tedwords

"I just want your extra time and your...kiss." Prince

Deciding to take an extra day did come with decisions. Did we want to stay where we were or try another inn? After some conversation, we decided the least stressful option was to simply stay put at the Devonfield Inn, rather than worry about where to travel to, whether the hotel would be nice enough, etc.

We did have to move out of the room where were in, which actually turned out to be a better decision. While the room wasn't as large as the attic space we had been staying in the past two days, the room was prettier and the bed was more comfortable, giving us a breathtaking view of the grounds, which we used to full advantage that night when a storm breezed in. We opened up the shades and the windows and lay in bed, watching the world thunder around us.

Before that, after a delicious breakfast at the Inn, we randomly selected a random trail from my Audobon app and ended up driving through the October Mountain State Forest. The roads were narrow and in many areas unpaved, so it was kind of a thrill actually driving up and around a mountain, with that feeling that any second, you could plunge to your doom. However, the park ranger we bumped into assured us that the road was safe and there weren't any fallen trees from the storms that would make the trip treacherous.

After that, a bit of a mystery hunt. Corb wanted to check out a few antique stores for possible lighting fixtures to be refurbished, but the places we checked out were too small to really have anything like that. But one store that we went to put us on the hunt for a rare and used bookstore built next to a Shaker Mill. Although I was unable to find any copies of older books by Mark Twain, L. Frank Baum or Ellery Queen (authors I think lend themselves to being read in an antiquated fashion), I did find plenty of other items to distract myself, and ended up leaving the place with an armful of items.

That night, thanks to the suggestion of Zippybeta, we ate at the Red Lion Inn, which is located in Stockbridge and established in 1773. It was an early dinner for us (5:30) but well worth the trip. The place is filled with antique furniture and china, and a charming front porch with rocking chairs, which we actually used to have a quick afternoon snack from the Patisserie across the street (in case you haven't guessed, yes, we are huge foodies).

All in all, a perfect "extra" day for more Berkshire traveling. Sometimes the found time you carve out can be all the more rewarding.