Rick and Kate are very accommodating travelers....they are happy to let me make all the plans and decisions.
So our first stop "out west" was at a little out-of-the-way place called the "Fifties Diner".
There was an added bonus of a very cool car in the parking lot!
We made it out to The Berkshires by early afternoon and checked in early at our hotel so we could get over to Tanglewood around two. It was "Tanglewood on Parade" and that means they have music all afternoon before the evening show. We got ourselves situated in a great spot right beside the shed and then we were on our way.
The grounds at Tanglewood are beautiful, and it was a nice sunny day.
Our first stop was Ozawa Hall for a Cello Concerto! They played several songs, including some Beatles songs like "Cello Submarine"!
As you can see, Ozawa Hall has great seating with the entire back wall of the hall able to open up so the overflow of people can sit outside on the grass and look in.
After the Cellos, they brought out a Grand Piano, and 5 or 6 young pianists played some amazing music. Waiting here for the concert to begin.....Tag wishes it were him getting ready to play on that stage!
Walking around the grounds and people-watching is always fun. Some people go all out with their picnic set-ups!
A choral group took the main stage in the "Shed" for an afternoon concert.
And then another Orchestra
And a Bluegrass Band on the porch of the Visitor's Center.
Tag and I and Rick and Kate had brought our own picnic lunch. Not as fancy as some, but sandwiches with all the fixin's worked well for us!
The main concert was just outstanding! We sit right beside the shed, so we can see the Orchestras and also see up close on the big screen.
As darkness fell, we listened to The Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Williams, and then the Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart. They finale was the 1812 Overture, complete with cannons!
The evening was capped off by some amazing fireworks!
The day at Tanglewood was wonderful.....but our short vacation was only half over!
The next morning, we drove to the next town over for breakfast. Hubby and I are not thrilled with the hotel breakfasts usually offered, and Kate and Rick were very accommodating in going out to a local breakfast cafe called Otto's.
After a very satisfying meal, we headed over to the Normal Rockwell Museum. (which is one of my very favorite art museums!)
I didn't think you could take photos inside, so I didn't. But we had a lovely time looking at all his paintings and his Saturday Night Post covers. An amazing artist!!
We even walked over to Rockwell's studio, which was brought over from Stockbridge and placed on the grounds of the Museum.
While we were there, Hubby found a brochure for the Berkshire Museum, which had a special exhibit called "Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World". Rick and Tag are both musicians, and were eager to go see it .So we made an extra side trip to the Berkshire Museum.
They had a 43' long guitar that Hubby and Rick tried hard to play!
BB King's "Lucille"
An eight-neck guitar!
This guitar is more Rick's size
He was delighted with the exhibit!
Kate and I don't know one guitar from the next ("oh look! A pretty blue one! And that one is so shiny!") so we chose to let the boys have their fun and wander around the rest of the museum. It was an odd, very eclectic mixture of exhibits, and Kate and I were quickly done. When we checked on the guys, they were only halfway done going through the guitar exhibit!
Kate and I went outside and found a bench to sit on and wait for the guys. We found a good spot next to a friendly dinosaur. Rick came out.......but he'd lost Tag!
When I went back inside, he was serenely playing one of the guitars! Thank goodness we found him!
Another great vacation in the books, and very special because we got to share it with some great friends!
2 comments:
I highly recommend Karen Tours. We had a fun time.
Fun day thanks to our tour advisor.
-Rick
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