Road Trip East: The Mount

Last summer I read Edith Wharton's "Ethan Frome" (not exactly a great beach book!). The sparse landscape of the western Massachusetts countryside, cold and bleak, reminded me a bit of the Shaker Village in Hancock that I visited two years ago.

Unfortunately when we visit Massachusetts, it's in the winter and Wharton's home, "The Mount," doesn't open for visitors until May. But this time, although the home itself wasn't open, the grounds were greenish and walkable, so Rick and I made a stop, just to look outside and walk through the garden area.

Located in Lenox, Massachusetts in the Berkshires, the Whartons lived at the Mount for nine years in the early 1900s. The grounds are extensive and the house is on a high hill, imposing and overlooking a grand view.


There is much stone work in the grand steps leading up to the terrace, the columns on the terrace's cement railing and in the Italian walled garden.

             

I also was very fond of the cupola with its weathervane.

                   

In season (or out, for that matter!), one can walk through the Italian walled garden, a rock garden and flower garden. Judging from the trees flanking the walkway, it is quite formal.



The Mount's informative website explains that Wharton herself designed the Mount based on principles in the book she co-wrote with Ogden Codman Jr. called "The Decoration of Houses." She also designed the three acres of formal gardens around the house.

The back of the building, which is what one sees when driving up, is three stories. It is built into a hill so the front (or terrace side) has two stories. With the grand, wide terrace it is tremendously imposing!



From the terrace one can peek into some of the rooms. While we couldn't venture inside, it was clear that they were simply beautiful, elegant and gracefully laid out and appointed.

I was fond of the shell pink and white in this room. And, if you look above through the doorway, you'll see the intricate iron railing leading up the steps.

                           

And of course, books were artfully placed throughout the rooms we could see. This must be the library!

Although there were no blooms, it was a beautiful setting in which to wander -- The Mount keeps the grounds open off season. One can only imagine how lovely it is when the flowers and trees are in full bloom.

Thanks for joining me on this off-season tour of a spot I know is probably amazing once spring hits! For more on The Mount, check out their website HERE.

You can also learn more about Edith Wharton (and her sometimes twisted tales!) HERE. (And might I recommend that you don't select "Ethan Frome" as your "starter book." It may be a classic but it's dark, dark, dark!)

This post is linked to Thoughts of Home on Thursday, this week at "White Spray Paint." (Well, it was Edith's home!) Visit them for other fun links!

And on a completely unrelated note, I am currently contributing to a wonderful new online magazine, Modern Creative Life. Check out my article "What's Next" HERE.

Roadtrip East: Geneva

One of the best things about traveling is that wonderful encounter with an old friend or a new one, and Rick and I both managed to maximize that one! The first occasion occurred in Geneva. While Rick was working with a client, I had the opportunity to connect with my friend Cathy, who last year moved from San Francisco to upstate New York.

We hadn't seen each other in 18 years, so it was fun to touch base in person. Cathy met me at the hotel and it was back to Belhurst for breakfast and some photos. It was fun seeing this spot in the day time!

Then we went off to Ventosa winery for a bit of tasting. (I don't usually do wine tasting right after breakfast but we stayed at Belhurst a very long time catching up on life!)



Our time together wasn't finished though. One of the crown jewels in Geneva is the Smith Center, a beautifully restored theatre located in the city's downtown.

I am a sucker for restored theatres and this one didn't disappoint. Neither did the Smith's business manager, Jessica, who took us on an unscheduled tour of the auditorium.

Designed in the Richardson-Romanesque style, the Smith Opera House opened in October, 1894 with "The Count of Monte Cristo," starring James O'Neill, whose son, Eugene, would become one of America's best-known playwrights. (Later stars in the early days included George M. Cohan, John Phillip Sousa, and actress Ellen Terry.)

In 1929 it was renovated as an "atmospheric" movie palace, combining Baroque and Victorian decor with twinkling stars on the ceiling, Like many theatres of the period, it fell into decline in the 1950s, a victim of home television viewing and eventually mall multi-plexes. It closed in 1978 with many structural problems including a leaking ceiling and failed heating system.

But by the 1980s, a group had organized to save the theatre, which was painstakingly restored to its original 1894 facade and 1931 atmospheric interior. The complicated and expensive restoration began in the 1990s and now the theatre welcomes traveling musical acts, theatre and other performances, along with the occasional film.

The auditorium seats 1,500 people. Along the sides are some splendid gold panels and sculpture.

The overall look is dramatic, as one might expect from a theatre and the details are exquisite.

I was particularly fond of the sculptured busts in the side entry ways.

Here's a closer look at some of the gold work.

                      

Even the ends of the seats sported the gold medallions.

                   

I was equally impressed with the box office in the front lobby.

                         

Jessica snapped Cathy and me goofing it up there!

After leaving the Smith and stopping in a couple of the town's shops, it was time to say farewell to Cathy and head toward Massachusetts. A toast to old friends! And yes, we've something else to anticipate in Massachusetts besides again seeing Rick's brother and sister-in-law. Another reunion with a long-missed friend would wait there -- this time for Rick!


And on a completely unrelated note, I am currently contributing to a wonderful new online magazine, Modern Creative Life. Check out my article "What's Next" HERE.

Roadtrip East and a Celebration

I love road tripping! And when you can combine business (Rick's) into fun (for both of us), it's all the better.

We were headed East, the ultimate destination being Massachusetts, where we would be hawking his wares (software, that is) at a trade show. But the first day of the trip took us through Canada and into upstate New York, where we stopped for the night in Geneva, NY.



A dear friend had given us the equivalent of a dinner gift certificate at Christmas (we pick the restaurant!) and we decided to use the occasion to celebrate 20 years together. (Actually, 23 if you start from when we met!)

For all intents and purposes, you could call it an anniversary dinner, though contrary to popular opinion we aren't married and live in separate houses two blocks away from each other. We figure that this arrangement has kept us together when closer quarters may have failed! I think of Greg and Kevin, Rick's son's, as my practically-step-kids or loaner kids, as we've been together since the boys were 7 and 10!

We met when I went to look at the duplex he was renting in March 1993 (I didn't take it and ended up across the street). We were neighbors but not particularly close until after I moved a few blocks away a couple of years later. This occasion was really a celebration of two dates, three years apart!

So, the timing was right for us to use our gift while we were on the trip east and settled on Edgar's in the beautiful Belhurst Castle in Geneva as our celebration stop. And it was fabulous!

Belhurst Castle was actually build as a private residence between 1888 and 1892. It's an imposing building, located on Seneca Lake, one of New York's Finger Lakes. The brochure tells me it is built of sandstone in the Romanesque Revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (A more comprehensive history of this fascinating home can be found HERE.)

We only saw its main floor, with an imposing porch (converted into a dining area) and several smaller dining rooms. A cozy bar and a more informal restaurant were down the hall. The upper levels are used as hotel rooms (and no, we didn't stay there!).

It's earlier history included use as a Prohibition speakeasy, a supper club and a casino.

There are wonderful touches everywhere you looked. One of my favorites was the magnificent fireplace with a mosaic of Neptune.

And as you might expect, dinner was terrific, from the bread and crackers with three types of butter to the soup (seafood bisque), salad, main course (salmon for me, a super pork chop for Rick) and dessert (apple raisin bread pudding). We had looked at the steak and our server warned us that the night before someone had found it tough and since it was the same cut of meat, she wouldn't recommend it. I found that honesty refreshing.

When they brought dessert, it was accompanied by chocolate covered strawberries. That would have been dessert enough!

And yes, we were full. And yes, we were very, very happy! And yes, we'd return in a heartbeat!

Next time we'll visit a little more of Geneva. It's a wonderful place! (This post is linked to Thoughts of Home on Thursday! Check them out for other fun links!)