Relax in our Massachusetts bed and breakfast after your berkshires hike

Take a break from the cultural richness of the Berkshires and head out into the wilderness for a hike. Nothing calms the mind like being surrounded by trees and magnificent rock formations. You will feel refreshed and ready either to head back to Tanglewood or go straight to your Berkshires bed and breakfast for a dip in the pool and a sit on the porch.

The trail to Ice Glen is less than 1.5 miles there and back, without much gain in elevation. Heavily shaded by huge, old hemlock trees, the trail offers one pleasant surprise after another. Deep caves, stacked boulders, and narrow fissures abound, along with dramatic views of the ravine. This trail has been popular for many years; indeed, Nathaniel Hawthorne called Ice Glen “the most curious fissure in all Berkshire.”

The Ice Glen trailhead is just south of Stockbridge, MA – a short drive from our Lee MA bed and breakfast. We will feed you a delicious breakfast and send you on your way. You should have plenty of time to return to your room and rest before heading out to one of the many delicious restaurants in the region, or to a concert at Tanglewood.

The National Acrobats of China, the most acclaimed large acrobatic troupe in the world, has thirty-five performers. The troupe has a world-wide reputation, and their antics and physical tests captivate audiences around the globe. The performance will also include stunning displays of Chinese martial arts, illusion and acrobatics. Their feats of physical daring and grace are enhanced by elaborate costumes and traditional music. From plate-spinning and cycling stunts to juggling with their feet, The National Acrobats of China are master contortionists, tumblers and jugglers. This is going to really be a treat!

When we opened our Stockbridge Bed and Breakfast, we knew we wanted to relocate here in the Berkshires, an area that attracts such interesting and diverse cultural events. We look forward to opening our historic and beautiful home to you and sharing our community with you. See you at our Bed and Breakfast Lenox soon!

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center was formed in December 2002. The theater has been restored with great lengths taken for accurate historical detail, at a cost of over $9 million.  The theater is a recipient of support from Save America’s Treasures.

The Mahaiwe is now a year-round performing arts center presenting music, dance, theater, opera, and classic films in the southern Berkshires. The theater seats almost 700 audience members. One can see everything from Operas from the Met LIVE in High Definition, to music acts and even classic hits like “When Harry Met Sally”. It is a diverse venue and we are lucky to have another place in which to feed our cultural appetite. Stay a night in our Stockbridge MA bed and breakfast and join us!

Some of the events from their web site scheduled for the rest of this month:

Johnny Winter

“Johnny Winter can still play as if his arms were on fire!!!” – Hartford Current

For over 30 years, Johnny Winter has been a guitar hero without equal. Constantly shifting between simple country blues in the vein of Robert Johnson, to all-out electric slide guitar blues-rock, Johnny has always been one of the most respected singers and guitar players in rock and the clear link between British blues-rock and American Southern rock (a la the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.)

The Met Opera “Live in HD” Gluck’s ORFEO ED EURIDICE

Mark Morris’s acclaimed production returns. This complete vision for Gluck, with choreography by Morris and costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, features the artistry of Stephanie Blythe in the male title role. The alluring Danielle de Niese is Orfeo’s adored wife, Euridice, who inspires the hero to face the underworld for her sake. Music Director James Levine conducts.

Warm Up the Winter: A Benefit Concert for Fuel Assistance in Berkshire County. Proceeds go to Construct Inc.

Join us for a benefit concert featuring a group of wonderful Berkshire musicians who have come together to “warm up the winter” for our friends and neighbors who seek help with fuel assistance during these cold and dark winter months.

Very appropriate for this exciting election time, and personally engaging for me around issues of gender, the one-woman play “Eleanor” was a wonderful production.

Written by Rhoda Lerman and directed by Stephen Temperley, the play was about the inner growth of

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt. It focused on the years immediately following World War I, as recalled by Eleanor looking back from 1945. It is a very personalized, intimate portrait that carefully avoids political issues directly, but maintains the importance of certain important political ideals.  In the voyage of this woman from self-doubt to confidence, her youthful ideals are challenged by gritty realities, and, instead of the bitterness or cynicism that might have resulted, we witness the tempered, reinforced idealism that emerged in Eleanor Roosevelt.

It is exciting to think of the future of the role of the First Lady. I wonder when, if ever, there will be another woman that has done as much with the role as Eleanor did.

I didn’t know that Eleanor struggled with her husbands infidelities for many years, and also her own insecurities. It is amazing to think that great people like that also struggled with self-confiedence.

There was a wonderful Berkshires crowd there, many with silver hair – those that remember Eleanor clearly! Just another great example of what the wonderful Berkshires area has to offer!

Our next treat was a Barrington Stage.  Straight from a long run on Broadway, “The 25th Annual Spelling Bee” was a masterful performance.  Years ago, we were treated to this show in workshop form as it developed. The Berkshires is its first stop on a regional tour. It is a very fun musical. We will be going to see “The Violet Hour” tomorrow night at Barrington Stage.

We have also seen a variety of interesting pieces at The Berkshire Theater Festival, including “Candida”,” Pageant Play” and the thought provoking “The Book Club Play”. You can check out the other plays the Berkshire Theater Festival will show for the summer at their website: http://www.berkshiretheatre.org/.