Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Red Lion Inn: Best of Old and New World in Berkshires of Massachusetts




A night in a King Superior Room pictured below in the newly renovated Maple Glen House at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts was the perfect end to a perfect visit to the area to tour the (reviewed) Tony Di Terlizzi exhibit at the nearby Norman Rockwell Museum. Although the inn itself and the immediate and surrounding areas offer scads of restaurant and live entertainment options, a mellow night enjoying the large but cozy room was the preferred option.


This homey feeling and the communal kitchen and large common room in Maple Glen also make that option ideal for corporate retreats and family gatherings such as weddings. The happy tales from folks who make that wise choice verifies that it provides the desired experience.

The big picture (no pun intended) regarding this trip is that it reflects the new Unreal TV policy of favoring luxurious trips within a three-hour drive from home rather than spend much more money and enduring the torture (and large expense) of air travel in the 2010s on a trip further away. The same hypothetical $1,500 for a three-night vacation across the country can get you a higher-end adventure closer to home without having a TSA agent grope for concealed weapon in a place that does not indicate that you are happy to see him or her.

A related note is that not even a high-end suite in a large luxury hotel offers the same experience as a more individually designed room in an inn or other historic property. The folks who work at the latter seem more in it for the art of the game than for the commerce.

This adventure started with a leisurely drive through the Berkshire Mountains to Stockbridge; the room being ready provided a good chance to be wowed by it and unpack ahead of meeting Rockwell curator/righteous dude Jesse Kowalski at the 18th century tavern in the main inn for a pre-tour lunch of indescribably delicious goat cheese and pesto pizza blanketed with pepperoni; getting puffy crust was a bonus. (Past experience allows equally recommending the tavern sandwiches.)

This Wednesday with Jesse continued with that tour guide pointing out the two houses in which Rockwell lived at separate times, the former site of the Rockwell studio (which is now on the museum grounds), and other points of interest in the roughly one-mile trip to the museum.

Kowalski dropping me off at the inn at 4:30 allowed time to explore Stockbridge shops that include typical Western Mass./Vermont businesses. These mainstays were a coffee shop/used bookstore, pottery shops, a Yankee Candle store, and an authentic general store. This experience included romping with a lovable yellow lab outside a store while the older local man who owned her ignored us and continued gossiping with his friend.

A Kowalski recommendation (and personal favorite) was the eclectic Seven Arts store, which sold vintage and new collectibles. The extensive used record and CD offerings and wide selection of previously worn clothing was the tip of the iceberg; the "over our heads" offerings included a great selection of offbeat cards and small treasures. The real find was a small collection of used DVDs that entered the store inventory alongside a purchase of a larger record collection.

These wanderings made bringing a tasty authentic diner-style hamburger from the nearby Elm Street Market to eat in the aforementioned country chic Maple Glen common room while watching local news coverage of The Suitcase Murder trial (no joke) a nice start to the wind-down portion of this busy day.

I then returned to the room, where the turn down service included the gift of a published booklet of messages from prior guests and two pieces of a fancy version of Peppermint Patties that evoked suppressed thoughts of calling the front desk to ask "Please, Sir. May I have some more?" The incredible hospitality of The Red Lion removes any doubt that such a request would have been met with a gift of a bag of the treats.

Another special touch was the two small shelves with the take-a-tcotchkie-leave-a-tchotchkie collection. The resisted temptation regarding this was packing away a small figure of The Hamburglar of McDonald's fame despite not having anything with which to replace it.

Next utilizing the huge tub (including the awesome bath salts from the well-stocked amenities basket) proved that resistance to relaxation was futile. Related thoughts of not getting bored and of testing of the water-proof claims of the iPhone 8 vanished on finding bliss soaking in my own filth.

The radiant heat from the bathroom floor was especially enjoyable on getting out of the tub, which easily is big enough to share with a special someone.

Heartier souls had the option of braving the 40ish outside temperature to swim in the year-round outdoor pool and relax in the nearby hot tub; folks who wanted to maintain their fitness routine had an exercise room available.

The bath led to putting the provided spa-quality robe over penguin-themed lounge wear and watching Netflix fare on the Lion account; Hulu and other streaming services were additional options.

This ended with a perfect night's sleep under the soft fresh-smelling sheets and perfect weight duvet. Waking up refreshed for the first time in months was wonderful.

The pre-departure activity the next morning involved a rare chance for ghost hunting; numerous reports of a particular haunted room in the main inn prompted a granted request to check out those accommodations. Sadly, not even a mouse stirred in this well-decorated room with a balcony (and a view.)

One can only surmise that Revolutionary-era phantom "Mudsy" succumbed to the relaxing vibe of the room and found everlasting peace. The lesson here was to not believe everything that you read (even numerous times) on the Internet.

The entire 24 hours of sheer joy in Stockbridge passed every test for a good trip; the good mood that it created lasted several days, memories of it still bring a smile to the face of your not-so-humble reviewer, and thoughts of being at The Red Lion some day (hopefully not far away in time) help pass the time away.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding The Red Lion or any other aspect of this trip is strongly encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.







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