When the rolling hills of central Massachusetts beckoned, Bronson Alcott (Louisa May’s dad) and his optimistic band of Utopians settled in and named their farm “Fruitlands,” as they planned to live off the fruits of the land. Their 1843 experiment was short-lived, but Clara Endicott Sears, a Brahmin with vision, picked up the pieces in […]
What’s the best way to put a platter of cheeses together? You might take any of several directions, Matthew Rubiner assures us. “I like to go by geography,” he notes. “Today we went with New England cheeses, but you could opt for French, Italian, or Californian–whatever you like. Or opt for all goat, all sheep, […]
“No matter how well you plan, if you want to have an elegant picnic at Tanglewood, you’re going to have to arrive early and do some mildly heavy lifting,” Matthew Rubiner observes. “But make the food and drink the easy part.” * If you’re going to lug a coffee table and chairs, try to find […]
Normal Rockwell Museum: The artist’s studio in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, reveals details that show the man behind the paintings.
The 20-mile Blackburn Challenge, “the East Coast’s premier open-water human-powered boat competition,” is named for a Gloucester fisherman who famously froze his fingers to his oars in order to row back from God knows where in the middle of winter in 1883. The good news is he survived. The bad news is he lost enough […]
For fans of music and food, there’s no more enchanting outing than a Tanglewood picnic in the summer. For more than seven decades, the members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (and a host of friends) have been switching to white summer tuxes and creating beautiful music in the dreamy surroundings of the Berkshire Hills in […]
Ten years ago, James Hyland, president and founder of the Lighthouse Preservation Society, decided to serve up something a little different to aid his fundraising work. Since its founding in 1984, his Dover, New Hampshire-based nonprofit has helped save and restore some 160 lighthouses across the country. In 1999, Hyland set his sights on Rear […]
Once you climb the 55-step winding staircase to the top of Rear Range Light in Newburyport, Massachusetts, you won’t really care what you eat or drink. You’ll be filled with the view from your glass-paneled private dining room. The 365-degree vista follows the Merrimack River to the Atlantic Ocean and Plum Island, then back to […]
The 30th Annual Pan-Mass Challenge takes place August 1-2, 2009, with more than 5,000 cyclists from Sturbridge to Provincetown, or some variation of that route. The Pan-Mass Challenge has one goal: to find a cure for a disease the touches us all — cancer. Founder Billy Starr, according to Yankee editor Mel Allen, is one […]
ATTRACTIONS Best Children’s Clothing:THE RED WAGON, Boston Find well-made outfits in fun colors that won’t break the bank or fall apart after washing. Accessories are functional and irresistible, plus there’s a thoughtful selection of books and toys. 69 Charles St. 617-523-9402; theredwagon.com Best Furnishings Store:BLISS HOME, Boston Tastes may vary from century to century, but […]
LODGING Best Green-Friendly Stay: TOPIA INN, Adams The beauty and comfort of this solar- and biodiesel-powered B&B is proof positive that reducing the carbon footprint of your travels doesn’t require sacrificing a thing. Ten artist-designed rooms, unique in their exotic motifs, have been built and furnished exclusively with inert and organic materials. Rates: from $135, […]
DINING Best Post-Theater Dining: MEZZE BISTRO + BAR, Williamstown This urbane restaurant’s refined wood-beamed and white-linen interior is the go-to spot for Williamstown Theatre Festival patrons and other loyal fans of dramatically good bistro fare. Deceptively simple yet full-flavored local lamb and beef draw rave reviews, and come apple season, it’d be downright criminal to […]
