.

This is a good museum to visit with kids. Lots of cute pictures, and a store with just about any Norman Rockwell poster in any size. There are also changing temporary exhibits that are interesting to adults. It’s worth a trip just to walk the grounds,

I had an unexpected day off today, so we went up to Stockbridge. Went for a walk through a place called the Ice Glen, which had many rocks to climb on but no ice. (The guide book said that there is ice there all year. I’m guessing there has been too much rain recently.) Then we went for a walk through town. We were going to go for lunch at the Lion’s Den, but it is only open for lunch on the weekends.

Stockbridge is touristy, but in a very acceptable way. There are nice cafes, some stores, The Red Lion Inn, and The Norman Rockwell Museum. I would like to go back and get to know it even better.

I was there when I was little. I remember loving it.

I was an Ada Comstock Scholar at Smith. That means that I started going there when I was “above the traditional age” of college students. I graduated last year, by the skin of my teeth. It is a beautiful campus, and it’s worth the visit. The art museum is as great for kids as it is for adults. The Greenhouse and gardens are wonderful. My daughter especially loved the “rainforest room” in the greenhouse.

There’s a walk that follows the falls up that feels like a stairclimber workout. There are nice picnic tables and spots for barbecue. I believe that they charge for parking now. There is usually an icecream cart there. Some people actually go there and get wet on hot summer days, but it says no swimming allowed. It’s definitely a nice trip.