Northampton's best, least well known way to spend 90 minutes…read more Thoroughly entertaining, sometimes scary, often touching and humorous. A great evening out, especially for those who live here. We were amazed to discover another side of the town we thought we knew.

We did a Sunday night tour, and thus had a private tour. Very easy to find meeting location with…read morelots of parking. We sat and swapped stories for a bit before heading out. Annie is very knowledgeable in local history and tells a good story. There was a good mix of history and ghost stories. The website is very well done, reservations are easy and the reminders (email and/or text) are a great feature.

We had a blast here! Our group of 6 ranged from age 12 to 70 and we all had a great time! Don't let…read morethe small footprint of the Canopy Tour fool you - there are some very challenging stations packed into this small space, and there are actually two courses - a high course and a lower course. We first did the low course, and then all except one member of our group opted to continue on to the high course. We had previously done the canopy tours at Adventure Park at Storrs and Treetop Adventures, and we all felt that this course was more challenging. We spent about 1.5 hours completing both courses. We all felt very safe here, and were given excellent instructions on how to clip in and out. The staff was really helpful and the equipment was well maintained. Be sure to make a reservation - it does fill up on summer weekends!

A Day to Remember at Berkshire East!…read more My granddaughter and I shared an unforgettable adventure zip-lining at Berkshire East today. From the very start, the staff brought humor, warmth, and professionalism to our group--making everyone feel comfortable and well-prepared. Their friendly approach and clear guidance helped ease any nerves and turned doubt into excitement. At 73, I'm in reasonably good shape, and my granddaughter is 18. While there's a bit of hiking between each zip line, only one stretch--leading to the final run--was truly challenging. It's a steep uphill climb with few chances to catch your breath. I didn't hold up the group, but I'll admit I haven't tackled a hike like that in quite some time... so consider yourself warned! That said, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Sharing laughs and thrills with my granddaughter created memories I'll cherish forever. I wholeheartedly recommend this adventure to anyone looking for a healthy dose of excitement, connection, and joy.

Trail: 4 stars, Price: 2 stars Most of easy/moderate trails…read moreare groomed, which is good. Despite the number of cars parked at the parking lot, trails are not much crowded. However, black trails and some blue trails are not groomed. I was cross-country skiing for 4 hours there and half of the trails I skied are not groomed. If you want to ski a lot, it is inevitable to ski not groomed trails as well. Considering paying $16 for 4 hours and half of them are not groomed, it is a rip-off. I have cross-country skied for $12 in Western Mass. Hope they decrease the price a little, then it will be a good deal.

Notchview is an excellent cross country skiing resort that is right off the main highway, very easy…read moreto get to, and has excellent trails. A great place for beginners and advanced skiers alike. Parking: As the turnoff is right off the main highway, traffic getting in and out of the parking area can be a little bit frustrating to navigate. There is parking alongside the road on both sides. As you approach Notchview from the road, take a look at the parking situation up near the lodge, sometimes there are several empty spaces, but most people don't see them, and end up parking clear at the bottom of the slight hill. Lodge: Notchview's lodge does not accurately match the quality of the skiing area. It's tight quarters, with chairs and tables crammed in every possible spot, leaving little room for comfort. Upstairs however, there are a couple of couches and an armchair, which is rarely ever taken. For a bit of privacy and peace and quiet, I'd recommend sitting upstairs. Notchview also does not have a kitchen. Instead, they rely on premade sandwiches, soups from a local restaurant, and other miscellaneous bakery items, such as bagels, muffins, and the odd vegetable samosa. The chili here is absolutely abhorrent, with far too much cumin. However, I did find that I really enjoyed the vegetable samosas, despite them being cold and not able to be warmed up. Cocoa, cider, etc. are all made from a packet, which you make yourself. There's little to no service in the food department. I'd advise planning ahead, and either packing your lunch, or making a trip to a local restaurant for a bite to eat. Skiing: Notchview excels in the trail department. There's lots of mileage, from beginner to advanced: gently sloping hills, wide open meadows, naturally increasing to steeper climbs and downhills. Some of the trails are a bit narrow. The tracks are well laid, and in most cases on both side of the trail. Notchview is not the easiest place for a beginner to start, as even some of the more basic trails still require technical skills that a first time cross country skier may not have. Before hitting the trails, I would have beginners practice in some of the more wide-open meadow spaces, especially how to kick up a hill and safely traverse a downhill. I'd strongly suggest skipping the rudimentary bunny hop trail. It is for beginners; however, if you are over the age of 10, your skis will be too long to navigate the sharp up and downs. You'll fall after getting stalled between two hills, and twist your knee like I did. It is much easier for those with very short skis to navigate this area. On the open-faced hills and meadows, the wind can get a bit harsh, so it's advisable to avoid these areas on particularly windy days. Once in the forest however, the wind dies down quite significantly. Another pro and con for Notchview is that they host a number of cross country skiing races. Notchview was the first place I ever tried to cross country ski, and it was very intimidating to be surrounded by advanced skiers who were intensely focused on their race (they can be a bit coarse). I would recommend avoiding race days if at all possible, as the lodge becomes very congested and some trails are limited due to their use by those racing. Not to mention the fact that the crowds can cause a lot of frustration and anxiety for those who are just learning. Notchview is a cross country skiing staple. Its simple access, no-nonsense directions make it an easy choice when the weather may be poor. However, you will end up sacrificing a chance at good food at a comfortable lodge, and instead be subjected to lots of people, both on the trails and off.

We just returned from a family vacation to Walt Disney World. I greatly appreciated working with…read moreDiane at Escapes For Everyone! We heard about her from a local community FB message board. Diane shared her Disney knowledge with us and made valuable recommendations. The biggest thing that Diane did for us was get our dining reservations and thanks to her we scored many "hard to get" venues during one of the busiest travel weeks expected at Disney (it became a record attendance week). She saved me from the pressure of navigating Disney dining reservation logistics 60 days before our trip (would have been stressful for me). This included Space 220 at Epcot, which was probably one of the top memorable dining experiences and atmospheres I've ever had. She answered many questions we had all the way to the very end, and even during the trip. I know many people are reluctant to use travel agents because they are unsure how it works and are afraid they won't get access to discounts or even worse will spend more money using a travel agent. So many people think "oh I can just research this by myself" because all of the information is so much more accessible on the internet nowadays. While it is true that there are some people who can indeed plan many cost effective vacations all by themselves, it is not true that using an agent will make things more expensive. I paid no "extra fee" to use Diane. You can look up on your own how travel agents get paid or talk to Diane yourself. It is also okay to admit that there are some vacations where you can indeed benefit from an expert, and I believe Disney is one of those vacations. If you are limited in time, or feel you already have a busy life, please consider saving yourself valuable hours filtering information about a Disney vacation completely on your own. If you consider your time as valuable as money, then it is absolutely worth it to use Diane. Relieve pressure on yourself to plan the "perfect vacation" and save the mental drain of reading every blog and internet article out there until you fall asleep at night after a long day --- just make the step and call Diane! We were very happy with Diane's support during our trip. She has my strongest recommendation for planning Disney vacations.

Diane helped us greatly! Our family just got back from a…read moremarvelous surprise birthday trip to Walt Disney World for our daughter's birthday! We wanted to make it very special for her and really wanted to book a "Little Mermaid" room for her. Although we were not able to secure this type of room on our own, Diane reached out and was able to "work some magic" for us!!!! Diane was always prompt to reply to me at any time of day or night and really helped us through the process. We certainly plan to refer all of our family and friends to Diane at Escapes For Everyone and highly recommend her complimentary concierge services!

My wife and I hired Five Star to shuttle guests back and forth to our wedding. The office staff was…read moresuper helpful scheduling the trip and their prices were the best by far. The driver arrived as scheduled and was super professional, even while shuttling 50 or so drunk party guests back to the hotel. Highly recommend using Five Star

Friendly, responsive, prompt, courteous, professional. These are the things you want when engaging…read moretransportation services for loved ones or yourself. Please consider using Cool Rides Taxi when visiting the Berkshires, particularly the Cummington area. You won't be disappointed!

Apparently this is NOT a taxi service. i needed a ride to a doctor's office, called 2 hours in…read moreadvance to see about the ride (here from out of town and in an accident that needed a follow-up) and they were unwilling to discuss it saying they are a car service and that i needed to schedule in advance. OK. so, i also needed to see an orthopedist the next day and asked to schedule that. . . he again said no, that i would have to call that morning to get a ride. ??? Can't win with these guys! look elsewhere!!!

Just 1-star is a little harsh -- I actually have had two decent rides from this outfit -- but I'm…read moredone trying. Six straight times now I've called for a ride only to be told "we're all booked up" or "everyone's at the airport," and to call back in a couple hours, maybe, possibly, but no guarantees even then. Which isn't the kicker. The real kicker was in the light dawning over Marblehead. So I called from another phone, claiming to be at a local hotel, and wanting a ride to the airport a half hour away. Well, NOW they had a cab available ... sure, for a huge fare. It's just local trips they don't want to provide. Not to mention that their name and claims to be "environmentally conscious" are just hogwash. Their cars are like any other, burn gasoline like any other, and if they were THAT environmentally conscious they'd be telling people to take the train or the bus to the airport instead. Nice frigging try.

With a name like "GoGreen," I was expecting hybrids and PEVs, which the driver told me they do not…read morehave yet. I would've preferred that they wore a mask, but not enough for me to ask about it rather than just roll the window down. I was just passing through, so I can't compare them to other companies; I was just grateful that there was a service available, especially at night, and the price was the same as a rideshare, which is nice when you don't want to support apps that screw their drivers.

We came here for the Aerial Adventure Park and the Mountain Coaster and our party of 6 had a great…read moretime with both of these activities. When you drive in to the resort, the Aerial Adventure park is visible right away. When I first saw it, it seemed smaller than I expected and I thought we would be done in a flash. Let me assure you, the aerial adventure course is a LOT more complex than it looks and it was fun and challenging for all of us, from teens to older adults. There are two levels to the course - first you do the lower level and then if you want to try the more challenging higher level you move on to that. Both levels are included in your ticket. Each section of the course is unique: some have zip lines, there are some climbing sections to get from one point to another, some have balance activities, and some rely on strength and ingenuity. Everyone wears a harness, so you are always safe (I did end up dangling a few times and was grateful for the harness!). Staff here is awesome and they train you before you go up into the course. The Mountain Coaster is also fun, although when we went around noon on a summer Friday, we had to wait in line for about 45 minutes to get on. I am a scaredy cat when it comes to roller coasters, but I LOVED the Mountain Coaster, where I go to zip down a mountain surrounded by trees and nature, and I could control the speed. I would love to do this again, but would plan to go earlier in the morning to hopefully avoid the crowds.

Attended BEM for zip lining. Originally, I was to go on June 6, however I as so ill there was no…read moreway I could have mad it. Heather was able to work with me I finally went on June 21. Wow did I have the best time! I did know about this place until I moved to the area. They have so much going on here. Mtn biking is huger this place with some great trails. They have a mountain coaster too. They got my attention for a go to destination. The ziplining team was great. They have a basic run and more advance run. We took the adv one. We will be back for more events no doubt !"