Chicopee, MA Outdoor Activities

Berkshire Bike and Board stables a crew of bicycle-savvy mechanics, who assemble shipped parts from brands such as Giant, Scott, and Felt into road-worthy cycles. Sales staff call on their own riding passions to help customers peruse the stock of hybrid, mountain, road, and children's bikes and select the vessel most suited to their needs. Patrons can then take their preferred model on a test ride to ensure that the bike is a good fit and harbors no ill feelings toward the family automobile. A lifetime of free tune-ups accompanies each of the shop’s cycles, and an array of aerodynamic gear can keep bikers safe and comfortable. Temporary cyclists can also borrow from an onsite rental fleet. Men’s and women’s snowboards and snowshoes round out the selection to help customers conquer the mountains in any season.

A full quarter mile of outdoor track snakes across the grass, sending racers on an adrenaline-fueled grudge match of hairpin turns, pedal-pushing straightaways, and close finishes. A speedy fleet of go-karts sends drivers flying down the track in vehicles such as the swift 9-horsepower Interceptor, or the two-seater Tornado, which allows children to ride alongside their parents to learn proper three-point turn technique. An on-track scoreboard displays racers’ lap times with accuracy up to a 1,000th of a second, and printed results enshrine automotive achievements and bragging rights for display. Inside, a beeping, blinking arcade pits gamers head-to-head in pro-racing simulators, bouts of Guitar Hero, or rousing tournaments of air hockey.

History books chronicle the happenings of politicians and leaders of a country, state, or city, but a folklorist shares the stories and lives of the people who made a community what it is. In the Ghosts & Legends tours—a series of tales about the local and infamous—Randy Felts weaves a blend of south Texas history and tall tales that date back up to 500 years. Randy loves a good ghost story, but what he loves even more is sharing a good ghost story. As a USA Today writer puts it, “Felts likes to emphasize history, culture and drama rather than ghost hunting,” which is further exemplified by his lack of paranormal investigative equipment on each nightly tour.

Spooky, undead monsters and lively tunes combine to create a jovial atmosphere inside Monster Mini Golf's 10,000-square-foot, glow-in-the-dark course. As players navigate the 18 mind-boggling holes, a DJ spins tunes to awaken tone-deaf monsters, occasionally doling out prizes to golfers for reasons ranging from "craziest hair" to "smoothest celebration after a hole in eight." And after a wacky session of putting, guests can flex their thumb muscles inside a decked-out video arcade lined with both classic and modern games.

In 2006, the NHL's San Jose Sharks moved their eponymous AHL affiliate to Worcester. During their brief time in Central Massachusetts the Sharks have helped foster some of the game's best talent, highlighted by Stanley Cup champions and first-round draft picks. Nearly 40 players, including Claude Lemieux and Thomas Greiss, have donned the Worcester sweater before getting the call to clean out their lockers and playoff beards and head to San Jose. The team has even been represented on an international stage, as several former Sharks competed during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Tires squeal and a 15-horsepower engine hums as its driver cuts through a narrow turn, shaving fractions of a second off the lap. Below the track, a colorful golf ball winds through faux island trees, avoiding walls and stops on its way to an awaiting hole. It's another day at Tri-State Speedway, a multileveled family entertainment center littered with motorized fun for patrons of any age. The upstairs, 22,000-square-foot go-kart track hosts competitive races with karts calibrated for speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. A walk downstairs leads to the island-themed, 18-hole mini-golf course nestled among a large video-game arcade, bowling lanes, bumper cars, and billiard tables. When fun gives way to hunger, Drafters Sports Cafe's servers and cooks serve finger-friendly pub bites, ice-cold beer, and paper napkins fashioned from losing basketball brackets.