Sunday, June 18, 2023,  Father's Day


Following a 5 month hiatus the Spirited Tour rebounded strong with a trip to the Berkshires and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA and a leisurely afternoon at the Great Awakening Brewing Company in Westfield, MA. Kelley, Lisa, and Shaeleigh picked me up just after 10:30 and we headed west again on the Mass Turnpike. 


No other American illustrator captured the American experience as well as Norman Rockwell and the immersive experience of the museum dedicated to his work did not fail to deliver. A real treat was a guided tour of Rockwell's studio, set up as he liked it. We also viewed the exhibit of drawings, marionettes, and puppets by Tony Sarg. Of note - we arrived shortly after three tour buses dropped off dozens of Korean high school girls on a class trip. They seemed to really enjoy (as much as we did) seeing the artwork and many pictures were taken. Besides, the setting in the rolling hills of the western Berkshires added to the ambience of the day.




Outside the entrance

In the downstairs room with Shaeleigh after watching a short movie about Norman Rockwell's career.

In the entrance vestibule with Lisa and Shaeleigh.



No, the Norman Rockwell Museum does not include a micro-brewery or brew pub. That part of our outing followed after heading back east over the Berkshires via Route 20.




Great Awakening Brewing Company
77 Mill Street, Westfield, MA
(413) 875-7868
https://greatawakeningbrewing.com/

[Info from their website]

BE AWAKENED

Established July 2020
Taproom: Wed-Fri: 4-9 | Sat: 12-9 | Sun: 12-6
Now Booking Private Events!

Join us in our spacious taproom and brewery for craft beer, craft food and GREAT times! Our Westfield MA Brewery is located in scenic Western Massachusetts in Westfield’s historic Mill at Crane Pond. Enjoy a variety of 20+ craft beers on tap while taking in views of Westfield’s scenic Little River dam. Check out all the Great Happenings going on at the Brewery, book your next private event, or hang out in our Riverside Outdoor Beer Garden, open Fri-Sun, weather permitting!


Outside the mill building which houses the 12,000 square foot Great Awakening Brewing Co.





Great Awakening's Riverside Outdoor Beer Garden


We chose to sit outside in the Beer Garden since it was such a nice day. Orders for refreshments and food can be made at the entrance set-up. Picnic tables line the trail that overlooks Crane Pond. We chose a table shaded by a tree.


The hostess graciously took this photo of us enjoying our refreshments.



We selected the following beer from about 20 varieties on the drinks menu.



Bob - EAST MODE

IPA 7.2% 16 oz.
Juicy IPA brewed and dry hopped with a blend of Citra, Galaxy and Mosaic.

Lisa - HUNTINGTON

Vienna Lager ⠂ 5.8% ⠂ 0.5L
Brewed with six different malts, German hops and a Munich water profile. Lagered for over three months and naturally carbonated. Unfiltered with no fining agents added, this is Lager in its purest form! Malt forward, smooth, rich and creamy with toasty notes of caramel and vanilla.

Kelley - LOUIE

Classic Saison ⠂ 6.5% ⠂ 16 oz.
Brewed with Belgian 2-Row, a touch of Belgian Candi Sugar and European hops and fermented with a CLASSIC Saison yeast. Super refreshing and dry with a firm yet unassertive bitterness. Notes of banana, clove, lemon zest and citrus with a pleasant hop character and an inexplicably fantastic finish.

Shaeleigh - Lemon tea







Beer menu



After the first round we stuck with our first choices except for Kelley who switched to East Mode.We ordered food from the food menu.

The food menu. Unfortunately, the choices were limited.




Due to the limited selection remaining we were overall disappointed with the food, although the chicken salad sandwich that I shared with Shaeleigh was very good. 


Overall impressions - actually, in total, the day was a huge success. I really enjoyed the museum - it brought back childhood memories of seeing Norman Rockwell's illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post which could oftentimes be found in my childhood home. Additionally, the artist's ability to capture the feel of everyday life is really uncanny. The trip to and from Stockbridge was also enjoyable - and I had never been through some of the towns we traveled through coming back to the Pioneer Valley via Route 20.

The uncrowded and spread out Beer Garden was another highlight of the day. Good beverages, good company, perfect weather - all added up to a thoroughly enjoyable day. 

Me with Crane Pond in the area of the Little River Dam in the background. My smile says it all!



Thank you, Lisa, Kelley, and Shaeleigh!


'til next time, Cheers!


Comments

  1. sookiesbirthdaysurpriseJune 24, 2023 at 11:53 AM

    What a lovely day. The museum was such a good idea. It's art that is understandable and accessible to most Americans. The pub was laid out nice, especially the outdoors. I agree, the menu was limited, but the beer sounded fabulous. You had a lovely day for an outing. Cheers! 😊

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