Museums, Great Food & Movies in the Berkshires - short trip report
Jan 17th, 2011, 04:58 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Museums, Great Food & Movies in the Berkshires - short trip report
We just returned from a wonderful 3-day weekend in the Berkshires & I want to thank everyone for their help in planning our trip. Some background first: My sister-in-law & I have January birthdays so we have been celebrating by going away for the long weekend for several years now. We invite our husbands to join us, of course !! So there are the 4 of us, all in our early 60’s. We followed many suggestions for sightseeing but ended up dining at restaurants that we chose more or less for convenience and/or interest. We enjoyed everything we saw & loved all of our meals; we didn’t have one bad meal.
DAY ONE:
Arrived at Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge at noon. Admission: $15.00
We have been here before and love this wonderful museum!! It’s a museum that I would never tire of. We spent about 2 ½ hours here. There were several special exhibits: Home for the Holidays, which I’ve never seen before & is great!! I especially love the painting of Santa drinking Coca Cola. Rockwell was commissioned by the Coca Cola Co to do an ad for them but they were initially concerned that Santa looked too jovial & happy & the public might think he was drinking an alcoholic beverage! Another special exhibit was about FDR & the Four Freedoms. We attended two half-hour talks: one about the new Roosevelt memorial park under construction in NYC, & one about FDR’s Four Freedoms speech & his representation as a superhero!
We then had a late lunch at MAIN STREET CAFÉ in Stockbridge. The food was delicious & reasonable. My SIL & I shared a turkey & brie sandwich and an avocado & tomato quesadilla. Our husbands had sandwiches (don’t remember which ones) & cream of mushroom soup. We also had peppermint stick hot chocolate, which was to die for!!! Yummy hot chocolate with a peppermint stick, topped with whipped cream & pieces of peppermint.
We then drove to Pittsfield where we checked into our lodgings for two nights, the WHITE HORSE INN, on Rt 7. It is not luxurious but very nice & recently renovated. I definitely recommend this B & B. The owner, Gary, & his father are warm & inviting & helpful. The rate was $105 per night, including a full breakfast. The bathrooms were a little small, but that didn’t bother us at all.
Because we had a late lunch, we decided to go to the movies first, then have a late dinner. We saw The King’s Speech at the Beacon Cinema on Rt 7, which is a great movie with superb acting. (Colin Firth won the Golden Globes last night for his role of King George VI.)
We initially wanted to have dinner at Trattoria Rustica but their last reservation was for 8:30pm & the movie ended at 9:30pm. Gary had recommended BRIX, a French bistro right around the corner from the Beacon Cinema. All 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. We shared an appetizer of mussels. My husband & I had trout for dinner, my SIL had duck & my BIL had the flank steak. We shared 2 yummy desserts: the bread pudding & crème brulee. The waiter wasn’t pushy but he did recommend buying a bottle of wine, because we got more wine for our money as opposed to buying glasses of wine. All in all, it was a great dining experience, & I recommend this restaurant.
DAY TWO:
Our breakfast at the Inn consisted of a buffet of various cereals & granola, yogurt, grapes, bananas, banana bread & toast; and each morning Gary cooks a hot meal. This morning he cooked a very tasty frittata. The coffee was very good, too.
For sightseeing today, we drove to Williamstown & visited the CLARK ART INSTITUTE, which is an AMAZING art museum. It is larger & more impressive than we were expecting. We saw originals by Winslow Homer, Frederick Remington, John Singer Sargent, Monet & other Impressionists. I bought a small reproduction of Sargent’s Smoke of Ambergris (my husband kept asking me “where are you going to hang it?” ) I’m still not sure but I love it so I will find a spot for it!!! We also saw Albrecht Durer”s special exhibit, which was interesting but after awhile we became a little bored, so we saw about one half of his exhibit. He is from the 15th century (I think) and did etchings, woodcuts, engravings, etc. Strange work, interesting for awhile, & I like learning about artists & people I previously knew nothing about, but he’s really not my cup of tea. We spent about 3 hours at this museum & love it & would definitely visit again. Admission – FREE from November through May! We did purchase the audio guides for $5, which I highly recommend because you really do appreciate the art work more.
Then we had a late lunch at SAIGON VIETNAMESE restaurant located at 66 Spring St in Williamstown. The food was very good & reasonable, & I recommend this restaurant, too.
We decided to skip Mass MoCA because guess what our husbands wanted to watch??? The PATRIOTS GAME, of course!!! I’m not a sports fanatic but wouldn’t deny them the pleasure of watching the game, but of course we were all disappointed they lost. Gary recommended Halpins in Lenox, just over the border from Pittsfield, on Rt 7 as a good spot to watch the game, so that’s where we went. We had drinks, chicken wings & nachos.
After the game we decided to go back to the Beacon Cinema to see Black Swan, a very intense & creepy movie, & then discovered this morning that Natalie Portman won the Golden Globe for her role, which was much deserved.
DAY THREE
This morning’s breakfast at the Inn was the usual buffet suspects in addition to Gary’s homemade thick French toast with blueberries & raspberries. Another filling & delicious breakfast.
After we checked out, we went to the BERKSHIRE MUSEUM, which we also enjoyed very much. And I would like to thank Bachslunch for his/her suggestion to go here, because otherwise we might not have. It’s a lot of fun, with exhibits on dinosaurs, birds, insects, two mummies (father & son) who were separated by 80 miles when the son was discovered at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie!!! I thought this fact was very interesting & I was happy to hear they were reunited. The museum has a wonderful collection of the Hudson River painters, too, as well as sculpture, and a very informative exhibit on scientists, authors & innovators who are from the Berkshires. Admission: $15.00. We also spent about 2 ½ - 3 hours here.
We then drove to Great Barrington with the intention of having a late, large lunch at Naji’s, a Lebanese Restaurant, but it was closed on Mondays. I was thinking of then trying Route 7 Grill, so we drove into downtown Gr Barrington but couldn’t find it. Maybe we didn’t drive far enough but we were hungry so we turned around & went to a Greek restaurant we had passed on our way in, the AEGEAN BREEZE, another delicious find!!! We shared Falafel & grilled squid for appetizers. My SIL & I had grilled lamb chops with Greek salad & tasty fries (thick round slices of potato). My husband had a HUGE slice of Moussaka & my BIL had a gyro. Both of their dishes also came with Greek salad & fries. We also shared two desserts: Baklava, & a custard with lemon sauce. We love this restaurant, the service was great & the food was delicious. We can honestly say we loved every restaurant we tried this weekend.
So, it was now 4PM, and time to drive home. All in all, we had a wonderful visit & found there was plenty to do in the winter, even though we are not skiers.
I hope other travelers find my report helpful! I wanted to write it immediately before I forgot any important details.
DAY ONE:
Arrived at Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge at noon. Admission: $15.00
We have been here before and love this wonderful museum!! It’s a museum that I would never tire of. We spent about 2 ½ hours here. There were several special exhibits: Home for the Holidays, which I’ve never seen before & is great!! I especially love the painting of Santa drinking Coca Cola. Rockwell was commissioned by the Coca Cola Co to do an ad for them but they were initially concerned that Santa looked too jovial & happy & the public might think he was drinking an alcoholic beverage! Another special exhibit was about FDR & the Four Freedoms. We attended two half-hour talks: one about the new Roosevelt memorial park under construction in NYC, & one about FDR’s Four Freedoms speech & his representation as a superhero!
We then had a late lunch at MAIN STREET CAFÉ in Stockbridge. The food was delicious & reasonable. My SIL & I shared a turkey & brie sandwich and an avocado & tomato quesadilla. Our husbands had sandwiches (don’t remember which ones) & cream of mushroom soup. We also had peppermint stick hot chocolate, which was to die for!!! Yummy hot chocolate with a peppermint stick, topped with whipped cream & pieces of peppermint.
We then drove to Pittsfield where we checked into our lodgings for two nights, the WHITE HORSE INN, on Rt 7. It is not luxurious but very nice & recently renovated. I definitely recommend this B & B. The owner, Gary, & his father are warm & inviting & helpful. The rate was $105 per night, including a full breakfast. The bathrooms were a little small, but that didn’t bother us at all.
Because we had a late lunch, we decided to go to the movies first, then have a late dinner. We saw The King’s Speech at the Beacon Cinema on Rt 7, which is a great movie with superb acting. (Colin Firth won the Golden Globes last night for his role of King George VI.)
We initially wanted to have dinner at Trattoria Rustica but their last reservation was for 8:30pm & the movie ended at 9:30pm. Gary had recommended BRIX, a French bistro right around the corner from the Beacon Cinema. All 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals. We shared an appetizer of mussels. My husband & I had trout for dinner, my SIL had duck & my BIL had the flank steak. We shared 2 yummy desserts: the bread pudding & crème brulee. The waiter wasn’t pushy but he did recommend buying a bottle of wine, because we got more wine for our money as opposed to buying glasses of wine. All in all, it was a great dining experience, & I recommend this restaurant.
DAY TWO:
Our breakfast at the Inn consisted of a buffet of various cereals & granola, yogurt, grapes, bananas, banana bread & toast; and each morning Gary cooks a hot meal. This morning he cooked a very tasty frittata. The coffee was very good, too.
For sightseeing today, we drove to Williamstown & visited the CLARK ART INSTITUTE, which is an AMAZING art museum. It is larger & more impressive than we were expecting. We saw originals by Winslow Homer, Frederick Remington, John Singer Sargent, Monet & other Impressionists. I bought a small reproduction of Sargent’s Smoke of Ambergris (my husband kept asking me “where are you going to hang it?” ) I’m still not sure but I love it so I will find a spot for it!!! We also saw Albrecht Durer”s special exhibit, which was interesting but after awhile we became a little bored, so we saw about one half of his exhibit. He is from the 15th century (I think) and did etchings, woodcuts, engravings, etc. Strange work, interesting for awhile, & I like learning about artists & people I previously knew nothing about, but he’s really not my cup of tea. We spent about 3 hours at this museum & love it & would definitely visit again. Admission – FREE from November through May! We did purchase the audio guides for $5, which I highly recommend because you really do appreciate the art work more.
Then we had a late lunch at SAIGON VIETNAMESE restaurant located at 66 Spring St in Williamstown. The food was very good & reasonable, & I recommend this restaurant, too.
We decided to skip Mass MoCA because guess what our husbands wanted to watch??? The PATRIOTS GAME, of course!!! I’m not a sports fanatic but wouldn’t deny them the pleasure of watching the game, but of course we were all disappointed they lost. Gary recommended Halpins in Lenox, just over the border from Pittsfield, on Rt 7 as a good spot to watch the game, so that’s where we went. We had drinks, chicken wings & nachos.
After the game we decided to go back to the Beacon Cinema to see Black Swan, a very intense & creepy movie, & then discovered this morning that Natalie Portman won the Golden Globe for her role, which was much deserved.
DAY THREE
This morning’s breakfast at the Inn was the usual buffet suspects in addition to Gary’s homemade thick French toast with blueberries & raspberries. Another filling & delicious breakfast.
After we checked out, we went to the BERKSHIRE MUSEUM, which we also enjoyed very much. And I would like to thank Bachslunch for his/her suggestion to go here, because otherwise we might not have. It’s a lot of fun, with exhibits on dinosaurs, birds, insects, two mummies (father & son) who were separated by 80 miles when the son was discovered at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie!!! I thought this fact was very interesting & I was happy to hear they were reunited. The museum has a wonderful collection of the Hudson River painters, too, as well as sculpture, and a very informative exhibit on scientists, authors & innovators who are from the Berkshires. Admission: $15.00. We also spent about 2 ½ - 3 hours here.
We then drove to Great Barrington with the intention of having a late, large lunch at Naji’s, a Lebanese Restaurant, but it was closed on Mondays. I was thinking of then trying Route 7 Grill, so we drove into downtown Gr Barrington but couldn’t find it. Maybe we didn’t drive far enough but we were hungry so we turned around & went to a Greek restaurant we had passed on our way in, the AEGEAN BREEZE, another delicious find!!! We shared Falafel & grilled squid for appetizers. My SIL & I had grilled lamb chops with Greek salad & tasty fries (thick round slices of potato). My husband had a HUGE slice of Moussaka & my BIL had a gyro. Both of their dishes also came with Greek salad & fries. We also shared two desserts: Baklava, & a custard with lemon sauce. We love this restaurant, the service was great & the food was delicious. We can honestly say we loved every restaurant we tried this weekend.
So, it was now 4PM, and time to drive home. All in all, we had a wonderful visit & found there was plenty to do in the winter, even though we are not skiers.
I hope other travelers find my report helpful! I wanted to write it immediately before I forgot any important details.
Jan 17th, 2011, 05:24 PM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,125
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
you know, I was going to recommend Aegean Breeze on your original thread, but for some reason I didn't...guess I wasn't sure it would be up your alley. We go there often, its one of our favorites.
And you didn't go far enough, I think.Rt 7 Grill is on the other side of downtown Great Barrington. Still, sounds like you did great anyways. Glad you had a great trip.
And you didn't go far enough, I think.Rt 7 Grill is on the other side of downtown Great Barrington. Still, sounds like you did great anyways. Glad you had a great trip.
Jan 18th, 2011, 07:04 AM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
China Cat, we love the Aegean Breeze and would definitely go back there again. Have you eaten at Naji's?
dfrostnh, I certainly recommend the Berkshires for a quick getaway. I have friends who go there for a week & don't get bored, especially during the summer, when you can also go hiking, boating, swimming.
dfrostnh, I certainly recommend the Berkshires for a quick getaway. I have friends who go there for a week & don't get bored, especially during the summer, when you can also go hiking, boating, swimming.
Jan 18th, 2011, 11:16 AM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sounds like a great trip. The last time we went (last summer) we stayed at Garden Gables in Lenox. Wonderful Inn, great breakfast, beautiful property and quick walk into town (We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite which gave us a living room to hang out in at night after coming back from dinner). Also went to Edith Wharton's house - the Mount - wonderful few hours getting the tour and roaming around. Finish with a drink on the back terrace with an amazing view of the gardens.
The trip before that (one of many college tour trips) we were looking at Williams and stayed at Porches Inn in North Adams. Completely different feel, but just as wonderful. A little more rustic, but great rooms - great rates in the winter. Public room with a fire and board games and drinks. Fresh cookies out all the time and my favorite feature was the hot tub and pool outdoors that gets used all winter. The deck area is heated stone and every room has great robes. I went out alone at 7 am and sat in the hot tub with snow falling around me - very peaceful. And again - a wonderful - basic - but very satisfying breakfast. Just thought I would add these to your list should you go back.
The trip before that (one of many college tour trips) we were looking at Williams and stayed at Porches Inn in North Adams. Completely different feel, but just as wonderful. A little more rustic, but great rooms - great rates in the winter. Public room with a fire and board games and drinks. Fresh cookies out all the time and my favorite feature was the hot tub and pool outdoors that gets used all winter. The deck area is heated stone and every room has great robes. I went out alone at 7 am and sat in the hot tub with snow falling around me - very peaceful. And again - a wonderful - basic - but very satisfying breakfast. Just thought I would add these to your list should you go back.
Jan 18th, 2011, 02:42 PM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
motherofthree,
Thanks for your detailed descriptions of the inns you have stayed at. We only live 2 hours away from the Berkshires, so I can definitely see us returning so I will make note of these two places. They sound great! The White Horse Inn was very nice & reasonable but didn't have the amenities you speak of. It would have been nice to have the fresh cookies, board games & drinks.
We visited the Mount several years ago during the summer & enjoyed that very much, too. I'd like to return some day to tour Melville's home, Mass MoCA, & I would definitely go to the Clark again.
Thanks for your detailed descriptions of the inns you have stayed at. We only live 2 hours away from the Berkshires, so I can definitely see us returning so I will make note of these two places. They sound great! The White Horse Inn was very nice & reasonable but didn't have the amenities you speak of. It would have been nice to have the fresh cookies, board games & drinks.
We visited the Mount several years ago during the summer & enjoyed that very much, too. I'd like to return some day to tour Melville's home, Mass MoCA, & I would definitely go to the Clark again.
Jan 19th, 2011, 02:37 AM
#11
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Kwoo - You are welcome. I love that area in general. There is so much to do - completely forgot about the obvious Tanglewood and picnicking before/during a concert... It's a wonderful area to explore. (My son on the other hand decided that Williams was a bit too remote for his liking and is off to Boston in the fall...)
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
emd3
Mexico & Central America
8
Jun 1st, 2015 11:00 AM
