doubtless our vaughn looks upon anyone contemplating a roadtrip with me with lipsmacking schadenfreude or tragic foreboding, or whatever it is he feels, but supposing i were taken on a driving tour of the berkshires late july/early next august, what would be some places -- curious or beautiful or moving or interesting (for literary or other reasons) -- where people think i should go? amherst and the dickinson homestead would naturally be one, and the montague book mill (rikita will be so cross if i missed it yet again!), and v says he has often been to lenox/stockbridge where someone he knows has summer digs (but of course! i've never once made it to tanglewood or jacob's pillow!)

what are other places, and not necessarily those on the tourist trail (in fact off the tourist trail would be even better) that people would personally endorse or think i might otherwise really like? and where would one stay and eat? (not expensive country inns, they look lovely but are way out of a student budget. might there be small b&bs that might be homely and not entirely hostile to one's pockets?) i know summer is the height of tourist season so early planning appears to be the only prudent course.

recommendations gratefully received at the usual place, says the hummingbird.