New England Mid-Winter Day Trips

• A Cape Cod get-away is not a conventional winter vacation choice, but snowy Cape Cod certainly does have its charms.Walk along a stretch of deserted beach at the Cape Cod National Seashore (50 Nauset Rd., Eastham) (map).Relive the Camelot years at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum (397 Main St., Barnstable) (map) or  troll the antique and art galleries in Provincetown (map). Many of the hotels on the Cape are closed for winter season, but the ones that are open offer fantastic rates with lots of extras. The Cape Codder Resort (1225 Iyannough Rd., Barnstable) (map) is conveniently located mid-Cape, has an indoor pool and a full-service spa.
• Less than a 2 hour drive from Boston, the Berkshire Hills in Western Massachusetts is another winter vacation destination option. For wintery fun, Berkshire East (66 Thunder Mountain Rd., Charlemont) (map) is a family-owned mountain with 45 trails, terrain for every ability, and a snow tubing park. For indoor winter fun, explore the art, history and natural science exhibits at the delightful Berkshire Museum (39 South St., Pittsfield) (map). The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (125 West Bay Rd., Amherst) (map ), the Basketball Hall of Fame (1000 West Columbia Ave., Springfield) (map) and the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory (281  Greenfield Rd., South Deerfield) (map) are all “in the neighborhood” too.
• Wachusett Mountain (499 Mountain Rd., Princeton) (map)has a well-deserved reputation for great snow-making, excellent ski instructors and affordable lift tickets.

Image Credit: Massachusetts Travel and Tourism