As we wind into the final days before Christmas, we are all falling into the trap I just encountered.   My wife wanted something specific, and I went to the web.   At Amazon,  for an $89 item, I accepted a $29.00 two-day-delivery fee to make sure it got here in time.   Normal shipping and handling was $5.95.

But the $23.00 diffrence was STILL better than driving to the mall and checking six stores to see if I could find one on the shelf.
 

Imagine a couple of nights in a historic inn.   Fireplaces. Jacuzzis.   Full breakfast buffet.    Call or e-mail Hampton Terrace, and I will send a Gift Certificate right back that you can print yourself.    I also send a photo-quality brochure that prints on 8 1/2 x 11 photo paper and adds pizzazz to your gift.   You may purchase a number of nights….or….just pick an affordable amount, even $50, and we’ll print it up.    We will personalize your Gift Certificate to say exactly what you want.

Hampton Terrace is located in the Berkshires, the #7 travel destination in the world, according to National Geographic Traveler.    We are less than a three hour drive from most points in New England or New York.    Our phone # is 800-203-0656.   

Worried about the perfect gift?   DONE!

Always take advantage of a 3-day weekend!    At  Hampton Terrace it is possible to do that with a 30% discount on the 3rd night, and a $30 wine gift certificate to help make it feel like vacation.

Hampton Terrace, the #1 Lenox inn on Trip Advisor, still has rooms available for Thanksgiving weekend.    We only serve breakfast here, but we are one block walk from the Village Inn, which serves excellent New England style meals, and which will be featuring a special Thanksgiving Dinner menu.    Also, Cranwell Resort is advertising a Thankgsgiving Buffet from noon until 5 on Thanksiving Day.

At Hampton Terrace, all of our rooms have private baths, most with Jacuzzis, unless you prefer to soak in an antique claw-foot tub.   I do.    Twelve of our fourteen rooms have fireplaces…quite high in a historic inn.     We include full breakfast buffet each morning, and we help you plan your 3-day weekend with e-mailed lists of the better restaurants and lists of things to do in the area.   The Hancock Shaker Village is a perfect match for a Thanksgiving Weekend in the Berkshires.

We’ve been doing this for ten years:   (1) taking a hundred calls in September and October asking "are the leaves turned yet?, and (2)  getting 40 requests for our 14 rooms once they do…

So I am letting you know right now…..it’s okay.   We are happy to steer you toward the perfect time to come….and remember….the leaves are no redder on Saturday.   If you have the flexibility to come mid-week, you’ll save 30% here on our room rates.

First, our location, in case you run across this entry on the Internet (I hope you did), we are located in the Berkshire mountains….two hours west of Boston and 2 1/2 hours north of New York City.   We are in Lenox, the summer home of the Boston Symphony.    2.5 million people come to this area each year….so there are great restaurants, shops, galleries, museums, hiking, horseback….   and everything in Lenox is a two block walk or less from our door.

Here is the first report:   Over the past several years, the summer has been VERY dry and the cold came late…so the leaves turned in late October.

It takes rain and cold to turn leaves, so the first requirement is met……THIS was the rainiest summer on record.   As far as the cold…..yes…we’ve had some nights in the 30s and some trees are yellow.   So we are not quite there yet…but a cold snap will do it, I think.

The good thing about the Berkshires, is that you do not have to hit it perfectly.   The are mountains (Greylock is the second highest peak in New England) and there are valleys 4000 feet below..   Vermont is 45 minutes north and Connecticut is 30 minutes south (drives through historic villages and great vistas).    So depending on when you stay here, you can drive up or down, north or south and see the optimum pop of tree colors.

So beginning today….give us a call at 800-203-0656 or e-mail me at stan@hamptonterrace.com.   I will let you know how things look out my window….when I think things will be best….and look up our availability.

P.S.   We were just named by BedandBreakfast.com as "one of the 10 best undiscovered inns in New England for viewing foliage" and we are rated #1 by Trip Advisor in Lenox out of 30+ inns.   We look foward to hearing from you.

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.  

Lenox, the vortex of the Berkshires, is a small, historic New England village….for much of the year. But the summer is quite different. Since 1937, the Boston Symphony has spent every summer at Tanglewood, a Gilded Age great estate that straddles the Lenox and Stockbridge town lines. The world-famous venue is known now for two primary stages: The "Shed" and Ozawa Hall. Both are covered and allow ample lawn seating. Primary concerts held on Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. But the Boston Pops performs about three times per summer on other evenings, and on any given night, there will be something going on somewhere in one of the venues: soloists, chamber groups, opera. Tanglewood draws in excess of 400,000 during the months of July and August, creating a high demand for lodging, restaurants and information about complementary activities in the area. This is where the Lenox Chamber of Commerce is a valuable tool. Their website, www.lenox.org. does a great job of giving a Lenox overview, but also providing many levels of detailed information to assist visitors in planning their stay. And speaking of their "stay" consider Hampton Terrace Bed and Breakfast, an inn since 1937. 14 rooms. Full breakfast. 1 mile from Tanglewood. Less than 2 blocks from the furthest point in Lenox Village. CLICK HERE