There's more going on in the Northwest Corner than you might think.

(Even if you're here visiting the 'rents....)

If you happen to be of a certain age, and you live in Northwest Connecticut, and you have grown kids who now live elsewhere, you have definitely heard the "Mom, Dad, we would come to see you more often, but there's nothing to DO!" (If you have NOT heard this, you know something that we don't know.) Here are a few suggestions that might help:

Hiking	Yup, the Appalachian Trail! Don't just think of "through hikers" -- there are lots of day hikes, including one section that is actually wheelchair accessible (near the power plant in Falls Village). When we find a comprehensive link for this, we'll post it. Most towns have at least something in the way of hiking trails.
Skiing and Ski Jumping	There are a zillion place around here where you can head out on cross-country skis -- the big lakes, when they're frozen, for example. For downhill, there's Catamount, Mohawk and Butternut, all within a half hour. (Okay, they're not the Laurentians, but they're not 500 miles away, either). And Salisbury is a serious factor in ski jumping with their new 65 meter jump.
Movies	It's small, but Millerton Moviehouse has multiple screens, a reasonable selection of movies, and some ambience.
Swimming	In the summer, all area towns have a town beach or pool. Other seasons, we recommend the morning swims at the Hotchkiss School pool. These are sponsored by the Recreation departments of Salisbury and Sharon. Get times and charges from their websites. There's also a pool at Geer Village in Canaan -- it's not just for old people, and it's got better hours than the Hotchkiss pool.
Boating	Except in winter, you can rent a rowboat, small motorboat, or even a party boat from O'Hara's in Twin Lakes. Clarke Outdoors will rent you a canoe or kayak for a trip on the Housatonic.
Bars	The ones we hear about currently are the Boathouse (Lakeville), Bogie's Steak and Ale (Great Barrington), and the Woodland (Lakeville). This list is obviously highly subject to change.
Walking and jogging	Any back road will do for these most of the year. In the winter, the Salisbury and Sharon Rec departments rent the small (two lanes, 1/10 mile) indoor track at Hotchkiss School from 8 AM - 10 AM Monday through Saturday. The charge is $2 or $3, and the crowd is, uuuh, "mature" but it's a chance to get out and move a little.
Check your messages	No high speed internet at the parents' house? All area public libraries have it. Check their websites for hours. There are a few hotspots as well. McDonald's in Canaan is one, but there are others. We'll add 'em as we find 'em.
Shopping	If you want to park and shop at a bunch of little stores, Great Barrington is your best hope at present.
Spectator sports	Lime Rock Park is a bona fide Destination, and while it's not cheap, they aren't kidding about the "park" part either. No racing on Sundays, but often other stuff to do then. In February, the ski jumping competition in Salisbury is championship level.
Music	Lots of classical music around all year (Music Mountain, Tanglewood, Mahaiwe for venues; Crescendo, Berkshire Bach, Aston Magna, plus others for local ensembles; check the local papers for concerts.) A road trip to Hudson, NY is probably in order for more current music since Club Helsinki closed in Great Barrington. Woodstock, NY, and the surrounding communities have a number of music venues of all kinds -- good day trip.
Dance	Jacob's Pillow -- but if you're into dance, you already knew that.
Theater	There's a lot of theater in Berkshire County, MA. The Berkshire Theatre Festival is just the beginning. It's pretty much everywhere.
Galleries	They come and they go. Check the Lakeville Journal or the Litchfield County Times. Be advised that the Berkshire Eagle, otherwise a decent local paper, had not yet discovered that there is a state south of Massachusetts. It's sad, but that's the way it is. In New York State, Woodstock, NY is about an hour west and is worth a day trip most any time.
Bookstores	The Oblong, in Millerton.
Wine shops	We have two in particular to recommend: Stateline, in Canaan, has a huge selection of wines but no website. Little Gates in Millerton is more intimate.
Country inns	If you're already visiting your parents, why bother? If you want to get out and visit one anyway, the Falls Village Inn is finally open and getting great reviews. Sadly, the White Hart in Salisbury has closed and is for sale.
Historic attractions	Beckley Furnace (East Canaan); [here's one that is completely self-serving -- check our page on Litchfield County history for material you can read about the area and get ideas that way - CLICK HERE to do it]; lots of others
More to come!

Here are some other Northwest Corner institutions: schools, special schools, camps, sports activities, and religious facilities.

People come from all over the world to attend the private schools in our area. We have several that enjoy an international reputation. Many people, in fact, know of our area solely because of a private school they or someone in their family once attended.

Three or four decades ago, we had many summer camps as well. As the area has grown, and as tastes have changed, however, most of the former camps have become private estates, and we frankly are no longer in a league with the Adirondacks or Maine in the summer camp category. But we still have a handful of wonderful ones left.

There are other reasons young people are away from home. Our area is a haven for many who reside at our special schools. Together with our neighbors in Berkshire County, MA, and Dutchess County, NY, there is likely a place here for any child, regardless of wants or needs.

Our area also offers higher education. Our local community colleges, our branch of the University of Connecticut, and the one-of-a-kind Simon's Rock of Bard (combining the last two years of high school with the first two of college), are the nearest.

If you're interested in finding a House of Worship or Faith Community of virtually any denomination in our area, Trinity Episcopal Church in Lime Rock provides a comprehensive list of Houses of Worship on their website.

We think it's extraordinary (and commendable) that a church would actually offer to help direct people to other churches. We don't know of another church anywhere in the world who does this, but Trinity does it as a community service.

Private Schools: boarding and day	Indian Mountain School, Lakeville, CT
Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT	Salisbury School, Salisbury, CT
Kent School, Kent, CT	South Kent School
The Gunnery, Washington, CT	Rudolph Steiner School, Great Barrington, MA
Berkshire School, Sheffield, MA	Millbrook School, Millbrook, NY
Litchfield Montessori School, Litchfield, CT	Taft School, Watertown, CT
Berkshire Country Day School (K-8), Lenox, MA	Miss Hall's School, Pittsfield, MA
Rumsey Hall School (K-8), Washington Depot, CT

SPORTS:

Our own page of equestrian links in Northwest Connecticut

Northwest United Soccer Club

Lime Rock Park (auto racing)

Berkshire County (MA) Youth Soccer League

Trinity Episcopal Church in Lime Rock offers Summer Sports

or see their Facebook page:

Our own pages about youth soccer opportunities in our area

Kayaking on the Housatonic: Clarke Outdoors

Hike the Appalachian Trail

(NEWS about the Falls Village detour is here)

Salisbury Winter Sports Association

or see their Facebook page:

There's more going on in the Northwest Corner than you might think.

People come from all over the world to attend the private schools in our area. We have several that enjoy an international reputation. Many people, in fact, know of our area solely because of a private school they or someone in their family once attended.

If you're interested in finding a House of Worship or Faith Community of virtually any denomination in our area, Trinity Episcopal Church in Lime Rock provides a comprehensive list of Houses of Worship on their website.

We think it's extraordinary (and commendable) that a church would actually offer to help direct people to other churches. We don't know of another church anywhere in the world who does this, but Trinity does it as a community service.

Between the Lakes Group has several web resources. Use the links to navigate them