Birchwood Inn » Travel

Travels with Charley: from Lenox MA to Paris

innkeeper — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 02:45:44 +0000

I am just back from France. Will Paris ever be the same?

I loved my first plane ride. I curled up under Ellen’s seat and slept all the way to France. First escalator? A piece of cake!

I walked my little paws off! Wow, the City of Lights is enormous, especially considering that I am used to Lenox, MA, with a population under 5,000. And I made new friends, including Ellen’s son Eric, a musician who lives in Paris. Eric wasn’t really a dog person, but we hit it off right away. Cute works every time!

Where did we go? Everywhere! Our apartment was on the Left Bank, around the corner from Notre Dame, and dated from the 16th century. I really liked trying to catch the cats. Being so close, we just had to visit Notre Dame. Awesome!

We crossed Pont Neuf to get to The Louvre. I really liked the fountains, but Ellen wouldn’t let me swim in them. The lines were endless — it was a school holiday — but we discovered that anyone with a disability (remember Ellen’s hearing problems) goes to the head of the line, and entrance is free. We liked that a lot, especially considering that neither of us are great at lines.

The cafes, bistros, and restaurants were all excellent, but Ellen particularly liked a little hole-in-the-wall that had two long tables crowded into a room only slightly larger than our powder room and served only foie gras and oysters. I liked the patisseries best, especially ones that had macaron (not really at all like our macaroons) crumbs on the floor.

My godmother Lynnette arrived, and we spent lots of time in Foodie Heaven, aka Bon Marche. They even have a caviar bar! You don’t find that at Stop and Shop or Guido’s!

We walked everywhere, not an easy feat considering that it was during the two-week school holiday, but while the food traffic was something I have never experienced (after all, I live in Lenox, population barely 5,000!), it sure beat the gridlock on the street. We discovered the Batobus, a water taxi that picks up and drops off people at all of the Paris “must-sees.” What a great idea!

My friends Yvonne and Ian arrived, and the next morning we left Paris and took the train to Nimes. But that’s a story for another day. I can’t wait for our next adventure, but I am happy to be back home at our Lenox MA bed and breakfast!

Our Inn in Lenox, MA offers 12 accommodations enjoy Berkshires, Bed & Breakfast,Inn in Lenox MA featuring private baths, cozy fireplaces and more. You can read the original blog post here Travels with Charley: from Lenox MA to Paris.

Hot Time in the Old Lenox December 9, 10 & 11

innkeeper — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:52:29 +0000

Quinn says: Lenox, MA, in the heart of The Berkshires, has been

compared to a Currier and Ives sketch. This is especially true during

the December holiday period. And there’s nothing that says New

England better than Lenox village dressed in holiday-style.

Catch the spirit on the weekend of December 10 when the village hosts

the Lenox Caroling Festival. The festival is a gala weekend, a

Christmas stocking filled with holiday events. The celebration

of seasonal songs begins on Saturday, December 10. Thirty or more

of the Northeast’s finest choirs and choral groups have been invited

to lift their voices in a day-long songfest and competition, 10 am to

noon and 1:30 pm to 4 pm throughout the village (in case of

inclement weather, the festival will move to indoor venues).

During the weekend you can also tour many of the village’s renown

bed and breakfast inns, including Birchwood Inn (Our Lenox Bed and Breakfast is

offering holiday special rates this weekend — and throughout most

of November and December as well) and sample holiday treats from

our special local restaurants (Quinn notes that this is her favorite event,

ever optimistic that there will be some cookies that drop on the floor!)

Lenox’s unique shops and restaurants will also be featuring festival specials.

On Saturday, from 6 pm to 7 pm, enjoy the Carolers’ Reception,

award presentations, and sing-a-long at Shakespeare & Co. For a

great feel-good experience, moreover, see David Sedaris’ “Santaland

Diaries” 7:30 pm on Saturday as well as two matinee performances,

Friday and Saturday at 2 pm.

Trinity Church invites everyone to its Holiday Fair and Silver Tea

on Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm.

And what are the holidays without a gingerbread house? The Lenox

Library hosts the annual Gingerbread Contest on Sunday, 10 am to

3 pm.

This is a most special weekend, for sure, but everyday is special

in Lenox during the holidays. Come and celebrate the season of

lights with us at our Lenox MA Inn!

A Memorable Day on Mount Greylock

innkeeper — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 04:11:58 +0000

Meandering through Greylock's forests

Quinn reports: Janice (Ellen’s great friend since 2nd Grade), Ellen and I were on our way to Williamstown the other day to celebrate Ellen’s birthday and to take Janice to the Clark Art Institute‘s Pissarro’s People exhibit. It was a beautiful Indian Summer day, so we left Birchwood Inn and took the scenic route via Mount Greylock.

Greylock, at 3491 feet, is the highest point in MA. But it is also so much more! 12,500 acres. Mountains. Forests. Valleys. Streams. 70 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, back country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. At the summit you can find Bascom Lodge and the Veterans War Memorial.

A view from the summit

But that doesn’t begin to describe the Greylock experience. In fall, the air is crisp, the foliage vibrant, the light streaming through the trees inspiring, the tranquility soothing, the only sounds are of trickling streams and inhaling the fresh tree-scented air. In the spring experience nature bursting and awakening from the long winter. In summer savor the leafy shade. And the views are awesome year-round. From the summit you can see up to 135 miles in the distance and 5 different states — MA, CT, NY, VT, and NH.

Of course we weren’t the first nor the last to savor the experience. Native Americans hunted and traveled through the Greylock area. The Machicans’ travels created a traditional footpath through Greylock, now known as the Mohawk Trail.

Standing at an Appalachian Trail marker

Another historic footpath runs through the Greylock area, the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail, which follows the Appalachian chain of mountains and hills from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katuhdin in Maine. 11.5 miles of the trail wend their way through the tranquil wilderness.

Greylock has been a Siren, luring hundreds of those seeking to savor the experience, including Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, William Cullen Bryant, Thoreau and Melville.

Where the only sounds you hear are trickling streams

Melville could see Greylock from his writing desk at Arrowhead in neighboring Pittsfield, and it is said that the fall snow on Greylock inspired his description of the white whale breaching the waves in Moby Dick.

Even driving the newly restored roads, up to the summit from just north of Pittsfied, and down to North Adams, is a heady ooh-aah experience. We meandered around one corner and “oohed” at the view and then turned another corner and aahed.

Please note that the grass on Greylock is quite tasty!

We never did get to The Clark, but what a magic day Greylock shared with us before we headed back to our Lenox MA Bed and Breakfast.

It Was the Best of Times

innkeeper — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:19:14 +0000

Says Quinn: Despite Irene’s unwelcome end-of-summer visit, this was one of the best of my 12 summers at Birchwood Inn.

Ellen and I have created a Top Ten Best of Summer 2011 list:

# 10 -Best play we missed: “Sylvia” — about a dog of course — at the Berkshire Theatre Festival

# 9 -Best Tanglewood Concert we missed: “Porgy and Bess”

# 8 -Best book read this summer: “The Greater Journey”

# 7 -Best exhibit: Pissarro at The Clark Art Institute (until Oct. 6)

# 6 -Best new Lenox food experience: Berkshire Gelato next door to Prime

# 5 -Best new breakfast recipe: Peach Croissant French Toast Panini

# 4 -Best breakfast fruit course: Honeydew “Gazpacho” and Bircher Muesli

# 3 -Best food blog: Eight Broads in the Kitchen at Bed and Breakfast Foodies

8 Broads... and a Dog

# 2 -Best park for hiking or walking a dog: Kennedy Park

# 1 -Best summer weekend: James Taylor and the annual 4th of July Party Time at our Lenox MA Bed and Breakfast!

Dog Days? I’m Insulted

innkeeper — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:53:11 +0000

As a most fine and upstanding canine, I am not at all happy that these miserably hot days in the Northeast, with unheard of temperatures in the 90s and humidity that even curls my hair, are called Dog Days. Dogs are cool!

Here in Lenox, in the heart of the Berkshire Hills in Western Massachusetts, there are gentle breezes in the garden and on the front porch at Birchwood Inn.

The leafy hiking trails in Kennedy Park across the street are very pleasant. There is plenty of shade under the ancient oaks at Tanglewood, and fortunately the air-conditioning is working mighty fine at Shakespeare & Co., Jacob’s Pillow, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Barrington Stage Co., The Colonial, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. I also love taking a cool respite at The Norman Rockwell Museum, The Clark Art Institute, and MASS MoCA.

And there’s nothing more refreshing than a swim in one of the many nearby mountain lakes.

Nothing doggy about it. Why not the Cat Days of Summer?

And that’s the way I see it. Quinn

I LOVE NEW YORK… IN SMALL DOSES

innkeeper — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:31:04 +0000

According to Quinn.

Bloggers are supposed to blog about what they are passionate about. Ellen and I are both passionate about baseball! The game is the great equalizer — a cab driver is often found sitting next to a Fortune 500 CEO.

Last week we savored the joys of New York. It was so exciting to be among crowds of people after the tranquil Berkshires! The noise. The traffic. The energy. We love them all!

One of the New York pleasures is Yankee Stadium, unless you are an old Brooklyn Dodger fan! The Yankees were playing Ellen’s old favorite team (she used to go to 32 games a year when she lived in Toronto), the Blue Jays. The new stadium is missing some of the tradition of the old stadium, but it’s great nonetheless.

The New Yankee Stadium

We just HAD to take advantage of the photo op. Unknown to us, at the same time we were being filmed by NBC News for the following day’s 6:00 pm show on the high cost of tickets for sporting events!

Quinn and Ellen at Yankee Stadium.

Yankee Stadium, by the way, has the greatest popcorn. I know because I got to eat all of the popcorn Ellen spilled … accidentally on purpose.

Did someone order popcorn?

Ellen was elated for 8 1/2 innings as the Jays were winning. Alas, as frequently happens, the Jays broke her heart in the bottom of the ninth, but it was a great game! Personally, growing up in Massachusetts, I’m a Red Sox fan, so when I had to wear a Yankee cap, I wasn’t too happy.

Quinn loves NY but not the NY Yankees!

The following day I romped in Central Park with hordes of other very well-behaved dogs, rolling in the cool grass. Then onwards to lunch with old friends of Ellen’s from early childhood and then Broadway. My friend Sutton Foster lit up the stage in “Anything Goes.”

The next day we returned to the Berkshires, where we could unwind from our New York adventures. We realized once again how peaceful and refreshing our hills are. There’s no place like home when you live in the Berkshires!

Go Latin This Weekend in the Berkshires!

innkeeper — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:08:30 +0000

Latin dancers are heating up the Berkshires this weekend and visitors to our Bed and Breakfast in Lenox, MA are in for a real treat!

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and the Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art (MASSMoCA) co-present Los Munequitos de Matanzas at MASSMoCA in North Adams, in the Berkshires beautiful North County. This company from Cuba is the world’s best rumba group, has the leading percussionists, and is world renowned for its Afro-Cuban rituals, dance, and rumba. The performances are getting down this Saturday, April 30th at 8 pm and Sunday, May 1st at 1 pm. Buy your tickets Here!

Photo by Zarmik Moqtaderi

Another exciting event is happening in Great Barrington, where Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca heat up the south county at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Through music, song, and dance, this award-winning group from Spain is intensely theatrical in expressing the art of Flamenca. This one-time performance is happening on Sunday, May 1st at 7 pm.

Come relax at our cozy and romantic Berkshires Inn, enjoy the blooming of Spring, and experience one of these unique events happening only in The Berkshires!

The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!

innkeeper — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:32:19 +0000

Quinn says: I think I’ve seen some green in Birchwood Inn’s garden, and the daffodil and tulips beginning to sprout, so spring must nearly be here in the beautiful Berkshires. And lots of events are blossoming.

Tanglewood British Motorcar Festival

One of the biggest blooms will the Tanglewood British Motorcar Festival, June 17-19, 2011.

Friday features a Driving Tour and fun rally along Berkshires back roads as well as an evening Main Street Party in downtown Lenox. The show itself is on Saturday on the Tanglewood grounds, with the Concours d’Elegance competition among classic British motorcars. The festival concludes on Sunday with a Mt. Greylock driving tour, a tailgate picnic competition, and a British car corral. General admission is $15.00 for a two-day pass.

Oh, and by the way, our Lenox, MA inn will be offering a special that weekend. Please check the Specials Page of the Birchwood Inn website or on the Motorcar Festival site.

I am sure that a considerable number of dogs will be chasing the cars that weekend, but I will not be one of the them. I am far too civilized for such shenanigans!

Singed My Wagger!

innkeeper — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:48:01 +0000

Started off the day on a hot note. At breakfast I was sitting by the gas fireplace in the dining room when suddenly my tail was on fire!!! The guest sitting closest to be quickly put out the blaze, and I am just fine. My tail is tad shorter but no big deal.

Fortunately the day got better. It was a picture-perfect Berkshire day, sunny, in the sixties. Instead of grocery shopping, we drove on the newly opened road to the top of Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts (not the Matterhorn!), from the south end, north of Pittsfield, and meandered down to the north end, just outside of Williamstown. It is past peak but many of the leaves are brilliant golden and the red maples and Japanese red maples are outrageously scarlet. The muted rust tones have their own special beauty. There won’t be many more days like this this year, I’m afraid. See it now!

A DAy in the Life of a Canine Innkeeper

innkeeper — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:16:51 +0000

When will someone drop some bread or bacon?

The alarm rings at 6:00 am. I stretch for a few seconds — I was not originally a morning dog! — get out of my cozy bed, put my paws on Ellen’s bed and gently tap her. Ellen then turns off the alarm and gives me a cookie for doing a good job. I have only overslept a couple of times in nine years!

While Ellen is showering and getting dressed, I move into the living room to take a short nap. Ready for another innkeeping day, Ellen, Piper and I walk 30 steps across the driveway to the inn’s kitchen, where Piper and I are the first to be fed breakfast.

After our breakfast, Piper and I head out to the garden, barking quietly at the kitchen door when we want to come in. Meanwhile Ellen is preparing breakfast for our guests. The homemade bread is in the oven, the muffins to go in later. Ellen prepares the fruit course and puts the finishing touches on the entree. I stay alert waiting for the kitchen timer to ring. And when it does, I find Ellen, tap her left with my paw (sometimes I am a little overzealous and nearly knock her over).

When my kitchen job is done, I move on to the dining room, where I greet each and every guest. Although I am supposed to be lying down, I admit that I do get up and pleasantly stare at the guests and their food. I am on a strict diet, and they are not supposed to feed me (Ellen is very strict about this), but I am an optimist and am always hoping the guests will drop a tasty morsel. Like most Golden Retrievers, I love to put my head on people’s laps, and I do this when Ellen isn’t looking, but don’t tell her that — I have a reputation to uphold.

When staff is cleaning up from breakfast, I take a long nap in the kitchen or join guests on the porch while they finish their coffee and read the newspaper.

Then it’s errand time! I always wear my service dog coat while we are out and about. Some people smile at us, like they do at babies. Others are rude and point at us, as if they have never seen a dog before! Our outings most often take us grocery shopping or out to lunch. I have my own special spot in most Lenox restaurants — the corner table on the patio at Church Street Cafe or in the back room or near the window at Bistro Zinc. This makes me feel as if I’m at Cheers!

While Ellen bakes in the afternoon, I nap until the timer goes off.

At 3:00 pm comes the fun part — greeting guests at the door with my most appealing wag. I even lead the way while the guests get acquainted with the inn. If the guests have a dog and if I like the dog after a welcome sniffing, I may follow the dog around.

While the guests are enjoying hot cider and pastries in the library or iced tea and lemonade with pastries on the porch, Piper and I enjoy our dinner and then a romp in the garden before rejoining our guests.

It’s a long and tiring day so in the evening, while Ellen is cooking or working on the computer, I stretch out for a long nap. And then it’s time to move my venue to the sofa in Ellen’s living room, my all-time favorite place. We enjoy a long cuddle, and then it’s bed time.

I am a working dog, and as you can see, I work very hard for my cookies! For some reason, though, Ellen says she wants to work as hard as I do in her next life! Why is that?