Edith Wharton's Estate, The Mount.

The region has superlative outdoor recreation, from hiking to skiing, paddling to zip-lining. It has some of the finest cultural offerings in the country: Tanglewood and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. It has world-class museums and historical sites: The Clark Art Institute, the Norman Rockwell Museum, Edith Wharton’s The Mount, and Melville’s Arrowhead.

Many guests of our Berkshires B&B live in a city, either New York City, Boston, or Hartford. They come to the Berkshires to stretch out and breathe in the fresh air. Some are avid outdoorsmen, and want to spend all of their time exploring the mountains, lakes, and rivers of the Berkshires. Others are drawn to the quintessential New England small towns that surround our inn. Still other guests come to enjoy the many cultural offerings the region has to offer.

No matter what you do by day, consider stepping out in the evenings.

Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield offers a wide array of entertainment. Recent events include the great Elvis Birthday Bash, which featured both a young Elvis and Elvis from the ’70s. Upcoming events include Jamie Kent & The Options on February 2, T Bone Daddy, a rocking’ blues trio on the 9th, and The Duke’s Men of Yale: A Night of Love and Heartbreak with Da Doox! on February 11.

Of course, quiet evenings spent at our luxurious Berkshires Bed and Breakfast also hold great appeal.

The Massachusetts Berkshires are home to dozens of antique stores, some small and crammed with every kind of knickknack and collectible imaginable, others large, sparse, and elegant. Avid antiquers have spent months–no, years–perusing the shops and galleries that surround our Berkshires Inn. Regardless of what is found, the hunt itself is exciting.

Antiquing ignites passion.

The thrill of discovering something long sought makes hearts pump faster. The thrill of finally finding that perfect antique table, or a rare piece of china, can have the same effect. This is especially true when antiquing with someone you love.

Sheffield, Massachusetts, the “Antiques Capital of the Berkshires” is less than twenty miles south of our Berkshires B and B in Lee. After a leisurely breakfast at the inn, you’ll have plenty of energy for a day of browsing.

• Check out the great selection of old American clocks at Dovetail Antiques (440 Sheffield Plain).

• You’ll find amazing furniture at Susan Silver Antiques. Susan Silver is a woman who freely admits that antiques make her heart race; visit her store.

• Antiques are artfully placed throughout an 1815 colonial that is Painted Porch Country Antiques.

• Corner House Antiques specializes in American antique wicker furniture from 1870-1930.

• Cupboards and Roses is the best place in the Berkshires to find Swedish antiques and Scandinavian folk art.

• Kuttner Antiques features 18th and 19th Century American Antiques, Hooked Rugs, and Unusual Accessories.

These are just a few of the many antique stores in Sheffield and elsewhere in the Berkshires. But antiquing is a bit like wine tasting; you don’t want to do too much in one day. Instead, plan to return to our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast again and again.

Passionate about antiques? Head to the Berkshires.

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Discover the beauty of the Berkshires in autumn.

The best step to take in these circumstances is to book a room at our Bed and Breakfast in the Berkshires as soon as possible.

Take the scenic route if you don’t mind spending an extra hour or two in the car. Route 2 can be slow but it’s pretty, meandering through such picturesque towns as Concord and Templeton. Farther south, Route 20 is a bit faster and leads through the charming towns of Sturbridge and Springfield, Massachusetts. I-90 is the quickest route to our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast from the Boston area.

Once here, explore the region by foot, bike, kayak, or car. There is plenty to do in the Berkshires in autumn. Try apple picking at nearby Bartlett’s Orchard. Take a hike; we’ll happily suggest day hikes that will surround you with fall foliage. Canoe or kayak down the Housatonic River. Bike along tree covered country lanes. Ride a horse. Or simply unwind in the gardens of our Berkshires Bed and Breakfast.

Take advantage of the Spur of the Moment Special at our Bed and Breakfast in the Berkshires. If you arrive within 24 hours of booking a room for two or more nights, you’ll receive a 15% discount on your stay.

Enjoy wine tasting during a stay at our Inn Berkshires

Our Berkshires lodging is close to four wineries, all of which offer wine tasting. Many of our guests enjoy visiting these Berkshire wineries during their stay – especially in the spring, when it is hard to predict whether to bring skis or hiking boots along for a vacation in the Massachusetts Berkshires.

Berkshire and Hudson Valley Wineries

• Furnace Brook Winery is less than 30 minutes from our Inn Berkshires, and 15 minutes from downtown Lenox. They offer wine tasting Thursday – Sunday at The Farm Winery Store at Hilltop Orchards. In addition to both red and white wines, they make fantastic hard apple cider and a variety of fresh baked pies, apple cider donuts, and homemade preserves. See Furnace Brook Winery for more details. http://www.furnacebrookwinery.com/

• Hudson-Chatham Winery is just over 30 minutes from our Berkshires lodging, in Ghent, NY. Try their award winning 2009 Baco Noir Reserve or their semi-dry sparking Blanc de Blanc (perfect for a warm afternoon on our porch). Open for wine tasting Friday – Sunday; see Hudson-Chatham Winery for additional information.

• Brookview Station Winery is in Castleton, NY, about 45 minutes from our Inn Berkshires. Try wines like the Whistle-Stop White, a semi-dry apple wine, or the All Aboard Red at their Wine Tasting Bar Monday – Saturday. More information is available at Brookview Station Winery.

• Finally, Tousey Winery is just over an our from our Berkhsires bed and breakfast. You’ll find a small but varied selection of wines – a Riesling, a Pinot Noir, a Rebellion Rose, and more -  at their recently renovated tasting room. Open weekends; for more information please see Tousey Winery.

You’ll be able to purchase more wine if you take advantage of the off season rates at our Berkshires lodging, good through June 16, 2011.

No so here at our Lenox MA Bed and Breakfast.

Glorious winter in the Berkshires.

Oh, it’s cold here too, to be sure. But cold in the country feels different than cold in the city. The wind doesn’t gather up its strength to blast between skyscrapers and knock you down here – it spreads out over snow covered fields and blows through forests, making leafless trees dance.

Yes, winter in the Berkshires is the stuff of poetry.

Come see for yourself. Be spontaneous, and enjoy savings with our Lee Bed and Breakfast Last Minute Special. Plan ahead, call a friend, and stay for a while. Embrace the cold while you’re here, and delve into it with skis or snowshoes; it makes sitting by the fire so much better.

Enjoy the first meal of 2011 at our luxurious bed and breakfast in the Berkshires.

Spend two or three nights in beautiful  Western Massachusetts and let us pamper you. Enjoy wine and cheese in the parlor before dining at one of the good local restaurants. When you return to your room after dinner, you’ll find chocolates and a decanter of Brandy awaiting you. Break your fast by candlelight, on crystal and fine china. Spend your days exploring charming New England towns, skiing, or relaxing by the fire.

On New Year’s Eve, we’ll break out the champagne and feast on tasty hors d’oeuvres. Laugh and cry over the best and worst of 2010, and share your aspirations for 2011. Play a song or two on the piano, challenge each other to a game, or simply enjoy conversation with friends, old and new.  Finish the evening with more brandy and chocolates, and sleep peacefully. On New Year’s Day, sleep late and then start the year off with a gourmet brunch by candlelight.

We’re happy to combine some of our other packages with our 2010 Bershires b&b New Year’s Special. Contact us to discuss your options; call toll free: (800) 691-9012 or email info@applegateinn.com.

Visit the Norman Rockwell Museum and Gallery while in town for the Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas.

Each year, the historic town of Stockbridge Massachusetts brings a Norman Rockwell painting to life. Not literally, of course, but as close as you can get. Norman Rockwell’s hometown is a picturesque village any time of year, but when it dresses for the Christmas season, it outdoes itself.

We still have a couple of openings at our bed and breakfast Berkshires for the weekend of December 3, 4, and 5, 2010. If you have never stepped into a Norman Rockwell painting, do it this year. As you walk down the streets of Stockbridge you’ll pass dozens of antique cars and people dressed as they did in Rockwell’s day. Leap right in and join in the caroling.

Some of the loveliest historic homes in Stockbridge will open their doors to the public for the Holiday House Tours. Visitors may ride in horse drawn carriages and enjoy a holiday concerts. On Sunday the 5th, the town will do it’s best to fully recreate Rockwell’s famous Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas. See if you can find a hair out of place.

If you are in the mood to fully embrace the holidays this year, book a room in our bed and breakfast Berkshires and then head to Stockbridge for a Norman Rockwell Christmas.

See works by Picasso and Degas at The Clark Art Institute.

Edgar Degas was born in Paris in 1834 and died there in 1917. Pablo Picasso was born in Spain in 1881 and died in France in 1973. Though the two men are thought to have never met, Picasso was inspired by the work of Degas and paid tribute to the older artist in quite a few pieces of art. Never hesitant to respond to the work of another artist, Picasso brought his own unique vision to some of Degas’ most familiar subjects: ballet dancers, women bathing, and cafés.

The Clark and Musée Picasso, Barcelona worked together to organize this exhibit – the first devoted to Picasso’s relationship with the art of Edgar Degas. “Picasso Looks at Degas is the first exploration of Picasso’s lifelong fascination with Degas’s art and personality, and sheds light on the emergence of twentieth-century modernism by providing new insights into the multifaceted creativity of these two great artists” (museum website).

Early September is a wonderful time to travel to our bed and breakfast Berkshires. Summer crowds are gone and leaf peepers haven’t yet arrived. Here and there a colorful tree gives a hint of the transformation the woods will soon undergo. Days tend to be warm, evenings cool, and the air feels a bit more crisp than it has during the past few months. It feels good to sit by a crackling fire in the evening, sipping a cup of tea, a glass of wine, or spirits. Let us give you the opportunity to do just that. Let us pamper you.

Consult your calendars and then consult the calendar of our Massachusetts bed and breakfast. Dream of leaves crunching underfoot while you walk through forests dressed in red, orange, yellow and gold.

Early fall, Tanglewood ( Lenox, MA)—
Originally uploaded by brklynnovember

The lovely little town of Lee, Massachusetts.

We are just a half a mile from the center of Lee. Sidewalks make walking there safe as well as pleasant, and since the road is wide and not heavily trafficked, biking to town is also fun.

After a lazy morning lounging by the pool at our Berkshires bed and breakfast, head to town for a delicious Vietnamese lunch at Pho Sai Gon. Stroll to town on a summer evening for a delicious Indian meal at Bombay. Or enjoy French bistro style dining at Chez Nous.

Notice the hanging baskets of flowers when you’re in town. Gloria has been in charge of these baskets for the past three years. Thanks to her efforts, the baskets have grown in number from twenty to seventy. Gloria raises funds for the baskets, hangs brackets, buys baskets and works with the local nursery to create colorful, lasting flower baskets. In addition to the baskets, Gloria and the Chamber of Commerce of Lee have encouraged local businesses to sponsor and care for small pocket gardens throughout Lee.

We’ve been here eleven years now. We love being involved, and are pleased that Gloria’s efforts have been well received by visitors and locals alike.