Here is a subject I have never written about…sports bars around Hampton Terrace in Lenox.   This was inspired by a couple that just checked in.   SInce tonight's important game is only being televised by the NFL Network, which is not carried by 65% of cable providers, they wanted to know where they could go to watch the game.

Although not a "sports bar" per se, The Heritage Tavern is the closest thing within walking distance.    A place where the locals hang, there is a pool table, peanut shells on the floor and wide screens in key places.   Recently remodeled, The Heritage has a typical bar menu of wings, burgers, wraps, pizzas and baskets of fried food.   Also within walking distance, many of the upscale restaurants in Lenox have televisions behind the bar:   Alta, Firefly, Prime Italian Steakhouse.    A different experience:   depends how you enjoy your game…with a $12 martini or a $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Open for less than a month, Halpins Pub and Grub is located on 7/20 North about a five minute drive from Hampton Terrace.   Jeff and Sue Halpin used to be regulars at The Heritage, so it will be interesting to see how their dive into the bar business might divide the Lenox bar crowd…but there is no doubt that Halpin's is more of a sports bar model.   There are wide screens on every wall and the current renovation of the old "Sophie's" restaurant is about as complete a gut job as you could do.   So since our couple was looking for a place where the game would be treated as more an event, than something that happened to be on the televisions, I sent them there.   The menu is very similar to The Heritage.

Another five minute drive north takes you into Pittsfield, where there are multiple choices….Bobby Hudpucker's on North Street, Patrick's Pub in the center of town (the best food on the list) and a new one, opening next week called "Jae's Press Room," which I am sure will be great.   Jae recently bought the "Spice" restaurant on North Street, which has been met with immediate success and lines at the front door.   Adjoining Spice was "Burger," an extension of the same restaurant which recently closed so that Jae could transform that space into what I am sure will be the most upscale sports bar in the region.

At Hampton Terrace, we have twin 15-year-old sons, so our televisions are usually tuned to Sports Center or whatever the important game of the minute is.   Most of our guests are into the Patriots, Jets, Giants, Red Sox, Yankees, Celtics, Nets, or Knicks (well, maybe not the Knicks) and the Berkshire sports bars are a good mix of fans rooting for both sides of a rivalry.   Join us at Hampton Terrace and let us send you out to watch the game.

There is plenty to do in the Berkshires in December.   But one of the iconic events, built around Norman Rockwell's famous painting of a 1967 streetscape is "Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas."   The Stockbridge weekend is a full calendar, but the central event is a recreation of the Main Street as it existed in the Rockwell painting…down to the correct automobiles frozen in time.   For a calendar of the events CLICK HERE.

The Berkshire Theatre Festival is again presenting A CHRISTMAS CAROL, from December 11 to December 30.

The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield annually presents the FESTIVAL OF TREES from November 15th to January 4th, showcasing the amazing creativity of Berkshire residents and organizations as they decorate 200+ trees with this year's theme.

The Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum, located across the street from Hampton Terrace has turned it up 12 notches this year for the holiday season, with seasonal decorations, special programming and events spanning from early November through New Years'.  Click to their website for descriptions and calendars…more than I can list here.

Frankly, there is so much going on EVERY weekend in December, that I cannot make an adequate list here.   Edith Wharton's "The Mount" will stay open on December weekends until Christmas.     All of the museums, The Clark, The Norman Rockwell, MassMoca are open.   For a listing of special programs and events, try www.berkshires.org/events, and type in a date range.

And then stay at Hampton Terrace.    We look forward to helping your plan your December stay.

Most of you know that our off-season Romantic Weekend Package (now through late June) includes a $30 Gift Certificate to Nejaimes….the extraordinary wine and gourmet food shop located in Lenox and Stockbridge.

But during the month of November, Nejaimes features their WINE SPECTACULAR SALE, when they discount much of the store from 15% to 30%.   And these are not discontinued, expiring, or less popular selections.   In fact, they include some of their most popular wines, because they stock up for the summer and Fall crowd, and what is still left by November is offered for prices designed to reduce their inventory.  For example, ALL Australian reds in the store are 25% off.  

So if you are a wine lover who takes advantage of wine discounts by buying in bulk, and you consider our $30 "starter," you could significantly reduce…or maybe even off-set the cost of your  2-night stay at Hampton Terrace with your savings.

And always, regardless of the season, Nejaimes gives a 15% discount for wine by the case…even mixed cases.   Extraordinary.

Hampton Terrace continues to be ranked #1 by Trip Advisor reviews, and our off-season rate is $189/night for all rooms in our two main buildings and $249 for the king suites.  

We include full breakfast, and most of our rooms feature fireplaces and Jacuzzis.  We have a private heirloom bar on the property, stocked with glasses and openers…just in case you can't resist the urge to start digging into your case of wine.   Enjoy!

We've had relatively well-known people stay here before.   But this was different.   As someone who worked for Dick Clark, spent 20+ years in the concert promotion business, and was affiliated with the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the National Music Foundation, it is not as if I have not met plenty of "celebrities."   I have.

And it is not that Ken Jennings wants to be a celebrity, or acts like one.   He does not, although he continues to maintain a high profile with books and television show appearances.

But I am among the millions who became addicted to the nightly drama of Ken's relentless march through six months of daily victories and $2.6 million in earnings.   Ken Jennings is someone whom I RESPECT.

And he and his wife Mindy were as nice and unassuming as the persona he projected while appearing on your television screen every night.   Winning at Jeopardy is not about guessing cases or spinning a wheel.  Over the months, you KNOW that some of the most intelligent people in the country sought out the challenge of being the one to wrestle the buzzer out of Ken's hand….    As it turns out, the person who beat him ended up losing the next night…so if an occasional mulligan were ever allowed, he'd probably still be on the show.

So when I took a reservation from a Ken Jennings for a fall foliage mid-week stay, I made a mental note that the caller had the same name as the Jeopardy winner and then I forgot about it.   But when Ken walked in the inn, and I pulled out the Ken Jennings paperwork, I knew it was him.   We know that everyone who stays at our inn is here for a reason, and that reason NEVER includes being made to feel uncomfortable…..so I never let on that I knew who he was….and if any of our guests recognized him, they did not let on to me (or hopefully not to him).

After he left, however, I did e-mail him to see if he would mail a personalized and signed copy of his book, Brainiac, to us as a gift for my mother-in-law, one of the Jeopardy faithful since before Alex Trebek.   It came today.

I do feel okay about putting him in my blog, however.   If you look at his blog, you'll find a list of the celebrities he saw during his vacation to the East Coast.   Turnabout is fair play…

If anyone reading this would like to get an autographed copy of Ken's books, read his daily blog, or hear of his upcoming appearances, I recommend his website, www.ken-jennings.com.

I was struck this past weekend at how many couples were here for reasons beyond just "getting away."    We had two honeymoons, a 5th anniversary, a 20th anniversary, and a guest who popped the question right in one of our king suites! 

I was thinking, why do people choose us for special occasion weekends?   It could be because virtually all of our rooms have fireplaces and Jacuzzis.   For everyone who stays at least two weekend nights during the off-season we give them a $30 gift certificate to the local wine/gourmet food shop in town to buy their own nice bottle of wine or champagne.   We provide glasses, plates, etc. at our private BYOB heirloom bar.   We also help our couples pre-plan their stay by providing a list of the best restaurants in the area, and lists of activities such as hikes, historic house tours, museums, night-life, theaters, spas…   Speaking of spas, we have a selected list of places to go for massages and spa services…or it is possible to have a massage right in your room.   During warm months we have an outdoor heated pool (always at 87 degrees) and six outdoor porches and decks.   Our breakfast consists of comfort food choices by candlelight, and we have two living rooms consisting of overstuffed or leather couches and chairs…..  During the winter months there are four public roaring fireplaces…. 

I guess I have answered my own question.   For our last anniversary, we stayed on the property and enjoyed one of our own king suites!

I know more are coming.   I received an e-mail from someone a few minutes ago who said friends were coming this Thursday for their 20th anniversary and she wanted to arrange chilled wine waiting in the room.   Happy to oblige.

Internationally celebrated director Irina Brook and her company of talented Shakespeare & Company artists have freely adapted Oscar Wilde's story about a very American family that blusters its way into a haunted English manor, thoroughly annoying the stuffy old ghost who can't seem to scare them a whit. In this roaringly original adaptation, Sir Simon the Canterville Ghost is re-imagined as an over-the-hill illusionist reliving his glory days in the 1940's. Beneath the outrageous veneer of Wilde's achingly funny story is a depth of emotion, as the old ghost's long-delayed salvation rests upon a family's ability to trust, and a young girl's desire to believe.

This show runs from now through November 9th and tickets can be purchased by e-mailing boxoffice@shakespeare.org, going to their website and buying on-line, or calling 413-637-1199.

Hampton Terrace is located a block from Shakespeare & Company and frequently serves as a place the company houses its special guests and actors.   We are ranked #1 by Trip Advisor from among 30 Lenox inns, and recommended by BedandBreakfast.com as one of the top places in the country to stay while viewing fall foliage.

So pick a beautiful fall foliage weekend, choose a fireplace/Jacuzzi room at Hampton Terrace, one of the premier Berkshire inns, and prepare for Halloween with The Canterville Ghost at Shakespeare & Company.

As they say, the leaves are no redder on Saturday.   Or at least, I say that.

So considering that you have the same access to the Fall Foliage, the historic house tours, the museums, restaurants, shops and galleries, why pay 30% more for lodging?

Take advantage of our Mid-Week Discount…when every room in our Main House or Carriage House is $190/night, down from $260-$275.   And our King Suites are $250/night, reduced from $345.    And breakfast is as good on Wednesday morning as it is on Sunday.

Actually, I will go one step further….   On the weekends you'll run into lines at the restaurants and shops.   It will be harder to park in downtown Lenox or Stockbridge.  You can't be as spontaneous picking an evening activity.   Sunday through Thursday stay at Hampton Terrace.  

Better experience….pay less…any questions?

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.