# Help with info on Berkshires?



## breezylawn (Feb 27, 2007)

Gee, I feel like a dope to ask, but what exactly are The Berkshires?  Is that an area in Mass that is worth looking into?  RCI mentioned a timeshare there by the name of Oak & Spruce, but we could not find any reviews on it on tug.
Can anyone recommend a place that they enjoyed and tell us what there is to do there?  Thanks Bill


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## tonyg (Feb 27, 2007)

The Berkshires is a popular cultural and skiing area in southwest MassachussetsOak & Spruce is in Lee/Lenox and not far from Stockbridge(the place in Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Restaurant") and the Norman Rockwell Museum. Also nearby is Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and other concert performers. To the North is Pittsfield and north of that is Jimminy Peak. Butternut is in the southern Berkshires in Great Barrington. South of Great Barrington on route 7 are dozens of Antique shops running all the way to the Connecticut border. Lennox is a whole story by itself. Much of the area is quite rural.


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## nerodog (Feb 28, 2007)

*berkshires*

Its the most western part of Mass... famous for Tanglewood  for the summer concert series and Jacobs pillow dance festival in Becket which also runs in the summer. There is the Norman Rockwell museum  and the famous RedLion Inn in Stockbridge... its worth a visit if you have never been... pretty, hilly and yes rural... its about 1 hour from the Springfield area... 3 hours from Boston... Williamstown Theater is also a highlight... lots of cultural events... check out the web site   berkshires. com..... or yankee magazine for details.


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## tashamen (Feb 28, 2007)

breezylawn said:


> Oak & Spruce, but we could not find any reviews on it on tug.



There are a whole bunch of reviews on this resort.  We stayed at Ponds at Foxhollow last year which we liked (mine is the last review) but neither place is particularly posh.  Both of their locations are great for the area, though.


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## EAM (Feb 28, 2007)

The area known as the Berkshires gets its name from the Berkshire hills and Berkshire valley of western Massachusetts.   The highest of the hills is Mt. Greylock at 3491 feet above sea level.  There's a road to the top and the Appalachian Trail goes over the summit too.

Some other attractions in the area are the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Hancock Shaker Village near Pittsfield, the Melville exhibit at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, Edith Wharton' s home in Lenox, just to name a few.

I stayed at Vacation Village a couple of years ago and have  a future trip planned for Fairfield at Bentley Brook.

The Fairfield offers bus trips to NYC, Boston, Salem, etc.


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## STEVIE (Feb 28, 2007)

Hi, we have stayed at both Oak and Spruce, and at Vacation Village in the Berkshires.  We enjoyed Vacation Village more, because it is newer and more luxurious.  If you stay in a one bedroom, ask for the larger side.  The larger one bedroom has a full kitchen and a Jacuzzi tub.  The smaller one bedroom does not.  What time of the year are you thinking of going?  Sue


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## nerodog (Mar 2, 2007)

*bentley brook is also very nice*

Liked this resort very much... clean and nice units.... I think you would enjoy it...there is  alot to do in the winter months if you like to ski... lots in the summer as well... there is a calendar of events put out weekly in the Berkshire magazine... free little books.. I think they might be online.... berkshires.com


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## breezylawn (Mar 2, 2007)

Thanks so much for all of your input.  If Vacation Village is a little more posh, we will opt for that timeshare.  We are thinking of going in June. 

This will be a new experience.  Bill


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## tonyg (Mar 2, 2007)

Vacayion Village would be my choice, but keep in mind that it is in the northern Berkshires and is more remote than any other resort except the neighboring Bentley Brook.


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## hajjah (Mar 3, 2007)

I just booked a unit at the Fairfield at Bently Brook for a colleague next month.  She wants to take Amtrak from the NY area rather than flying since airfare is so expenisve at this late date.  If she arrives at the train station in Rensselaer, NY, will she be able to rent a car there on a Sunday?  I've been searching for nearby auto rentals and not finding much. Enterprise is not open on Sunday.   It seems that she may need to get a cab from the Amtrak station to the airport in Albany to pickup a car.  Is this about right?
Thanks.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 4, 2007)

Hajjah,

Enterprise and Thrifty  have rental sites at the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station.
I don't know their hours of operation however.

Here's some more info from Frommer's

By Train

The new Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station, 525 East St., Rensselaer (tel. 518/462-5763), receives Amtrak trains from western New York (Empire Service), the midwestern U.S. and Massachusetts (Lake Shore Limited), Canada (Maple Leaf), and points north and south of the capital (Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express Lines). Taxis are available for travel to downtown Albany.

To Saratoga Springs, there is daily service on Amtrak's Adirondack (originating in New York City and Montreal) and Ethan Allen Express (traveling from New York City to Vermont) lines. The Saratoga station is located at West Avenue and Station Lane; there are taxis as well as Enterprise and Thrifty car-rental agencies at the station. For more information and reservations, contact Amtrak at tel. 800/USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com.

Richard


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## hajjah (Mar 4, 2007)

Richard.  Thanks so much.  Let me check to see if Thrifty is open on Sunday.


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## hajjah (Mar 4, 2007)

I just checked the Thrifty website.  There is no location near the train station.  Is this correct???


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## hajjah (Mar 4, 2007)

Ok, it seems that I need to change the RCI confirmation for my colleague from Bently Brook to Vacation Village at Berkshires just because of the check in date.  Bently Brook is a two bdrm with a Sunday check in while VVB is a one bdrm Sat-Sat.  I booked the BB only because the unit was larger. There are only two people traveling.  It would be too much of a hassle to get the train from NY to Rensselaer, then take a taxi from the station to the airport to pickup a car.  So, am I about right with this?  Let me contact RCI before they close for the day.


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## Avery (Mar 4, 2007)

hajjah said:


> Ok, it seems that I need to change the RCI confirmation for my colleague from Bently Brook to Vacation Village at Berkshires just because of the check in date.  Bently Brook is a two bdrm with a Sunday check in while VVB is a one bdrm Sat-Sat.  I booked the BB only because the unit was larger. There are only two people traveling.  It would be too much of a hassle to get the train from NY to Rensselaer, then take a taxi from the station to the airport to pickup a car.  So, am I about right with this?  Let me contact RCI before they close for the day.



make sure you book the larger 1 bedroom with the full kitchen at VV, it will be fine for two people.


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## hajjah (Mar 4, 2007)

Thanks.  Yes, RCI actually assigned the unit when we called today to change the confirmation.  I had no idea that RCI assigns the units at VVB.  They also have units that are pet friendly so we opted for the non pet friendly *A *unit.

Now, only to find out how to rent a car.  It has been very taxing trying to find the nearest rental car to the Amtrak station in Rensselaer, NY.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 4, 2007)

Hajjah,

Here is some additional information from a different website:

Train Travel 
AMTRAK  (800-872-7245) serves New York City to Montreal with a daily stop in Fort Edward, about 45 minutes from Chestertown. Limited car rentals, taxis (Lake George Taxi Co.: 518-668-9600), and Glens Falls Transit system buses are available at the station. Unless you have arranged in advance for transportation from this more remote location, however, we recommend that you get off at Rensselaer/Albany (800-872-7245) and pick up a limousine service or a rental car (shuttle service to car rental locations in Albany is available throughout the day). 

Bus Travel 
Greyhound  (518-793-5052) maintains a regular schedule to the Lake George area. Adirondack Trailways (518-793-5525) makes stops in neighboring Warrensburg, Lake George, and Chestertown once daily for both north and south-bound trips. You may arrange for transportation to and from Chestertown with one of our reservationists. 


Limousine Services 
The following firms offer limousine service to Friends Lake Inn from the Albany area and bus drop off points in the Adirondacks: 
Guess Limousines (Hudson Falls) 518-747-4660 
Hollywood Limousine    1-800-830-879 


Rental Cars 
If you are flying into the Albany Airport, rentals are available on premise from Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National. If you are traveling by train to Rensselaer, shuttle service is available throughout the day to major rental carrier locations in Albany. Companies and their national numbers: 
Avis   (800) 831-2847 
Enterprise   (800) 325-8007 
Hertz   (800) 654-3131 
National   (800) 227-7368 
Thrifty   (800) 367-2277 


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 5, 2007)

Haj,

I just did some more checking - called Amtrak - no car rental office in the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station.

Called Thrifty - their airport office is open on Sunday's - located at 
914 Albany-Shaker Road which is about 13 miles from the train station
local phone: 518-782-7612


Richard


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## hajjah (Mar 5, 2007)

Thanks so much for the updates.  This was driving me a little crazy trying to rent a car from the Amtrak station.  It seems that there is an Enterprise location near Amtrak.  I will call to see how far they are from the train station.  We changed the Sunday check in to a Saturday to avoid additional transportation problems. 

Does anyone know how far Vacation Village Berkshires is from the Rensselaer Amtrak station?  Thanks so much for your help.


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## SBK (Mar 6, 2007)

We had a marvelous time at VV in the Berkshires last Memorial Day.

Here is the thread:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25209&highlight=Berkshires

I mentioned some restaurants and museums that we really enjoyed.


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## hajjah (Mar 6, 2007)

Susan, the link was very informative.  I cannot thank you enough.  It seems that my colleague would need to take a taxi from the Amtrak station in Rensselaer, NY to the airport (ALB)to pickup a rental car.  She can take an earlier train from NY and arrive at the Enterprise car rental (Amtrak) before noon, but the difference in the price of the rental near the Amtrak station and the airport though is about $100.00.

Can anyone tell me how long the drive is from the airport to VVB?  They will need to know how much to set aside for the drive back to the airport to return the rental, then get a taxi to the Amtrak station.

You should know that I am being taken out to dinner for spending my time to get all this information and booking the resort, Amtrak and car rental for my colleague, who is nearly computer illiterate.


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## SBK (Mar 6, 2007)

hajjah said:


> Susan, the link was very informative.  I cannot thank you enough.  It seems that my colleague would need to take a taxi from the Amtrak station in Rensselaer, NY to the airport (ALB)to pickup a rental car.  She can take an earlier train from NY and arrive at the Enterprise car rental (Amtrak) before noon, but the difference in the price of the rental near the Amtrak station and the airport though is about $100.00.
> 
> Can anyone tell me how long the drive is from the airport to VVB?  They will need to know how much to set aside for the drive back to the airport to return the rental, then get a taxi to the Amtrak station.
> 
> You should know that I am being taken out to dinner for spending my time to get all this information and booking the resort, Amtrak and car rental for my colleague, who is nearly computer illiterate.



You can do a Mapquest with multiple stops to work out the time frame.


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## hajjah (Mar 6, 2007)

That is great news of which I was unaware.  Thanks so much.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 6, 2007)

Hajjah,

It's about 40 miles from the Albany Airport to Vacation Villages, about an hour drive.


Richard


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## hajjah (Mar 7, 2007)

Great.  Thanks so much for all the help.


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## noson7982 (Mar 8, 2007)

*Website for the Berkshires*

Here is a Website for information on the Berkshires.
http://www.berkshires.org/story3.php?f_id=201

Bob


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## hajjah (Mar 8, 2007)

Bob, thanks so much for the link.  The website is great.  It's much better than what I found via RCI's link.


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## Aldo (Mar 10, 2007)

If you're driving over from Albany, take Interstate 90E out of town about 5 miles, and then get on U.S. Rt. 20 East.  This takes you through Lebanon, NY, and then over the mountains and brings you right into Pittsfield, Mass, in the heart of the Berkshires.  A gorgeous drive in all seasons.

About a mile or so from the intersection of Interstate 90 and U.S. Rt. 20, you hit the intersection of U.S. 20  and U.S. 9.  There is a real good cafe at the southeast corner of that intersection.  They are well know for their great chili and soups.

Once you are in the Berkshires, don't miss Natural Bridge State Park, in North Adams, and also Hickory Bill's BBQ, also in North Adams.   Somewhat pricier but well worth it is the Dakota, which is on the east side of the road between Pittsfield and Lee.


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## hajjah (Mar 10, 2007)

Aldo, thanks for the update.  I'll print this today.


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## breezylawn (Apr 5, 2007)

*Berkshires it is....suggestions to other cities/towns???*

Hi Tuggers,

Thanks so much for your help.  We booked into the Vacation Village after everyone seemed to recommend it and we are booked for the end of August through Labor Day.  Aside from Rockwell Museum and such, we like to take day trips to Woodstock VT, etc.........but that's about all we know aside from a very long drive to N.Y. City of 3 hrs......is that worth it?  What other quaint towns or things to do would you all recommend for a first trip?  Bill


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## JUDIE25 (Apr 7, 2007)

If you would like to do something extremely different and very interesting, visit MassMOCA  (Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, MA.  My husband and I always find very fascinating exhibits there.  However, you must go with an open mind, since many of the exhibits are close to performance art.


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## JUDIE25 (Apr 23, 2007)

Just to let you know, there is an article on the Berkshires and MassMOCA is featured in the May/June edition of the RCI magazine.


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## Pup (Sep 11, 2007)

Does anyone have a map of the units? Which units have the better view. I have Martin Luther King week booked and would love a view of the mountain


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