Since last month, jetsetters from Connacht, the north west, the Border counties and the midlands can avoid the traffic gridlock on the M50, expensive parking fees and the frenetic pace of Dublin airport and opt for the new transatlantic flights from Ireland West Airport in Knock to Boston and New York.

Operated by British low-cost carrier flyglobespan. com, the service offers one-way fares to both cities three times a week from as little as 209.

Arriving at Knock, you can park your car literally at the front door before the laid back and welcoming staff have you checked in and enjoying the panoramic views of rural Mayo from the glass-panelled restaurant and bar within minutes.

The new flights are already proving to have given the west a massive boost with thousands of US tourists flying directly into the west for the first time. As seven out of ten adults in the region have family and friends in America there has been an unprecedented demand for the outbound flights from the regional airport.

Arriving in Boston off the inaugural flight from Knock, we headed for Stockbridge in the picturesque Berkshires area in western Massachusetts near the border with up-state New Yo r k .

Stockbridge is an endearing town that is characterised by its quaint Victorian architecture and this lesser spotted part of Massachusetts has forever been immortalised by the paintings of Norman Rockwell.

The town's most popular tourist attraction is the excellent Norman Rockwell Museum which holds the world's largest collection of his work and the art studio where he worked.

During the first half of the 20th century, Rockwell painted 321 covers for The Saturday Evening Post, America's most popular magazine. Steven Spielberg is among Rockwell's biggest admirers and he has donated money to the museum to ensure his work can be enjoyed by future generations.

Many of Rockwell's paintings feature scenes from contemporary American life and Rockwell's painting, 'Stockbridge's Main Street at Christmas', makes the street one of the most famous and familiar sites in America.

A visit to the Red Lion Inn on the main street is a must stop destination given that people have been stopping by there since the 1770s. The Inn offers over 100 individually decorated guestrooms and their restaurant specialises in traditional dishes from the Berkshires.

Five US presidents, John Wayne and Bob Dylan are among the more distinguished guests to have stayed at the Red Lion and it is just minutes away from the Rockwell museum and the plethora of outdoor attractions such as golf, skiing and hill walking that the Berkshires have to offer.

Many of Berkshires' oldest houses, dating back to the 1750s, can be found in nearby Pittsfield which is home to a number of museums and a stunning newly renovated, Colonial Theatre. It borders Lenox, which is the home of Tanglewood . . . the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra . . . which will attract thousands of visitors over the coming months.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel is centrally located in Pittsfield and all of the recreational, cultural and natural treasures the area has to offer are just minutes away from this plush hotel.

The area north of Boston is also worth visiting as part of any trip to Massachusetts.

We visited Salem which is famous the world over for the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.

In January of that year a group of women from Salem village were found to have been afflicted by the 'evil hand' by a local doctor and this set the stage for the accusation of around 190 people of being involved in witchcraft.

The Witch Trials that followed ended up with the hanging of 19 people and one man getting crushed to death by stones.

The excellent Salem Witch Museum documents the story of the witch trials through a unique presentation that uses spectacular audio and lighting affects on 13 different stage sets in an old renovated church.

Just minutes walk from the Witch museum and the rest of Salem's tourist attractions are the Hawthorne Hotel which is attractively decorated in 19th century style fittings.

It has been said that while Salem is a fantastic historic attraction, visitors seeking a quiet break should avoid Salem around Hallowe'en as over one million people gather there for the annual Hallowe'en night street party. Locals do add that if you do want to party, there is nowhere better in the world to spend Hallowe'en night.

If you are interested in moving a little off the beaten tourist track, a visit to nearby Lynn for a night out will provide you with a more off-thewall perception of Massachusetts.

Colloquially known as "Lynn, City of Sin" where if you "ask for water, they give you a gin" the locals in the bars there reject this nomenclature and are eager to talk to tourists about everyday life in New England and their love affair with Boston Red Sox baseball team.

If you think the people outside Boston are fond of their baseball, then it will quickly become apparent that Bostonians are a sports mad people.

At the moment the Red Sox are enjoying a run of good form so it is extremely difficult to get tickets for a game at the world famous Fenway Park but the city is renowned for trendy sports bars where you can enjoy the baseball atmosphere with the locals.

As well as the new flights from Knock to Boston, the people in this city will remind you of the regional airport staff as they are extremely laidback and there is a much slower pace of life here compared to other American cities.

The city is quite compact so it is easy to get a lot of sightseeing in within a few days. A good way of discovering Boston is by catching one of the city Trolley Tours at the front of the gold domed State House on Boston Common.

Over a few hours the Trolley Tour takes you on a journey through over 375 years of history from the time of the puritans who settled the land to the patriots who secured her freedom right up to looking at the life of a modern Bostonian.

The tour takes you to sights such as the scene of the Boston tea party, the towering Prudential Centre, Little Italy, the theatre district, Fenway Park, which is the home of the Red Sox, and Quincy market.

Beside Quincy lies Faneuil Hall which boasts dozens of different eateries where you can enjoy everything from a drink in one of the city's two Cheers bars, to oysters, to Boston's renowned 'chowda'.

A little outside the environs of the city centre is a visit to one of America's Ivy League colleges Harvard is also fascinating and a good place to pick up some souvenirs.

If you want to shop, the world famous Filene's basement as well as stores such as Macy's are all within walking distance of Faneuil Hall at Downtown Crossing.

And if you want to just relax and lose yourself in Boston's laid back atmosphere a stroll on Boston Common is the perfect place to unwind and watch Bostonians play sports, the squirrels forage for food and the ice skating in winter.

GOING TO MASS

>> Getting there: despite some delays last month due to a technical fault and the attempted bomb attack on Glasgow Airport, Flyglobespan's new flights from Ireland West Airport in Knock, Co Mayo, are back up and running. Flights are available with Flyglobespan to Boston each Wednesday and Sunday for just /209 one-way. See www. knockairport. com

>> When to go: late May through to June and September are the best times to visit. Everything is open, prices are moderate, days are warm and nights are cool. The most expensive and busiest time to visit is between July and August. While the winters are often snowy and quite cold, Boston is still a huge favourite for Irish bargain hunters before Christmas.
>> Where to stay: if you decide to explore Massachussets, a visit to the picturesque small town of Stockbridge is a must and The Red Lion Inn which dates from the 1770s offers the most traditional and best accommodation in the area. See www. redlioninn. com