DETAILS

Stockbridge, Mass.

GETTING THERE: Stockbridge, Mass., is about 40 miles southeast of Albany, N.Y., and 75 miles northwest of Hartford, Conn. Southwest Airlines serves both airports, with round-trip, nonstop flights starting at $117 for both cities. Other carriers, such as US Airways and United, also offer nonstop flights for about $140 to Hartford and $250 to Albany.

WHERE TO STAY: Stockbridge and other Berkshires towns are flush with inns and bed-and-breakfasts. The region has more high seasons than most Massachusetts areas, including summer for the arts and fall for the foliage, so expect higher prices during these times.

The most revered hotel around is the Red Lion Inn (30 Main St., 413-298-5545, http://www.redlioninn.com/) in downtown Stockbridge. The 1773 property's lobby feels like a museum you can touch, and the long porch with rocking chairs is a prime people-watching spot. Accommodations range from rooms in the main hotel to self-service guest houses. Nightly rates for 2006 run from $89 for a weekday B&B room with shared bath to $304 for a weekend guest house. In the nearby town of Lee, the Inn at Laurel Lake (off Route 20 West, 413-243-1436, http://www.laurellakeinn.com/) has an exceptional setting on the lake, with a private beach and kayaks and canoes at guests' disposal. The inn also has a music room with an impressive classical music collection and homemade breakfasts. Winter rates from $65 to $125.

The Berkshire Lodgings Association's Web site (413-298-4760, http://www.berkshirelodgings.com/) lists its member properties and has a handy calendar showing their availability. For other options, contact the Berkshire Visitors Bureau (see below).

WHERE TO EAT: Though Alice's Restaurant is closed, you can eat in the adjoining Main Street Cafe (40 Main St., 413-298-3060), which serves deli sandwiches, burgers and salads for under $10. Its connecting gift store sells ice cream in such flavors as pumpkin chip and cake batter, as well as cookies and other baked goods.

At the Red Lion Inn, pick from three dining spots: Yankee cuisine such as roasted pork ($26) and grilled trout ($25) in the Dining Room; more casual fare (burgers for $8.50; salmon and avocado wrap for $9) in the Lion's Den; and upscale pub food at the Widow Bingham's Tavern (peasant grilled cheese, $11; squash and vegetable bisque, $7). During performances, the Guthrie Center prepares meals: veggie chili soy dogs ($6), veggie BLT ($6), cheese plate ($12), bagel, cream cheese and lox ($8).

Arlo Guthrie also recommends Elizabeth's (1264 East St., Pittsfield, 413-448-8244) for Italian (entrees in the $15 range) and Kim's Dragon (1231 W. Housatonic St., Pittsfield, 413-236-0998) for Vietnamese (entrees in the $12 to $15 range).

GUTHRIE'S GARBAGE TRAIL: To retrace the story of "Alice's Restaurant Massacree," be sure to hit the main spots:

· The Guthrie Center (4 Van Deusenville Rd., Housatonic), formerly the Old Trinity Church.

· The Town Dump, off Glendale Middle Road.

· The Stockbridge Police Department, 6 Main St.

· Alice's Restaurant, which until it reopens is now just a sign and a closed door on the side of the Main Street Cafe (40 Main St.).

· For the courthouse where Guthrie's case was heard, head six miles east to the town of Lee; the building is on 32 Main St., around the back facing Park Place.

Each May, the Guthrie Center organizes a walkathon that follows the 6.3-mile route and stops at each of the sites for refreshments. For information, contact the center (see below).

OTHER ACTIVITIES: In the summer, the Berkshires are all about the arts. For music, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, attend a performance at Tanglewood (Route 183/West Street, Lenox, 888-266-1200, http://www.tanglewood.org/); for dance, try Jacob's Pillow (358 George Carter Rd., Becket, 413-243-9919, http://www.jacobspillow.org/). Year-round attractions in the area include the Norman Rockwell Museum (9 Glendale Rd., Stockbridge, 413-298-4100, http://www.nrm.org/; $12.50), which holds the largest collection of the artist's work; and MASS MoCA (87 Marshall St., North Adams, 413-664-4481, http://www.massmoca.org/; $10), an avant-garde, multimedia arts space. There is also skiing, hiking, biking and golfing nearby.

INFO: Berkshire Visitors Bureau, 800-237-5747, http://www.berkshires.org/. Guthrie Center, 413-528-1955, http://www.guthriecenter.org/.

-- Andrea Sachs