Spring

From late February through early April, farmers in nearly every hill town village in Massachusetts honor an old New England tradition. They take to the woods with buckets, tubing and drills to gather the sap from sugar maple trees, boiling it down to pure maple syrup.

Sugaring is the first sign of the annual agricultural awakening. Old-man winter disappears in puffs of sweet steam from weather-beaten sugar houses. The warmth of the evaporator and the aroma of hot syrup contrast with the lingering chill outside.

Golf

Uncrowded play amidst spectacular mountain scenery. Individual holes, gently carved out of the forests and hills, often tucked out of the sight of adjoining fairways. No long tee time waits, even when you call just before a summer weekend. Golf like this sounds too good to be true, but it’s standard fare at courses throughout western Massachusetts’ rolling Berkshire hills. The Berkshire’s incredible views and backdrops and the diversity of natural splendor still impress even longtime Berkshire golfers. Virtually every course features one or more incomparable holes, each providing a memory that will not soon fade. Despite golf’s exploding popularity, Berkshire courses manage to avoid the maddening crowds found at some resort areas. A big factor is that Berkshire County offers a wealth of diverse courses in a relatively small rural location. Even when a lot of players are out—on weekends and during other busy times—course congestion seems minimized because so many clubs offer plenty of separation between individual holes. And all of this great golf takes place on courses where greens fees and other costs are typically far below those of courses in other vacation spots.