I love life in the Valley, but sometimes, especially during the summer, I get that Jack Kerouac wanderlust and the only cure is to hop in the car for a road trip. But that's one of the great things about living here. There are so many places to explore and things to do within an easy (and relatively short) drive. Here are four of our recent adventures, all within a couple of hours of home.

On the last weekend of July, we packed up a picnic and headed out to Long Hill Farm in Hillsdale, New York, for the annual Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Every year, thousands of people flock to this event for three days of great music (on three stages), dance, food, crafts, and all around fun. The vibe is mellow, the promoters are fairly laid back, and the audience runs the gamut from children and teens to old folkies. We were especially interested in seeing our new fave band, a very funny a capella group called DaVinci's Notebook. And they were terrific (as always). But we were also introduced to some new artists (new to us, anyway), including Chris and Meredith Thompson, Eddie From Ohio, Nightingale, Zoe Lewis, Eric Schwartz and Trina Hamlin. The highlight of the day, however, was a moving tribute to the late Dave Carter by his partner Tracy Grammer, Nerissa & Katrina Nields and others. Dave, a gifted songwriter whose music is often heard on The River, died of a massive heart attack in Northampton the Friday before he and Tracy were scheduled to play the Green River Festival. But his music and his spirit were ever present at Falcon Ridge, not only through the on-stage tribute but also through a memorial tent, where fans left flowers, cards and candles. He will be missed.

A couple of days later, we hit the road again, this time bound for Tanglewood to join friends for the BSO Gala. Now I grew up in Massachusetts, went to school in Boston and have lived in the Valley for three years, but this was my first trip to this hallowed institution. And I have to say I was more than mildly impressed. Not only are the grounds beautiful and the music top notch, but the people watching is worth the price of admission. We were feeling pretty proud of our picnic dinner of roast beef and avocado wraps, chips, fruit and cookies, until we saw the folks with the tables, tablecloths, candles, wine glasses and five course meals. It raised one-upmanship to a new art form, and it was great fun to watch. The BSO and Boston Pops orchestras were splendid, performing the best rendition of the 1812 Overture I've ever heard. As the fireworks exploded overhead (what would the 1812 be without fireworks?), we headed, fat and happy, back to the car, and back to our little piece of the Valley.

This past Saturday, we ventured east on Route 2 to Lincoln and the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park. With 35 acres of rolling woods and lawns, the DeCordova boasts the largest sculpture park in New England. At any given time, the park contains 75 pieces of contemporary American art and best of all, admission is free (my favorite price!). Some visitors come with their blankets and food, others come for a leisurely walk around the grounds, and some use the park benches as open air reading room. Though I'm not a big fan of modern sculpture, the grounds were lovely. And there are some very interesting, thought-provoking pieces. Our favorite was a work by Paul Matisse called The Musical Fence, which was commissioned by the Cambridge Arts Council and is on loan to the DeCordova. The piece consists of aluminum sounding bars of different lengths, tuned to a pentatonic scale to create pleasant sounds when struck with a wooden stick. It was a favorite of many of the kids, too.

After winding our way through the exhibit in the mid-day sun, we took refuge in the museum store, a well-stocked space with a wide range of unique and creative items. We browsed for awhile, but wisely left before I could do any real damage to our bank account.

By this time, we were starting to think about food (we hadn't brought a picnic with us this time) and particularly ice cream, so on our way back home, we took a detour off Route 2 to Westford and Kimball Farms. I grew up in Littleton, a stone's throw from what was then a smallish farm stand with great homemade ice cream. What a difference thirty years makes! Kimball Farms still has fabulous ice cream, but now also has a driving range, pitch and putt, mini golf, bumper boats, a grill and a country store. It's a huge operation and a thriving business. They've even got satellite operations in Carlisle and Jaffrey, New Hampshire. If you ever find yourself within striking distance of one of their locations, by all means go!

On Sunday, we took off in the opposite direction, out Route 2 West for Williamstown and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Considered by many to be one of the finest art museums in the country, the Clark is home to some exquisite European and American art, and is especially famous for its French Impressionist collection. The Clarks were astute collectors, which is evident in the number of works by Renoir, Degas, Homer and Sargent on exhibit (my husband, the Renoir freak, was in heaven). The museum's current show (until September 2), Gustav Klimt Landscapes, shows a different side of the 19th century Viennese symbolist primarily known for his elaborate portraits of women and lovers (like his most famous work, The Kiss).

The Clark is only one of the museums in Williamstown. There's also the Williams College Museum of Art. Housed in a striking neoclassical building on the Williams campus, the museum houses 12,000 works that span the history of art, but focus primarily on modern and contemporary art. Though we didn't stop by the WCMA on this trip, I've seen some interesting (if somewhat bizarre) exhibits there on past trips, enough to recommend a visit.

Part of the fun of going to Williamstown is walking around the gorgeous campus and browsing the shops in town. You'll find a lot of upscale items, but since it's a college town, there are also some bargains to be had. The same can be said for the restaurants. There's something for everyone from four-star dining to college hang-outs. It just depends on your taste (and your budget).

Walked out, shopped out and museumed out, it was time to head for home. After being away, even for the day, crossing back into the Valley (greeted by those friendly "Welcome to the Pioneer Valley" signs) gives me a deep sense of comfort. We're pretty lucky to live here. We're surrounded by beautiful, peaceful countryside, we've got activities and attractions galore, and when wanderlust strikes, we've got easy access to some great destinations. After four trips in two weeks, I'm putting my traveling shoes back in the closet. At least for now.

For more information, visit:

Tanglewood — www.bso.org
The Decordova Museum and Sculpture Park — www.decordova.org
Kimball Farms — www.kimballfarm.com
The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute — www.clarkart.edu
Williams College Museum of Art – www.wcma.org

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