Berkshires Vacation - Day 7

Ah, our last day here in the mountains. We got a very late start - Shara didn't get up until close to 10:30, and I had to wake her. I guess this vacation schedule is getting a bit out of hand. Today we decided to take a hike and found the Ice Glen in Stockbridge. We grabbed some lunch at The Housatonic Cafe in Lee. The Yelp reviews sounded great and indeed it was. It was also slow, as stated, so best not to be there when you have somewhere to go. I had the Everything veggie - Lettuce, tomato, cukes, olives, roasted red peppers, onion and fresh basil with honey mustard on an herb-cheese ciabatta roll. Shara had the Brooklyn Bridge - First-cut pastrami shaved with Baby Swiss, sauerkraut and spicy mustard on sour dough bread. Grilled for the thrill! The bread was amazing as were the sandwiches. This was honestly one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. I think it was the combo of the calamata olives, peppers and onions. But tomorrow we're going to get more of this bread. I found it's Berkshire Mountain Bakery bread and it is incredible - chewy and perfect for sandwiches.

Once we got out of there we went to the car and helped someone out with a jump. I had to get the manual out, but refound how to open the hood of the car. He was most grateful. On to Stockbridge to find the Ice! And find it we did. I stopped at town hall to ask exactly where it was and the tax collector gave us the directions on getting to the trailhead. We were parked where we should be to get to it, so all was perfect. The weather was nice but we still put on bug spray. The trip into the woods was very nice - old growth forest with tons of knotty roots to climb over. We made the decision to go to the ice glen, rather than the fire tower and this was a great decision. Shara led the way up the boulders and down and through the narrow paths, It was a lot of fun and cool and cool - the boulders stored lots of the cold in between and made little caves that could hold ice through summer. We didn't see any ice but did get cooled off nicely. On the way out it started to rain and luckily we were in the forest so not a big downpour on us. Shara then took a look at the nearby playground and then we headed back to the resort. On the way back we stopped at Chocolate Springs for a treat. Shara chose the Coffee Mousse Cake and I got some dark chocolate basil discs to have at a later date because I was wanting to try that Wow Cow "ice cream" again.

Back at the resort, Shara hung out in the bedroom while I had a conference video call with church, then we went to dinner. You can see the Yelp review but one comment Shara made that didn't get into the review was, "the wings are like little bites of heaven." We had a fun time being girls on the town. and didn't get back until after 10 PM. That was bad enough but then it turns out she read for a while, slept for a bit and was then up for 45 min. around 12 AM. Obviously she's still sleeping so I will pack around her.

Today we'll head back and will stop at the Berkshire Mountain Bakery to get some of that amazing bread and try to recreate the sandwich experience we had yesterday. Also need to stop and get blueberries. The ones we had the first day tasted like what blueberry flavoring is modeled after! All in all, this was a great vacation, despite the sadness that reminds us to appreciate all of these times as much as possible because life is short. Not just the big vacations but the everyday events and the people we're fortunate enough to share them with.

Berkshires Vacation - Day 6

What a fun day! We got up early to drive the hour + to Charlmont, MA, where Crabapple Whitewater Rafting is located. We had the best time. Our guide Lily made it very comfortable for all of us. Shara "rode the bull" by sitting up at the front of the raft with her feet hung over the bow. She also took a bucket to soak the rafters in the other boats during the water fights. Her favorite part was the "Minefield - Out of the Lemon Squeezer and right into the Minefield - zig and zag through the exposed rocks that are everywhere in this rapid. Cut the rocks close and make the next move before it is too late." She also loved doing the wheelie - all of us sat at the back of the raft, tipped back and the guide, who was standing behind us, used a rope to get us all the way back and the raft almost vertical. I had trust issues and couldn't put myself all the way back but apparently it was good enough. My favorite part was when I fell in during the first rapid because I didn't have my feet tucked. It was great because I concurred one of my phobias - being thrown in the water! Shara says, "Umm... It was so fun!" Needless to say, we were soaked, tired, and exhilarated! Next time Shara will be old enough to go on the trip with the class 3 & 4 rapids! This was class 1-3. Still so much fun.

The kids take over the ship!

Through the rapids 

Berkshires Vacacation - Day 4

This was an emotional day for us. It started with learning Jidor passed away Sunday night. We know it's a blessing but still a great loss. I remember first meeting Eddie and Thea when Alan and I were dating. They came to Albany for a visit and I was so nervous. Alan had great manners and appeared very cultured and I wanted to be on my best behavior with his parents. We went to a German restaurant and had a lovely time but it took a year or so before I realized they were the most grounded people and there was no need to be careful with how I acted with them (not that I don't have manners anyway, but I didn't have to be concerned!).

Over the years Eddie and I had many very interesting conversations. He always wanted to hear what people thought and how they thought. We'd talk about death a lot and quality of life as his Parkinson's progressed. He seemed very accepting of the disease, though it obviously bothered him greatly that he couldn't do what he'd always been able to do, which was so much physical labor. He was used to doing household repairs on his house as well as the houses of friends and family.

He and Alan spent so many hours redecorating our first floor, from ripping down the ceiling loaded with mouse droppings to ripping up carpeting and laying down the Pergo floor. They repaired beams, installed lighting, and painted ceilings. Aside from saving us a ton of money, it was also a labor of love that I appreciate to this day. I'm glad Shara was getting so much bigger as he got weaker because it was sad to see him unable to pick her up when she was still smaller. Up until recently, he was able to give hugs and he was there in every sense for her last birthday.

We also talked about god and religion and how it fit into our lives. He was very curious about UUism and what I got out of it. One of the bigger themes we discussed was fear. He'd want to hear about my social insecurities and had a hard time believing that I consider myself a basically shy person because he labeled himself as shy and didn't see that we acted the same. He was very introspective and open and honest and I value the discussions we had. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend so much time with Eddie during the years and will miss him greatly.

Photo taken by Shara - Mother's Day 2011?

So that was a sad overshadow for the day, however, nothing is just happy or sad and we did have a happy time with Bubbe and Aunt Jill. We went to visit Bubbe since she's only an hour + away from here. We got there later than expected but that didn't matter at all because we really just hung out, did a few chores, had a very nice time out to lunch at the Glenville Queen Diner - Shara was very hungry and had pancakes, bacon and sausage and cheesecake. She thinks she's spurting again. Could be! We also enjoyed joking with the cute waiter with the eyes as blue as Paul Newman's. Jill parted our company after lunch but then we went back to Bubbe's and then back out to the market, which is always fun. Got to check out the new Price Chopper and we were happy to be able to help Bubbe with the heavier groceries. We left at about 7 PM, and got back to the resort to get to the pool near 9 PM and did our evening tag & swim. Shara was a little miffed that I was making her leave the pool when there were still toddlers in it, but it's almost 10 AM and she's still sleeping!

Today we're going to the Clark Institute to see the Van Gogh exhibit and then maybe for a hike and then mini-golf (the compromise to the museum) and more swimming. Full day - better get started!

Berkshires Vacation - Day 3

We had another leisurely morning, having some of the breakfast supplies bought the day before. We discussed some ideas of what to do and decided to check out Mount Greylock. It's only about 8 miles away from the resort. We went to the visitor's center and got a map and some hints from listening to the ranger at the desk and decided to head to the summit because they were giving a tour at 1 PM. When we got there we listened for a few minutes but found it rather boring so decided to take a walk until 2 PM, when a scavenger hunt began. We found the Overlook Trail and walked in for about 10 min and then walked out. It was in the woods and very pretty, but rather moist, as the ranger had warned us about. Not a big deal though - down hill then back up. Went about 1/3 mile and on the way back to the map, which is by the parking lot and where the scavenger hunt was to begin, we got to walk on the Appalachian Trail. That was a real treat! We found a rock with a Thoreau quote saying basically learning about nature was just as important as a classical, college education.

We got the scavenger hunt list and set to work. It took us about an hour and a half and we were all over that summit! It was great and we learned about the subalpine trees that grow there - the only subalpine forest in the state and the war memorial, which to me looked like a chess piece. I mentioned that to Shara and wondered if it was the king or queen. She thought it looked like a pawn and that was a great observation and we discussed the use of the pawn in chess and how it could be related to the use of soldiers in the military and if that's what the designer of the monument may have been thinking. We also spent some time looking at the surrounding landscape, which was simply amazing. What an oxymoron! Here's what we saw:

Shara demonstrating her fear of heights:

Eventually she made it farther down to where you can see the people in the distance. It wasn't bad at all - just look at the few yards ahead and not out in the distance.

We also split a linner at the Bascome Lodge - a grilled ham & cheese which came with coleslaw and potato salad. It was good and the dining room took full advantage of the overlook. After eating we decided it was time to head back to the resort. Shara wanted to practice riding her bike. She fell the other day and skinned her knee and is still freaked out so the practice didn't go so well and she's wanting to give the bike away. We'll figure that out later. Since shopping cures all ills, we went to Pittsfield and checked out one store that was still open at 6 PM on a Sunday - Brits R' Us. A great store with a very nice owner who truly understands customer service. He was waiting for some people and if he's there, he's open. And not just open but also very nice and welcoming. We had a nice talk while Shara counted her change to see if she had enough for a Chocolate Frog. She was just short but of course I bought it for her and she'll "pay me back". We also found real Cadbury candy and got a couple bars to sample - flake and crumble (honeycomb). I think I'm trying to show Shara that less sweet is a good thing. It was fun looking around the town and reading the medallions in the street, marking the original buildings. Very cool, old town and certainly one that's being reinvented (gentrified). We did think it would be a good idea to get some dessert though and again went back to the resort to have a bit of healthy fruit and vegetable before doing so, We went to Krispy Cones, a traditional soft ice cream stand. Shara got a dipped cone and I had a sundae, which is the best way to have soft ice cream, in my opinion. It wasn't exactly ice cream though. I tried something new called "wow cow", an all natural, water based frozen dessert. I wouldn't want to have it on its own but as a texture in the sundae it was great, and only 60 calories per serving!

To end the evening, we went to the indoor pool again. There were kids in the outdoor pool but it's not heated and there's no way I was going to go swimming in 66 degree weather. It was hard enough walking to the indoor pool, not to mention walking back dripping wet! So another very late night and fun-filled day for both of us!

Berkshires Vacation - Day 2

Today we both slept pretty late, as mentioned in yesterday's post. Today the windmills have turned towards the west. We had a great time at the Hancock Shaker Village. Here are some pics of cutie Shara.

picking sage for the biscuits

We both enjoyed learning about Shaker life. Shara's favorite part was the baking. She thought the information was interesting and it was interactive. Totally understandable. We all went in the kitchen and learned about their cooking method of using huge iron kettles for soups, stews, etc. but then they'd put a grate in the bottom and turn it into an oven. The gardens are amazing. We picked and tasted elderberry and were allowed to try an early apple called Yellow ? Whatever it was called, it tasted wonderful. After baking we went to a barn by the school and saw how they used horsepower to churn butter and then to the school to see what it was like to be a shaker student writing with a turkey quill and ink.

Baking biscuits for the animals - barnyard biscuits

When we were done in the school we headed back to the kitchen to see how the biscuits were doing. They were done so the kids put them into a basket and we all headed to the barn to feed the animals. Yes, they did bake for their animals because in the winter they weren't able to go out and graze. The animals were plenty happy!

School lessons

The tour ended after the barn and then Shara and I made our way to the apple orchard to find a couple of the apples that were suggested we try. We agreed it would be good to have something healthy before eating an ice cream lunch. SoCo Creamery has a stand and we each got an ice cream - espresso cookie.

One of the demos/talks that was kid friendly was about the worship and dancing. Dancing was a big part of their worship and came to find out the endorphin rush was one of the reasons. We sang and heard some song Simple Gifts and danced to another. It was fun! Then we exited through the gift shop.

Shara feeding biscuits to the animals

We didn't have a plan at this point so I thought it would be good to get some food to have at the resort. We found a farm stand and got blueberries, apricots, a cantaloupe, a couple apples, beans, corn, and potatoes. Shara ate the blueberries while we drove around and for dinner I made a salad with the beans, corn, potatoes, mushrooms and lettuce (brought from home) and dressing that we got on our next stop, Target. We both need water shoes for the rafting trip. I forgot mine at home but Shara's grown out of hers. Though I don't like the idea of going shopping to a big box store on vacation, it did prove a good choice because we got the dressing but also cereal, milk, yogurt, ice cream (necessary) and other provisions (coffee anyone?). 

Back at the resort we changed into swim suits and headed to the pool to play some ping pong and swim. Thunder drove everyone out of the pool so we had an early-ish dinner, watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and then checked out the indoor pool because it was already chilly at 8:30 pm. The indoor pool was fun and a bit heated so we played tag and swam around for an hour before going back to the room for much needed sleep. Fun day and Shara's still sleeping!

Not sure what we're going to do today but my vote is for hiking with a picnic lunch. Yesterday it sounded good to Shara but we'll "discuss" and figure something out.

Berkshires Vacation - Day 1

It's been a long time since I've written about a vacation and am a little rusty, but here it goes!
We left yesterday, much later than I thought we would but we're on vacation so not that big a deal. Always found just one more thing to do and in all that we realized last night that I forgot my water shoes, but we'd planned on going to a store and getting Shara a pair anyway, so no biggie. We got here when it was time for check-in anyway, which was 4 pm. We stopped along the way for a food break - no sense calling it breakfast, lunch and dinner while on vacation!  Shara wanted me to make her a fluffernutter and she helped me balance the plate, etc. because a working surface wasn't an option with the van loaded with bikes, bags and such. We then went the rest of the way, Shara occasionally reading Harry Potter to me and then just to herself while I had a relaxing drive.

The resort is lovely - not where I thought it was going to be, but perfect. Drinking my coffee on the deck and I'm looking to the left and seeing the fog rise up towards one peek and at about 1 o'clock I see this:


This photo of Vacation Village in the Berkshires is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I'm not sure the problem people have with wind turbines. I'm finding them so calming, at least at the pace these are spinning - maybe a 1/3 of a turn / second, so a full rotation is a 4/4 beat. And they're so far away we can't hear anything. I actually have 7 in my view right now. The room is also more than expected. We got a C rather than the promised B room, which means we have a jacuzzi and full kitchen - oven and dishwasher. So we'll be able to cook in at least one night.

Shara trying out the hot tub

After check-in and finding our room, we had to call maintenance to fix our lock - the battery died on the lock, and they came and fixed it within 15 min. We unpacked, got settled and went to find the pool, which wasn't hard because I can also see it from our balcony. Stayed in it, playing tag for about 1/2 hour, then changed and got Divergent to have dinner and a movie. We were going to go out for Chinese and then see the movie but that would be too much so we found a compromise and got takeout instead. Not Chinese but a Tuscan Chicken (grilled chicken w/ mozzarella and roasted peppers) sub for me and fried calamari dinner for Shara from Gino's Pizzeria, recommended by by the front desk and he seemed honest. Not the best choices. Shara's cole slaw wasn't good at all, but the fries and calamari were tasty. My sub wasn't a grilled chicken breast as I expected but chopped up, seasoned (salty) chicken. The rest of the sub was good, but of course I had to pull off 1/2 the cheese 1/2 way after I realized how much of it there was and that could be part of the salty issue. While we were driving to get the food the sky darkened. I told Shara that back home I wouldn't worry that it would turn into anything but in these parts, we're in for a big one! And it was. I luckily didn't start hard until we were on our way out of the pizza place and continued 1/2 way to the resort, which was only 20 min away but with that rain felt a bit longer. Let's just say when Shara asked if she could put the light on in the back so she could read, I said no. Then another crisis averted when we got back to the room and found the DVD player didn't seem to be connected properly to the TV? Not sure what was going on - I couldn't see behind the TV enough to figure it out, but then realized we could use my laptop to watch the movie and then there was all smiles. Thank goodness! It was getting scary for a minute!

We ended up not getting ready for bed until 11 PM but fell asleep pretty quickly. Scary movies are fine choices since we're sharing the bed anyway. And it's 8:22 with Shara still sleeping. I got up about an hour ago, so great sleep for both of us. No waking in the middle of the night either. Today's plan is to get to the Hancock Shaker Village at opening so we can get on their Young Shaker Tour - "Don a Shaker hat or bonnet and experience the historic Village through the daily work and play of a Shaker child!  Guided by a special interpreter, you’ll engage in a variety of  interactive activities that include picking herbs from the Village garden, ringing the Dwelling House bell, using a quill pen and/or baking a treat in the Shaker Kitchen!" This got Shara's approval and she's very discriminating about how she spends her time.