Hello everyone- and hello 2022! Happy New Year and Happy (belated) 2nd Birthday to ‘Coffee & Chiffon’- which was first launched on New Year’s Day back in 2020. Simpler times.
While I hit the ground running shortly after the ball dropped, and have been on the move and working since this past weekend wrapped up- my New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in itself was a delightfully peaceful, quiet and delicious way to say goodbye to 2021 and ring in 2022- with just a touch of extravagance!
After treating myself to a peppermint mocha facial and touching up my hair at my longtime favorite salon/spa (which I’ll write about in a future post, for sure!) during the early morning hours of New Year’s Eve- I headed out to The Berkshires and to historic and beyond photogenic Stockbridge, Massachusetts- made famous by Normal Rockwell and Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant.” You can read about my 2021 trip to the Normal Rockwell Museum by CLICKING HERE, by the way!
My plan was to have dinner and spend a night at the iconic Red Lion Inn (established in 1773.) The inn, located right on Main Street among shops, galleries and beautiful houses- is sprawling in size and relatively unchanged over the years in terms of it’s furnishings and woodwork. It is cozy, unique and a popular attraction for visitors passing through the area from both New England and New York given it’s charm and the various inclusive community events they host year-round- and it was busy and bustling for New Year’s Eve!
I enjoyed a six course (!!!) meal at the inn’s tavern (I would go on to enjoy a phenomenal breakfast and a New Year’s Day dinner in their gorgeous and very fancy dining room shortly thereafter) while listening to a live jazz band and marveling at the inn’s Christmas decorations between bites. After eating entirely too much and having just a few too many sips of champagne- I retreated to my suite to talk to friends leading up to midnight while simultaneously watching the countdown on TV- one of my favorite traditions!
Following one of the deepest sleeps imaginable in the fluffiest of beds- I kicked off my New Year the following day with some shopping and sightseeing around both Stockbridge and neighboring Lenox, Massachusetts. I bought some new clothes, some new bath and body stuff- and indulged in the aforementioned breakfast and dinner back at the inn before it was time for me to head home and start preparing for my next adventure (I’ll get to that a little later on this week.)
Overall I had such a beautiful, blissful time- and the photos I took throughout my stay and self-guided tour around town simply doesn’t do it justice! I’m definitely going to be heading back at some point this year, maybe for one of their scheduled events/celebrations. It was the perfect way to ring in a new year and I couldn’t have asked for a better and more relaxing experience.
And here’s to having other (hopefully just as nice) experiences in other new places in the year ahead!
Cheers!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 