Stockbridge and Great Barrington

Readers, I proudly present to you a first in Catherine the Greatest history-- a guest blog post! Many loyal readers have sent me subtle inquiries about a mysterious Josh figure who has been mentioned in several recent posts. He is a leading expert in small-town America, and exhibits a passion like none I have ever seen for the charming and quaint. What better way to debut him to my public than with a mandatory writing assignment! Without further ado, I bring you...

 Wandering the West
by Josh
---------------------------------------------------
For most of us living in the Metrowest area, western Mass is anything past Worcester, but did you ever wonder what neat places exist in the great West of the Bay State?  For Catherine’s birthday, we took a trip to the southern Berkshires.  We were excited to celebrate and learn more about our great state.

Our trip started by visiting historic downtown Stockbridge which is famed for being the quintessential New England town.  I am undoubtedly a huge fan of small towns, and Stockbridge was no exception.  It has a wonderful blend of small stores to browse, bakeries, eateries, and cafes.  What delighted me the most was the balance between upscale atmosphere and classic New England charm.  Also, this town was also home to Alice’s Restaurant, the basis of the famed Arlo Guthrie song.  The restaurant is now named The Stockbridge Cafe.

After exploring downtown, we headed to a historic home and garden called Naumkeag, a property owned and managed by  The Trustees of Reservations for the enjoyment of the public.  The house served as a country “cottage” for the prominent Choate family.  This cottage is truly an impressive mansion.  The most dazzling part of the property is the gardens.  Much of the garden was designed as outdoor rooms by renowned landscape architect Fletcher Steele.  Miss Mabel Choate, who inherited the property from her family, took a strong personal interest in Naumkeag’s landscape and Fletcher Steele's expertise, working on a multitude of projects for 30 years.  The must-see garden element is the Blue Steps, which consists of a series of fountains flanked by stairs beneath a White Birch grove.

                                                      (the author, posing in front of the famed steps)


After our step back in time to the Gilded Age, we headed to the Norman Rockwell Museum.  I have always been a big fan of Norman’s Rockwell’s art.  I am constantly inspired by his ability to portray everyday life in a way that people of any age and background can relate to. So many of his works bring a smile.  They also bring home the idea of everyday heroes and a sense of community.  Although I had seen many of his paintings in books or online, I was excited to see some originals. I was amazed with how large and detailed most of his paintings were, which afforded me even more respect for my favorite artist.  I have to admit, I was holding back some tears when we viewed the Four Freedoms- this is worth the visit.


For Catherine’s birthday dinner, we visited Great Barrington.  After taking a driving tour we stopped at The Point Restaurant at Thornewood Inn.  One thing we learned about the southern Berkshires was that large hotel and restaurant chains do not exist; instead there are many Inns and unique local eateries. The Point was no exception.  After admiring the beautiful Inn, we sat down for an unbelievable meal.  During a heartwarming conversation with the owner, he talked us into a homemade chocolate ganache cake, that I am tempted to say might be worth the two-hour trip from Walpole to have again.  

Great Expectations: Advice for Young Professional Paupers

 A new feature on Catherine the Greatest! Let's face it kiddoes, the average American twentysomething has been a little slow out of the gate. We've not exactly joined the race to the top as quickly or efficiently as those who came before us. Some are still waiting on that masters, that first "real" job, and our student loan lenders own large portions of our souls. However, let's focus on the bright side. Overall, we're pretty lucky. We are well-educated, some of us have jobs we really like, and a lot of our parents welcomed us back into their basements with open arms. So what if we don't own property, have health insurance or um, money for lunch?

Which brings me to today's topic:

How to Act Like a Miser At The Salad Bar, But Still Get a Really Great Lunch

We've all been there. Lunch rolls around--you're stomach is rumbling but you have budget on the brain. Is there anything you can buy for a quarter and some pocket lint? Is the melted gum at the bottom of your purse legal tender? Is bartering a thing anymore, and if not, can you bring it back?

The outlook is grim, young pauper, but I have a solution. Head to your local salad bar. I hear you when you say, "But Catherine, those things can run six or seven bucks a pound!" I know, I know, but stick with me.

The trick is to make your salad up of all of the salad bar's lightest ingredients. These things are sold by weight after all, and the less of it there is, the more money you have for moonshine and tobacco.

Fill your salad container to the brim with baby spinach.Grated carrots and mushrooms are similarly weightless. A few thin slices of bell papers will get you Vitamin C, and add some bulk to the meal without adding too much cost. Dried cranberries and sliced almonds are also fairly light. Some sprinkled feta will only cost a few cents. Steer clear of heavy pickled beets, boiled eggs, and meats.That costs money, and you don't have much.

When it comes to dressing, use it sparingly. If you have the option of grabbing packets, do so. Sometimes I hold them in my hand at checkout and dare the cashier to ask me to let her weigh them. I almost always win the stare down, and save a few cents by keeping them off the scale.

I am so skilled at making nutrient-packed delicious salads that barely weigh a thing, that once the cashier thought the scale had broken; because how could such an amazing creation cost $3.06? What she didn't know is that the average young professional pauper is determined, crafty and truly knows how to stretch a dollar. Let's embrace it everyone. Let's get rid of those nicknames the media gave us--boomerang generation, generation whine--and all try to be somebody Dickens would be proud of.

Had myself a ball in a small town

Last weekend, we took a dreamlike trip to western Massachusetts. We stayed in Stockbridge and hit up some of the most important sites--this deserves a separate entry and it's coming--but we also managed to swing by nine other towns that weekend. Here are a couple of highlights:

Lee

We took a look at the Stockbridge tourist map to get an idea of what we could see nearby. In Lee, otherwise known for its outlet shopping right off the Mass pike, we saw a little listing called the "Retro Pop Shop." Charmed by this ambiguous name, we decided to check it out. (One of us happens to be among the soda industry's greatest supporters.) Josh's premonition was correct; this place is a vintage sign shop with tons of soda collectibles from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The collection includes antique Coca Cola ice chests, milkshake makers, and tons of advertisements, mostly printed on metal. We even found a sign from the Clicquot Club, a defunct soda company headquartered in my hometown. Fun Catherine the Greatest Historical Fact! The Clicquot Company  was the first to can soda in the United States! Sure, that happened 80 years ago, but it's really all we have to offer sooo...Anyway. Here's a picture of the shop. It's definitely worth a stop by if you're in the area. His inventory is a bit disorganized, but it makes the treasure you find in there feel extra special:

Alford

This town will be one of my favorite stops simply because there is so little to it. We stopped at the town center, where there were town offices in a converted school house, a town hall across the street and a cemetery.

That's it.  400 people live in Alford, and please read this adorable excerpt from the town's Web site:

Alford has no post office, no stores, no motels or hotels, and not a single gas station, all of which are available in neighboring towns. Rural mail delivery comes from two neighboring zipcodes; West Stockbridge MA 01266, and Great Barrington MA 01230.

You know it's rural when you don't even have your own zip code, and you take the time to explain on your Web site that your town hosts no businesses. Josh and I sat on the swings for a few minutes and remarked on how silent it was. We could hear a few birds and a distant lawn mower, but we saw no passing cars and only a couple of people going for a walk. I did notice Alford has a library, also housed in the town hall. And, bless it, it's open for two hours a week.

If this town were a person, I would pinch its cheeks. I am thinking about signing up for its newsletter, just so I can delight in all the quaint things they'll tell me. For example, in the Wildlife section of their site, they boast "crows" among the creatures someone might be lucky to see around town. So precious.

Songs that make your heart sing: WTF am I watching? edition

I am reviving this much-loved feature, wherein I highlight tunes I think we should all be listening to this week. This time, I'm focusing on music videos that bring confusion to some of our much-loved anthems. 

"You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon is an excellent song from one of my favorite albums, but this video is totally inexplicable in the very best way. Why is Chevy Chase in it? What is with the demonstrative gestures and matter-of-fact lip synching. Does Paul Simon always keep flutes in his pocket? Have two people ever looked siller next to each other than Paul and Chevy? This video poses so many more questions than it answers, and that's how I like it. It's worth mentioning that Paul Simon's official YouTube channel re-posted this last year, so it's obvious nobody here has any regrets.

Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" is one of the finest contributions to America's musical landscape. Every time it comes on while I am driving, my car's upholstery is treated to a truly rousing rendition, and I can feel my heart beat in sync with Peter's lyrics "My heart going BOOM BOOM BOOM."

What makes the video remarkable is that Mr. Gabriel begins to ride a bike around the 1:10 mark, which is not something I'm used to seeing during a live performance. Which makes me wonder about other times I could start riding a bike when other people normally would not. Some thoughts: 1) While waiting for a deli clerk to fill my order for a half sour pickle 2) In a CVS. I spend too much time and money in this store as it is, but maybe having wheels would help move the process along 3) At staff meetings. I work in health care and physical activity = health. Who could argue?

Mendon Drive-In

I love making up statistics, and I make an effort to do it as often as possible. People generally fail to question me, and even better, this premeditated fabrication makes me sound more informed than I am. Which is why I would love to tell you that there are only 63 drive-ins left in the United States. That sounds feasible, right? I mean, this isn't the Eisenhower administration.

But I also went to journalism school, and they mentioned something about checking facts sometimes? Because I guess things are supposed to be true, and Catherine the Greatest is a news source, right? You wouldn't believe how many 3 a.m. phone calls I get from CNN. I haz mad scoops, yo.

Anyoo. That was just my roundabout way of telling you that there are actually 365 drive-ins open in the U.S., according to an unreliable source. So maybe you're thinking that the Mendon drive-in isn't that special. But it is. Look at what we got from the snack bar:

In case my photography skills are lacking, or the hand model failed to display the goods effectively, those are sausage, pepper and onion sandwiches, freedom fries, and diet Cokes. If you bought this at a regular movie theater, it would probably cost you between $45 and a down-payment on a modest home. This is also a lie because Showcase Cinemas doesn't know what's good for it, and refuses to offer this kind of culinary delicacy.

I can tell you that for just a couple dollars more than the cost of two adult admissions in a regular theater, the drive-in will admit as many people as you can fit into your car for not one, but two movies. That's $25/car for people who are having trouble following me. Is that everyone? Maybe we should break this down into a list:

DRIVE-INS FOR DUMMIES:

1. Get caffeinated. The first movie doesn't start til sunset, which is close to nine o'clock. If you are planning to stay for both movies, make sure to bring some family-friendly stimulants because you won't be rolling back onto the mean streets of Mendon until close to one a.m.

2.Bring a sweatshirt or a blanket to spread across your vehicles bench seat because it gets chilly. And also, since this blog is apparently for retirees, remember we are old and can catch a chill much more quickly than we used to! For the kids: if you packed your mother's minivan full of six of your best high school buds, bring chairs or blankets so you can spread out on the grassy knoll surrounding you. But no funny business, and keep your hands where I can see them. Also, please drive carefully. Life is not a video game.


3. While I've been told that it's inappropriate to provide running commentary in a traditional move theater, this might be an option for you in comfort of your Chevy Malibu if your companions allow. Drive-ins are also ideal settings for movies where you might want to sing-a-long, or feel that you will become so overwhelmed with the storyline that shouting, thrashing, or tomato throwing might occur. Please remember your windshield is in front of you, and tomato splashback is a risk.

So that's it. I don't know what more you could possibly want to know. As for the embedded CTG correspondents ( and unpaid interns) I have scattered throughout our great nation, what can you tell me about the drive-ins in your area?  The comments section is open.