March 4th, 2010
With St. Patrick’s Day on the horizon, March is the time for beer lovers. Central Massachusetts (and neighboring New Hampshire & Vermont) is blessed with a variety of wonderful microbreweries and beer pubs. Enough to make a beer aficionado’s trip to this area worthwhile.
View Beer Lovers Map courtesy of Clamber Hill in a larger map
The map above highlights recommendations for seven local micro breweries and brew pubs. Some sell their own beer, some don’t. Some offer food, some don’t. Some give tours, some don’t. But what they all have in common is great beer.
So if you love beer, consider a March vacation or weekend getaway in central Massachusetts.
And if you’re in the area either the weekend before or the weekend after St. Patrick’s Day, there’s sure to be a parade.
And remember, sample responsibly — don’t drink and drive.
Tags: beer, micro brewery, St. Patrick's Day
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February 25th, 2010
Winter in Massachusetts is supposed to be a great time for outdoor activities such as skiing (downhill or cross country), snow showing, sleigh rides etc. So what do you do when the rain starts melting the magical Massachusetts Winter Wonderland?
My suggestion is to find a romantic inn with cozy fireplaces and enjoy a relaxing weekend (or even a couple of week days) snuggled in front of the fireplace. March is the perfect time for a romantic getaways, before the spring and summer activities take over. The Inn at Clamber Hill offers a terrific Romantic Getaway Package including bedrooms with working fireplaces and a candlelit dinner for two.
Adding a little romance to your life is the perfect way to take that chill out of the cold New England air!
Enjoy a Romantic Getaway Package at Clamber Hill
Tags: fireplaces, romantic getaways
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February 16th, 2010
Being an Inn located in Petersham has advantages and disadvantages. We are an attractive destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts but often times potential visitors think there will not be enough to do in Central Massachusetts. The result is that innkeepers become travel guides.
In “our spare time” we research and visit interesting places to send our guests. Often our guests help out by telling us about places, which we then go visit.
That was the case with Magic Wings, a Butterfly Museum located in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. A lovely, elderly couple from Connecticut told us about Magic Wings, so the next time our nieces and nephews came to visit we went.
It truly is a magical place. The old Candlelight Restaurant owned by Francis Redmond was converted into an 8000 square feet conservatory (new construction), gift shop, and food court (located in the old restaurant).
You enter through an air lock to protect the butterflies. You are not allowed to touch them, but if you are lucky, they will land on you!
As with Old Sturbridge Village, this is a great place for people of all ages — and if you plan to go, be sure to allow enough time — you need at least a half a day! And don’t forget to take your camera–they do allow you to take photographs inside the conservatory.
And again, Magic Wings is only about 35 minutes from the Inn at Clamber Hill!
Tags: butterflies, butterfly, Central Massachusetts, Inn at Clamber Hill, Magic Wings, museum, nature, Old Sturbridge Village, ouotdoor enthusiast, Petersham, South Deerfield
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February 15th, 2010
My family came for a visit recently and we went to Old Sturbridge Village. It is a great way to spend a snowy winter day with the family. The museum has lots of activities scheduled each day, especially during February School Vacation Week.
The village has been recreated and there is a farm, several different mills, a bank, a general store, a tinsmith, a blacksmith, a church and more. It is a like having a lot of little mini museums all in one place. And in between trips into the museums there are outside interludes in a park like setting.
My family had been on a trip to New England when I was 13 and my sisters were 8 and 3. And I remember our stop at Sturbridge Village. It was a destination my mother thought would be both fun and educational for us. It made a lasting impression on me so I was surprised to discover that neither of my sisters remember that visit but they both enjoyed it this time around — just 40 years later.
And my nieces and nephews had a great time too–churning butter, riding on a horse drawn carriage, watching the blacksmith and the tinsmith and getting a chance to run and play in between stops. It was a great way to spend a snowy winter day.
So if you live in Massachusetts and are looking for something interesting to do during the winter break–consider taking a trip to Sturbridge Village–but plan on spending the entire day there –it’s well worth it.
And if you need a place to stay–there are several right near the village, but Clamber Hill is also only a half hour’s drive away and we are offering a February School Vacation Special this week.
Tags: Central Massachusetts, children friendly activities, clamber hill, family activities, February School Vacation Week, museums, Old Sturbridge Village, President's Day, Sturbridge, Winter Break, winter vacation
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January 29th, 2010
It has been 12 years since we opened the Inn at Clamber Hill in central Massachusetts. Moving here from Germany, we knew nothing about the area or the state, so we started exploring. We discovered early on that North Hampton was a town worth visiting and we go over there on a fairly regular basis (as much as innkeepers have any regularity in their lives!).
North Hampton is great for shopping (it’s the best in the area unless you want to drive to Boston) and also has a great selection of restaurants. In fact North Hampton is about the only place in central Mass to get great ethnic food, Japanese, Mexican, Indian and more….
But in all the times we’ve been over there we never knew about the Smith College Museum of Art. It’s not quite in the center of town, but it’s right there on Rt. 9 and once you discover it, you wonder how you could miss it.
It was the gift of a new Massachusetts travel book that allowed us to find this great little art museum. A forty five minute drive from the Inn makes it an ideal place for us to visit on a Sunday afternoon.
What a gem! — especially when you love the late nineteenth century French artists such as Monet, Degas, Picasso, Pisarro, Manet, Seurat, Cezanne etc. They don’t have a lot of any individual artist (they do have three Monets and two Degas) but they have a nice collection and it’s a permanent collection. The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Museum in Williamston, MA is famous for it’s Impressionist Collection but it was a very pleasant surprise to find another wonderful collection much closer to home.
Admission to the museum is only $5.00 making it one of the best bargains in the Pioneer Valley.
Tags: art museum, Central Massachusetts, Cezanne, Degas, ethnic food, French artists, Impressionists, Inn at Clamber Hill, Manet, massachusetts, Monet, North Hampton, Picasso, Pioneer Valley, Pissaro, restaurants, Rodin, Seurat, shopping, Smith College, Smith College Museum of Art, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
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January 18th, 2010
Central Massachusetts has a fresh covering of snow this morning making it a perfect day to go cross country skiing.
The book “Skiing the Pioneer Valley” provides a list of great places for cross-country skiing. This includes 8 Cross Country Ski Centers –Brookfield Orchards Touring Center (508-867-6858), Bucksteep Manor (1-800-645-BUCK), Canterbury Farm (413-626-0100), Hickory Hill (413-238-5813), Maple Corner Farm (413-357-6697), Notchview Reservation (413-684-0148), Stump Sprouts (413-339-4265) and Northfield Mountain (413-659-3714).
All of these have trails groomed or ungroomed, some have lodges and ski rentals, most charge a small fee.
Of these eight, the only one I am familiar with is Northfield Mountain which I can heartily recommend! There are 26 miles of wide groomed trails. The terrain varies from meadows to sloping hills to a climb to the beautiful reservoir at the summit. And the Northfield Mountain Visitor Center doubles as a ski lodge.
Or for those that have their own skis and don’t care about groomed trails –Harvard Forest in Petersham also has miles and miles of trails–which the Petersham residents enjoy! Some of these great trails start right at our Inn, Clamber Hill. We have even had guests ski up to spend the night (although they had their luggage dropped off)
No matter which type of skiing you prefer–get out there in time to enjoy the fresh snow!
Tags: Brookfield Orchards Touring Center, Bucksteep Manor, Canterbury Farm, Cross Country Skiing, groomed trails, Harvard Forest, Hickory Hill, Inn at Clamber Hill, MA, Maple Corner, Northfield Mountain, Notchview Reservation, Petersham, Stump Sprouts, Visitor Center
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January 16th, 2010
The Inn at Clamber Hill produces a cooking show that airs on Athol-Orange Community Television (AOTV). In our best year we produced a show a month. Last year we did not even get a single show produced. So our New Year’s resolution is to do better in 2010.
It becomes more and more difficult to think of new recipes for the show. We want the show to be exciting with good recipes, but we don’t want to be repetitive or to give away any of the secrets that set us apart from other local restaurants.
A conundrum!
We are getting ready to film three new shows at the end of January and we welcome ideas for topics. It may be that some of the things that seem too easy or simple for us are just the kind of things people want to know. Leave your comments here for us!
But in the meantime, let us remind you of one of our more recent shows, Clamber Hill Pear Almond Pancakes, a great breakfast for a winter weekend. The award-winning recipe for our original pancakes is located on our website. We hope you enjoy them!
And the DVD’s of the show are for sale at both AOTV and the Inn at Clamber Hill. All the money from these sales goes to support AOTV.
Don’t forget to try the pancakes and send in your suggestions for future shows!
Tags: AOTV, award winning, clamber hill, cooking show, pancakes, Pear Almond Pancakes, recipe
Posted in As Seen on AOTV "What's Cooking at the Inn?", At the Inn, Clamber Hill Recipes | No Comments »
January 11th, 2010
The blues is a music genre that started at the end of the 19th century in the southern United States. Fred Lilliankamp, otherwise known as Fish Fry Fred will be performing a history of the blues at Petersham Memorial Library on Wednesday January 27th at 7 pm.
This event is sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is free and open to the public. So if you are a blues lover, music lover or just simply have the wintertime blues and are looking for entertainment–come to the library this week for a wonderful time.
And if you’re coming from far away and need a place to stay, mention this blog to get a special one night rate at Clamber Hill, just a mile north of the library.
Tags: blues, clamber hill, Fish Frye Fred, Fred Lilliankamp, Inn at Clamber Hill, library, Mass Cultural Council, music, music history, Petersham MA, Petersham Memorial Library
Posted in In the North Quabbin area, Recommended | No Comments »
January 4th, 2010
Winter is a great time for hiking — or if the snow gets too deep–for snow shoeing. This last week I was lucky enough to squeeze in two wonderful hikes, Bear’s Den in New Salem and Doane’s Falls in Royalston. I have visited both these places often but never seen them as pretty as they are right now this winter.
A Winter Wonderland at Doane's Falls in Royalston, MA.
Both of these waterfalls are on Trustees of Reservations properties and easily accessible. The Trustees have a collection of wonderful properties all across Massachusetts to help both residents and visitors enjoy the Massachusetts landscape.
January is a great time to come out and enjoy a little winter wonderland right here in Central Massachusetts. Nothing is more refreshing than spending a day outside and then coming in to sit by the fire and enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail.
If you decide to hike either Bear’s Den or Doane’s falls this winter, The Inn at Clamber Hill offers Romantic Winter Weekend Packages from November through April.
Tags: Athol, Bear's Den, Central Massachusetts, Doane's Falls, Inn at Clamber Hill, New Salem, Petersham, royalston, trustees of reservation, tully lake
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December 24th, 2009
Many of us have memories of holiday baking. My mother used to bake over a dozen different types of cookies every December. My sisters and I would help of course, although it’s questionable if we were in reality a help or a hindrance. No matter, making the cookies with our mother was one of the best parts of the holiday season and we looked forward to it every year. Most of the recipes were just in her head and now that she is gone, we are trying to recreate them. Pecan Sandies, Christmas Wreaths, Fruitcakes (cookies not cake), Christmas Trees, Chocolate Chews, Candy Canes, Seven Layer Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies (fancy not the ordinary kind) and more. The cookies were both delicious and eye catching and we wrapped each and every one individually and gave them as gifts.
Alas, now a days we’re all too busy and none of us bake that much. But recently I wanted to make something to give as a gift and I pulled out a fudge recipe that is truly simple and delicious, so my Christmas present is sharing it with all of you.
1 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups of semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp salt (scant tsp)
Put the chocolate chips in a micro-wavable container. Pour the milk over top. Stir well so that all the chips are coated with milk. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time. Stirring after each 30 second interval. Do this until the chocolate is melted. Note do not overheat, use stirring action for the final melting. The whole process should not take more than 2 minutes. Add the flavoring and salt and pour into a greased pan. Chill in the refrigerator until firm.
Simple and delicious! We served it at the Clamber Hill open house earlier this month. And don’t forget to use your imagination to make different fudge varieties–walnuts, pecans, peanut butter, peppermints all make wonderful toppings.
So Merry Christmas from Clamber Hill!
Fudge makes a wonderful Christmas Gift and don't forget to include the recipe
Tags: chocolate chips, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, clamber hill, cookies, fudge, holiday baking, Holiday Open House, recipe
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