I wanted a way to celebrate my 75th birthday where I could spend more than a couple of hours with my family. A cruise was out due to the prevalence of Covid. I looked around for properties nearby and settled on the Berkshires. The General Williams House stood out, because of its proximity to Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Norman Rockwell Museum. In addition, there were a lot of shops and restaurants in the area.
The house had enough bedrooms to accomodate me, my three children, their spouses, and my two grandchildren. One of my brothers came, and there was an extra bedroom for him. With the exception of the first floor bedroom, all of the bedrooms had attached baths.
We had plenty of room to spread out in the living room, or the room with the the billiard table. Outside, we gathered on the porch or the terrace, or around the pool. People could either hang out, or do their own thing in the surrounding towns. Many enjoyed hiking in the nearby state park, or on other trails in the neighborhood. And, they always returned to this very comfortable house.
Another of my brothers, his wife and son stayed in Lenox, while two nieces stayed in Pittsfield.
Unbeknown to me, my children planned a party in the ice house on the property. They arranged for food from a local restaurant, and got cakes made by the pastry chef at The Red Lion in town. We were fourteen in total, and there was plenty of room in the ice house to accomodate us. This is a very large property, and we had room to play bocce.
I had a problem with my toilet seat, and it was quickly addressed. All it took was an email to the manager. We have rented other houses
before, and this one falls high on the list.