What better way to build up to an epic AFC Championship Sunday than with a trip into the very heart of Tom Brady territory. No, we don't mean the red zone with 32 seconds on the clock and no timeouts remaining. We mean Ugg boot territory.
No wonder the dude swapped his cleats for Uggs, winter is the real deal up here. And anyway, after losing to an old timer with a gimpy neck he might as well throw in the towel anyway. Before his wife throws it at a receiver that is.
When this breakfast inn was built, the Declaration of Independence was still being scribbled out on the back of an envelope. Back then farm-to-table was all the rage too. Funny how history is circular.
The idyllic Berskshires are conveniently located about equidistant between New York and Boston, which is just close enough to Manhattan and just far enough away from Boston to allow one to safely root against the Patriots without ending up in the same place as those crates of English tea.
Winter hiking actually has a lot going for it. No need for sunblock, no pesky mosquitoes, a nice cooling breeze, and the warm fuzzy embrace of hypothermia.
The good news is the black bears are hibernating at this time of year. Sensible strategy really, why are we out hiking again?
Who's up for a refreshing dip in the stream?
Turns out the views are worth a little frostbite. Who needs ten fingers anyway?
There's no cellphone reception up here, but you don't really need a weather app; that lake over yonder that's frozen solid tells you everything you need to know.
Rock ponders his Everest summiting approach: the southeast ridge or the north ridge? Or head back down for a hot chocolate?
Looks like hot chocolate wins the day.
What's the first thing you think of when you stumble upon a frozen lake in the woods? Why test the ice strength of course. In hindsight that McDonald's on the drive up was ill advised. Unless of course one needs a hole for some ice fishing...
There's something just cool about walking across a lake. Sure is easier than swimming.
Did we mention the hot chocolate?
The Berkshires are famed for their rich lands and abundant produce. Nudel, a self-professed "seasonally inspired food" joint, knows just how to bring out the best of the region's bounty. Plus, the name is just cool.
Breakfast time already? Why the dinner plates have barely been cleared. But getting stuck trying to drive up the icy slope to the cabin doesn't lend itself to photos, so on to more enjoyable pursuits. Like breakfast at the somewhat bizarrely named Prairie Whale.
The name must be an oblique reference to what the clientele look like after feasting on the comforts of home-style farm fare.
The award for the quaintest restaurant on the eastern seaboard goes to... Prairie Whale. As does the gong for the weirdest name. And the best fried chicken and pancakes.
Hang on, take that statue back, Bash Bish Falls is surely a worthy contender in the strangest name stakes. Seriously, what the heck is a Bash Bish?
Whatever it is, it's quite a nifty double falls, secluded at the bottom of a snow-shrouded valley right on the New York-Massachusetts border. The one on the NY side is definitely bigger and more impressive.
Guess which falls majestically marks the Empire State's territory, and which little trickle flies the flag for Boston.
The perfect swimming hole... for a polar bear.
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