A Night Away

Just one night. Not much to pack, an hour or so west, dinner reservations, and no chores.
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JB and I live in Western Massachusetts, but Stockbridge is western Western Massachusetts. Nestled in Berkshires, mountain tops everywhere, it is serenely beautiful. Although the Red Lion Inn is quite famous, we first stumbled across it last spring. Last weekend we made good on our plan to stay there overnight.

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Here's the background on the Red Lion Inn:
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Some time around 1773, Anna and Silas Bingham established a general store in Stockbridge on the road that connected Boston to Albany, which soon evolved as a stagecoach stop, tavern and Inn, under the sign of the red lion. Travel at the time was difficult and uncomfortable, and the Bingham's little tavern quickly became a popular and welcome rest stop for bruised and battered travelers.

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The Red Lion Inn also became the center of village life, where people could gather, exchange pleasantries, discuss the issues of the day and relax at the end of the day. In the winter of 1786, Daniel Shays led a group of more than 100 local farmers and citizens in protest to burdensome post-war taxation. Stockbridge was chosen as its headquarters for what became known as "Shays Rebellion," and sentinels stood on guard and patrolled the streets. The Red Lion Inn's participation in these early events in the birth of the United States has earned it a place in the history books.
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So welcome to Stockbridge, Massachusetts:

"You can get anything you want...at Alice's Restaurant." Do you know the tune?

Staying at the Red Lion Inn is stepping into history.

This is the fourth floor hallway where JB and I had a no frills room.

And ended the night with a great meal--me tilapia with a red pepper sauce and JB salmon with a green sauce I only know tasted great.

Not even twelve hours later, we checked out and headed for a day of back roads and small shops.

I returned home relaxed and care-free.

Totally worth the price of admission...