Sunday, June 30, 2013

Starting Summer in the Berkshire Mountains

We had put in three days of enriching and hard work at the annual Think Tank of the New York State Association of Independent Schools. This year's conference was even more stimulating than ever, a convening of 30 educators from every stage of career and every region of New York State gathered at the Carey Conference Center in Rensselaerville, New York.  Once we finished, though, we were ready to take a break and put the 2012-13 school year to bed so I could welcome the work of the 2013-14 school year.  A mere hour and a half away, we arrived in Lenox, Massachusetts, home of the wonderful Tanglewood Music Center.
We stayed at the beautiful Gateways Inn, a recently renovated inn that has the coziness of a bed and breakfast but with all the amenities of a fine hotel.  Centrally located in the heart of Lenox, we could have walked to Tanglewood for our evening jazz concert with Terence Blanchard.  Our seats were on the lawn of the Seiji Ozawa Hall where we enjoyed sandwiches and a bottle of wine along with the exciting, while smooth sounds of Blanchard's trumpet and 5-piece band.  Our Saturday was spent at the Clark Institute in Williamstown after stopping for lunch at a most unsuspecting place, CafĂ© Reva in Pittsfield.  It looks like a dive from the outside --  if you see it at all. Easy to miss, this place is nonetheless a must-find.  'Great breakfast, no matter what the time of day, with amazingly generous portions served by the most chipper servers you ever want to meet.  It was a good stop on the way to The Clark Institute where we enjoyed an exhibit of Winslow Homer as well as seeing several pieces from their permanent collection.

One more town to visit on Sunday, but only for major bargain-hunting at Lee Premium Outlets in Lee, MA. We have taken in a few outlet malls in our day, but this was one of the most manageable ones we've seen, with all the necessary stops.
Our room and board deserves more attention.  At The Gateways Inn, they serve generous, interesting, and delicious breakfasts, one day being a thick and fruity challah french toast, and the next day being scrambled eggs along with bagels and lox. We had a delicious meal there one night with tasty food from an impressive menu.  There is an elegant yet comfortable bar, where one night there was a clarinetist playing and the following night a cabaret singer.  'Plenty going on, and none of it disappointing!  A couple of last mentions from the department of eating:  we loved The Scoop in Lenox where an extensive list of scrumptious ice cream flavors awaits, and a quick lunch can also be had in Great Barrington at one of our favorite spots, The Great Barrington Bagel Co.
We got some rest, some culture, some bargains, and some good food.  'Not a bad way to start the summer.  The Galápagos Islands await us in July and, if nothing else, this post allowed me to test out my new Posts app for the iPad and see how this blogpost comes out.  Thanks for reading!