Go north, go west, any way to The Berkshires is the best, especially in the fall when the leaves radiate a rainbow of reds and yellows and oranges.  An autumn escape for a Berkshires day trip is perfect from New York or Boston and much of nearby Connecticut.  The leaves crunch underfoot and the scent of burning wood permeates the air, while cinnamon hot chocolate and pumpkin bread beckon from a corner bakery.  This is the time to enjoy what writers, artists, actors and musicians have known for decades.  The Berkshires offer an endless supply of inspiration for creatives but also for those seeking a glimpse into a more genteel society of days gone by such as those enjoyed by authors Edith Wharton and Henry James in the early 20th century.

The Berkshire mountain towns of Lee, Lenox and Stockbridge have been home to Pulitzer and Nobel Prize Winners and Grammy winner James Taylor.  There’s just something in the air here.  It’s rarefied in the best sense of the word.

Driving into Lee at breakfast time is a must to start your day at The Starving Artist Cafe & Creperie (40 Main St., Lee, MA) which offers an array of sweet and savory crepes.  It’s seasonal but the pumpkin pie crepe filled with pumpkin cream cheese and slathered in cinnamon butter is decadent.  Service isn’t all that great but it’s the mountains and you’re on vacation, so chill with a maple latte and wait for the band to play between 11a and 1p on Sundays.

Antique hunters can rummage through a treasure trove of delights at the Route 102 Trading Post (905 Pleasant St., Rte. 102, Lee, MA) and my favorite, the Retro Pop Shop (395 Laurel St., Lee, MA), where Pierre plays the best music to lure you into buying a childhood keepsake.  There are way too many antique shops and flea markets to list here and everyone, even the pros, wait all year for the Brimfield Markets come summer.  It’s like a summer right of passage in The Berkshires.

If it’s Sunday, Mint Indian Restaurant inside the Black Swan Inn offers an awesome Indian brunch.  Foodies can nibble on everything from tamarind chicken and tandoori noshes to curried okra and fluffy, endless naan all for $16 with tax included.

Staying at the Black Swan Inn (435 Laurel St., Lee, MA) is the only place for this wanderluster if your Berkshires day trip turns into an overnighter.  Where else can you find your own lakeside balcony in The Berkshires unless you’re on a private estate?  This is the kind of wee hotel that I almost hate to reveal for selfish reasons that it will no longer be my best kept travel secret.

Discount shoppers will love the Lee Premium Outlets although I didn’t see one thing you couldn’t get at your local shop for the same price.  Culture lovers can hit the homes of Norman Rockwell and his adjacent Museum (9 Glendale Rd., Rte. 183, Stockbridge, MA) as well as The Mount (2 Plunkett St., Lenox, MA), Edith Wharton’s mountain escape from life in New York City.

The best way to get to The Berkshires for the day is by car.  Drive times are doable from points north and south (Albany – 50 minutes, NYC and Boston – 2.5-3 hrs depending on traffic).