Walk And Roll, Fly And Float
We’ve got excursions for however you prefer to experience the great outdoors.
STAY GROUNDED
Clover Brooke Farm
Hyde Park, NY
Bring along a companion on your next hike…a four-legged, fluffy one. Reserve a llama or alpaca at Clover Brooke Farm and take a one-mile hike leading your well-trained, newfound friend. During the summer, the farm is a open five days a week (closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays). A ticket to reserve an animal and take a hike is $45. Hikers must be eight years old or older. Visit the farm store before you leave for hand-knitted and felted items, and yarn skeins made from the hair of animals raised on the farm. You’ll also have an opportunity to meet the farm’s goats and sheep.
Ashuwillticook Rail Trail
Cheshire, MA
Grab your bike, roller blades, or just tie on your sneakers and hit this popular, paved, level trail through the Hoosic River Valley. The 12.2-milelong former railroad corridor stretches from the southern entrance of the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough to the center of Adams. It has five parking lots along its length, so you can choose where to start. Restrooms are available at the trail parking areas off Berkshire Mall Road and Farnam’s Road. The trail and picnic areas are open from dawn to dusk.
UP IN THE AIR
Above All Balloon Rides
Chatham, NY
The beauty and surprising quiet of ballooning is unmatched. Scott Griswold and his fellow FAA-licensed pilots take passengers on sunrise and sunset rides in any of their six balloons. Rides range from two-person private flights up to six-passenger baskets. Experiences take about three to four hours, from a pre-flight briefing to watching your balloon inflate, an hour of flight time, landing, and balloon pack up, and a celebratory post-flight champagne toast. From June to October, balloons fly seven days a week—from Hudson, Valatie, and Kinderhook. But spots fill up fast, so book early. Shared rides start at $300 per person; private rides range from $1,000-$1,600 in total.
Catamount Zip Tour
South Egremont, MA
Imagine zipping through the tree line, watching the valley unfold beneath you. You smile at your friend strapped into the zipline next to you, then release your brake and smoothly glide past your buddy at speeds up to 55 mph! Individually controlled brakes allow you to slow down and take in the Berkshires, Hudson Valley, and Vermont views. The Catamount Zip Tour at Catamount Mountain Resort has two courses to choose from: a 1,000-foot glide across the summit, or a mile-long span—from the summit to the ground—that’s the longest zipline in the continental US. The entire experience takes two hours, including a training video, harness and helmet fitting, a ground-level demonstration, and a chairlift ride up to the zipline base at the summit. Tickets are $99 per person. Riders must be at least 10 years old, 50 to 260 pounds, and 55 inches tall or taller.
WATER WORLD
Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy
Litchfield, CT
Birders: This one’s for you. The renowned Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy is a breeding center for 90 species of endangered waterfowl. Its 16 acres shelter and showcase the beauty of 415 feathered friends. Take a self-guided tour on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Designed as a loop, the 1.5-hour walking tour takes you along gravel paths through their aviaries and around ponds and lakes. You’ll see a range of birds including Great Blue Herons, owls, sea ducks, pheasants, and the critically endangered Siberian cranes. Admission on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays is $10 for ages 15 and up; $8 for seniors age 65+; and $5 per child (ages 4-14). Tickets for guided tours—on weekdays as well as weekends—start with a flat fee of $50 plus $10 per person.
O’Hara’s Landing Marina
Salisbury, CT
Catching rays, dropping a line into the lake, or just chilling with friends: all the ingredients for a fun day on the water. O’Hara’s Landing Marina helps you get there with boat rentals ranging from kayaks to pontoons. O’Hara’s Landing Marina has been in operation on beautiful East Twin Lake—with six miles of lakeshore, it’s the thirdlargest natural lake in Connecticut— for more than 50 years. Their fleet includes canoes and kayaks; 14-foot and 16-foot rowboats; and four-person fishing pontoons, plus 9 and 12-person standard pontoons. No boating license is required to book any of the boats, just a valid driver’s license. Rentals start at $30 for kayaks, up to $550 for the standard and premium pontoons.
Please Support Rural Intelligence
We want to continue delivering the entertaining, informative and upbeat stories in the inimitable Rural Intelligence style, despite a pandemic. But we need your support to keep us going. Please consider making a donation; even a small amount helps secure our future. Support us now.
(If you prefer, mail a check to: 45 Pine Grove Ave., Suite 303, Kingston, NY 12401.)
Support Now