Inderbitzen and Indrani Pillai purchased the inn in 2021 , trading in their careers in the global entertainment business for a philosophy of kindness in the Berkshire hills . The approach shines through in everything from the boutique rooms — individually designed by twenty-three BIPOC designers — to the complimentary welcome drinks and brownies . We set our bags down in the Lioness — a desert-hued room with safari vibes — and within minutes , we ’ re sipping peach sangria in the airy bar that doubles as a puzzle room . For dinner , we head to Firefly Gastropub ( fireflylenox . com ), whose farmhouse-style porch gives way to a buzzy interior featuring mood-lit booths surrounding a central bar . An enormous plate of Brussels sprouts with Parmesan blue cheese butter and a demi baguette almost fill us up , but we manage to find room for the panko-and-pistachio-encrusted trout and airline chicken . Loaded up on carbs , we drag ourselves back to the hotel , where more brownies ( they ’ re impossible to resist ) and a cognac nightcap await . |
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : Downtown Lee ,
Massachusetts ; fall foliage in the Berkshires ; the
Norman Rockwell Museum ; cider tasting at Hilltop
Orchards ; Bash Bish Falls State Park ; the Roman
Garden Theatre at Shakespeare & Company ; the Lakehouse Inn ; the Lioness Room at the
Cornell Inn .
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SUNDAY MORNING : The morning begins with the scent of coffee and breakfast drifting over from the main house . The inn serves an exceptional complimentary breakfast , and my boyfriend awards high marks to the egg frittata with goat cheese , red peppers and baby spinach . Still stuffed from the previous night ’ s culinary excursions , I pass on the Belgian waffle and instead enjoy a simple side of toast with orange marmalade and cinnamon sugar .
After checking out , we pass the morning and early afternoon perusing the shops in downtown Lenox . While art enthusiasts and fashionistas will revel in the galleries and boutiques lining Church Street , the town has options for all budgets and tastes . The Bookstore ( bookstoreinlenox . com ) is a literary lover ’ s paradise — for some booze with your books , check out the adjoining Get Lit Wine Bar — while the aptly named Catwalk Boutique ( catwalkboutique . org ) benefits the local humane society with its well-curated thrift selection . We ogle the beautiful cashmere throws at MacKimmie Co . ( mackimmieco . com ) before hitting up What A Gift ( whatagiftlenox . com ) for its quirky selection of local goodies .
SUNDAY AFTERNOON : Between shopping sprees , we grab brunch at Haven ( havencafebakery . com ), a hub for bakery items and homecooked fare . The huevos rancheros come loaded with avocado , salsa and spicy black beans , and a steaming bowl of steel-cut oats topped with homemade granola casts the breakfast standby in a whole new light . Even the baked goods are irresistible , and we grab a morning glory muffin to go before skipping town for our next venture .
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is back in the city , but we stop into Tanglewood anyway to walk the grounds of the storied music venue ( open year-round to visitors outside of concert hours , bso . org / tanglewood ). A brief drive through winding farmland brings us to Hilltop Orchards ( hilltoporchards . com ), a one-stop shop for fall frolicking with | | CONTINUED ON PAGE 157
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NUTS & BOLTS
Travel time : Two hours from Providence .
Miles : 120 miles . How to Get There : I-90 West .
Best Season to Go : Year-round . Fall is great for leaf-peeping , while winter has ski resorts and summer brings the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Jacob ’ s Pillow Dance Festival .
Bucket List for Next Time : The Mount , former home of Edith Wharton . The author and her husband built the estate in 1902 after tiring of their previous Newport abode .
Worth a Detour : Williamstown and North Adams , home to even more art museums . The Clark Art Institute ’ s extensive collection dates back to the Renaissance , while MASS MoCA is a hub for contemporary art .
The Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood . ABOVE : Jacob ' s Pillow .
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PHOTOGRAPHY , CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : GETTY IMAGES / H STIVER ; GETTY IMAGES / DENNIS TANGNEY JR .; MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM ( NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM AND JACOB ’ S PILLOW ); COURTESY OF BSO PRESS OFFICE / FRED COLLINS ; MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM ; LAUREN CLEM ; COURTESY OF LAKEHOUSE INN ; COURTESY OF THE CORNELL INN . |