Trip Report - Trip to Tanglewood - October 16th, 2003

Dear Fellow Miata Enthusiasts:

I was asked to write an article about our great road trip to Tanglewood last August. I had hoped to write the trip report before now; however, as many of you know, I have just moved into a new house. Coordinating the move was very time consuming and, of course, my job really cuts into my personal life... Autumn has since fallen upon us, and I must admit that I am enjoying flashing back and thinking about the great time we all had at Tanglewood. Hopefully, my memory will serve me well in writing this article...

Chris and I arrived at the Williams Inn on Friday evening, August 15th. We didn’t want to have to be up at dawn on Saturday so we decided to leave a day early. We had a very enjoyable ride to The Williams Inn in Williamstown, Massachusetts. For those of you who are not familiar with the Inn, it is located on the picturesque Williams College Campus, northerly junction of Route 2, the Mohawk Trail running east-west, and Route 7, north-south from New York City to Montreal. Chris and I were very pleased with the excellent choice in accommodations made by the trip coordinators.

On Saturday morning, we managed to catch up with the rest of our group at Tanglewood where the sounds of the Boston Symphony Orchestra permeated the air throughout the lush grounds on a warm sunny morning. As I recall, we were to enter the Lion’s Gate parking area. While we never did see the “Lion,” we spotted several Miatas parked by a wooded area. Our Club had 9 cars in total. Participating in the event were Terry and Bob, Rich and Carolyn, Lillian and Joe, Bob and Shelley, Jim and Debbie, Katherine and Dwight, Larry and Jean and Dennis and Lynn. I hope I haven’t left anyone out. Following the concert/rehearsal, several cars in our group headed for the Norman Rockwell Museum located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and others chose to visit the nearby New England Botanical Gardens. Since I chose the Museum, I can share a little about what I saw.

The Museum, established in 1976, holds a nationally recognized collection of Norman Rockwell’s art spanning the artist’s entire career. We viewed a chronological display of more than 2,500 of Rockwell’s published works. The characters in each piece of art were so lifelike that, when looking at a picture, I felt as though I were eavesdropping into someone’s personal life. It was interesting that this feeling was shared by several of the other members of our group.

On Saturday evening, our group gathered at the Inn where we enjoyed a tasty dinner. Several of us met later in the lounge where we were entertained by the Lehmann Band. They had a terrific lady pianist. We danced to the old standards and had some great conversation.

Sunday morning, after a hearty breakfast, our group set out for the summit of Mount Greylock (the highest point in Massachusetts). Mount Greylock State Park was the first State Park acquired by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1898. We viewed a wall at the Park where nameplates listing all of the State Parks located in Massachusetts were displayed. It was fun recognizing the names of Parks located near our hometowns. The panoramic scenery set the stage for a great Club photoshoot. Then we were off to visit the Natural Bridge, situated in the middle of an abandoned marble quarry. We all came away from that stop with a new sense of appreciation for Mother Nature! From there, we visited Longview Tower where those of us, who are not faint of heart, were able to enjoy a view of three states.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Charlemont Inn, a 200-year-old establishment located on the Mohawk Trail. Halfway through the meal, the waitress notified the group that it was just beginning to rain. Time to put the tops up in record time!

And what Miata trip would be complete without ice cream? Chris and I decided it was time to head home so we bid a fond farewell to the rest of the group as they headed into the ice cream shoppe parking lot.

My favorite part of the trip, of course, was seeing our convoy of “cute” (sorry, guys...) Miatas traveling up and down some of the most scenic roads in New England. Our trip coordinators always do such a good job in planning trips that are both entertaining and educational. My new co-pilot, Chris, loves driving my Miata as much as I do. We should be completely settled in our new home soon and look forward to participating in future adventures with the Miata Club next year. That is, of course, when we are not out camping in our other “baby”—the 33’ RV! Happy Miata-ing!

“CELIE”