weekend trips

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Massachusetts can be a magical place to live and vacation. From the Berkshires to Provincetown, our beautiful Commonwealth has so much to offer and a season for every taste. Cape Cod is one of those places that makes it so special. Gray shingled houses, hydrangeas, endless coastline and sparkling blue sea. My love affair with the Cape began long ago when I vacationed there as a child, and I still seek out every possible opportunity to visit. This past weekend we headed across the Sagamore Bridge and along the Cape to Chatham, where we celebrated our favorite newlyweds at Chatham Bars Inn.

Chatham Bars Inn

Named as one of the leading hotels in the world, Chatham Bars Inn is an expansive property comprised of cottages and a main building, along with a golf course, beach, several restaurants, and spa. Its views are unparalleled; it is the epitome of Cape Cod luxury. The rooms are simply decorated with a beach house theme, clean, comfortable, and offering luxurious little touches like Nespresso machines and gas fireplaces.  Restaurants in the main building, including Stars and The Veranda offer stunning views of the sea, a perfect place for a glass of wine.

Chatham Bars Inn

Chatham Bars Inn

Our friends happened to be having their mini moon in one of the cottages as Chatham Bars Inn, and we enjoyed toasting with bubbles and their delicious handcrafted cocktails while taking in views of the harbor and splashing seals. We spent a lot of time on their balcony, for very good reason.

Chatham Cape Cod

We also had the fantastic treat of checking out the wine cellar at Chatham Bars Inn’s main building. Their cellar is beautiful, and I could have browsed all day. Guests can plan ahead for wine tastings in this lovely space; I already may have hinted at 35th birthday plans.

Chatham Bars Inn Wine Cellar

Sacred Cod

The variety of restaurants at Chatham Bars Inn makes for some nice choices throughout the day. Once we had enough of the cool breezes outside, we huddled on cozy couches for drinks and a snack, this gorgeous, smoky, sweet slab of candied bacon.

 

Chatham Cape CodIn addition to its spectacular seaside location, Chatham Bars Inn is also within walking distance to the town of Chatham, and we did a little bit of exploring. Autumn in New England is certainly a special time that people travel the world over to experience. Chatham was dressed in its seasonal finest, and we were feeling pretty lucky to be there.

A long day outside led us to a late dinner out at the Impudent Oyster, a restaurant I would highly recommend. We had the most delightful server and lots of great food like mussels, sizzling garlic shrimp, dumplings, salads, soup and pasta dishes. The menu is extensive, and from what we ordered, delicious. It was perfect to be able to walk to our home for the night along a marshy, moonlit road, listening to frogs and crickets sing their night songs.

Impudent Oyster

Once we retreated to our room, we loved just cozying up in its simple comforts. The beach house decor is inspiring; we are in the process of planning some redecorating, and I would love a serene, beach cottage like home. Instead of watching TV, we listened to classical music and watched the fireplace, feeling a million miles away from the city.

image

A gorgeous morning, croissants and coffee at Chatham Cookware, and a seal-filled walk on the beach rounded out our perfect little Chatham getaway. It was hard to hop back into the car to sit in bridge traffic, but we both felt rejuvenated and blessed for the wonderful time we had with great friends in a most perfect place.

Tags: beaches, Cape Cod, Chatham, Food, getaways, hotels, luxury, Massachusetts, Travel, vacation, weekend trips, wine

There’s nothing better than a long weekend and a little getaway, is there? Sometimes you just need to change up your surroundings, even if you don’t get far from home. While we would love to have made another jaunt to Sonoma this weekend, our schedules don’t look like they will allow for a real vacation anytime soon.

After working past 10:30 on Friday night, most of the day Saturday, and Sunday morning, I was spent (still am!), and we headed about an hour north of Boston to The Stonehedge Inn and Spa in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. Surrounded by rolling green fields and lush greenery, Stonehedge really feels like the country. It has that wonderful, woodsy smell, and it’s very quiet, exactly what we needed.

Stonehedge Inn and Spa

Our room was cozy and featured a huge soaking tub, giant, fluffy bed, and a sitting area with a fireplace.

Stonehedge Inn and Spa

After we settled in, we decided to go for a wander over to the pool and spa area. The grounds at Stonehedge are absolutely beautiful.

Stonehedge Inn and Spa

The pool and spa area are also lovely, but we were a little disappointed that the sauna and steam room didn’t seem to be working, and we couldn’t get massage appointments. I was told it was because the spa gets packed on the weekends, but there was no one there; all of the treatment room doors were open, the lights were out. I guess they were just closed for the weekend?

Stonehedge Inn and Spa

Since we couldn’t use the sauna and steam room, I took a long bath in the big tub and then we headed down to the lounge at Left Bank restaurant for a glass of wine. One of the reasons I had been dying to visit Stonehedge was that it has the largest wine cellar in New England. Unfortunately, when we booked, I wasn’t told that the wine cave was under construction.

The restaurant itself is well-stocked with wine, and the lounge was a great, relaxed space. The wine list was a literal book which I had a great time thumbing through. Left Bank also features 60 bottles of wine that are under $60, some well under that, so it’s easy to find a bargain bottle. Stonehedge Inn and Spa

By the time we were seated for dinner, the rain had stopped, and we enjoyed a bright meal in the sunroom area of Left Bank. Our room included a three course meal, and we were able to choose anything off of the menu.

Left Bank RestaurantWe started with a tasty tuna tartare amuse .

tuna tartare

We chose a bottle of Domaine Carneros sparkling wine to go with dinner. Bubbly goes with everything!

Domaine Carnernos

For my starter, I went with a beautiful stuffed Portobello mushroom in a balsamic reduction.

stuffed mushroomFor dinner, I had slow roasted lobster in a lemon thyme beurre blanc.  It was heavenly.

slow roasted lobster

For him, the entrée choice was the grilled tenderloin with a port reduction.

tenderloin strawberry crepes

I was almost too full for dessert, but I managed to eat a few bites of this strawberry crepe roulade with an Irish coffee that was one of the best I have ever had.  We ended the evening in the library at the inn, with my husband playing the resident piano while I listened. He is so talented; we need a piano at home!Stonehedge Inn Library

Overall, our experience at Stonehedge Inn was a good one. We did choose it partially because of the spa amenities and wine cave, so we left feeling a little disappointed but generally happy and definitely more relaxed. We would drive up to go to Left Bank again, especially for one of their wine dinners.

How did you spend the long weekend?

Tags: Food, Massachusetts travel, Travel, weekend trips, wine

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