Michael is getting rave reviews for his Cocktails from the Garden Class that you can enjoy by making advance reservations.  Cocktails inspired by herbs that guests can harvest from our own gardens are used to create the most luscious concoctions like blueberry and basil mojitos or watermelon margaritas.  The class is full of how to’s, tricks of the trade, the requisite bar jokes and graduates take home their own signature Rock Hall Cocktail Shakers. The good news – thus far everyone has graduated SUMA CUM LAUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great goings on in the Northwest Corner and for a great cause – Trade Secrets last weekend was a huge success and several groups from Rock Hall enjoyed both Saturday’s sale at Lion Rock Farm and Sunday’s Garden Tours.

I bumped into many long time friends like Kate Alex an inspired antique dealer from New Hampshire, Judy Murphy from Old Farm in Lakeville who is responsible for some of our amazing gardens at Rock Hall and is a fellow book lover – Linda Sclafani, my advisor at the New York School of Interior Design, Sally Spillane – local radio personality WKZE 98.1 from whom I purchased a fabulous planter, so many familiar faces supporting Womens Support Services at this wonderful event Bunny Williams created.

Sunday we had a great time on the garden tours with our friend, neighbor and Botanist extraordinaire Joyce.  After a delicious lunch at the Toymaker’s Cafe in Falls Village, Joyce  gave us info on all the wonderful flowers, shrubs, vines and trees we encountered so we got a real insider’s peak at the garden world – if you’re lucky enough to visit or order from the White Flower Farm in Litchfield  – you will reap the benefits of Joyce’s horticultural magic!

A special shout out to Event Chair Rita Delgado of the Salisbury School and her team for pulling everything together and making this Herculean effort appear so effortless!

Cocktails from our own Litchfield Hills garden are just around the corner as guests grab their Boston shakers while concocting Michael’s out of this world fresh from the garden libations at our Connecticut resort style luxury B&B! Aren’t familiar with a Boston shaker??   Hmmm  you’ll have to come for a stay and take his “How To” class that everyone’s been raving about

Very excited about Rock Hall in the Sunday, May 8th edition of the Register Citizen – we made the Front Page!!!!!!!!!!! We are poised for the International Traveler and we welcome guests from every corner of the globe – All roads lead to Colebrook.

Just heard that Garland Jeffreys is coming to  Norfolk, CT to perform at Infinity Hall Sunday evening,  June 5th.  RUN don’t walk to the nearest smart phone, laptop, ipad, telephone and get tickets – He is INCREDIBLE!!!

After a verrrrrrrrrrrry long hiatus I am back at the Blog  Thank you all for  saying you enjoyed reading about our adventures here at Rock Hall and missed hearing from me.  Most of the past year has been spent reworking the website and if you are reading this you must be enjoying the fruits of my eight month endeavor!!  Trips to Istanbul were plentiful this year and I know those of you who purchased a Byzantia “Jewel” are adorned and enjoying!!

This summer was quite busy with guests from all over the US and abroad – word it seems, is starting to get out! We enjoyed having our neighbors from  Norfolk Chamber Music Festival/Yale Summer School of Music http://www.yale.edu/norfolk as guests thruout the summer and of course, Infinity Hall guests were plentiful.  We are attracting all sorts of musicians and vocalists and Rock Hall truly continues to be filled with the “Sound of Music!”

Lime Rock Raceway Guests were plentiful and after a long day at the track were treated to a welcome home cocktail and a little down time as they SLOWLY made their way up our driveway

Leaf peepers abounded thruout October and how lucky were we to have such vibrant foliage all around us while vast areas of Fairfield County, Upper Westchester and the Berkshires were shrowded in various shades of brown   Every guest that took Loon Farm’s Horse Drawn Carriage Ride literally came back glowing…

AHHHHHHHHH The Spa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Amazing group of therapists, soothing essential oil soaks, private yoga, Pilates, tennis – Herb Walks – Reflexology – Thank you all for making the Spa so successful and coming back for more and more!!  Michael and I and the whole Rock Hall Spa Team thank you

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we are at capacity.  We do have a bit of availability that weekend so there is still time to share the Fall with us. Check out our Pre Holiday Package on our Seasonal Offerings page. It’s replete with VIP Discounts for The Lee Premium Outlets and an additional discount at our very own Addison’s Bazaar if you are looking for a vast array of holiday gift giving ideas at attractive discounts plus lots of other goodies… 

Come home to Rock Hall for the Holidays – but only if you book soon. 

If you celebrate Hannukah – there are 8 great reasons to do so at Rock Hall. Take a peak at our Seasonal Offerings and find out why. Even if you don’t celebrate Hannukah come celebrate with us – Why not???? It’s fun and delicious!

Only two Chambers left for the 25th and 26th of December -still room at the inn for Christmas Eve and New Years when we plan on dancing away 2010 with a live Jazz ensemble and vocalist who will usher in 2011 a la champagne cocktails and Cole Porter…

 Be back soon and thanks for your good company!

Best,

Stella

Wishing all our past, current, future guests,  friends and family all the best in 2010 and beyond…

Lots of 2010 news to share with you – Rock Hall is featured in the Winter Editon of Passport Magazine as well as in the Winter Edition of Edible Nutmeg where Michael’s recipe for his amazing Gravlax is revealed!!

2010 is off to a promising start on many fronts and we are excited to report that Michael has been doing more than CURLING!! in his spare time – He can’t wait for the Winter Olympics to begin -  Michael was just sworn in as Colebrook’s Representative to the Board of the Northwest Connecticut Convention and Vistors Bureau and will to do his utmost to be an advocate for and to promote the Northwest Corner for the benefit of all our fellow business owners, neighbors, and guests…

February is Romance Month at Rock Hall so if you can’t make it up for Valentine’s Day - TAKE HEART – we are making romance a top priority the entire month of February so make your reservations NOW and we will treat you to a split of premium French Champagne! Romantic movies will be playing continuously in our private screening room with complimentary popcorn… If flowers and handmade chocolates figure in your romantic fantasies – No Worries – give us a bit of advance notice and for and additional charge we will deliver the most beautiful flowers and the most scrumptious, beautiful chocolates right to your Master Bedroom Door! Interested in Couples or Individual Massage ???  A complete menu of SPA SERVICES will be available soon and we are happy to check our schedule for current service  availability

Looking forward to your visit,

Stella

Visions of sugarplums danced in their heads at Rock Hall this Xmas Eve where a full house brought guests from all over the U.S.  As nearby as Massachusetts and as far flung as San Fransisco!! The Northwest Corner is blanketed in snow and winter arrived just in time to celebrate the holidays with us.  Rock Hall has been decked in Holly and Pine Roping and Hannukah Menorahs continue to blaze. 

Were you lucky enough to indulge in Michael’s extraordinary mini potato pancakes and velvety applesauce made right here at Rock Hall from our heirloom apple trees???  If not, there’s always next year….Cocktails on the 23rd brought friends, family and guests together for a festive prelude to Christmas visits.  After an inasuspicious beginning ….

All right it was staged – our 11 foot Blue Spruce –  Colebrook grown and cut at Up Country Farm on Colebrook River Road –  feels right at home tucked into the dining room and decorated with antique German glass pinecones and birds…

Butternut, Catamount, Ski Sundown and Mohawk ski areas are enjoying a strong beginning to this year’s ski season and guests are booking their ski vacations at Rock Hall for January and February. Sabrina spent Christmas day giving  the world’s most terrific twins a full day private ski lesson and by day’s end they were carving their turns and racing down the slopes!

We’re offering special mid week stay and ski rates at Ski Butternut so don’t let the season pass you by… After my ski accident a few years ago in Vail my  ”need for speed” has been squelched and I’ve happily embraced snow shoeing - there’s little that can beat a trek thru the snow on a crisp winter day with blue birds and cardinals sweeping past you  – We’ve got 5 pairs of snowshoes here with your name on them and over 22 acres to explore - come join us – we’re looking forward to your visit!  

Best Always,

Stella

It looks like we might be in store for a spectacular White Christmas and certainly a White Hanukkah up in the Northwest Corner.  There’ll be Latkes Roasting on an Open Fire here at Rock Hall and Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nose. Snow Shoers rejoice! Animal Trackers be on the alert – there are paw prints everywhere!!

 

 

The Where, How and Why of Turkish Knots!

Last summer when Sabrina and I were travelling thru Central Turkey we met a fantastic Hotelier/Rug Merchant/Midnight Soccer Player.  We bought an amazing hand embroidered silk textile from him and when he heard that Sabrina was obsessed with Knefe a scrumptious Turkish dessert he insisted on driving us to nearby Avanos for the “real” thing!

We were thrilled to learn his brother would be coming  to visit us with a caravan filled with the most delicious Turkish Carpets When we heard he was doing a Marco Polo around the US with these beauties we quickly invited a few friends over to Rock Hall for an overview of the Turkish Carpet and a brief history of its origin and the stories and symbolism woven into each piece.  Everyone went home a little wiser and with a woven masterpiece of Turkish Craftsmanship!

Nick Lowe - The British Rocker who rocked the BillBoard Charts with Top 40 ”Cruel To Be Kind”  and went on to produce several of Elvis Costello’s albums, rocked Infinity Hall before tucking into Chamber 2 at Rock Hall for the night.  The amazing Bill Kirchen former lead guitarist for Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen opened for Nick and dreamt the night away in Chamber 1.   The conversation around the dining room table the following morning was a whirlwind tour of Rock History.  One never knows who will be passing you the jam, or perhaps the marmite, when you’re having breakfast at Rock Hall, luv.

Daily Candy, Daily Candy, Daily Candy, 40000 hits later!!!!!!!!! If you tried to make a reservation and we’ve been unable to accomodate you now you know why – Daily Candy, Daily Candy, Daily Candy. Do try us again when you make your future travel plans and mention Daily Candy.  We’ll give you a sweet treat  and our thanks for not giving up….Still some room over the holidays – think December ….Come cut your own Xmas tree at nearby Up Country Farm, it’s our gift to you and enjoy some super crispy mini potato latkes and light a candle for Hannukah   Hope to see you then!

Best,

Stella

My brother-in-law Abe has admonished me - YOUR BLOG IS STALE says he!  Well, now is the time to freshen it right up.  This has been an incredible month – we have had sooooo many amazing guests and so many requests for reservations!!  Loon Meadow’s horse drawn door to door carriage ride has been an over whelming success!  Thanx again to Steve and Beth for making the rides memorable and discounting them for our guests   Nothing beats leaf-peeping with two incredible Percherons trotting thru the Connecticut countryside.

ROCK HALL IN THE NEWS - Our carriage ride was a hit on NYI  – many thanx to Valarie D’Elia  and Travels With Val - Daily Candy featured us this week as the lead in a piece on the Gilded Age – Thank You Daily Candy and  writer and travelista Courtney Maum…

On October 14th Rock Hall was honored to host a pre-concert cocktail for the United Way.  Michael and I were thrilled to donate our home and provide the lite bites for such a worthwhile organization.  We couldn’t have done it without the help of all the United Way volunteers who donated their time and energy – many, many thanks!  A special thank you to Frank Gugliamino and “the other guy” whose music set a fantastic backdrop for the cocktail party.

UP NEXT - a benefit  holiday cocktail in December at Rock Hall for the Colebrook First Responders  –  more details after a meeting this coming weekend…

Promise to post sooner next time – thanx for all your emails and for taking the time to post  those glowing reviews of Rock Hall –  we loved being with you too!

Best,

Stella