Ah, the Berkshires in springtime: those beautiful mountains along the border between Massachusetts and New York. The Massachusetts side is a cultural center, full of music and art. I spent a long weekend visiting art museums in the very northwest corner of Massachusetts. Here are a few pictures of the museums and what's around them.
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I drove from Albany, New York,
which has a convenient airport for flights to the Berkshires (and cheap
flights on Southwest
Airlines). As soon as you drive across the Massachusetts state line
on Route 2, both the architecture and the countryside change suddenly --
and you know that you're in New England. First stop: Williamstown, a
pretty (and pretty typical) New England village with a couple of
outstanding art museums. This clock tower is at Williams College, a campus with a mixture of old and new architecture that makes it feel both peaceful and energized. On my walk to the art museum here, though, I also got the feeling... |
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There was another springtime
show going on in downtown North Adams, which is just a block or two
from MASS MoCA. (There are some interesting-looking places to eat, too,
though most were closed by the time the museum closed, at 5, on this
day in May. I had lunch at Brewhaha, a cafe with a punny name and some
very creative food.) To get downtown, cross under Route 2. Look -- and listen -- for squat metal boxes on either side of the street. These boxes amplify the vibrations in the structure of the Route 2 overpass; the sound changes as cars and trucks go over the bridge at different speeds and intervals. It's a fine and fun way to end a fine (and fun...) day in the Berkshires. |
(These photographs are Copyright © 2003 by Jerry Peek. Much higher-resolution versions of most images, and many other images too, are available at Jerry Peek Photography. Photos are available at reduced prices, or free, for non-commercial use.)