A Fall Day in the Berkshires

By Kim Knox Beckius, About.com Guide

We stumbled upon our next destination in the Berkshires somewhat accidentally, but you'll want to be sure to ask your GPS to guide you to 3475 Route 43, Hancock, MA. You'll cross the state line into New York for a portion of this picturesque, 20-minute trip north to Ioka Valley Farm. I'd never heard of the farm, but when I spotted it on a tourist map we'd picked up, I decided we should at least make a quick stop.

If you're traveling with children, you definitely won't want to miss the farm's agricultural amusements. My daughter and I were dressing a scarecrow when we caught our first glimpse of the hay wagon that takes visitors to the pumpkin patch, and our jaws dropped. With its pumpkin canopy, this hayride was definitely the coolest one we've ever seen: And we've ridden many more hayrides than the average family.