The bloom of these mountains is beyond expression delightful.
— Herman Melville, describing summer in The Berkshires

The Berkshires really are delightful. The hillsides and mountains are covered with trees so thick they look like a solid mass from a distance, and roads are lined and often canopied with trees more than a hundred feet tall. All that green makes everything look cooler than it really is.

Before I arrived here five days ago, I had only a vague concept of The Berkshires.  For some reason I had them in New York instead of Massachusetts. (I know, my geography sucks.)  Which is why I offer this map.