Hotel at a Glance: Gedney Farm

Gedney Farm’s two restored Normandy-style barns bear many historical hallmarks: rustic red exteriors topped with gambrel slate-and-cedar roofs, dormers, and cupolas. Surrounded by 50 acres of Old Berkshire meadows and pastures, the property has charm that extends to its farm-to-table restaurant. Feast on faroe islands salmon by the fire in the dining room; some of this Getaway’s options include a $50 dining credit.

• Eat up: Sample dishes such as braised pork at the onsite restaurant, where your food is cooked on an outdoor, wood-fired grill and brick oven.
• Free continental breakfast is included with your stay.
• Guest rooms are housed in the turn-of-the-century barns. Many are outfitted with granite fireplaces and whirlpool tubs.
• What to do: In addition to having its own hiking trails, the farm is a stone’s throw from scenic trails in the surrounding Beartown and Sandisfield State Forests.

New Marlborough, Massachusetts: Cultural History in the Berkshire Hills

The tranquility and natural beauty of New Marlborough, a rural town in the lower Berkshire Hills, has long appealed to artists and writers. Herman Melville wrote Moby-Dick here, and his former home, Arrowhead, is open for tours. Melville’s study, piazza, and original fireplace are on display, as is the barn where he and The Scarlet Letter author Nathaniel Hawthorne met to discuss their writings. In nearby Stockbridge, the Norman Rockwell Museum displays a massive collection of paintings and drawings from the famous Saturday Evening Post artist, including the well-known Christmas Homecoming and Girl Reading the Post.

Many people come to New Marlborough from Boston (about 120 miles west) to commune with nature in the many state forests. Head to Beartown and Sandisfield State Parks for some hiking and fishing, or cool off with a swim in the slow-moving Konkapot River at Umpachene Falls Park.

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