ERIKA: IN LENO MASSACHUSETTS, A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE GRAND HOTEL.
WHEN BLANTYR WAS BUILT, IT WAS CONSIDERED A COTTAGE.
NO LONGER.
>> BLANTYR IS A FIVE-STAR PROPERTY, CONSISTING OF 24 GUESTROOMS.
ERIKA: SMALL FOR A HOTEL BUT SURELY GRAND FOR A SUMMER HOME.
>> ROBERT AND MARIE PATTERSON, THEY MADE THEIR GREAT FORTUNE IN TURPENTINE.
THEY DECIDED TO SETTLE IN THE BERKSHIRES IN 19 O.T..
ERIKA: DAVID BOOP OH DIRECTS MEMBERSHIP AND CONCIERGE SERVICES.
HE IS ALSO THE DE FACTO HOTEL HISTORIAN.
MILE AWAY.
IT IS WARMTH AND IT IS CHARACTER HAS ALWAYS RUN IN THAT -- RESONATED WITH ME.
BLANTYRE ITSELF IS TRANSLATED FROM T GAELIC, MEANING WARMER TREAT.
AND THAT WAS INDEED WHAT THE PATTERSON’S INTENDED.
ERIK THEY WERE A COUPLE IN GOOD COMPANY, VACATIONING IN T BERKSHIRES, THEN CONSIDERED INLAND NEWPORT.
ERIKA: MANY OF THE -- ANY OF THE LOCALS INCLUDED IN CARNEGIE, SARAH MORGAN, JP MORGAN’S DAUGHTER.
. THEY DID HOST NUMEROUS GARDEN PARTIES ON THE GRAND LAWNS HERE.
AND THIS IS PATTERSON WOULD OFTEN WELCOME GUESTS BY PLAYING THE PIPE ORGAN.
ERIKA: THAT PIPE ORGAN IS GONE, VICTIMS OF RENEGADE -- RENOVATIONS.
THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CHANGES.
THIS WAS MISSES PATTERSON’S SOLARIUM.
SHE HAD MASSIVE GREEN HOUSES.
ERIKA: THAT SOLARIUM IS NOW TH CONSERVATORY DINING ROOM, ADJACENT IS THE BISTRO BAR, AWARDED THE MOSTBEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED BAR IN MASSACHUSETTS BY ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST.
THE TASTEFUL UPDATES ARE THE WORK OF A NEW OWNER.
SHE SOUGHT TO HAVE A WONDERFUL MIXTURE OF THE OLD AND NEW.
ERIK ROBINS EGG BLUE IS A FAVORITE FRESH EDITION TWO ROOMS STEEPED IN HISTORY.
EVER AGLOW AND WARMED BY ORIGINAL WOOD-BURNING FIREPLACES, THEY ONLY CHILL YOU WILL FIND IS IN THE SELLER.
HOME TO ONE OF THE WORLD’S ONLY DON PERRY KNOWN TASTING ROOMS.
>> IT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO ENJOY A SIMPLY A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE, SOME CAVIAR, A LITTLE SHARK ROOT -- A LITTLE CHARCUTERIE.
ERIKA: STRETCH YOUR LEGS WHI INDULGING.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF GROUNDS TO WANDER.
>> THERE IS 110 ACRES OF LAWN ON WOODLANDS.
WE HAVE PERIMETER TRAILS LET GO THE FULL LENGTH OF THE PROPERTY.
ERIK GUESTS CAN ENJOY DOWNTOWN, PACKED WITH SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.
FOR TRAVEL TO BERKSHIRE FAVORITES.
TANGLEWOOD, SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY, THE NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM THE MANY CULTURAL OFFERINGS ENTICED L.A. NATIVE CYNTHIA WICK TO VISI TOO.
BUT IT WAS THE ALLURE OF THE LANDSCAPE THAT COMPELLED HER TO STAY.
>> IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL.
AS A PAINTER, IT IS INSPIRING EVERY DAY.
ERIKA: ALWAYS AN ARTIST SHE WORKED, IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS BEFORE MOVING TO LENOX.
SHE SET HER SURROUNDINGS HAVE CHANGED HER WORK.
>> I SLOWED DOWN.
AND THEN I WITNESSED THE LIGHT AND THE SHAPES OF COLOR AND EVERYTHING MOVING AROUND.
IT MADE ME FEEL THAT NOTHING IS STATIC.
AND THEN I STARTED COLLAGE AND AND MAKING PAINTINGS MORE ABSTRACT.
ERIKA: THESE PAINTINGS MADE WITH OIL, ACRYLIC, AND PAINTED PAPER ARE FOR HER SHOW "CYNTHIA WICK, THE SHAPE OF COLOR." DEPICTED ARE PLACES SHE LOVES.
>> MY CHILDREN GREW UP SWIMMING IN THIS POOL.
A YEAR AGO, I WAS IN L.A.
PAINTING AND I MADE THIS PICTURE.
ERIKA: THIS MORE MUTED SCENE IS FROM JUST OUTSIDE HER WINDOW.
>> IT IS THE WOODS IN THE FALL.
BUT FOR ME, IT IS MORE INTERPRETIVE.
SO IT IS NOT A LITERAL RENDITION OF THE WOODS.
IT IS HOW I EXPERIENCE THEM.
ERIKA: BRILL CHEERFUL TENTACLES PUNCTUATE THE COLLECTION WHICH WAS GETTING FINAL TOUCHES FOR A SHOW AT THE BERKSHIRE BURKETT -- BOTANICAL GARDEN.
>> WE HAVE 20 ACRES NOW.
IT IS A REAL MIX OF CULTIVATED LAND, BEAUTIFUL FOR OUR BLOODS -- FLOWERBEDS.
>> MICHAEL BECK SAYS THE REASON RENOVATION IS ALLOWING FOR MORE PROGRAMMING AT THE GARDEN, INCLUDIN EXHIBITIONS.
>>>> WE HAVE AN ART GALLERY, WE HAVE A TEACHING KITCHEN WHERE WE DO COOKING CLASSES.
WE HAVE A LIBRARY OF RARE BOTANICAL BOOKS.
REALLY A LOT MORE THINGS PEOPLE CAN USE YEAR-ROUND.
ERIKA: AN ANNUAL HIGHLIGHT IS THE GARDEN’S HARVEST FESTIVAL.
HELD SINCE THE NONPROFIT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1934.
>> OLDER COUPLES WITH THEIR GRANDCHILDREN COME HERE AND SAY, WE CAME HERE 60 OR 70 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE LITTLE, AND WE WANT TO SHARE WITH OUR GRANDCHILDREN THE MAGIC OF HARVEST FESTIVAL.
ERIKA: SHARING THE COLORFUL PAST OF THE BERKSHIRES IS BRENT BETTY’S PASSION, A VOLUNTEER AT THE BERKSHIRES SCENIC RAILWAY MUSEUM.
HE IS ALSO A HISTORY TEACHER.
>> THE BERKSHIRES SENIOR -- SCENIC RAILWAY MUSEUM IS NON-FOR PROFIT.
OUR MISSION IS TO PRESERVE THE RICH RAILROAD HERITAGE OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
ERIKA: NOW QUAINT ENOUGH TO PAINT, LENOX STATION WAS IN DISREPAIR WHEN THE MUSEUM TOOK POSSESSION OF IT IN THE MID-1980’S.
>> IT WAS>> LITERALLY JUST A FEW MONTHS FROM BEING DEMOLISHED.
THE DECISION WAS MADE THAT IT WAS SO ICONIC TO T AREA, THAT IT HAD TO BE RESTORED.
ERIKA: THE STATION AND TRAINS ARE MEANT TO TRANSPORT VISITORS TO THE 50’S AND 60’S.
THE MUSEUM ALSO RUNS A SEASONAL WEEKEND TOURIST TRAIN BASED IN ADAMS.
IRAN BETWEEN ADAMS AND NORTH ADAMS ALONG THOSE WHOSE IT AND GRAY LACK MOUNTA RANGES.
IT IS A FIVE MILE RIDE.
ABOUT ONE HOUR AND 1 MINUTES.
YOU HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF BOTH THE HISTORY AND THE RAW BEAUTY OF NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
ERIKA: A GRAND PLACE TO VISIT TO EXPERIENCE A RICH PAST AND PRESENT.
ANTHONY: BACK TO THE BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN IN STOCKBRIDGE, THEY HAVE REIMAGINED THEIR ANNUAL HARVEST FESTIVAL THIS YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
IT RUNS THROUGH OCTOBER 31 AND WILL FEATURE SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL ACTIVITIES, BUT WITH TIMED ADMISSIONS.
AND BACK TO BLANTYRE, CAFE BOULUD DEBUTED AT THE RESORT IN JULY.
IT’S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE RESORT AND FAMED CHEF DANIEL BOULUD.
THE POP-UP CAFE WILL BE OPEN THROUGH FEBRUARY.
UP NEXT, ERIKA SIPS SOME SERIOUS HOT CHOCOL