In 1995, when I received a job offer to move to the Berkshires, Susan and I flew to Lenox with our two daughters, aged 13 and 14 to check things out.   It was a mid-September weekend and we arrived to find a large crowd roaming the two-square blocks of the village.   Apple Squeeze.

Wow.   It sold me and I am here to sell you.

What a great way to see what New England small town living is all about!   Take notice, Manhattan dwellers…it is what you need a dose of very once in a while.   This year, September 26-28, the streets will once again fill with what the locals have to share.    Yes, apples are in season, so there will be locally made apple donuts and pies, but the Apple Squeeze is so much more.

Most of the shops will fill the sidewalk with inventory which did not sell to the summer crowd at substantial discounts.   The restaurants will be setting up booths on the front porches to give you samples from their menus inside, or setting up grills to cook chicken and burgers to order.  Pretty much anyone who wants to set up a booth can do so…and the diversity is astounding.    Most of the local cultural attractions will have booths to educate the milling crowds about their offerings (Shakespeare & Company, Ventfort Hall, The Mount, etc) as well as Canyon Ranch, Cranwell and other spas and resorts.  

Very importantly, this is not another "craft fair" with the same vendors that travel from town to town.   Everyone in the Apple Squeeze is local…and this include glass blowers, artists, and craftsmen.    A really great way to get to know our area.

But back to apples.   The weekend is called "Apple Squeeze" because it coincides with the trillions of apples hanging around the Berkshires, ready to sample from the trees and pick by the bushel.   We'll be glad to give you directions.    Beyond apples, we know of several local farms that REALLY do a good job of providing an "harvest experience" (Ioka Farms is an example.)

Hampton Terrace will still be using our off-season rates in September and a two-night stay qualifies for the "Romantic Weekend Package," including a gift certificate to the local wine shop, Nejaimes, and rates less than $200 night.    We are ranked #1 in Lenox by Trip Advisor, based on our guests' satisfaction.  

Why is Lenox here?   Don't start me on that…..well okay, a little bit.  

At the turn of the century, Lenox, fueled in part by Edith Wharton's famous phrase "keeping up with the Joneses," became the "inland Newport," a concentration of Gilded Age homes and parties unrivaled in America.   Famous late-summer names included Vanderbilt, Morgan, Westinghouse, Carnegie, Proctor, Wharton, Sloane and scores of others.  They called their homes "cottages."   Our beloved Hampton Terrace was considered in that category.

And they called their beautiful horse-drawn carriages "tubs."   Both tongue-in-cheek characterizations were thin attempts to minimize their otherwise ostentatious life-styles.   We won't expound upon whose backs these fortunes were made….but now, 100-years later, it is fun to gawk at their great monuments to excess.   Which brings me to September 12-14, "A Weekend of the Gilded Age" in Lenox.

So let's start with the "tubs."   When these great estates were abandoned in the 1920s and 1930s, many of the original carriages were left hanging in their carriage houses.   Several decades ago, a local organization formed to rescue as many of these magnificent carriages as possible and find a way to use them in their former context.  That was not hard.   During the heyday of Lenox's Gilded Age, the 'famous" families of Lenox would venture into town for a month or so, have their parties, and then depart en-masse to their next destination (summer houses, fall houses, winter houses, city houses, etc).   Before leaving, they would cover their carriages with flowers, load up their families, and participate in Lenox's annual "Tub Parade," where they would wave good-bye to the locals until next year.   I think I used the word "ostentatious" before, and now I'll use "pretentious."

So how much fun would it be to reanimate that scene?   As it turns out, a LOT of fun.   Lenox's annual "Tub Parade" will be held Saturday afternoon, September 13, and it occurs just several hundred feet from Hampton Terrace's front door.   There will be hundreds of people attempting to find parking places before the parade.   Not our guests.   One of the many benefits of staying at Hampton Terrace, of course.   Another benefit:

The signature event during the Gilded Age Weekend is an actual Gilded Age Ball at Ventfort Hall on Saturday evening, the 13th.   Imagine you are an invited guest of the Morgan family, enjoying their Berkshire "cottage," smoking their cigars, drinking their wine….and here is the benefit of staying at Hampton Terrace….staggering across the street to fall into your bed.  I'll leave the light on.

And what is a Gilded Age weekend without the official chronicler of the Gilded Age, Edith Wharton, not weighing in.   "The Mount" grounds will be open on Sunday afternoon for picnics for just $10 with all proceeds supporting the mansion.   It is possible to also add a discounted tour of the house itself.

The GREAT NEWS is that Hampton Terrace considers September a "low season" month.   All rooms in the Main House and Carriage House are $189/night and we do STILL include the $30 Gift Certificate to Nejaimes, the wine shop with a 2-night stay.   How can I afford that, my banker asks?   By filling up, I answer.   So please make my banker happy.

When considering Lenox or the Berkshires, many people think Tanglewood and the Boston Symphony.   But of equal stature (and actually exceeding Tanglewood in total audience) are the local theater companies, including Shakespeare and Company, Berkshire Theater Festival, Williamstown Theater Festival, Jacob's Pillow (dance), Barrington Stage Company, and many others.   All are kicking off their seasons this week and next.

Shakespeare & Company, founded by Tina Packer, is in its 31st season, and is located just one block from Hampton Terrace Bed and Breakfast.   Their large campus includes multiple theater options, including their main stage, The Founder's Theater.   This year, they are opening with "The Ladies Man," a French farce that we saw last Thursday night.   It was GREAT!   At our Lenox bed and breakfast, we get feedback every morning at breakfast about what our guests did the night before, where they ate, etc.   At least eight of our guests have now seen "The Ladies Man" and agree with us.   It has all the things you would expect from this genre:   double entrendres, mistaken identities and maniacal (and I mean really maniacal) action.   I was exhausted from the energy on stage…no daily gym workouts needed for these actors.   "The Ladies Man" is being performed all summer, alternating with other significant productions including "Othello," "All's Well that Ends Well," "The Goatwoman of Corvis County," "The Canterville Ghost," "Bad Dates," and numerous free presentations on their outdoor stage.   You can see, this industrious group is not limited to Shakespeare.   Importantly, they are opening a new venue, The Elayne Bernstein Stage in August.    So for those of you who are looking to avoid the weekend crowds associated with Tanglewood, consider coming to the Berkshires Sunday to Thursday and entertaining yourselves with these exciting theater options.

And as always, combine at visit to Shakespeare and Company with a fine bed and breakfast experience by staying at Hampton Terrace Bed and Breakfast……located just one block from Shakespeare and Company.   Stay multiple nights mid-week and save up to 30%.

Typically, the weekend including, or preceeding New Year's Eve commands our "in-season" rates of $245 to $345/night. BUT NOT THIS YEAR! All Main House and Carriage House Rooms are $189 (two night minimum) and King Suites are $249! 800-203-0656 www.hamptonterrace.com

Stay 2 nights or more in a fireplace/Jacuzzi room at $189/night and receive a $30 Gift Certificate to the wine shop in town! Full breakfast. 800-203-0656. www.hamptonterrace.com.

We still have plenty of room choices at Hampton Terrace for Sunday-Thursday in October. Stay for $175/night in any room in the Main House or Carriage House….rooms that are normally $245 to $260 night. 800-203-0656, www.hamptonterrace.com

Stay 2 nights this weekend, and THE WINE IS ON US! A $30 Gift Certificate to the local wine/gourmet food shop is included with a 2+ night stay. As of Tuesday am, Main House 1 (queen, fireplace, Jacuzzi), Main House 4 (king with antique claw-foot tub) and Carriage House 3 (queen, fireplace, Jacuzzi). $175/night. Full breakfast. Heated outdoor pool. 800-203-0656. www.hamptonterrace.com

Two rooms left at Hampton Terrace for September 14 and 15. Fireplaces, Jacuzzis, full breakfast buffet. $30 Gift Certificate included to the local wine/gourmet food shop. 800-203-0656. www.hamptonterrace.com

Stay mid-week during "leaf season" at Hampton Terrace and save up to $100/night. Our king suites are marked down from $325 to $225 Sunday through Thursday. Our other rooms are discounted to $175/night from $260 and $245. Are the leaves less brilliant on Wednesday? 800-203-0656

September stands alone, between the summer season, and Fall foliage, as the month we feature the Romantic Weekend Special. Stay two nights and receive a $30 Gift Certificate to the local wine and gourmet food shop in town.