Skiing at Catamount Ski Area

The blizzard that ushered out 2010 up and down the eastern seaboard certainly whetted appetites for snow sports. While cross country skiers had a heyday in Central Park, downhill skiers and snowboarders could only dream of distant mountains. Well, now the roads are clear and the mountains await.

Catamount is a terrific ski area on the Massachusetts / New York border. Travelers who can be spontaneous may take advantage of $27 daytime lift tickets through Friday this week. In addition, we offer a discount to spur of the moment guests of our luxury Berkshires Bed and Breakfast; call within 24 hours of your arrival and receive 15% off your entire stay. A little spontaneity can go a long way towards making travel more affordable.

If you feel exhausted and worn out after a whirlwind holiday season, time spent at our Bed and Breakfast Berkshires may be just what you need. Ski Catamount and let the fresh air and powder invigorate you. What a wonderful way to begin a new year.

Silken, by Dan Dailey, at Schantz Galleries.

Nearby Stockbridge, Great Barrington, Lenox and Lee have antique shops, art galleries, and clothing stores. Our inn is also close to the Prime Outlet Village; we offer a Berkshires Shopping Getaway Special which includes a variety of discount coupons for the village.

Origins Gallery in Stockbridge features unique art, masks, and artifacts from remote villages in Africa. An American Craftsman Galleries features many unique holiday gifts such as lovely glass ornaments. Amazing glass art by Dale Chihuly, Dan Dailey and others may be found at Schantz Galleries. Inner Vision Studio is a good place to find watercolors and drawings by local artist Karen Andrews.

Antique shops abound throughout the Berkshires, particularly in Great Barrington. Elise Abrams Antiques features fine antiques for dining; the Emporium Antique Center offers many treasures to those with patience and stamina to browse through more than 23,000 square feet; the Great Barrington Antiques Center neatly displays items from many dealers in more than 5,000 square feet.

Treat yourself to a Berkshires Getaway this holiday season and have fun shopping for others.

Start the evening with us at Applegate Bed and Breakfast in Lenox, where we will be serving champagne and Hors D’oeuvres at 6 p.m. in our living room. We have several specials for the New Years that include brandy and chocolates in you room. Take a look at the specials page for our Massachusetts Inn to get more information.

Come celebrate New Years in the Berkshires!

Some of the events around town include:

Allium Restaurant, Great Barrington: Featuring an a la carte new year’s eve menu with open seating from 5 – 10PM. Guests will receive an amuse & selection of petit fours. Celebration will continue into the night with cocktails & music till 2 a.m.

Bogies Steak and Ale, Great Barrington: Serving dinner menu and chef specials, seating from 5 to 9 p.m. DJ entertainment all night.

Castle Street Cafe, Great Barrington: Open with a four-course dinner at 7 p.m. and at 9:30 p.m. the Teresa Broadwell Trio will play for dancing and entertainment.

John Andrews Restaurant, Egremont: Open from 6 to 9 p.m. for seating. A la carte menu as well as tasting menu. Music by Jon Suters Trio.

Spice Restaurant, Pittsfield: Dinner specials in the main dining room and upstairs is dancing and a a cash bar.

We hope this will help you plan your New Years night in Massachusetts! Look forward to seeing you soon at our Bed and Breakfast Stockbridge!

I thought I would just take a minute to talk about some of the most popular eateries in the region.

The Cranwell Golf Resort has some very nice high-end dining, if you are looking for that experience. They have a buy locally policy, and are a member of “Berkshire Grown”, which supports neighborhood family farms and helps to preserve the open spaces in the community.

The Wyndhurst and the Music Room restaurants at the golf course have long been known for great cuisine. They are also popular because they have breath-taking mountain views and a decor almost as nice as our Lenox Bed and Breakfast! They serve a creative and award-winning American Style cuisine. Dinner in the Music Room and Wyndhurst provides a meal with great presentation in a fine dining environment. This is a good place for a fancy anniversary dinner or something special before going to the theater.

Another popular place, also very nice, but very different stylistically, is the Bizen Kaiseki Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Great Barrington, not far from our Bed and Breakfast in Lenox. Japanese cuisine has been becoming more and more popular state-side. This restaurant has wonderful Japanese decor, and a very handy sushi chef behind the bar! Some people rave about their sushi and say it’s the best East of the Mississippi and others say there are better rolls elsewhere, but it is popular nonetheless. Bring a little patience with you, however, the place is usually busy and service can drag sometimes.

Of course, these are just suggestions for dinner. Our Bed and Breakfast Massachusetts has delicious gourmet breakfasts every morning! We also support local farms and buy local produce whenever possible. Applegate Inn also grows our own veggies and herbs in the summertime! Can’t wait to see you in the morning!

I am looking forward to some nice upcoming events at the Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Located in Great Barrington (about 8 miles from us) the college has some interesting art on display I hope to go see.

A local artist by the name of Karen Arp-Sandel has an exhibition called  “Conversational Collage Chronicles”. It seems that her work is founded in the gathering of mementos, like postcards and travel diaries, to make a

Karen Arp-Sandel, watercolor collage

narrative. The art is already hung, but there will be a reception on Nov. 7 from 5 pm – 7 pm at the Atrium Gallery at the Alumni Library. Art openings are always full of fascinating people, great conversation, and usually pretty nice wine!

Another exhibit currently on display at Bard College is called “Home, Otherness and Memories”. Anaele Adis Iroh, the artist, is from the Center for Transcultural Research and Media Practice at the Dublin Institute of Technology! He works in mixed media to examine and explore the concepts of home, otherness and memories. The exhibition will be on display in the lower lobby of the College’s Daniel Arts Center.

I often feel privileged to live close to a college campus. They are still such centers for arts and culture, and I like to be able to visit and take advantage of their resources.

The other exhibit on display is a faculty show by a gentleman named William Jackson. His work is titled “Formations and Transformations.” According to the artist, the exhibited works include “diverse visual and tactile vocabularies of deformation, re-combination, and hybridization. They explore possibilities that bridge two – and three-dimensional expressions, but also embrace digital and analog methods.” Wow! Sounds pretty amazing! The Gallery is located across from Bard College at Simon’s Rock’s main campus, and is open 12-5pm daily. I think I will try to go to the opening but come early so I can see the other exhibits also.

I hope some of my guests at Applegate will want to come with us to the art opening, or get a chance to check out this fine work when they come to stay with us over the next couple weeks!