Holiday Happenings In the Berkshires

The Berkshires is a perfect place to spend the holidays this season. Fresh snow makes the Inn at Stockbridge a winter wonderland. The Inn is decorated in all it glory as the mansion is now 103 years old. Come view pen and ink drawings that are sent to us each season by our friend Barry Ottenstein. Celebrate Chanukah and the holiday season and visit the Berkshire Museum and view the festival of trees. This is 25th year of this annual event which is on view from November 14–January 3 2010. Each year, the Berkshire Museum spruces up the galleries with scores of festive trees decorated by community organizations, businesses, and school children. This year, to mark the Festival’s Silver Anniversary, the trees have been inspired by the theme Silver Bells.
While visiting the Berkshires this holiday season you can ski at Butternut, visit Ventfort Hall and the Rockwell Museum as well as go to the Berkshire Theatre Festival to see the Christmas Carol.
The Berkshires, Stockbridge and the Inn at Stockbridge is the place to be this holiday season.

We Love Our Repeat Guests at The Inn at Stockbridge

Alice & Len Schiller, owner/innkeepers of the Inn at Stockbridge B&B in The Berkshires of Western MA really enjoy our frequent repeat guests. This confirms that we must be doing a great job that our guests want to keep coming back. Last weekend we enjoyed the company of John & Rayna Keenan from Worcester MA. John & Rayna first visited us in July 2004 and were intrigued be the Out of Africa Suite. Rayna is originally from Northern Rhodesia which is now Zambia. Rayna has fond memories of her former home. Rayna was educated in Capetown South Africa and lived in Aberdeen Scotland before moving to Boston in 1971. John and Rayna have been married for 26 years and now live in Worcester. Jack is an attorney and spends most of his practice in litigation in the Worcester court house. Jack was born and raised in NYC and educated at Holy Cross in Worcester. He went off to the Marine Corp and the back to Boston College for law school.
John and Rayna have been regular guests of the Inn since 2004. They love the culture, restaurants and the other guests that frequent the Inn. They came this weekend mainly to see Red Remembers at the BTF and were thrilled that David Garrison joined us for breakfast and that they had the opportunity to meet him.
Rayna commented that they consider the Inn at Stockbridge their home away from home and always enjoy visiting with Alice, Len & Mia. We hope to have the pleasure of Rayna and John's company again real soon.

Breakfast guest at The Inn at Stockbridge

Alice & Len Schiller, owner/innkeepers of the Inn at Stockbridge B&B in the Berkshires are always pleased when a guest at the Inn asks if they can invite someone for breakfast. I keep on blogging because we are always having interesting guests pass through our doors. Yesterday we were pleased to invite David Garrison, center, who is presently starring in Red Remembers at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. He was invited to the Inn by our guests Bob Unger & Pamela Singer. David, Bob And Pamela were all students at Boston University together where all three were students of theatre. We also discovered that Pamela was in a show with Rita Moreno a former guest of the Inn Pamela works in stage management. Bob is now an attorney in corporate law. Bob & Pamela reside in NYC and have a vacation cottage in Pawling NY. David lives in Manhattan and in Santa Fee New Mexico.
David is most known for his role in Married with Children. He played Steve the next door neighbor who was married to Marcy. Most recently he starred in Wicked as the Wizard. David was thrilled to have breakfast with Bob & Pamela. Last week he also dined at the Inn with Lucy Johnson, former VP with CBS daytime. David grew up on the Jersey Shore and was always a fan of Red Barber David is not sure what his next role will be but hopes his agent is working on his behalf.
We are always delighted when we have the opportunity to sit down with our guests and get to know them a bit better. After all what Len & I enjoy most about owning and operating the Inn at Stockbridge is the people that we get to meet.
Perhaps we will get the opportunity to meet you next. One never knows.

Thirty Years & Counting at The Inn at Stockbridge

Dr. Marvin & Naomi Lipman have the distinct honor of being the most long term guests at the Inn at Stockbridge B&B in the Berkshires. They even preceded us at the Inn. They have stayed in every room at the inn but love the Terrace room, they call it Marvin's room. Marvin & Naomi are photoed on the Terrace room private deck on which the love to listen to quiet music and read the New york Times.
The Lipmans have lived in Scarsdale for 43 years. Dr Marvin has been a member of the Scarsdale Medical Group for over 40 years. The group was started by Dr Herman Tarnower, the author of the Scarsdale Diet. Marvin is professor of Medicine at New York Medical College in Valhalla and is Chief Medical Advisor to Consumer Reports. I fondly remember when Dr. Lipman would edit his columns and constantly send and receive faxes. Computers now make this task simpler. Naomi was travel editor for the health and travel newsletter for many years.

While in the Berkshires they always visit Tanglewood and enjoyed Yo Yo Ma and Carmen Bernana. They enjoyed the Prisoner on Second Ave at the Berkshire Theatre Festival and Jacobs Pillow. The Lipmans now love to spend time in NYC and enjoy the culture of the Metropolitan Opera and Theatre and to spend time with their three grandchildren. Marvin & Naomi love the Berkshires and the Inn at Stockbridge and plan to return next year.

Mothers & Daughters Reunion at the Inn at Stockbridge

The Blog at the Inn at Stockbridge Bed & Breakfast in the Berkshires continues as the guests keep on coming to enjoy all the Inn and Stockbridge has to offer. I hope it will never end and so this blog will continue.
Three girls met became friends in Kenwood School in the 6th grade in Chicago over 60 years ago. The mothers married had children and careers but their friendship continues until today. They now get together with their daughters annually to keep the relationship strong. We are thrilled that the chose the Inn for their get together this summer. Paula Simon, Deedie Holtzman & Jill Randell are the mothers. Deedie's daughters are Arlene Holtzman, Susan Holtzman Frankel & Karen Holtzman. Jill Randell daughters are Liz Feirstein, Debbie Fisher and Paulas daughters are Shelly Myers and Jackie Simon. I was presented with a book that was put together by Paula Simon which contained their itinerary, beautiful photo collages, stories and wonderful poems and wonderful stories of their times together.
There were suggestions of a trip trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum, The Mount, Ventfort Hall, Chesterwood or Naumkeag. A spa day at Cranwell, afternoon shopping at art galleries. dinners were at Chez Nous, Cafe Lucia & Rouge. Evening entertainment included Jacob's Pillow and The Berkshire Theatre Festival. Mornings consisted of the wonderful breakfasts and catch up by the 10 ladies.

This was a fun filled weekend for all and a memorable time for us as well as the entire group.

You too can plan a fun filled weekend at the Inn at Stockbridge. Alice & Len Schiller will guide you to make all your dreams come true.

Guests as Well as Julie & Julia Motivate Blog at The Inn at Stockbridge

Yesterday I had the opportunity to see Julie & Julia. I was in my glory after the movie. This guest blog consumes me as Julia Childs consumed Julia. Cooking is another passion of Len & I at the Inn as well. I was a home economics teacher and taught food service with the NYC restaurant school and the NYC Board of Education. Preparing wonderful breakfasts for our guests at the Inn is another thing that we love to do. Len prepares great omelets and is called the omelet king by many of our repeat guests.

Hank and Jill Narrow from Allentown PA have been visiting the Berkshires for over 30 years and the Inn at Stockbridge B&B in the Berkshires for 10 years. They already reserved their weeks stay for next summer. The speak of the Berkshires as "an infusion of culture, peacefulness and tranquility in a pastoral setting." This year as in all the previous 30 years they went to Tanglewood. They especially enjoyed Mark Morris with Yo Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax and Chris Botti on the trumpet. The Narrow's enjoyed Prisoner of Second Ave at the Berkshie Theatre Festival.
They also visited Shakespeare & Co.
Hank & Jill dined at Cafe Lucia & Bistro Zinc.
Hank works for Iron Mountain as director of Partner Alliances. Jill is employed by Welcome Wagon. Jill also has a supplemental business as JSN fine arts where she represents emerging artists.
Jill and Hank plan to return to the Inn next year. They especially like us, Alice & Len Schiller who ensure guest satisfaction and create a wonderful atmosphere which is conducive to conversation and interaction with the other guests. We love meeting the guests at the Inn, cooking wonderful breakfast for them and helping them enjoy to Berkshires which we love.

Alice & Len Schiller Enjoy the Berkshire Theatre Festival

Last night Len & Alice Schiller owners of the Inn at Stockbridge had the pleasure of seeing the Einstein Project at the The Berkshire Theatre Festival. This was truly a unique wonderful production, different from anything we ever saw. The Einstein Project by Paul D'Andrea & Jon Kleinand directed by Eric Hill is a fascinating look at one of the Titans of the 20th century: Albert Einstein. This truly unique theatrical experience seeks to humanize and contextualize a man that we all think we know. Through conversations with his son Edmond and his colleagues, we are truly able to visualize the man who, however reluctantly, ushered in the Atomic Age.
The Inn at Stockbridge is less then a mile from the BTF and as owner innkeepers and Berkshire residents we thrilled with this years program. We already saw the Faith Healer and Broadway by the Year and look forward to the entire season when we will see the Prisoner of Second Ave & Ghosts on the main stage and Candide and Sick in the Unicorn Theatre.
We are thrilled that the Berkshire's has so much to offer the guests at our Inn and they can truly enjoy Culture in the country.

Visit the Cultural Berkshires and stay at The Inn at stockbridge

Culture in the Country is in full swing for the 2009 summer season. Stay at the Inn at Stockbridge and enjoy it all. Alice & Len Schiller, owners of the Inn had the pleasure of attending two shows at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge already.
Faith Healer by Brian Fried and directed by Eric Hill. It was described by The New York Times as" Intricate and self contradicting, the narrative has the addictive pull of a detective yarn" It is the story of Francis Hardy as he travels across the British Isles performing a series of almost vaudevillian faith healings along with his wife Grace and loyal manager Teddy. This is playing until July 4.
We also saw Broadway by the Year, created, written and hosted by Scott Siegel produced in special arrangement with the Town Hall in New York City. Enjoy this cabaret style show performed by an all star cast as they sing the best songs from Broadway Shows of the 1930's and 1964. This will be performed until June 27.
We are anxious to see their other productions as well. The Einstein Project, Prisoner of Second Ave, Ghosts, Candide, Sick and Red Remembers.
We will make sure to keep you informed.

Fall at its Best in the Berkshires

Stockbridge is now experiencing the best fall foliage that I have seen in years. the colors are bright, the weather has been beautiful and life is good in the Berkshires.



The cultural scene is still happening as well. The Berkshire Theatre Festival is featuring Eleanor, a one women play about Eleanor Roosevelt. Shakespeare and Co is offering by Irina Brook and Michael Hammond. This is a world premiere adaption of Oscar Wilde's comical tale from 1887 of a transplanted American family living in a haunted English mansion and the ghastly ghost that grows on them. The show is in the new Elayne P Bernstein Theatre. It is a must see and the theatre is great.

The Barrington Stage Company is offering To Kill a Mockingbird. This is a southern classic and a quintessential American courtroom thriller. It is a powerful exploration of racial injustice, class tensions, courage, compassion and the loss of innocence in the deep south.

Offerings are until the end of October.

Our 14th summer is over

Len & I want to thank all our loyal guests who allowed us to complete fourteen summers in the beautiful Berkshires. It has been an amazing summer. Tanglewood, the Berkshire Theatre Festival, Shakespeare & Co and have all been wonderful. We feel privileged to share the Inn at Stockbridge with you and to enjoy all this beautiful culture in the country.

It is not over, the fall is coming, the leaves will be turning and new guests will be coming to experience fall in New England. It is quite a sight. Come and experience it for yourself. I just finished decorating the Inn for you to enjoy. The corn stalks, mums, pumpkins, cabbages and of course the witches make fall my favorite season. Experience it for yourself.

We just returned from a little holiday in Montreal, Quebec and Vermont. We had a wonderful week and are now prepared for our fall visitors.

Good Morning America started the whistle stop train trip in the Berkshires. James Taylor, Yo Yo Ma more on that tomorrow. What a day it was.

Summer in the Berkshires

Alice & Len Schiller, owners of the Inn at Stockbridge are thrilled to be in the Berkshires for their 14th season as owners of the Inn. This season is off to a great start. Alice & Len have been busy checking out the offerings at the various venues to assist their guests in planning their stays. There is something happening every day we even need a day of rest.
Last week James Taylor appeared at Tanglewood. He always puts on a wonderful show. We went to the Art Festival at Butternut, heard the reading of the Decoration of independence at Shakespeare & Co. We went to Tanglewood again and heard La Trojans by Berlioz. Monday was a film at the Jewish Film Festival, Tuesday was the Pops at Tanglewood. We heard and saw a wonderful production of A Little Night Music by Sondheim. Tuesday afternoon I went on a hike with my Women's hiking group and saw the arches at Chester. This was railroad arches that were built in the 1930's. It was a bit strenuous but wonderful. Thursday was the Book Club Play at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. This was a wonderful new play that I strongly recommend.

This weekend also appears to be promising. There is so much to do in the Berkshires. It is truly a cultural paradise.
We are thrilled to see so many of our regular guests. Its a wonderful feeling to be owners of the Inn, seeing all our wonderful guests and enjoying all the Berkshires has to offer.