Six feet apart but always in my heart. Yes, Valentine’s Day will look different this year but there’s a silver lining to lockdown in love: you won’t have to wait in line at the movie theater for rom-com date night, nor will you have to battle for a table at a well-reviewed-on-Yelp restaurant with other Cupid-obsessed couples.
And while you might just want to light a candle, start a bath, pop in a Love Boat Bath Bomb, and forget all about Valentine’s Day 2021, there are special things you can do at or close to your Berkshires home to make this Valentine’s Day memorable.
1. Support Local Restaurants with Take-Out
With indoor dining operating at just 25 percent capacity, getting a reservation at the coveted chef’s table is as challenging as making a classic whole duck cassoulet. Ordering take-out, however, is... well, like water off a duck’s back.
The Berkshires put farm-to-table dining on the map, and the region’s food culture is as formidable as any big city’s. The Prairie Whale in Great Barrington, MA, is at the epicenter of the Berkshire County farm-fresh movement. Chef Stephen Browning combines sustainable practices and conscious choices to create delicious, rustic-forward food.
The Berkshires is alive with vibrant ethnic options, too, including Flavours of Malaysia and House of India, both of which are located in Pittsfield.
Berkshire County restaurants in Massachusetts and Columbia County restaurants in New York need your support to weather the pandemic. Patronize your favorites often so they’ll be there when in-person dining resumes.
2. Explore a New Berkshires Outdoors Area
Berkshire County, MA, has long been a paradise for nature lovers.
The Berkshires are some of the oldest mountains in the world, dating back 500 million years, and glacial erosion has given the mountains a cozy, soft feel, making them perfect for leisurely hikes, walks, and exploration.
Mount Greylock and Monument Mountain are the areas two most popular peaks, with spectacular panoramic views and a host of trails and scenic byways.
Other popular outdoor attractions include Bash Bish Falls State Park, which features the highest single-drop waterfall in Massachusetts, and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, an 11-mile walking and biking trail that winds through the Hoosic River Valley.
Massachusetts state parks are open with a range of measures in place to prevent COVID-19. Check in advance to know how to visit state parks safely and responsibly.
3. Share Architectural Zen on Social Media
From mansard roofs to Georgian doorways, many of the homes in the Berkshires have a story to tell.
Take a walk in the neighborhood or visit the town center and then document the interesting architectural styles found in your residential areas on your social media channel of choice.
From the well-known and unique to the commonplace and familiar, focus on something each day—porches, windows, gardens, roofs—and then share the images on Facebook and Instagram. Bonus point: Your social media contacts will love the daily slideshow.
4. Complete Overdue Home Maintenance Projects
Nothing says love in the time of quarantine like an upgraded appliance or new coat of paint. Home improvement projects are a way to improve quality of life without leaving home.
And let’s face it: having spent so much time at home, it’s easy to spot your home’s shortcomings. Staying at home doesn’t mean going without home upgrades. Wayfair and Amazon are sources of home improvement items from bathroom vanities to cooktops. Local hardware stores are serving customers with curbside pickup and phone orders.
5. Expand Your Cooking Repertoire
This is the perfect time to be a curious home cook. New recipes are being shared on the internet, instructional videos are hosted daily on Zoom, and Instagram is a colorful buffet of unique dishes, epic fails, and cooking challenges.
All of it means it’s time to expand your culinary repertoire. As food writer Genevieve Ko recently said in The New York Times: “The nuanced reward of challenging a culinary framework is moving towards a more expansive and equitable worldview.”
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