413 Day Trippin’: Crepes, Country Stores, outdoor adventures, and more…

Start out the day in Southwick with breakfast at Crepes Tea House where you’ll find lots of tasty Eastern European menu items made with farm-fresh ingredients in the authentic, old-country way. While you’re there, check out the more than 100 varieties of tea from around the world in their Tea Shop.

After breakfast, head West on Route 57. If you’re up for a hike, check out Granville Gorge, located on six acres of conservation land with a hiking trail that takes about an hour roundtrip.

*Photo credit: granvillecheesestore.com*

Continuing West on Route 57, the Granville Country Store is a must-stop and a step back in time. Opened in 1851 by John Murray Gibbons, the store is famous for its Granville Cheddar cheese. Today, mother-daughter owners, Tina Deblois and Tracy Mountain, have maintained the old-fashioned country store experience and the famous cellar aging processes that makes Granville Cheddar so unique.

Got kids in the car? Then head South just a bit on Granby Road (Route 187) to Gran-Val Scoop, part of a family farm that began in 1903 when Curtis & Bertha Hunt purchased 50 acres and a humble farmhouse to raise enough food to provide for their family.

Today, the Scoop is owned by Curtis and Bertha’s great-granddaughter Avola Berndt and her father, Richard Brown. Gran-Val Scoop makes all of its ice cream right on the farm in small batches and all “mix-ins” are stirred in by hand. They believe in using the highest quality local ingredients. The syrup they use in their Maple Cream comes from nearby Maple Corner Farm. Other local ingredients for their ice cream flavors include blueberries, rhubarb and more. Enjoy beautiful mountain views, a farm animal petting zoo, educational programs, and seasonal family events.

Want to turn your day trip into an overnight trip? There are many great options along this route for a quintessential New England lodging experience including the New Boston Inn, just off Route 57 on North Main Street, in Sandisfield.

Recognized as Berkshire County's Oldest Inn, this 18th century stagecoach stop has served guests and travelers since 1737. This seven-room bed & breakfast has a restaurant and tavern and a gathering room, known as the Gentleman's Parlor, with a wood burning stove. There are outdoor gardens and the nearby Farmington River can be heard in the back ground. From the moment you walk-in and are greeted by the friendly Innkeeper and staff, you are transported to an earlier time, where the pace is slower. Ask about the ghost stories while you’re there, too!

Following Route 57 West, bear right on Route 183 and you’ll find another spectacular place to stay at The Old Inn on the Green in the quaint Berkshire village of New Marlborough. Surrounded by rolling fields and meadows, The Old Inn, offers authentically restored guest rooms, fine dining in intimate candlelit dining rooms and seasonal al fresco dining on the canopied garden terrace off the taproom. Yankee Magazine wrote, “Chef/owner Peter Platt designs his menu around whatever’s available from local farmers, and the food is both innovative and elegant.”

*Photo credit: berkshirepropertyagents.com*

Travel a little further up Route 183 and take a left on New Marlborough Hill Road for hiking trails through remnant cellar holes and stone walls that recall a long-abandoned settlement dating to early Colonial times. Located on the flanks of Leffingwell Hill, Questing features a 17-acre field of native wildflowers that attracts a variety of dragonflies and butterflies. A mowed path along the field edge connects to a forest loop trail that leads through the woods around the perimeter of Leffingwell Hill, a 200-year-old settlement where the first non-Native American children were born in New Marlborough.

Back out on Route 183, continue heading north to the village of Hartsville. Take a right on Hatchery Road to the Berkshire National Fish Hatchery. Established along the Konkapot River in the late nineteenth century by Dr. Samuel Camp as a place where he could entertain his friends “on the fat of his own land.”

Situated on 148 acres of forested land that is the source of a pristine aquifer ideal for fish culture, the Hatchery raises brook trout for local recreation and educational programs throughout Berkshire County. With over a century of public operation, tens of thousands of fish have been cultured in this water source, which flows by gravity through beautiful, natural pools. The woodland trails that surround the aquifer are home to many diverse species of wildlife, making the Hatchery a special place for learning about not only fish culture, but also about the natural history of the Berkshires.

Leaving the Hatchery, turn right on Hatchery Road which turns into River Road. Follow River Road until you come to Main Road (Route 23). Take a right and follow until you reach Knox Trail Forge in the town of Monterey.

Here you will find Blacksmith, Del Martin, forging away on some really amazing designs including colonial reproduction hardware; hand-forged knives, axes and tools for the kitchen and farm; and architectural elements for the hearth, garden and home. Del uses traditional hand forging techniques—fire, hammer and anvil, coupled with modern metallurgical science and tools—to create pieces that are attractive, functional, and, ultimately, meant to evoke a feeling of antique craft. The result is some of the coolest stuff you’ve ever seen. On his website, Del shares this piece of history about how Knox Trail Forge got its name: “In the winter of 1775-76, General Henry Knox was tasked by General George Washington with bringing a train of cannon captured from Fort Ticonderoga NY to Cambridge MA, resulting in driving the British army out of Boston. The trail over which the cannon was hauled lies right out front of the smithy and hence the name, Knox Trail Forge.”

You can find another local artisan, Ellen Grenadier, right up the street at Grenadier Pottery on Tyringham Road. Ellen Grenadier has been making tableware and custom tiles and murals for over 30 years. Grenadier Pottery offers a unique opportunity to visit a working studio and view pottery making at all stages of creation, from wet clay to gallery setting. You might find Ellen involved in any number of processes - perhaps throwing bowls on the potter's wheel, attaching handles to a teacup or pressing leaves into a dinner plate. Contact her in advance to arrange an in-person visit to her studio.

Further along Route 23, you’ll find more opportunities for outdoor adventure. Bob’s Way Trail provides hiking trails of varying lengths through ancestral homeland of the Mohican people. The property is named for N. Robert Thieriot, one of the greatest conservationists in Massachusetts history, who bought the land in 1983 and put a Conservation Restriction on it in 1997.

The looped trails and 263 acres of Bob’s Way provide typical New England landscapes: forested small hills, old foundations and stonewalls, a wetland, and a beaver pond. The outer loop takes about one hour. Two crossing paths can extend or shorten hikes, and one rises to the land’s high point, with a bench and an overlook.

In the winter, Otis Ridge offers family-friendly skiing and snowboarding. The Grouse House at the base area offers dining & drinks in a casual setting and is open Wednesday through Sunday in the off-season.

Otis Reservoir is a popular spot for a wide range of activities on the water and in the woods of Tolland State Forest, a popular camping, boat launch, and swimming area. A private campground, Camp Overflow, is also located on the reservoir which is stocked with trout by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

Continuing along Route 23, you’ll find the Knox Trail Inn, a Colonial-era dwelling that dates back to 1776. It’s rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a young soldier named Jake from the Revolutionary or Civil War died of his injuries here, and who likes to tug on your shirt or play with the electrical systems. The Inn is locally-owned by five friends who have restored the property and have re-established the Knox as a great restaurant for dining, a pub for everyone to gather, and a venue for good entertainment.

Across the street is Katie’s Country Store which features a butcher shop, deli, ice cream and meals to go including their famous fried chicken. The store also posts some great pictures of the area on its Facebook page.

Keep going east on Route 23, hang a left on North Street in Blandford and head to the Blandford Fair, a non-profit organization, created by the Union Agricultural & Horticulture Society in 1867. Depending on the time of year, you can experience all kinds of events here including snowmobile drag racing, demolition derbies, art shows, horse and goat shows, and, of course, the annual fair. Held on Labor Day Weekend, the fair features contests for skills and feats such as nail driving, pie eating, corn husking, hay bale tossing, and more.

Back out on Route 23, continue heading east to The Bread Basket in Russell. This popular bakery and deli serves up homemade breads, pastries, sweet treats, breakfast items, and deli sandwiches. Less than a half mile up the road, you’ll find their farm store, Cream of the Crop, where you can get raw milk from their herd of Jersey Cows, as well as cheese, sour cream, and yogurt made at the Farm’s own creamery. They also sell organic, grass-fed beef, non-GMO, free-range chicken, pastured pork, wild-caught salmon, eggs from pastured-raised chickens, local ice cream, maple syrup, honey, and more.

Continuing east on Route 23, take a right onto Route 20 and then a right onto Bates Road and a left on Western Avenue. Follow Western to Stanley Park, an incredible 413 gem with nearly 300+ acres of trails, woods, picnic areas, recreational facilities, and gardens. Explore the Frank Stanley Beveridge Wildlife Sanctuary, the Carillon Tower, and the Duck Pond with a Colonial-era Village that includes an orchard, mill and waterwheel, an old town meeting house, covered bridge, carriage shed, blacksmith shop, and arched bridges. Be sure to check out their summer outdoor concert series.

Leaving Stanley Park, you have two options for the last stops on this trip, depending on your mood and who’s in the car. For the kids, there is the Amelia Park Museum, located at 29 South Broad Street in Westfield. Integrated throughout the museum is a broad range of creative exhibits and imaginative hands-on activities. Children of all ages can build, pretend they are a doctor or nurse, become a teller in the bank exhibit, find dinosaur bones, and have fun while moving and exercising or simply join in one of the museum’s special activities.

For the adults and thirsty travelers, there is an amazing collection of local breweries in near proximity to each other including Great Awakening Brewing Company, Kismet Brewing Company, Skyline Beer Company, Tin Bridge Brewing Company , and Westfield River Brewing Company. Watch for future 413Life articles where we’ll map and highlight the great many local breweries in the 413.

It would be impossible to list every place to stop along this 75-mile route. There are far too many. But we hope we’ve highlighted enough places of interest along the way for you to want to take this day trip or turn it into a weekend excursion. If you do decide to travel this route, please share your positive experiences and post photos on your social accounts and tag us so we can see them. Let us know what other fun stops you found along the way. Enjoy and safe travels!