I was looking for some adventure with a couple Bros and Fine young biker ladies. Wanted to get off…read morethe paved roads and do a little carving and some mud and dirt on our big Bmw adventure bikes. While these bikes are big and heavy they do cut these roads down to size pretty easily. Whether it's hitting jumps popping wheelies or skidding around dirt turns at high speed they perform very well. Decided to head to October mountain as the dirt roads there can be anything from easy to extremely challenging for the experienced rider. Additionally the views and scenery are generally outstanding. As always at the top of the mountain we got a great view of Mount Greylock across the way. After relaxing and maxing for a couple minutes we headed down to the Reservoir parking area and checked out the water. There was a few people fishing and relaxing with a picnic lunch when we were there. Did not stay very long and was back on the dirt roads looking for the more challenging areas and of course as always we found them. Huge potholes deep water and lots of rocks to crush with our cycles. After a few hours of fun filled mud covered Riding we decided we were going to go get some food then head home. What a beautiful day sunshine perfect temperatures and great scenery.

We stayed here in Yurt #2. One of the best yurt experiences. Having the ceiling fan in the yurt…read morehelped a lot. Very clean yurt. No bugs inside. Had a great stay. Bathroom are very clean as well.

This house is where the pre-treasonous Benedict Arnold recuperated after being wounded at the…read moreBattle of Bemis Heights. The house is an interesting landmark for what it represents historically. It is not open to the Public.

The Mission House was built with the intent of teaching local indigenous people christianity. Built…read morein 1742, missionary John Seargent lived there with his wife. Previously located across the road from Naumkeag, Mable Choate purchased the Mission house in the 1920's and moved it downtown for more people to learn about Indigenous peoples history in Stockbridge. The building is maintained by The Trustees group. This house is open during the warmer months for a self guided 'tour'. As there are only two rooms to see, it's a quick stop. The gardens are open to the public year round at any time. They do offer house tours about once a month. Check their website for dates, times and how to reserve your spot. We wandered their gardens on a day the house was closed. There are signs with information and one of them highlights a walking tour with some of the town's history. You can walk the town stopping at each site and watch the videos or enjoy the tour from home. It was interesting and we walked up into the woods behind town hall to see some of the historic sites there. Before the tour we had no idea they existed so kudos. We returned to the house on a day it was open for a self tour. There was no docent on site so we couldn't ask questions. The two rooms to view have plexiglass doors so you can only see them. There was a bit of information in the house and barn to read about local indigenous history which sometimes seems agressive. I can understand that. We all know generally how Indigenous people were trated historically. This is the story of Stockbridge. The three stars is based solely on my disappointment of not having more access to the house and more information. The gardens are a lovely, quiet spot with a medicinal garden area and the house is well maintained. If in the area, the guided tour may be quite interesting. Hopefully someone will leave a review with more info on that.

If you're ever driving on Route 5 near the Springfield/Longmeadow line, be prepared to do a double…read moretake if you are lucky enough to spy this landmark. It has the epic name of Omiskanoagwiah, or "the Wolf People Medicine Man". It is fifteen feet of magnificent carved wooden awesomeness! It was carved from a single log by Hungarian born sculptor Peter Wolf Toth. It is just one of the sculptures in the "Trail of the Whispering Giant" series of over sixty sculptures across the US and Canada. Check out the details of the sculpture! He wears a feathered wolf headdress, he has long braided hair, and he sports an ornament on his chest. And for some reason there is a carved turtle on the sculpture too. There's a metal plaque on the stone base that reads: The Trail Of The Whispering Giants "Omiskanoagwiak" Wolf-People Medicine Man Dedicated to the: Pioneer Valley Indians Sculptor: Peter Wolf Toth Mayor Richard E. Neal Courtesy City of Springfield Park Commission Sponsor Joseph J. Deliso, Jr. November 18, 1984

Odd but interesting landmark along route 5. Just a quick detour off I91. If you like wooden…read moresculpture or native American art this might just be a spot for you to check out.

A ten-minute uphill walk to this tower that mental patients were ordered to build for physical…read moreactivity/to alleviate their illnesses. Sadly, when it was done, many started jumping off the top to their deaths, so of course I had to visit and see what this was like. Parked in the ski slope Farm Retreat parking lot and walked to the trailhead across the street. Worth seeing and hiking up to the tower as it's so quick, though you can't enter the tower/climb up it. Visitors put wildflowers at the base of the tower by the sealed door which was so nice. 5 stars!!!!

Since it was a beautiful day out we decided to take a little hike during lunch and thought that the…read moreRetreat Tower would be the best spot to go. This was the first time we have hiked up to the tower and we have to say that we were not disappointed. The walk itself was fairly low impact and didn't take very long. Once we got to the top we enjoyed sitting by the tower while taking in the serenity of the wood. Overall it was a great experience and we would totally hike here again.

He was the first President born in the 20th century. he was one of the nation's youngest…read morepresidents. And for Americans of a certain generation, his death on November 22, 1963 was a shattering life event. The John F. Kennedy memorial plaza was funded by the parishioners of the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Holyoke and the memorial is located on front of the church. The memorial consists of a granite base and a bust of a youthful Kennedy. There are granite slabs flanking the memorial with quotes from his inaugural address and book "Profiles in Courage". Behind the memorial are granite blocks engraved with the names of recipients of the JFK award and the Grand Marshals of the St. Patrick's Day parade. The front of the base is inscribed: John Fitzgerald Kennedy 35th president of the United States May 29, 1917 Nov. 22, 1963 The back of the base has the presidential seal and the following inscription: John Fitzgerald Kennedy May 29, 1917 Nov. 22, 1963 The various inscriptions read: "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country" inaugural address 1961 "All this will not be finished in the first hundred days, nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, but let us begin." inaugural address 1961 "A man does what he must -- in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and damages and pressures, and that is the basis of all human morality" "Profiles in Courage" 1955 "... let us go forth to lead the land we love asking his blessing and his help, but knowing that here on earth god's work must truly be our own." Inaugural Address 1961

Not the biggest or most interesting memorial park I've been to, but a nice little park non the…read moreless. I drive by often and have stopped here a couple times and I'm actually really impressed with how well kept the memorial area is. I wouldn't say this location is something worth making a special trip, but do stop in if you're in the area.

Martin Van Buren's residence, Lindenwald, is tucked away in the peaceful town of Kinderhook, New…read moreYork. It's a unique window into the life of America's 8th president. I had visited the site years ago when there was a larger visitor center and an introductory video that gave a broader overview of Van Buren's presidency and personal story. Today, the visitor's center has been scaled back to a trailer, and unfortunately, there's very little introductory context provided for those less familiar with Van Buren's role in American history. One of the main displays now focuses on the history of slavery in America. While this is an important topic, its placement here felt somewhat disconnected, as Van Buren neither owned enslaved people nor lived in a slaveholding state during his time at Lindenwald. Given the limited space available, I found myself wishing more of it had been used to explore Van Buren's own political career, personal life, and legacy. They only have a few tour times a day, and the guide cited budget cuts with a roll of her eyes. We waited around a bit for the next tour, but the audio tour around the property wasn't very informative. Once our group tour began, it opened in the empty basement, where much of the discussion centered on the broader legacy of slavery and Sojourner Truth. While those subjects are historically valuable, their connection to Lindenwald itself felt tenuous and overshadowed the site's direct link to Van Buren. It appeared the tour guide had a greater interest in that topic than on the actual topic. Upstairs, the rooms were far more engaging. The main hall was particularly impressive, featuring original design elements and beautiful wallpaper. The guide shared some insight into Van Buren's later life, though key biographical details--such as the early death of his wife--were only briefly mentioned at the end. The tour concluded at a small gift shop with a nice selection of books and keepsakes. Overall, having prior knowledge of Van Buren helped me piece things together, but for first-time visitors, the lack of focus on his presidential legacy may leave them wanting more. I couldn't help but think that some of the funding loss was due to the staff losing sight of the park's primary purpose. Lindenwald remains a special site with strong potential. I hope future interpretive efforts rebalance the content to better highlight Van Buren's contributions and the historical significance of the home itself.

An interesting historical tidbit. This historic site includes Van Buren's "gentleman's farm" and…read moreestate called Lindenwald. He bought the estate later in his life in 1839. Washington Irving (the famous author) was a notable long-term guest at Lindenwald. Fee: Free Tip: if you want to tour the historic house, budget at least 2 hours because you might show up while a tour is in progress and need to wait for the next tour.

The Wizard of Oz - A wonderful tale for children, it has everything a parent could wish for or does…read moreit, as a kid we never missed an opportunity to watch the original 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz, starring young Judy Garland - I was surprised to see this sculptor included so many elements including Jack Pumpkinhead, the tornado with the flying farmhouse, etc. In my opinion this is a five minute fly by, and by no means a bucket list item but it does exist. It's simply a display of art embedded in a stone clad wall at the back entrance to the public library and its well done...

At the rear entrance of the Enfield public library is a very cool 43" by 27" by 3" panel sculpture…read moreof a child sitting outside on the ground, holding a book in both hands while reading. In the field where the child sits, I saw a dozen characters from the Wizard of Oz walking on a curved brick road. I guess we are reading his/her mind and watching how reading brings imagination to life. The work was a gift from sculptor Janice Loomis to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Enfield Library. You can identify Dorothy, her dog Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion in the front. In the top left corner is the Wicked Witch of the West riding a broom, the Emerald City, a hot air balloon, and a tornado. One character I didn't recognize at all (at least from the movie, since I didn't read the book) - it was someone with a pumpkin on his head wearing a scarf. I researched the gent and found out his name is "Jack Pumpkinhead" - and he was a character in some of Frank Baum's fourteen full-length Oz books.