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Am still trying to come up with a destination for a short family holiday starting Christmas eve.
Lenox,Ma. looks really promising...Charming village, nice lodging and close to several small ski areas.
Any recommendations on a B&B or country Inn that would do an especially nice job at the holiday...Lots of ambience, decorations,etc.??
Also, which ski area would be the best for terrain and smallest crowds. All of us have skiied before, except for my 11 year old daughter, who would need the ski school.
Any other ideas for area activities are greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance
P.S. Are currently considering the Rookwood and Birchwood B&B's.
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Lenox at Christmas??
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gosh, this brings back memories. I was a newlywed in 1990, living in Bermuda. We went to Lenox for the christmas holiday. It was bitter cold (my husband was from Australia where Christmas was warm...) but the whole thing was charming... atmospheric without being commercial; christmas-y without being contrived. You're taxing my memory but i believe we stayed at a lovely b&b, called Gateway. However, Wheatleigh is beautiful hotel and if I went again, I would definitely stay there. The Museum at williams college is wonderful and the norman rockwell museum is also charming. Skiing in the Berkshires is nice because it is not particularly aggressive.
If you have any interest in new age experiences, a spa exprience or yoga, you should check out Kripalu, a yoga center (Kripaul.org). I gave my sister a one day pass for xmas last year and it was a fabulous experience. Its $75/day, but includes 3 meals and a whole day (6am to at least 6 pm) of activities.
No guarantee of good skiing at XMas. Bousquet's is smaller as well as Butternut Basin. Jiminy Peak is further north and bigger but is your best bet for most ski and open trails.
We've stayed at the Rookwood several times. As it's a very large home (not an inn), privacy is somewhat of an issue. But, we love the in-room fireplaces. It's also only a short walk from town - full of wonderful shopping and dining opportunities.
Well worth a visit is The Mount (Edith Wharton's Estate) and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge (another charming NE village).
Do check out the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. We love that place!
We just stayed at The Birchwood again. It is a lovely inn and should be decorated quite nicely for the holidays. A few tips about staying there:
The third floor rooms are a long way to go with luggage and the last staircase is a narrow old home one. We packed lightly for our stay on the 3rd floor. I'd suggest either a room in the guesthouse or on the second floor if you will have lots of stuff with you.
There are two dogs in house, one of whom is a service dog. They are around a great deal at breakfast and beg continuously. I love dogs and it got to be a bit much. If you have dog allergies it could be a deal breaker.
We had difficulty getting any hot water on the third floor. Supposedly they had stripped asbestos from the pipes and upgraded insulation had not been placed as of our stay in early October. I would definitely ask about the hot water situation.
I like this place. I like the innkeeper and the manager. It's really one of the most comfortable B&Bs we have ever stayed in despite some of the issues.
Lenox is sweet but we found the good dining options VERY limited. One really does have to drive a ways to find very good food.
If you could find some place closer to Great Barrington, I would recommend you look into that. There are more dining possibilities, more of a town and I believe it is closer to ski areas than Lenox.
And if you attend church on Christmas Eve or day, I cannot imagine a more lovely place to do so than St Pauls in Stockbridge.