DAVETREK ADVENTURES

 Isabella Freedman

Fall Foliage Activities

 

Berkshire Sites, Museums and Outdoor Activities

 

Return to the Main Page with all the links

Go To The RSVP Form

 

An excellent general source of information is http://www.berkshires.org/.

Below, we have selected out some of the information from this site for your use,

for the time we are at Isabella Freedman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories 

Click the links below to go to the relevant sub-page

 

1.      Boating and Bike Rentals & local Cultural Events - see below

 

2.      Kid and Family Activities (includes a nearby Zoo & Museums with            Child oriented exhibits)

 

4. Berkshire Museums (including Norman Rockwell & Hancock Shaker Village)

 

A.  

B. I. Biking & Boating

C.  

D. Bike Rentals

E.  

A) Fall Foliage River Ride Along the Housatonic River—Excellent!

 

a.        This is a wonderful and easy to moderate bike trip mostly along River Road, alongside the Housatonic River for much of the time. At the midpoint you have a beautiful 150 year old covered bridge that you will visit in West Cornwall, CT. The trip is 12 miles long roundtrip and takes about 2 to 2.5 hours from start to finish.

b.  

c. Bike Rentals will cost $20 per person. This trip leaves from Isabella Freedman. We will have the option to do this  all week ( Sunday to Wednesday 10/19) and Sunday 10/23, both AM and PM. Please let us know on the RSVP form if you want this biking option so we can rent you a bike!

d.  

e. B) Harlem Valley Rail Trail —30 minute drive offsite

f.  

g. The Harlem Valley Rail Trail  is a former railroad corridor converted into a 10-foot wide paved, universally accessible, passive recreation path. The trail starts at the Metro North Wassaic Train Station, its flat and paved and goes by wildlife. It runs for about 10 miles, and you can do as little or much of this as you like - round trip would be about 20 miles, since its not a loop trail, just a one way  out and back.  Parking lots and restrooms are available at selected locations along the way. I may organize people for this on Friday, Sunday or Monday—indicate your preference on the RSVP Form.

h.  

i. This biking option will cost $35 per person, plus you might be able to get transportation to this if you do not have a car, at an additional cost. This trip depends on interest from those coming to the event.

 

a. II. Boating—Canoeing and kayaking along the Housatonic

b.  

c. Clark Outdoors

d. 163 Route 7, West Cornwall, CT 06796
(1 mile south of the covered bridge)
ph: 860-672-6365 • fax: 860-672-6543

e.  

f.  

g. Paddle a 6 to ten mile section of the beautiful Housatonic River in Northwestern Connecticut.
This section is a mixture of moving flatwater and easy whitewater and is suitable for novice paddlers.

h. The famous Covered Bridge in West Cornwall marks the halfway point for those doing the 10 mile trip and lunch is available at several places there. You may also bring a picnic lunch (no glass bottles please!), and stop at one of the many scenic spots along the river.

i. Prices - $60 per canoe, 2 to 3 people per canoe

j.        $35 per kayak, 1 person per kayak

k. We are also be able to supply transportation for people doing this for $15 per person roundtrip, for people who don’t have cars or rides.

III. Adamah Tour and Classes

Tour of the Adamah Organic Farm, including over 25 goats!

 

Learn how Adamah lives Jewish values of  agriculture and environmentalism, with a tour of their organic vegetable fields and livestock areas. See how they grow, harvest and maintain the land as well as raise livestock and encourage locally grown produce,  on  their organic farm. The tour costs $10 per adult, $5 per child and runs for 90 minutes, likely on Sunday, October 23.

 

 

Classes in Pickling, Cheesemaking and Composting and Home Gardening (at additional cost and only offered based on sufficient interest)

 

Classes will cost $30—$45 depending on how many sign up—classes run for 2 hours.

 

 

Pickling 101/Lacto Fermentation

 

At Isabella Freedman, we make organic kosher lacto-fermented products, including pickles and sauerkraut. Learn about the magic of fermentation as you follow the steps from cucumber to pickle. Participants will learn about harvesting, preserving and fermenting seasonal vegetables. We need a minimum of 10 people to take this class for it to be offered.

 

Cheesemaking

 

Learn  various cheesemaking techniques and principles. See how various soft cheeses are made, especially those created from goat milk from Adamah’s own goat herd!

 

Home Composting & Organic Gardening from A Jewish Perspective

 

As you tour our vegetable fields and compost-yard chickens, you will see how we are bringing the commandments in Genesis to life as we "till and tend" the land in ways that enable it to flourish for generations to come. Includes a special compost demonstration: Psalms teaches that “the stone that the builders overlooked will be the cornerstone of the third Temple.” We are turning ‘waste’ into valuable fertilizer for our fields — something you can learn to do in your own garden.

 

 

 

IV. Local Cultural Activities

 

Made in the Berkshires, a festival that features cutting-edge theatrical works, live music, film, short stories and dance. It will take place partially at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield ( 1 hr away) and at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge ( 45 minutes away, near the Norman Rockwell Museum)

 

 

There are events on both Sunday, October 16, Saturday night October 22 and Sunday October 23.

One of note is on Sunday night, October 16—it’s a musical show, with a Jewish Jazz Project among others..

 

Here are some details from the site for this event.

 

Made in the Berkshires, a brand new original works festival, will take place this October at both the Colonial as well as the Unicorn Theatre at BTF. It will feature cutting-edge theatrical works, live music, film, short stories and dance in a festival atmosphere like no other. New and innovative pieces will be created and presented by local Berkshire County playwrights, actors, directors and performers. Broken up into two hour blocks, Made in the Berkshires will allow audiences to get a look at the breadth and depth of the artistic talent that has landed in Berkshire County while celebrating the best in the visual and performing arts. The festival will be curated by Hilary Somers Deely and Barbara Sims, two local artists who have helped create the rich cultural tapestry that permeates the Berkshires.

 

Please visit the Made in the Berkshires website for all the specifics and ticketing information. Most tickets are $15!

Clark Outdoor - Canoe & Kayaking        Housatonic River Ride—view from the trail  

 ACTIVITY & EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS

The Retreat is located on a secluded 450 acre property, with a lake and a pond, and has the following amenities:

· Field and playground with sporting equipment

· Basketball court—1/2 court only

· Volleyball

· 2 public computers with Internet available for use in the main building, and WiFi (Wireless Internet) available in the main building

· Fitness center—Stationery Bike, Bench Press, Treadmill

· Game room in main building - Pool and Board Games

· Miles of hiking trails with paths that range from gentle to strenuous, and very close to the Appalachian Trail, where there will be hikes on Sunday

· Pool Table

· Tennis court

· Theatre Space

· A private lake for using free boats, fishing, and swimming—Canoes, pedal boats and paddle boats

 

Events on the Weekend

Onsite—included in the weekend price, weather permitting

· Kumzitz—With Jewish Music          (Motzei Shabbat)

· Hiking (on the Appalachian Trail)    (Sunday—Wed & Sunday)*

· Boating                                                  (Sunday—Wed & Sunday)*

· Volleyball                                             (Sunday—Wednesday & Sunday)*

· Jewish Lectures                                (Throughout Simchat Torah & Shabbat)*

· Yoga                                                       (Throughout the 4 day event)*

 

* depending on interest and weather

 

Off Site  & Onsite- additional cost, weather permitting, depending on interest

· Crafts Day - Drawing, Watercolors and other crafts ( depends on interest—if you can teach a craft you may be entitled to a reduced rate)

· Fall Foliage - Biking, Hiking, Boating & Driving Tours

· Adamah Organic Farm Tour,

Harvesting work & Pickling/Cheesemaking Class       (Wednesday & Sunday)*

· Boating on the Housatonic River - Canoeing and Kayaking

· Museums, such as Norman Rockwell, Hancock Shaker Village,

             and the Timexpo Timex Watch Museum

· Modern Art (Mass MOCA) and Impressionist Art (The Clark)

 

All Off site events ( except hiking) & Onsite arts and craft events depend on interest and are in addition to the fees for the weekend. Click Here to visit a site with all the local Berkshires possible attractions that we have created. As we get closer, we will organize groups for some of these events, based on interest.

 

We are also looking into arranging transportation for a fee for those without transportation to the Rail Trail Biking  and the Boating on the Housatonic.