February ended with several snow falls with varying amounts of accumulation.   The attached video was taken in the back yard of Brook Farm Inn during one of the recent storms.  The local towns have done a good job keeping the roads clear and our guests have been enjoying great downhill and cross country ski conditions.  Linda and I have been snowshoeing in Pleasant Valley Wildlife Preserve here in Lenox MA.  It was some of the most beautiful scenery we have seen in years.  There was three feet of snow at the top of Lenox Mountain.  We came back to the inn and sat by the library fireplace.  We love the Berkshires in the winter.

Snow Falling on Brook Farm Inn

The snow-filled scene from Brook Farm Inn, a Lenox B&B, is like a Currier & Ives print.  We’ve been snowshoeing lately, and it’s an exhilarating way to enjoy the beautiful winter trails.  This weekend, Notchview has a great offer, and it’s not far from Brook Farm Inn.  After skiing or snowshoeing, our hot tea and scones by the fire is just right.

A property of the Trustees of the Reservations, Notchview offers 30 km of scenic trails to hike, ski, skate or snowshoe this winter. On Jan 9^th they host Winter Trail Days with free snowshoes and trail passes for two hour periods.  They’ll also be offering free cross-country ski and skate lessons, a wax clinic and a snowshoe hike.

Welcome to Snow Time in the Berkshires

Frosty welcomes you to Brook Farm Inn

The  pristine snow that fell in Lenox a few days ago  resulted in the sighting of these winter friends at Brook Farm Inn.  The Berkshires are now ready for cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.  The ski areas are making their own snow to add to nature’s bounty, and the scenery is great!

Here in the Berkshires, we treasure the Trustees of Reservations.  As a conservationist organization, they provide beautifully maintained, scenic hiking trails, historic homes to visit, and lovely gardens.  Among our favorite places is Naumkeag in Stockbridge (a gorgeous Stanford White home with gardens), and also Ashintully Gardens in Tyringham.  This weekend we’ll have perfect weather for hiking some of the trails as well, so at Brook Farm Inn we’ll be glad to provide maps and directions.  All the sites are close to Lenox.

Frederic Church was one of America’s most important landscape artists, and his home, Olana, is close enough to the Berkshires for a day trip.  A trip there from Brook Farm Inn yesterday took under an hour, and it was worth the trip. Church, a  Hudson River School painter, developed Olana as a 3-dimensional work of art; a totally integrated environment embracing architecture, art and landscape.  The views of the Hudson River — seen in his paintings – are spectacular, and the house tour was fascinating.  We intend to go back to enjoy the hiking trails on the property.

Studio at Chesterwood

Chesterwood is the house & studio of Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial.  It’s a 10-minute ride from Brook Farm Inn, and one of the treasures of the Berkshires.  You can tour the house and studio, stroll the gardens, and wander the wooded pathways.  A new outdoor contemporary sculpture exhibit has just opened there as well, and artists from the show will offer workshops and demonstrations on Sundays in July & August.

At Brook Farm Inn (Lenox Massachusetts) the garden is getting lush and colorful.  Irises are open,  annuals are looking happy, and the pool is open as well. Guests this weekend enjoyed the hammock, too.

At Brook Farm Inn, Lenox Massachusetts, we’re offering a special golf package.  The weather is gorgeous, and the golf course has beautiful Berkshires scenery to enjoy.  Here’s the deal:

 

It’s spring!  This weekend, the Berkshires is a great destination for hiking during the day, and for enjoying restaurants and performances in the evening.  See Brook Farm Inn’s “Take A Hike” package.  It will be sunny, in the 50’s, perfect for being outdoors this weekend.  And in the evening on April 3rd, go to the Colonial Theatre for “Music and Dance of the Andes.”

Guests of Brook Farm Inn can enjoy the beauty of the Berkshires this spring with our new special, “Take A Hike.”  We’ve hiked many of the local trails, and can offer suggestions and advice. In addition, the special includes a trail map and discount coupon for  Pleasant Valley, which is right in Lenox Massachusetts. It’s a Mass Audubon wildlife refuge, unsurpassed for groomed wooded trails and a superb view at the top of Lenox Mountain.  We’ll also include water bottles and healthy snacks.  See our Packages page at www.brookfarm.com/packages.html.