happy holidays ! December 2009
 The Porches Inn Decked Out for the Holidays

In this issue
holiday break do something different this year
make a new tradition events @mass moca
niagara closing soonlandscape @the clark
a
a holiday break
Porches Header

Monthly specials | Packages
A few snow squalls have been moving through our area since last week, adding a layer of white cottony snow to the white-speckled ground. The ski areas have been thankful for the chilly temps, allowing them to make snow for the past week or so. Try our Ski-n-Stay package for a thrifty getaway on the slopes.

Our monthly specials allow you to kick back, and tune up your body and soul... December's last-minute getaway is the Sweet Suite - $150 2 admission tickets to MASS MoCA and an overnight in a one-bedroom suite at Porches, with our healthful breakfast buffet (or delivery to your room). January's Tune Up special features an overnight in a one-bedroom suite with breakfast, two travel-sized packs of locally-made BOLA granola and 2 bottles of water. You'll be ready to get out and brave the chill for a brisk walk in the country air! Our state-of-the-art fitness center and year-round heated outdoor pool will help you relax and repose prior to holiday madness. Wind down the evening with a nightcap by our roaring fire.

Fan up on our Facebook page and keep up with the goings on in North Adams...

check availability
b
christmas & New year's @porches
Fireplace Room at The Porches Inn

Do Something Different
If you're eager to break out of your routine and celebrate the holidays in a different way this year, try an overnight or two at Porches. Have some fun while treating yourself to the many healthful benefits of travel! Below we offer ideas for both arty indulgence and outdoor exploration in the Berkshires. In fact, the Berkshires is listed one of the places that National Geographic Traveler ranked #7 in the world for stewardship of its land and community - pair that with the inclusion of Porches on last year's National Geographic Traveler STAY LIST, we're the place to play and stay! Or, spend your time here at Porches, reading by our lobby fireplace, soaking in our hot tub, swimming in our heated outdoor pool, and just enjoying your room and free time! Call 413.664.0400 or email us to inquire about holiday dining near Porches. Follow this link for more information on the Berkshires.

about Porches
c
make a new tradition


Get Outside !
On New Year's Day, join friends, neighbors and DCR State Park staff for a ranger-guided First Day Hike at Mount Greylock State Reservation. A First Day Hike is a fun way to start off the new year with an invigorating hike in a beautiful state park, and also burn off those extra holiday calories on a Healthy Heart Trail. Hike 1.8 easy miles on the Bradley Farm Trail. Explore the remnants abandoned farmland and forest succession and perhaps see some wildlife. Following, enjoy hot chocolate by the fireplace. Be prepared for cold weather: dress in layers and wear winter boots. If conditions permit bring snowshoes and hiking poles. Dogs are most welcome on a 10 foot maximum leash. The hike starts promptly at 1pm and lasts about 2 hours. Meet at the Mount Greylock State Reservation Visitors Center, 30 Rockwell Road in Lanesborough, 1.5 miles off US Route 7 from the intersection with North Main Street. Free and for all ages. Pre-registration is not required. For more information or in case of inclement weather call 413-499-4262.

If you're interested in extreme adventure, the Western Gateway Heritage State Park right here in North Adams will take you a world away with these programs: on Saturday - January 9th - at 4pm, the park presents White Days & White Nights, an illustrated lecture on Antarctica. On Saturday - January 16th - at 4pm, check out Beyond Endurance, about Ernest Shackleton's amazing attempt to cross Antarctica.

Ever wanted to try snowshoeing? On January 9th, Notchview is celebrating Winter Trails Day, offering free snowshoe rentals and trail passes, as well as a guided snowshoe winter wildlife hike. Skiers of all abilities can take advantage of free classical and skating lessons and a wax clinic. Watch a free skijoring demonstration of how to ski with your dog. Quantities of snowshoes are limited. For further details and to pre-register, please call 413.684.0148.

Find Out More
d
upcoming events @mass moca
Laurie Anderson in Conversation

Laurie Anderson in Conversation
Saturday, January 16, 2010, 4:00 pm
$10/ $20 Priority Seating/ Members 10% discount
One of the seminal artists of our time, Laurie Anderson's genre-crossing work encompasses performance, film, music, installation, writing, photography, and sculpture. Anderson will talk about her latest piece, Delusion, a series of short mystery plays that jump cut between the everyday and the mythic. She's here for a developmental residency before Delusion's world premier in February at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. Make a day of it! After the event to grab a bite eat from Lickety Split or visit the galleries (open until 7:30 PM). Then stay for an Alt Cab performance by Danish pop sensation Hess is More...

Hess Is More
Saturday, January 16, 2010, 8:00 pm
$12 adv/$16 day of/$10 students/Members 10% discount
Combining electronic and acoustic instrumentation with looped beats and a dizzying stage show, Danish pop sensation Mikkel Hess' incredible band delivers what he calls Freestyle Disco Jazz (Listen Now). Hess mixes skillful singing, songwriting, and composing with an astonishing facility for playing multiple instruments (sometimes at once), all the while being hilarious: think Steve Martin filtered through a Lars von Trier outlook, backed by club-ready grooves and serious jazz chops. Once you pick your jaw up off the floor and stop laughing, you'll dance your tail off.

more about mass moca
e
contemporary photography at williams - closing soon !
Alec Soth - Two Towels - 2005

Alec Soth: NIAGARA Open through January 10th
Part of the Williams College Museum of Art's "Landscape" program, a year of programs and exhibitions that explore the idea of art and landscape,  Alec Soth: NIAGARA presents 22 photographs by an important contemporary photographer. From 2004 to 2005, Soth photographed sobering contemporary views of life on both the American and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls. Oscar Wilde wrote, "The sight of the stupendous waterfall must be one of the earliest, if not the keenest, disappointments in American married life." Soth captures this passion and disappointment in NIAGARA by focusing on the motifs of romance that have long been associated with the Falls - young couples, run-down motels, and pawn shop wedding rings. Using a large-format camera, Soth creates lushly detailed photographs that often belie the bittersweet subject matter of romance associated with the Falls - the "aftermath of passion," as Soth describes it. However, Soth admits that he was not documenting Niagara Falls: "There is so much I left out," he says. "Niagara has millions of happy vacationing families and I didn't photograph a single one."

Find Out More
f
constable at the clark
Constable at the Clark

An Indoor Exploration of Landscape
On December 23, the Clark will open a new exhibition, Constable and After: Sir Edwin Manton and the British Landscape. Constable's decision to use sketchy brushstrokes to depict rural landscapes was considered to be very radical at the time because the high, glossy finish in paintings with religious and historical subjects was deemed more acceptable. However, Constable proved to be very influential and popular later in his career and was heralded as a precursor to the Impressionist movement.  The show features works by John Constable, J.M.W. Turner, and Thomas Gainsborough, among other leading British artists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Remember - the Clark is free this time of year!

more info
Contact Us
Thank you for your interest in The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA!

231 RIVER STREET, NORTH ADAMS, MA 01247

T 413 664 0400

porches.com
Join Our Mailing List
facebook