Gateways Inn - Lenox Massachusetts
Gateways Inn Main Staircase
Beer Geek Breakfast
Norman Rockwell Self Portrait
Rockwell's Golden Rule
Rockwell's - Freedom from Want
Based on FDR's Four Freedoms Speech
Downtown Stockbridge
(still trying to figure out the camera on the new phone)
I'm sure you've heard of Alice's Restaurant
Berkshire Botanical Gardens
Hiking in the Woods
Brewery in Great Barrington
All this
watching the house building on vacation was wearing me out to the point of
approaching burnout so my better half and I took off for a few days to the town
of Lenox in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts. We stayed at the Gateways
Inn (www.gatewaysinn.com) and had a
perfect room down the end of a hall on the second floor. We were between rushes
like the calm before the storm of Labor Day weekend so it was relatively quiet
with no lines no matter where we went.
Only problem
was I was knocked off my feet with a stomach bug and spent the afternoon that we
arrived sleeping. My better half headed out to the local shops to see what they
had to offer. I wonder if she slipped something in my water?
Later we went out to a light dinner at a tapas
place named Brava (https://www.facebook.com/BravaBarLenox)
where the bartender recommended a beer named, ready for this, Beer Geek
Breakfast. It was an oatmeal stout made with coffee and while strong still did a
good job of sort of settling my stomach. It helped me sleep anyways. Joined
with a perfect pizza and we had the right place for a nice night of relaxing
conversation.
The next day
we traveled a short distance to the Norman Rockwell Museum (www.nrm.org) in Stockbridge, Massachusetts where
they have many of his famous paintings on display. I’ve always been a fan of
his work so it was a perfect place to spend time viewing his work. They also
have his last studio on the grounds (it was moved from its original site) and
you can walk through and see how he had everything set up and ask questions of
the guide. A trip to the Berkshire Botanical Gardens which is just up the
street followed and later a trip into downtown Stockbridge completed the day of
lazing off. Dinner, while with good company, was unremarkable and the service
even more so.
But here’s a
note to anybody that works as a wait staff – when you know folks are on
vacation and have to ask for bread and then have to ask again for a refill of
the original three pieces and are never asked how our meals are or if we would
like another drink, then expect that your tip will reflect the level of service
you have provided. You’ll not get stiffed because we don’t do that, but we’re a
generous tipper if you at least make our night nice and not distracted with lousy
service.
Walking back
to the Inn, we passed a yogurt place (the latest food fad) and I asked my
better half if yogurt would be good for my ailing stomach. She replied “it will
be no worse than the beer you had last night.” I thought she’s right. So I
passed on the healthy food and we went back to Brava and ended the night with another
Beer Geek Breakfast beer. I’m a new fan.
The next day
on the way home, we stopped and hiked to Ice Glen in Stockbridge which is a small
gorge in the woods that holds ice even in the summer. Unfortunately, at summer
end the ice is all melted but it was a nice hike in the deep woods where you
could see a lot of old growth forest.
We had a
late lunch at the Barrington Brewery (no there is not a theme here) and then
headed home.
Being away
is always nice. Being home is always better. Coming home and finding work being
done on the house is priceless.
Enjoy your
day.
