My visit to Sunset Rock

I recommended hiking to Sunset Rock to many Guests this weekend, so with such a beautiful day today, I decided to head there myself! I’ve been many times before, but each time I visit I find it more beautiful. It’s a short hike – about 1/2 mile to the rock and a 1/2 mile back – so it’s perfect to “sneak” in during the day to stay connected to nature. When you reach the rock, the amazing views of the valley and distant views of the Catskill Mountains will make Sunset Rock one little spot you will love to go to when you have an hour to spare! Pack a picnic lunch to make it more memorable!

Sunset Rock is located near Bash Bish Falls in Copake Falls, NY, about 20 minutes from the Interlaken property. For directions and more information, visit http://www.berkshirehiking.com/hikes/sunset_rock.html.

Welcoming 2010

If you are looking for something a bit more low key this New Year’s Eve, then consider what Interlaken is offering this year.  We are offering our package to just 30 couples, so we are keeping the celebration smaller than usual but just as festive!  We will start your evening by serving you a wonderful dinner in Morgan’s – we have created special a la carte menu just for the occasion.   This might be the time to try the restaurant I’ve been writing so much about!  We will also provide you with four cocktails during the night as part of the package while you listen to the sounds of Scott Heth and his trio.  Scott has always been a part of the New Year’s Band at Interlaken, so if you are familiar with his sounds, expect the same great music from him!  As you dance your way towards midnight, we’ll make sure you have champagne in hand to toast the New Year!  Wander back to your room, and then join us again in the morning for a full breakfast buffet.  Call early as the party is limited! 1-800-222-2909.

Three weeks from today…

Thanksgiving will be over – have you made your plans yet?  Have you decided to take on the task of all of the holiday fixings at your house again this year?  Well, stop!  Tell your family you will meet them at Morgan’s restaurant at the Interlaken this year!  You and your family are not just limited to eating traditional carved roasted turkey, as we offer other choices, such as artichoke and leek ravioli and shepherd’s pie.  We fill our buffet with other traditional favorites, such as mashed potatoes,  candied sweet potatoes and  green bean casserole, a variety of salads and breads.  And don’t forget dessert!   An assortment of pies, chocolate mousse, and carrot cake are just some options for finishing your meal (if you have any room left!).  Seatings are at 1pm and 3pm.  Reserve a table for your family at 800-222-2909 or locally at 435-9878.

“Do you believe me now?”

If I wrote “Hey, Jimmy Wayne just stayed at the Interlaken for a couple of days and had a great time” – you would probably say “yeah, right”.  Well we have pictures to prove it!  Click on http://ping.fm/p/dk15l to read about his trip to Northwest Connecticut and his stay at Interlaken.  He was here visiting Darryl Hall who lives nearby, and of course sang “Sara Smile”, which is the latest song from Jimmy.  You’ll have more fun reading the above link, so go ahead and click – and be sure to scroll through the pictures!  And if you are a fan of Mr. Wayne’s, be sure to ask for the “Jimmy Wayne Suite” when you stay at Interlaken!

The “Story of Stuff”

Do you have 20 minutes to spare?  If so, type in www.storyofstuff.com.  Download and watch the video!  Two years ago, the gentleman who helped in creating the video stayed here at the Interlaken, and ever since then, we refer to the “story of stuff” quite often.  It talks about production and consumption patterns, and it will certainly make you stop and think about the world we live in, and how simple changes we make can affect the environment we live in.

Another step in GOING GREEN!

I always look forward to our Green meetings – we review how things are working we already have in place, and of course, focus on new ideas to help us continue to get certification from the State of Connecticut as a Green property.  The biggest topic this meeting was Composting – what it is, what’s involved and what we have to do to begin this task.  We already purchased 3 units, and we hope this will handle the activity from our Kitchen.  If you think about how much waste there is from prepping food that could be given back to the earth rather than dumped in a landfill. For example,  the preparation of just one fruit platter – the skin from melons, the tops of strawberries, the stems from grapes, the skin from pineapples – all of these “scraps” can be put in a composter and turned into organic material that can be added to soil or used as a medium to grow plants.  Since our kitchen produces so many “scraps” like this (since we primarily use fresh and local ingredients in all of our dishes) our composters will certainly have alot of activity!  There are so many “dos and donts” of composting and our staff is committed to learning all about them.   We plan to have our composters up and running in the next couple of weeks.

Romance at Interlaken

While leaving the property today to run an errand, I saw a couple, holding hands, walking down the colorful road to our beautiful lakefront. I recognized them as the couple I met at dinner in our restaurant last night. What’s more romantic than a table for two right in the front of the fireplace, with someone bringing you food and drink?! And not just ordinary food and drink, but “exceptional” food and drink! That is what they told me: “the Food is exceptional”. I’ve been saying this for years, so it’s no surprise to me, but it always make me smile when I continue to hear it from our Customers! They planned to end their evening in their room watching a DVD from our complimentary selection of DVD’s we offer in our lobby. ”The Notebook” – what could be more romantic than that movie?

This couple was taking advantage of our most popular package, the Romantic Interlude. For just $179 plus tax, it includes your overnight accommodations, a 2 for 1 dinner entree, 2 cocktails, 2 movie tickets and breakfast for 2 the next morning. It is an exceptional value! This couple decided on our most romantic accommodation and upgraded to our Sunnyside building. Knowing this couple, I am sure after their walk to the lake that they are now sitting on the wraparound porch with some hot cocoa! It’s a gorgeous day here in the Northwest Corner!

Anyway, keep the romance alive with your significant other – pick a date and give us a call and request the Romantic Interlude package – you won’t be sorry!

Maplebrook School Parents’ Weekend

Beginning tomorrow, parents of Maplebrook Students will gather at the school to visit their children and enjoy many activities planned for the weekend. One of the premier activities is their annual fundraiser held here at the Interlaken on Friday, October 30th – their Silent/Live auction dinner. In addition to it raising thousands of dollars for the Maplebrook School, it is also a wonderful social gathering for faculty, students and parents.

Maplebrook School is a coeducational boarding and day school for students with learning differences and/or attention deficit disorder. Founded in 1945, the school has grown to be one of the most prominent one of its kind. The school is located in Amenia, NY, only a 15 minute drive from the Interlaken.

I hope the auction this Friday is a great success!

Prime Time House Hero Awards

Let me tell you about the event that brought us to Litchfield the other night.  Prime Time House in Torrington, CT was hosting their annual HERO awards and the General Manager of Interlaken, Kevin Bousquet, was nominated by a member that is employed at Interlaken.  In case you are not familiar with Prime Time House, they are a human services agency that provides community-based rehabilitation services to those that suffer from mental illness.  “The single mission of Prime Time House is to help the Northwest Corner’s mentally ill adults find pathways back to health, independence and productivity no matter how long it takes or how difficult it is”.  Eleven people were nominated, including State Senator Andrew Roraback and State Representative Roberta Willis.  It was determined by all of the “heroes” that night that the members of Prime Time are the real heroes in all of this.  It’s truly an amazing program and Interlaken is happy to support it by employing several members of Prime Time House, all of which are now part of our Interlaken family and serving you, our Guests.  To learn more about Prime Time, visit their website at  http://www.primetimehouse.org/.

Dining in the Litchfield Hills

As more and more traveler’s visit the Litchfield Hills, we are discovering the area is plentiful with wonderful restaurants.  Time and time again, Customers have come back to me in the lobby and raved about the food in Morgan’s and offered me a suggestion of another place that they found delightful.  We understand that, although our food is incredible, that Guests like to go out and experience other venues.  Visiting small towns and quaint villages is what New England is all about!  I was on the receiving end of this when I had to visit an event down in Litchfield County.  We decided to try the restaurant at the Litchfield Inn.  We chose to sit in the Tavern area, and were offered the tavern menu as well as a prix fixe menu.  The food was very good – the beer battered cod was 95% cod and 5% batter, just how I like it.  The osso bucco melted in your mouth.  It was a slow night, so the Chef was able to come and visit – we thought this was very thoughtful and unexpected.  In this day and age when everyone seems to be busy with other things, this man wanted to come and meet his Customers.  This restaurant does have the characteristics of being brand new, still trying to overcome some of the early growing pains, but we are sure that this could be a restaurant that you would want to add to your “dine around” in the very near future.