What makes a perfect Weekend Getaway?
A warm, overstuffed mattress definitely helps. An American flag doesn’t hurt—these people trend colorful and patriotic. In New England, a good, but not necessarily great, restaurant with chowders, pot pies, and pot roast on the menu. A nearby village with navigable sidewalks and an ice cream shop. A faulty TV, a frustrating internet connection, and a good book.
Mainly, it’s about a pace that forces us to slow down, smell the whatever, and sweeten our unruly dispositions. If we spend longer than a few days in one of these paradises, we might go crazy with boredom—but that’s why it’s called a Weekend Getaway.
It goes without saying that, this close to Boston and New York, your chances of getting into any of these inns rises exponentially in the off-season. Sorry, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone that these are very popular places with life-long, ultra-loyal followings.
And remember: ALWAYS call for reservations, Weekend Specials, and Senior Discounts. And ALWAYS insist on rooms in the original main building and not in the tilt-up, yecch-modern overflow facility up the road.
Red Lion Inn (1773)
Stockbridge, MA - (413) 298-5545 - $159.
If we had just one last night to spend at an inn anywhere on earth, this would be it. Alice Brock and Arlo Guthrie are long gone, but their vibe survives in one of the prettiest laid-back villages on the planet. Norman Rockwell’s farm is up the road, Tanglewood swings nearby. These days, there’s a lot of New York money in these parts, but it stops well short of obnoxious.
Woodstock Inn (1793)
Woodstock, VT - (800) 448-7900 - $405
The rooms are ultra-modern, and the facilities operate with the efficiency of a clock, but somehow, the classic charm still shows through. Near the border between Vermont and New Hampshire, this inn somehow manages to capture the relaxed personality and independence of both States.
Algonquin Resort (circa 1920)
St. Andrews by-the-Sea, NB (Canada) - (506) 529-8823 - $154.
This establishment was a surprise. Out in the middle of Nowhere, New Brunswick (up the road from our real destination, Campobello Island of Roosevelt fame), we found comfortable rooms, a superb restaurant, and gorgeous winter vistas. In the grand Bretton Woods and Chatham Bars tradition, this is a large, year-round destination resort, with every activity you can imagine, including (our favorite) none.
Beekman Arms Inn (1766 continuous)
Rhinebeck, NY - (845) 876-7077 - $169.
This inn bills itself as the oldest in America, and you can feel it the instant you walk in. Floors, beds, and rocking chairs creak pleasantly with old age. The owners must have kept up to date in the kitchens, because the food is superb. George Washington slept here, of course, and—when you’re not visiting the Vanderbilts and Roosevelts in the neighborhood—so should you.
Bar Harbor Inn (1887)
Bar Harbor, ME - (800) 248-3351 - $179.
The only seasonal inn on the list (April through November). The rooms are superb, but modern, the food is superb and traditional. Perfectly situated in the middle of town, so you can find your way back from deep sea fishing, whale watching, or counting the IPAs in the comfortable local taverns.
Chatham Bars Inn (1914)
Chatham, MA (Cape Cod) - (508) 945-0096 - $364.
We originally came to this large, dignified inn on the Cape’s elbow for business, but stayed for the long, sultry days and walks along the beaches and sand bars of the Atlantic Ocean. In season (May to November), check out The Farm, a truly unique offering and maybe the coolest inn activity/meal you’ll ever try.
Bannister's Wharf (circa 1970?)
Newport, RI - (401) 846-4500 - $175.
The kinkiest hideout on our list, more a guest house for sailors than an inn. There’s a “normal” Clarke Cooke House attached to the property, but hold out for the rooms over the wharf landing (earplugs won’t hurt). Stumble off next door to the inimitable Black Pearl to get sloshed with the locals.
Colonial Inn (1716 or 1889)
Concord, MA - (978) 369-9200 - $189.
Everything creaks appropriately in this throwback inn just up the road from where the American experience first got rolling. After 300 years of use, the rooms are as old and dowdy as you might expect, but they’re all part of the exquisite local charm. The bar and restaurant look like they did the day Henry David Thoreau moved in. The food and drink are as solid and wholesome as in any classic New England tavern.
Sherwood Inn (1807)
Skaneateles, NY - (315) 685-3405 - $220.
Not exactly New England and skirting the edge distance-wise, but we can’t leave this topic without a trip to the gorgeous Finger Lakes and this one-time stagecoach stop. Skaneateles sat at the heart of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy and served as a key stop on the Underground Railway, so the neighborhood breathes its history with a refined wilderness vibe. Fortunately, if we get lazy driving home, the Red Lion at Stockbridge is on the way.
White Elephant (circa 1920)
Nantucket, MA - (800) 445-6574 - $625.
Can you call it a Weekend Getaway if you have to reserve months in advance? We haven’t been here since the recent renovations, but this already was one of the great luxury hideouts of New England. If you can’t get in here, try the Jared Coffin House in town for a scaled-down-but-still-memorable stay. Either way, Nantucket is a lazy stroller’s paradise. They should hand out speeding tickets for pedestrians who exceed the 3MPH limit.
Publick House Historic Inn (1771)
Sturbridge, MA - (508) 347-3313 - $119.
Le Marquis de Lafayette stayed here in 1824. We’ve stopped here numerous times on our way from Boston to Hartford and New York. The Tap Room is one of our favorite winter watering holes. If you can stand the hokeyness—and it really isn’t that difficult—the nearby Old Sturbridge Village will take you back through a few centuries of New England life.
And while we have you…
It wouldn’t be right to conclude this survey without a nod to Norman T. Simpson of Stockbridge, MA, who transformed our wandering life in 1971, when he first published his travel bible, Country Inns & Back Roads. The book went through several updates and expansions, but the earliest editions still fill our travel bookshelves and get plenty of use. At one point or another, Norman introduced us to nearly all of the genuine inns listed here, including his (and our) favorite, The Red Lion.