This morning I was very priviledged to join the Executive Committee of the Berkshire Visitors Bureau at a table for the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's Breakfast with Deval Patrick. (Hi Ray. Hi Dara). Also at our table was the new President/CEO of the BVB, Lauri Klefos….her first day on the job. This was the first time I had seen the Governor in person. I found him to be a very engaging speaker: thoughtful, affable and very quick on his feet. There were numerous opportunities to display a quick wit…and I do not think he missed a single one of them. I also feel he displayed an honest emotional connection with the Berkshires. And I always respect when someone (especially a politician) responds to a question with an "I don't know." But there was plenty he did know…and I felt that this is a guy who is growing and learning and taking appropriate leadership stances. The line to meet him after the talk was too long for me to consider, but I hope I'll have a chance to make a personal connection at some future point. He does have a second home in the area, and I may end up seeing him in a grocery store line. That's how I met James Taylor.

It hit me when the alarm went off this morning. There was actually sunlight coming in the window! Yes, the days are getting longer, but I don't remember being hit with that kind of realization in months. Even though it is still chilly, it is a beautiful day in the Berkshires. Not too late to stay at Hampon Terrace Bed and Breakfast in Lenox, MA. Two hours from Boston…come see the Berkshire hills. CLICK HERE.

Dinner at Blantyre is the quintessential Gilded Age immersion. Staying there would be too, but their rooms are appropriately expensive. So combine a price-fix incredible meal with a weekend stay at Hampton Terrace. Hampton Terrace, built in 1897, is also a Gilded Age estate and has been an inn since 1937. We are about a mile from Blantyre, so even after that bottle of wine, it is an easy excursion back to the inn. 14 rooms, fireplaces, Jacuzzis, and elegance that can only be found in a turn-of-the-century home. CHECK US OUT HERE.

Hampton Terrace does not host weddings….we do not have the spaces, catering facilities or parking. But we have participated in scores of

weddings

over the years. Frequently, we serve as a place to house your out-of-town guests. Rated one of the top several Lenox inns by TripAdvisor, BedandBreakfast.com and Michelin, our 14 guest rooms will not disappoint. Having done two weddings ourselves (for our daughters) we recognize that the last think you need during the wedding weekend are issues with your guests' accommodations….and we strive to be completely off your radar for the weekend. To see our website, CLICK HERE.

There is something going virtually every day at Tanglewood, from mid-June through Labor Day. Although the Boston Symphony generally limits their performances to weekends, the members do solo recitals, chamber concerts and other interesting programs. The Tanglewood Music Center participants perform all summer, and all of this is complemented by internationally known soloists and ensembles who grace the stage of Ozawa Hall. Most of this happens Sunday night through Thursday, and you can stay at Hampton Terrace for up to 40% off with a multiple-night mid-week stay. Call us at 800-203-0656 or CLICK HERE.

Many inns do a continental breakfast, and I guess that is okay with some guests. But the feedback that we get from people around our breakfast table is that this strategy is expensive to the inn, not cost-saving. It means, more often than not, those guests will not be going back, and we are very proud of the number of repeat guests we have. Our breakfasts consists of a consistent base, which includes coffee, tea, juice, 3 kinds of fresh fruit, 3 kinds of cold cereal, 3 kinds of bread for toasting and yogurt. Then we have a set of hot entres we change each day: French toast, blueberry pancakes, eggs, sausage, grits, casseroles, baked tarts…usually in some combination. We gauge the house each morning and try not to repeat a set of hot items during the stay of any particular guest. We have also learned that people tend to want breakfast staples….as opposed to mystery concoctions where they are asking (or guessing) what the little brown things are. Consistently, our breakfasts are the subject of raves on Trip Advisor. Since we bought Hampton Terrace, I estimate we have made breakfast over 3,000 mornings to over 15,000 people. I would hope we have it down by now. Check out Hampton Terrace in Lenox, MA: CLICK HERE

Berkshire Theater Festival, a icon of the Berkshires, celebrates its 80th birthday with a celebratory season and a new website to tout it. Check out www.berkshiretheatre.org and buy tickets for this summer. Stay at Hampton Terrace, less than a ten minute drive from our parking lot to theirs: CLICK HERE.

No. He's just on the tv behind me. But I am sure if Tiger Woods knew about how many of our guests have raved about Hampton Terrace on Trip Advisor, he'd want to try it out for himself. So, Tiger….if you read this on the Internet, check us out: CLICK HERE.

Asters, a member of the short list of restaurants recommended by Hampton Terrace in the Berkshires, has hired a new head chef, Ron Reda. Ron spent five years as the Kitchen Supervisor for the White House during the Clinton Administration. Ever since Asters opened just a few short years ago, we have enjoyed the ambiance and the menu, but this promises to be a step above. Asters is one of the larger restaurants near Lenox (a 5 minute drive) and this serves them well during the always crowded Tanglewood season. Stay at Hampton Terrace and plan on a fine meal at Asters. CLICK HERE

The Berkshire Visitors Bureau, after being ably led for more than a quarter century by Bill Wilson, welcomes a new President/CEO in Lauri Klefos this week. Lauri was head of the New Hampshire Office of Travel and Tourism for eight years and heads back to the Northeast after several years in Arizona. Her parents were actually from the Berkshires, so this is a homecoming of sorts for her. Everyone associated with tourism in the Berkshires will benefit greatly from Lauri's experience and enthusiasm. For information on Hampton Terrace Bed and Breakfast while visiting The Berkshires, CLICK HERE.