WHAT WE DID
We rejoined Route 100
and kept heading south, then followed 8 down through North Adams, Pittsfield
and Stockbridge to Great Barrington.
Again it was an easy, scenic, interesting drive, though Pittsfield came
a bit of a sensory shock after the bucolic countryside we had become used to.
We stayed at The
Briarcliff Motel. This was
outstanding! Richard and Clare are
such amazing attentive hosts!!!
The accommodation is simple, stylish, comfortable. The complimentary continental breakfast
is excellent with lots of homemade and local selections. Highly recommended!!!!!
We had a built in
sightseeing day in the Berkshires and Richard and Clare were very helpful with
multiple suggestions. We are both
avid readers so our sightseeing took us back into Vermont to Bennington for
Robert Frost’s grave (and Stone House Museum which was closed for the
season). At the Bennington Museum there was a wonderful
Grandma Moses exhibition as well as other interesting historical sections. On
our return trip we stopped at Arrowhead, Herman Melville’s home (also closed
for the season). Our sightseeing
drive wound its way through many back roads so that we visited Stockbridge,
Lenox, Lee and Williamstown.
The first night we
were here we ate at the Barrington Brewery. And the only drawback was that it was so enjoyable that we
ate here again the second night (yes, we should have been more adventurous!
Especially as it was not quite as good the second time.)
WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE
We weren’t enticed by
anywhere in Woodstock to have breakfast before we left. Big mistake. Ohhhhh I need a strong coffee to start the day and there was
a scarcity of places to stop.
Our second visit to
the Barrington Brewery was not quite as good (very busy so maybe that had an
impact on the quality) Yes, we should have been more adventurous!
It might have made sense
to have changed our route south : from Wilmington head west on 9 to Bennington
and then south on 7 (as you can see in the “what we did” in a way we doubled
back on our tracks on our sightseeing day … but then again, we did it at a slow
no-rush pace). This would have
meant that our sightseeing day could have headed off in a different direction
(more of the Berkshires? The Litchfield Hills? Across to the Catskills?).
Loved our stop here …
and we never got to check out all those covered bridges, Clare!! So I wouldn’t
hesitate to add an extra night here … there was a lot of exploration to be done
and the Briarcliff is an excellent base!
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