Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Hotels Restaurants Shopping The Rockies: Colorado Denver Fashion & Style Hotels Restaurants Shopping The Rockies
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Cherry Creek: One of America’s Top Spots for Chic Shopping, Lodging and Dining
City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks, Dressed in Holiday Style. It's Christmastime in the Mile-High City.
Where are you shopping this weekend? With only two weeks left until Christmas, I’d say there’s a good chance you might find yourself in a store. Many Americans will be hitting the mall, a dreaded chore for some unless you’re lucky enough to experience the Cherry Creek Shopping Center in Denver, one of the world’s premier showcases for quality goods from sunglasses to kitchen accessories to classic and up-to-the-minute fashions. Think Tysons Corner and Bal Harbour Shops—if you’ve been to either of these renowned shopping areas you have a good idea of what to expect at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. From Burberry to Juicy Couture to Montblanc to Keihl’s and many more, the finest American and European brands reign here in great force. Macy’s, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus anchor this alluring complex where even during this busy retail season, shopping is a delight. You’ll also find an Apple store among the mall’s 160 retailers, reason alone to hit this celebrated shopping place in Denver. Their jewel-like Ice Palace where Santa Claus holds court distinguishes itself by having a Santa that signs to deaf and hearing impaired children. Indeed, this is not your ordinary mall.
I suggest you plan to spend at least a couple of days in this most gentrified part of Denver. You’ll also want to take in Cherry Creek North, a lively shopping district next to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, comprised of over three hundred upscale boutiques, galleries, restaurants, salons and spas within a sixteen-block area. I love the leisurely feel of this area where you can shop at big and small emporiums such as Crate and Barrel, Eileen Fischer, Loro Piana, Lands’ End and many more. Why, there’s even an Hermès.
Me at The Lark
Looking for an even more boutique-y shopping experience? If so, you’re my kind of shopper. Just about a mile away from the Cherry Creek Shopping Center and Cherry Creek North, you’ll find a handful of shops worth the detour. Within the Country Club part of Denver’s Cherry Creek, I visited a few quaint stores that remind me of the sort of off-the-beaten-path boutiques I’d bring people to in Paris during one of my Chic Promenade shopping tours. (My official entry into the travel world came via a shopping service I founded in Paris during the late eighties.)
Don’t we all want to go where the locals shop? That’s becoming more of a rarity these days and all too often everything looks alike no matter where we go. Clearly the fashionable ladies of this well-heeled neighborhood have done a good job of patronizing this conglomeration of shops north of Speer near Downing Street since the ones I visited appear to be thriving.
You’ll want to stop first at The Lark (1219 E. 4th Avenue, 303-744-7464), a warm and inviting table arts and home decor shop that’s been here for forty years. Owners Jane Smithers and Jill Livian present gifts galore, all tastefully displayed on large wooden tables, endearing tableaus that showcase a festival of colors and textures, no matter the season. “We like to offer tradition with a twist,” Jane tells me. “I try to find things that look expensive but aren’t,” she continues. With backgrounds and extensive knowledge in interior design and decor, clearly these two ladies know how to pull together a look with great style. “Most Denver home decor shops have gone contemporary,” Jane explains to me. At The Lark you’ll find stylish lamps, frames, dinnerware, glassware, linens, decorations and more that exude such elegance and verve they’ll always be in fashion.
Lewis Bobrick Finds
Next door at Lewis Bobrick Antiques (1213 E. 4th Avenue, 303-744-9203), Native American arts and crafts vie for attention alongside western paintings, Persian rugs and sometimes even Italian ceramics from the sixties. “Anything with a patina works for me,” Lewis Bobrick explains, a well-respected dealer that’s been at this location for fifteen years. “Most things find me,” he responds when asked where he procures such an eclectic array of art and antiques. After digging a little more, I also learn that Mr. Bobrick spends a lot of time with pickers in Santa Fe. Ah-ha!
Bargain hunters must take in La Cache (400 Downing, 303-871-9605), a consignment shop benefiting the Children’s Hospital of Denver, which occupies the corner spot of Downing and 4th Avenue. How about snatching up a Prince Charles and Lady Diana souvenir plate for $22.? Or a cut-glass bowl, perfect for your next dinner party? You’ll find all kinds of collectibles, table arts, paintings and furnishings here, all finely-made treasures likely dropped off by the ladies of this tony part of Denver. It’s an old-fashioned store filled with old-fashioned goods that sell at old-fashioned prices. Still though they’re turning a nice profit because La Cache has raised close to three million dollars for the Children’s Hospital since their opening in the mid eighties.
HMK Enchantment
For a whiff of Old World charm, wend your way around the corner and peek into HMK (408 Downing Street, 303-321-5878), a darling floral and home accessories shop filled with more sentimental gift ideas. Truly this reminds me of the sort of neighborhood florist I’d find tucked away on a side street in Paris.
Voilà, that concludes this chic promenade through Denver. Bet you didn’t realize that Denver and especially the Cherry Creek district of the mile-high city offered such extraordinary shopping. Mais oui, from big names to lesser-known boutiques, there’s something for every taste and budget, every season of the year.
Where to Stay
JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek
JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek, 150 Clayton Lane, 303-326-2700
This JW Marriott in Cherry Creek is a must. No other establishment epitomizes the sophistication and naturally refined style of this renowned Denver neighborhood than this stunning hotel. Good news, too: a recently-completed five million dollar renovation of this seven-year-old establishment has rendered it more sleek and spectacular than before. The color palate in most of the rooms features dark blues, with hints of magenta and orange, perfect hues for accenting the sunsets that captivate you from most of their guest rooms. Overall, I love the warm, contemporary vibe of this JW Marriott and I’m sure you will, too.
Sunset View at JW Marriott Denver
Where to Eat
Second Home Kitchen + Bar, 150 Clayton Lane, 303-253-3000
Down-Home Urbanity at Second Home
Located within the JW Marriott Cherry Creek, Second Home Kitchen + Bar evokes a sense of style and ease that we all crave, especially after a big day of shopping. I love how the notion of urban sophistication translates into the menu of this Sage Restaurant Group concept dining establishment. You can savor a plate of artisanal cheeses or charcuterie with fine wine or come with the kids (in their pajamas, if you want) for Sunday brunch. Other upscale comfort food selections include Chicken & Waffles, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Grilled Romaine Salad, Brick Oven Pizzas, Sugar Mama’s Rum Cake and many more delectable offerings. Never has home cooking tasted so fresh and flavorful. Their lively bar scene rates as one of the best in Cherry Creek as well.
Yummy Dessert at Second Home
Elway’s, 2500 East First Avenue, 303-399-5353
Elway's
If you’re looking to take up the swank a notch, book a table at Elway’s Cherry Creek, conveniently situated at the edge of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Their booths and tables fill with a big business crowd at lunch, creating a club-y feel akin to major cosmopolitan centers. In the evening, the scene slips into a decidedly more intimate mode. At all times, the sleek, Art Deco-inspired decor of this elegant space provides a soothing backdrop for a break from the busy-ness of the Cherry Creek retail scene. Whether you come for lunch or dinner, you’re sure to wow yourself over their beautifully prepared seafood and steaks. And for desert, you can order Elway’s crème brulée by the spoonful. But I suggest you don’t, since it’s so exquisite you’ll want to gobble up a full portion unless, of course, you hardly have room after your Maine Lobster Tail or Grilled King Canyon Buffalo Ribeye.
Elway's Crab Cakes
This Just In
Elway’s Vail recently opened and is now serving après ski and dinner daily. Check them out at 174 East Gore Creek Drive, 970-754-7818.
Colorado Hotels Restaurants The Rockies: Colorado Hotels Restaurants The Rockies
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Hotel Boulderado: A Beautiful Destination for the Holidays and All Year Long
Christmas at Hotel Boulderado: A Grand Coloradan Tradition
Well, it’s here. Now that I have my turkey carcass boiling on the stove I feel comfortable embracing the holiday season. (I’m not one to rush things—I like each season to be experienced fully before approaching the next.) But now the countdown is on and it’s up to us not to let ourselves get all crazy with the cooking, decorating, celebrating and oh yes, the shopping.
I try to be like the French and adhere to quality, not quantity. I apply that to everything from what I consume to where I choose to spend my time. So let me suggest you buy less but do it in a more memorable manner. That applies to eating as well and even how and where you spend time away from home.
Relishing a moment—whether it’s a few hours or a few days—at Hotel Boulderado, one of Colorado’s most historic properties, will surely make your holidays special. Call it Christmas central. Festooned with holiday decorations from its stained glass ceiling to its tile floor and all around its hand-carved wooden railings, this more-than one-hundred year-old landmark becomes even more splendiferous at this time of year. This glittering Victorian gem draws people from all over and to me, I can think of no other Coloradan establishment that exudes as much charm as the Boulderado during this festive season.
And this being Boulder, Hotel Boulderado manages to pull off a green Christmas to boot! Indeed, that’s a living indoor Christmas tree that towers within the hotel’s glass atrium lobby, soaring far above the mezzanine where people love to admire the hotel’s elegant decorations and delight in one of their Holiday Teas. Sipping fine Darjeeling and nibbling on finger sandwiches and mini cakes takes on a whole different allure within this gilded interior at Christmastime.
Hotel Boulderado
Oh yes, I suppose there’s the shopping to consider as well. I think our mountain towns offer some of the best. I fare better in boutiques than in large, impersonal stores, the scene you find in most Coloradan towns. Boulder’s pedestrian-friendly, Pearl Street Mall is known to be one of the most pleasurable shopping areas in the country. To me, it strikes just the right balance between down-home Rocky Mountain cool and up-down sophisticate. I also love all the little restaurants, coffee shops and bars that break up this retail byway. Shop first and then languish at the Hotel Boulderado for tea, a drink, a lovely meal or a romantic stay.
Slowing down a bit and taking in lovely surroundings will enhance your holiday memories. Trust me. I’m sure it prolongs life—or at least good living. If you have any doubt, take a look (or even a ride!) on Hotel Boulderado’s more-than one-hundred year-old, hand-operated elevator, one of the oldest of its kind. It moves cautiously, but boy is it a joy to ride.
Hotel Boulderado, 2115 Thirteenth Street, Boulder, 303-442-4344 and 800-433-4344; reserve in advance for the Holiday Teas as well as for their Christmas Buffet and New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball, two other fun events at this renowned property.
Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels Music & Dance Restaurants: Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels Music & Dance Restaurants
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DCPA, The Lion King, Kevin Taylor and Other Roars About Denver’s Downtown and LoDo
The Lion King
With Halloween behind us, we can focus more on the real holiday season, the nearly two-month period that begins right about now. (You all must know that it has been moved up!) For me, one of the nicest things to do during this festive period is to go out on the town for dinner and a show, a not-too-easy feat from Telluride but certainly closer than New York.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) makes such a night out worth the effort since they consistently offer a tremendous lineup of shows and performances, all concentrated within a twelve-acre, four-block complex in the heart of downtown Denver. Did you know that DCPA is the second largest arts complex in the country? Their ten performance spaces beautifully accommodate Broadway touring productions, a major symphony and opera, dance and ballet, chorales and a variety of theater groups. They can seat 10,000 people within their theaters, splendid showplaces of varying sizes connected by an eighty-foot-tall glass roof.
And tonight “The Lion King” opens at The Buell Theatre for a five-week run! This dazzling production enjoyed sell-out shows during their 2002 and 2006 engagements in Denver. Tickets are still available for this stint but as expected, they’re going fast. I hope I can take it in since I love great stories, spectacular shows and cats of all kinds.
The Bar at Kevin Taylor's at The Opera House
Wondering where to have dinner near the DCPA? Let me suggest Kevin Taylor’s at The Opera House, just steps away from any of the performances. The sophisticated, dramatic decor here makes you feel as though you’re sitting upon a stage, one in which la mise en place and mise en scène of everything—from the costumes on the wall to the food on your plates—are clearly of the utmost importance. Yes, here you can easily applaud all the visual and gustatory effects that open your evening like a red velvet curtain parting before you. Probably the best news of this performance, however, is that they serve fine food and drink in near-record time. Accustomed to catering to people in a rush, the waitstaff at Kevin Taylor’s at The Opera House always makes sure you’re served in plenty of time for your show.
Colorado native Kevin Taylor stands out as one of Denver’s top restaurateurs, boasting five dining establishments in Denver and one in Central City, Colorado. Also at the DCPA, Kevin’s Limelight Supper Club & Lounge headlines fresh and casual cuisine for the pre and post theatre crowds.
If you’re able to carve out more time, Prima Ristorante, one of KT’s other establishments, is just a short walk away in Denver’s Lower Downtown, or LoDo, one of my favorite neighborhoods of the mile-high city. Situated within the lovely Hotel Teatro, Prima features light Italian fare in an open and airy, Euro-inspired setting. They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, so maybe you can make a meal here work with your matinée or evening performance schedule. Restaurant Kevin Taylor, also located within Hotel Teatro, commands that you spend more time à table. Haute cuisine cannot be rushed, n’est-ce pas?
Succulent Beef: The Main Act at Kevin Taylor's
The Dining Room at Kevin Taylor's at The Opera House
When at the Teatro, be sure to look around to admire their many glorious costumes on display from past theater productions at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. This boutique hotel reminds me of an Italian villa, a real gem. Even better, book a room here.
Leo, My Lion King, Roaring or Perhaps Yawning
You can also stay at The Curtis, another one of my favorites, located right across the street from DCPA. Light-hearted types—or perhaps those most in need of a good chuckle—will love it!
Aren’t the holidays supposed to be about fun and merry-making? We have enough Greek tragedies in our lives these days in any event.
Check out Hysterical in Denver, Viva Italia, Viva Italian Americans, Viva la Dolce Vita in Denver and Holiday Time in Denver for more stories on DCPA. Read Fun this Summer and Year-Round at The Curtis for another mention of DCPA in my write up on one of Denver’s hippest hotels.
Read More LoDo Love, Viva Italia, Viva Italian Americans, Viva la Dolce Vita in Denver and Night Out in Denver for more on Hotel Teatro, Prima Ristorante and LoDo.
Thank you to DCPA, Joan Marcus @ Disney and Kevin Taylor for the images in this post.
Art & Culture DC Music & Dance Restaurants Travel: Art & Cultrue DC Music & Dance Restaurants Travel
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MLK, DC’s Black Heritage, Chuck Brown, Frankie and Me
Martin Luther KIng Memorial
With all the press lately about the official opening of the Martin Luther King Memorial, I thought I’d share with you a spirited night in Washington, DC spent with my oldest brother, Frank. He’s a real doer and whether it’s work or personal, he knows how to select and orchestrate all the right elements to achieve maximum results. In this case, it was about showing his younger sister a good time.
He had reserved a late Sunday afternoon and evening for us in August. Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go, a style of music that incorporates jazz, funk, R & B, hip-hop and dancehall, was to be the main attraction. Frankie had secured the tickets at DC’s renowned 9:30 Club as soon as he knew I was headed his way, about a month before the show. I hadn’t heard anything about Chuck Brown, but trusted that my brother was lining up a fun night out. He’s a big planner—much like me—and that quality along with a nice dose of serendipity laid out an evening that bobbed along beautifully on a helluva cross cultural theme.
Without any discussion whatsoever, the car pointed in the direction of the freshly-opened MLK Memorial. It was the Sunday after Hurricane Irene blew through our nation’s capitol (along with most of the eastern seaboard), so the Memorial’s official opening—slated for that weekend—had been postponed. Frank and I thought we’d check it out anyway since although not properly christened, it was open. No luck. We drove along the Potomac on the roadway bordering the monument, creeping along with the hope that we’d find a car that would pull out and leave its parking space for us. No way. You couldn’t even shoehorn a moped in between the lineup of vehicles. Not surprisingly, most of the visitors headed to or from the MLK Memorial were African-American or at least of some kind of Negro heritage. They had waited long enough for the tribute to their esteemed leader—it was time to take a look. Frank and I gave up searching for a spot. I felt somewhat disappointed but bowed out gracefully with the sentiments that it would be best for us to leave any free parking to the people for whom Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s I’ve Been to the Mountaintop speech meant the most.
Frank zoomed off to the Greater U Street district where we’d later be taking in the concert. We parked and began to explore. Here I discovered a culturally diverse neighborhood, peppered with all kinds of people from varying social classes. It took me a total of two minutes to notice a lot of buff and stylish gay men, always a good sign, indicating that a neighborhood has been gentrified enough to possess a worthwhile dining and shopping scene.
“Ever eat Ethiopian?” Frank asked. I admitted I hadn’t but always wanted to try. “Well you know you’re going to have to eat with your hand,” he quipped, almost like a dare. Suddenly images of his travel tales in Africa where you eat with the right hand and take care of the “necessary” with the left flashed into my head. He must have noticed my hesitation, since in perhaps an effort to assuage my confusion, he informed me that at these Ethiopian restaurants you scoop the food up with bread.
“Well, then that’s O.K.,” I piped up, almost defensively. My brother knows me as one to be enchanted with fine restaurants and hotels, so I was determined to show him a more adventuresome side of myself. I had been referred to as “fussy Aunt Bessie” one too many times in my life anyway.
Sitting out in the sidewalk seating area of Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant watching the colorful parade of people pass by with my bro was great fun. I found the food tasty but couldn’t get past the spongey, amoeba-like bread served with it. I felt too proud to eat the spicy and savory mélange of meat and vegetable dishes solely with a fork and instead nearly gagged downing the gelatinous substance referred to as bread. The restaurant was packed, so I figured it was more of a mental block for me. I guess I won’t be going to Ethiopia anytime soon.
Ben's Chili Bowl
It was a delicious summer evening and after dinner, Frank and I strolled through the neighborhood, checking out the scene from end to end. I was delighted to discover that Greater U Street is considered the historic heart of DC’s African-American community. I stopped in front of a plaque indicating Lincoln Theater, now restored to its 1922 grandeur. Cab Calloway, Pearl Bailey, Sarah Vaughan and Louis Armstrong all performed there. I imagined the elegance of the folks that attended these great events during an era when every man had to wear a tie. (And you can bet the ladies were dressed to the nines, too!)
We stopped at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a National Landmark, one of the oldest, continuously running black-owned and operated businesses in the country. Founded in 1958, Ben’s has witnessed a lot of happenings during its history including the riots of 1968 following the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. I checked out their brightly-lighted interior and perused their menus. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and I suspected they were packed during most of their hours of operation. As much as I enjoyed sitting on a patio with Frank, I couldn’t help thinking that bellying up to the counter together would have been a real hoot.
Ben's Chili Scene
We read more plaques on our way to the 9:30 Club and peeked into a few more restaurants. The place was hopping and Frank confirmed that Greater U Street, DC’s historic Black Broadway, was experiencing a resurgence of nightlife today.
Chuck Brown: The Godfather of Go-Go
The 9:30 Club stands out as one of the hottest places to listen to music in all of DC. By the time we arrived, it was already raging. Frank and I made it to the upstairs balcony and claimed a sliver of space where we remained for the rest of the show. The immense, dark cavernous space was packed and as I looked around, noticed mostly with people of color. Wow, I thought to myself, we have a very vibrant music scene in Telluride with world-class performers such as David Byrne, B.B. King, Mumford and Sons and more that headline our big music festivals, but our audiences are almost entirely white-bread even though people come from near and far. What a fabulous destination I had found myself in!
My brother grinned ear-to-ear and we both began to groove and gyrate to Chuck’s runaway beat. I felt the floor shake beneath me. I brushed off an Oh God moment, but still made note of the exits in case of emergency or some other need for mass exodus. Wind me up Chuck was setting the house ‘a fire and my brother and I were fanning his flames. I raised my hands and clapped to the beat. People exploded all around us. But as I scanned this large venue, I noticed that everyone was punching their fist—mostly their right one—into the air. I tried that, but it felt strange, so I kept reverting to raising my hands and clapping them together à la Telluride. More Black power. Then more fist pumping. The floor swagged and swayed. Frankie smiled. And then finally I punched my right fist up into the air and screamed. Ya-hoo! Gotta love Go-Go.
Frank and I could barely drag ourselves out of bed the next morning. Thank goodness he’s a go-getter, since he has to work to preserve our country’s Social Security. I’m just a freelance writer out for a good time.
I can’t wait for another outing with my bro in DC. Somehow I think next time it might very well include an actual trip to the MLK Memorial. Maybe I’ll make him swing by Ben’s Chili Bowl for a chili dog afterward. Their famous chili is known to make a hot dog bark. Or a white girl pump her fist.
MLK Memorial
The African-American Heritage Trail in DC boasts some two hundred historic sites around the city, about one hundred of them featuring plaques. You can find sites and plaques in almost every neighborhood of the city. Visit Cultural Tourism DC to find out more.
9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW, 202-265-0930 or 877-435-9849 for tickets.
Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant, 1114-1118 U Street NW, 202-667-8735.
Ben’s Chili Bowl, 1114-1118 U Street NW, 202-667-0909.
A Couple of Other Restaurants I Scouted Out within the Greater U Street Neighborhood
Coppi’s Organic Restaurant, 1414 U Street NW, 202-319-7773; a Zagat-rated restaurant.
American Ice Company, 917 V Street NW, 202-758-3562, a hip bar and restaurant near the 9:30 Club.
Note also that the scene at the 9:30 Club changes according to the performer. My brother is slated to see my guy Willie Nelson there in November!
Thank you to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Gediyon Kifle, Chuck Brown and Ben’s Chili Bowl for the use of the images in this post.
Art & Culture Girl Talk Hotels New England Restaurants Shopping Travel: Art & Culture Girl Talk Hotels New England Restaurants Shopping Travel
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A Heartwarming Day Trip to Western Massachusetts and the Norman Rockwell Museum
Autumnal Scene in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
I was back east recently visiting my parents in upstate New York. Mom and I had on our agenda a “day out” to ourselves, one just like the old days. To us that meant planning a jaunt to a nearby destination such as the Hudson Valley region, southern Vermont or the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, all scenic and fairly rural destinations within about an hour’s drive of my parents’ house in Troy, New York. These were the places we would travel to throughout the years, especially when I was growing up. Together we would marvel at the pastoral landscapes while chitchatting the day away. Lunch, a bit of shopping and often a museum visit were all key components of a successful day trip, the perfect female bonding experience for two gals living in a house full of men. (I grew up with five brothers, a father and no sisters.)
It was during these joyous excursions that my love for unique places full of personality and charm emerged. I could hardly tolerate department stores or malls when I was a girl and still have a hard time with them today. Yes, these trips to soulful sites full of history and tradition planted the seeds for the shopping service I founded in Paris some years later and the four books I came to write on shopping and touring in Paris and the French provinces. My philosophy is and always will be about the whole shopping and touring experience—it’s not so much about what you buy, it’s about how and where you buy it and what you learn along the way. Truth is, I’m not even a big advocate of buying, but we all do, so why not have it be something special that you’ve procured in a memorable manner?
This special day to ourselves was more challenging to organize since we don’t leave my eighty-five-year-old Dad alone much any more. With a hearty, microwavable meal prepared in advance at the ready, cell phones listed in plain site and the reassurance that his Life-Alert was in working order, we said “Hasta la Vista,” knowing full well that we’d all appreciate the much-needed time away from each other.
The Berkshires won out this time, mostly since I expressed a keen desire to visit the new Norman Rockwell Museum. (New is relative since this current, more expanded showcase of this great American illustrator’s works and more opened in 1993. My Mom and I had visited the original Norman Rockwell Museum a couple of times decades ago, but we had not had the opportunity to find our way to this part of western Massachusetts in years. Hey, what can I say? France and Colorado have been my focus throughout most of my adult life.)
Norman Rockwell Museum (exterior). Photo by Art Evans. ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.
On this gorgeous Indian Summer day, we set out for Stockbridge, Massachusetts along the Mass Pike, a leisurely drive that revealed the most beautiful fall colors of my whole ten-day October trip home. We were hitting it at its best, an especially fortunate occurrence for me since I had also taken in the peak foliage of the Rockies just before I left Colorado. The bursts of russet, crimson, bittersweet and dark yellow on the long, loaf-y Berkshire Hills furnished quite a different autumnal tableau from the orangey-golds that flank our snow-capped, towering peaks. Indeed, this part of the country appears older and more steeped in tradition than the mighty West.
The Red Lion Inn: The Place for Lunch
After a short tour along a meandering road off the highway, we arrived at Stockbridge, surely one of the most picturesque villages in all of New England. With a Main Street scene that appears fresh out of a storybook, it’s no wonder Norman Rockwell chose to live here the latter part of his life and to feature many of the town’s buildings and residences in his works. Mom and I headed directly for The Red Lion Inn, one of our all-time favorite places to lunch. As one of the few continuously operating inns in the country since the 1700s, you can bet that coming here plunges you into a marvelous immersion of Colonial America.
We were happy to be seated right away in their glorious dining room filled with leaf peepers from all over the world. (We even met one couple from Australia.) Mom and I happily settled in to this regal setting replete with red floral carpet and wallpaper, white tablecloths and collections of teapots and coffee pots adorning the walls. “I love how everything is so clear and sparkling,” my mother remarked. Indeed, it was nice to see that it was as lovely and grand as I had remembered it from many years ago. Mom and I calculated that it had in fact been eighteen years since we last lunched at The Red Lion Inn. It seemed hard to believe as we both commented that we hoped it wouldn’t be another eighteen before a return visit.
“I’d be ninety-six then,” my Mom piped up. A bitter-sweet comment since I felt a tweak of sadness that she would be that old but was also happy that she considered living that long, something she balked at in years past.
“Well, you might not be driving then, Mom,” I replied. “But I’d be happy to chauffeur you here.” We laughed since in all of our forays, Mom has always been the driver and I’m the navigator, at best.
We savored every spoonful of our New England Clam Chowder, followed by salads, a Caesar for my mother, a Frisée, Radicchio and Spinach for me. People around us feasted on hand-carved turkey sandwiches, Indian Pudding, Roasted Pumpkin Crème Brulée and other tempting offerings. We passed on dessert and padded out to peruse the Inn’s fine furnishings and outstanding collection of china up close. Being cat lovers, we also gave Simon, the Inn’s resident kitty, a few good pets.
The Red Lion Inn in Fall: A Veritable Pumpkin and Gourd Fest
We poked around The Red Lion Inn Gift Shop and then looked next door at An American Craftsman Gallery and Stockbridge General Store, a charming old cache of goods loaded with everything from horehounds (one of Mom’s favorite candies) to hand-dipped beeswax candles, hand thrown pottery and much, much more. As we creaked over the wooden floor, commenting on the various tchotchkes, it truly felt like old times. Perhaps the only thing different was that we were moving slower and buying less. I guess that’s what happens with age and wisdom!
The “Four Freedoms” gallery at Norman Rockwell Museum. Photo courtesy of Berkshire Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved.
Another short, scenic drive landed us at the Norman Rockwell Museum—finally! I walked in here with my mouth gaping nearly as wide as it had when I first laid eyes on his magnificent paintings. So many of them came back to me although in this new, more airy space they’re better displayed. Here they’re featured with extensive explanations that tell the story of each of Mr. Rockwell’s marvelous works, his picture-perfect glimpses of life in America. We also appreciated this new space for the well-placed seating areas that invite you to sit and contemplate the paintings, drawings and illustrations until you’re ready to move on. Closing time came all too fast, but I was still able to dart around the Museum’s campus to take in more idyllic Berkshire Hills views and to glimpse at the artist’s original studio that had been moved here from Stockbridge. I then blasted downstairs of the museum to watch the ten-minute video on Norman Rockwell’s life while admiring the extraordinary display of his renowned The Saturday Evening Post covers on display in the same room. Mom scoured the gift shop during that time until we both shuffled out of the museum with the last of the day’s stragglers.
Photo by Sarah Edwards. ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.
Norman Rockwell’s original Stockbridge studio (exterior). Photo by Art Evans. ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.
We took the back roads home winding through more fall foliage-festooned villages than we could count. Colorado isn’t as big on Halloween decorations, perhaps because the snow and cold arrives so early, so I delighted in all the goblins, pumpkin patches and scarecrows along the way. We only stopped once and that was for another northeastern tradition of sorts that we like to share together: a coffee shake from Friendly’s. The trip had been a triumph—mother and daughter enjoyed time together while giving father a break. We recounted our day’s doings to Dad upon our return and he did the same about his day with us.
Now that my father heard our raves about The Red Lion Inn and the Norman Rockwell Museum, I can only hope that my parents find their way there together in the not-too-distant future. Day trips do a world of good, even if you break out of the mother-daughter equation.
The Red Lion Inn, 30 Main Street, Stockbridge, 413-298-5545.
Norman Rockwell Museum, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge, 413-298-4100.
An American Craftsman Gallery, 36 Main Street, Stockbridge, 413-298-0175.
Stockbridge General Store, 40 Main Street, Stockbridge, 413-298-3060.
Thank you to the Norman Rockwell Museum and the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce and Kevin Sprague for the images in this post.
Note the fall colors appeared to be late this year in the East, supposedly due to all the rain they had and few frosts. So I’m sure there’s lots of great leaf-looking to be enjoyed in New England. Holiday time is also very special there as well.
Check out Cape Cod, Cranberries and the Creation of Ever-Lasting Memories to read about another memorable New England fall trip, that time with both Mom and Dad.
